After watching the last part of Act 1 I smiled widely as my points crossed the final numbers to complete my battle pass. 100,000 Purchased copies of Fallout had now been accomplished a card sitting in my floating version of the system panel.
---BATTLEPASS---
*Have ten people purchase your game* : Single Bed, Silken Sheets (COMPLETED)
*Update a Game three times* : Dishwasher, Cutlery Set (COMPLETED)
*Introduce a Unique Feature that could enhance your popularity* : 100P (COMPLETED)
*Surpass 100 active players in any one game* : 1000P (COMPLETED)
*1 player reaches 100 hours played in one of your games* : Air-conditioning, Internet (COMPLETED)
*Buy 5 enhancements and apply them to a game you have created* : TV, 5 Sets of clothes (COMPLETED)
*Reach 100,000 Purchases in one single game* : Unlocks the Apartment (COMPLETED)
[Points: 199,721]
[You have completed the Battle pass! As a reward for completing the Trial phase of the system, you will be given an ID, Bank Account, Birth Certificate and all other essential points of identification. A Driver's license is provided along with 1.5 Million American Dollars]
"That is convenient!" Not being able to help the smile that appeared on my face I stepped towards a large door that had never been openable to me. It was rather heavy-set and had a single silver handle, styled in a baroque way.
Flexing my hands with my muscles tensing, the jitters in my stomach slowly crawling up my spine in excitement, I grasped the door handle and pulled down. Immediately I emerged from a bathroom stall door of an apartment lobby. Dressed in a thick cotton shirt, fashionable denim pants and a light blue jacket I matched in with most people in the lobby.
Men and women dressed in winter clothing hurriedly entered and left the apartment complex as the reception professionally responded to every new arrival. Guards were posted at each door and they were casually observing the din in the large lobby-hall.
'This is really rich...' I looked around at the prominent water fixtures and the potted palm trees and polished marble, sweating internally just a little bit at the place I had seemingly popped out into.
Scanning for a few more seconds I decided to walk through the lobby, going for the entrance. I did panic for a second about keeping track of my apartment's entrance, but this was soon alleviated by a message on my system screen.
[Entryway to the Apartment can be used at any doorway. User can set a doorway as an entry point and it will become the new entry point to the Apartment. There is no limit to how many times you can change the entry point. If the entry doorway is destroyed in some fashion, the entryway can be re-chosen by you with no damage done to the Apartment. In the case that you enter the Apartment and the Entryway in the prime material plane is destroyed then the system will choose the closest, safest doorway to act as the exit.]
'Very convenient! All right then, let's go explore somewhat!'
...
Within Cerebro...
A psychic resonance blasted through the entire Cerebro System, originating in New York. Xavier blinked and immediately started to zoom in on the signal, detecting hundreds of thousands of humans within New York.
Hundreds of Mutants resided within as well, alongside Meta Humans and other varying powered peoples. His focus was not on any of those at this moment though. His was concentrated on a single apartment building lobby within Manhattan... The Continental.
The pulse was dormant, non-active, but very very potent. Beyond that, he could sense the mutant gene within whoever was the cause. Using his extreme psychic abilities he placed himself in the space, transmitting his mental self to the location, people seeing him as if he was a real person at that location...
"Let's see who you are, shall we?"
...
I moved through the lobby, past multiple well-dressed people as my pockets suddenly filled with my ID's and my birth certificate. My bank card placed securely in my inventory still. Staying as stealthy as possible I wandered through towards the entrance, or in my case, exit.
As I walked however I got a prickly sensation on the back of my neck and a deep feeling of being watched. Narrowing my eyes I was lead to turn around from the premonition in my gut and heart. That unlocked aspect came back stronger, crying out to be used to protect myself, but I still didn't know how to. With that instinctual response came a rise in adrenaline as my heart began beating from my chest rapidly.
Turning, I found a relatively old man, bald but with refined English features and a rather tame suit. Creases in his forehead told of the stresses and problems he had trodden through in life. His calm smile with the slightest hint of intrigue could almost break the ice with anyone he met... From this man I felt a significant threat, a mental threat beyond what I would hope to currently achieve.
"Hello..." I tested the waters by breaking the ice, his head angling slightly as he took a few steps forwards. Immediately I got the sense that what was being portrayed was not the whole truth, some element of himself was not being transmitted in whatever this was...
"It is nice to meet you. I apologise for meeting under such circumstances, however, this is the first time I have ever detected you with my powers."
"Who are you...?"
"My name is Xavier, I am a school principle of sorts... Also, it so happens to be, that I am a mutant."
"Oh, like me?"
His smile widened as he quizzically gazed at my face and the nonchalant attitude that was taken with the subject. Apparently he wasn't used to that response, or at least that was what my gut was telling me.
"Yes, like, yourself...?"
"Ah! Freya. Like the Norse Goddess. My mother was a believer in Odinism and so was my father."
He nodded whilst walking forwards.
"It is good to meet you Freya." Offering me his hand for a handshake as he approached, I reciprocated the greeting, his attitude cordial and friendly enough to not be sending warning signals through my spine. No there was something else that was present causing me to feel threatened... Or someone...
"Same, Xavier... On another note though, do you know if there is anyone dangerous in this room?"
"Why do you ask?" Looking confused he started to pan his vision around the room.
"I just feel like something bad is going to happen? It is hard to explain."
He narrowed his eyes for a few moments as I scanned the room, the both of us standing opposite to one another. A massive psychic power wafted through the room, akin to a tsunami wave in sheer volume and power. It slammed down upon everyone in the lobby but did no harm. After it alleviated in presence, Xavier opened his eyes; that had apparently closed when I wasn't looking.
"There is a man at the reception that is a mutant. He seems to be mildly interested in you. Perhaps that is what you are speaking about?" His tone was genuinely curious as he inspected me, I hadn't known this Xavier for long and his power seemed to be off the charts in comparison to my own. Caution was integral here.
Understanding that I narrowed my mind down to that singular Mutant that he had pointed out, my psyche stretching out as I attempted to understand what his intentions were. Unfortunately for me that was a failure, a rather obvious failure at that due to the nature of the mutation I had bought before. Telekinesis.
The mutant man saw me and quickly lowered his eyes, running away instantly into the bathroom stalls I had just exited my apartment from. My worry dropped instantly and my mind eased into comfort. This wasn't my doing though, it was sourced from Xavier who had sent a small little something to the man's mind... Grasping said 'thing' was beyond me at the current time, but that was fine, I had the system and the items from the games I could create... Eventually I would become as powerful as this man...
"Thanks for the help Xavier."
"No issue." He waved off the act and simply looked out over the lobby.
In a moment of clarity my thoughts slipped out unconsciously, my curiosity getting the best of me. "What do you want from me? Why did you come to meet me?"
Xavier finished his slow observations, turning to face me afterwards as his face took on a peculiar expression that couldn't easily be described. Waiting for his answer, I looked at the bathroom stall, maintaining caution despite the current lack of worry felt. It was when I saw the man step out once more and not send off any dangerous signals did I finally calm down.
"You see, at my school, we do not only teach the sciences, or mathematics, or English. It is a place of refuge for all Mutants who wish to make efforts to exist alongside Humanity. My hope is to overcome prejudice and establish a coexistence with Humans."
Sentimental, kind and unrealistic... Those were the first attributes that were understood by me. Humanity was overly violent to things that weren't human and in large part driven by their current circumstances. A poor man would burn his enemies down and even some of his friends to get successful. A rich man would act like a cunt just to get ahead, even stomp on those beneath him economically so he gets his way. Kindness existed, nobleness existed, but they were all thinly accessed when the scenario or times allowed for it. An easy example of this was the America Civil War... Families were torn apart from ideological and philosophical differences including the economic repercussions surrounding Lincoln's intentions to free slaves. Humans were more likely to end racism before they accepted a new species of 'people' to share the world with.
Having a sanctuary wasn't stupid however, and this man was not 'stupid'... No, more than anything he was driven, wilful, extremely intelligent but sentimental. The hope of the possibility of co-existence was the core of this effort, a noble cause, but one ultimately unlikely to fully succeed.
"I see..."
"My being here, is an extension of an offer... To come and visit our school and spend some time understanding what it is we do. Learn about our cause, and, maybe, help us in future."
I would never waste my time working for a cause ultimately doomed to fail. Visiting them didn't sound too bad of an idea however. It would give me some info about 'mutants', whatever they considered those to be... And it would allow me to prod for basic info on this world... Essentially, I would be sitting in on classes whilst I was present there.
[Information is purchasable from the System. However, most information is locked behind higher levelled battle passes or Point expenditures.]
'Thanks I guess, system.'
Making a show of being deep in thought I gradually rose my head and smiled at him.
"Sure! Why not? Got nothing else to do and it could help me understand."
Nodding his head he sent a packet of information into my mind, the address to his school, before gradually fading away, his voice looming behind calmly.
"I will see you there, Freya."
He fully disappeared as the entire building returned to normal from my perspective. No power was concentrated here anymore. The mutant from before had gone and the outside was now available to me...
"I guess i got somewhere interesting to go now... Should I get a car though?"
'System?'
The shop app was summoned and I purchased a Corvette C1, pitch black exterior with purple upholstery, polished all over. This was my dream car when I was alive in my past world, an odd statement even to this fucking moment. My favourite TV show had had this car in it and it looked beautiful, still did...
[-100 Points]
[Points: 199,621]
[When you place the car from the inventory a perception filter will deploy and cover any possible recording of your usage of the system, no normal person will question the car's sudden existence.]
'Like the Tardis!?'
[Yes]
'Awesome. Well, let's take this baby out for a spin, shall we?'
I entered into the drivers seat and adjusted the chair to my form before starting the car and smoothly exiting the front valet parking of this Apartment Building. Moving through traffic modestly I took in the sights of a winter-filled city-scape.
A single sign in the distance shining brightly in neon as snow drifted delicately from the sky...
WELCOME TO NEWYORK!
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