Weeks bled into a month. Adam fell into a grueling routine dictated by the stark reality of his situation. Mornings began before dawn with punishing physical training in the cramped apartment. His push-up count climbed agonizingly slowly, his sit-ups became less shaky, and the burning in his legs during squats lasted longer before forcing him to stop. He started incorporating basic parkour movements learned from online videos viewed during brief, expensive sessions at the internet cafe – vaults over the worn sofa, attempts at wall-runs that usually ended with him sliding down the peeling wallpaper, practicing silent landings using [Basic Stealth]. Progress was visible, if incremental. His lean frame began to fill out with hard-earned muscle, and his stamina noticeably improved.
[Sustained Training Milestone Reached. +10 IP Awarded.]
[Sustained Training Milestone Reached. +10 IP Awarded.]
The System dripped IP like a leaky faucet – barely enough to notice, but a constant reminder that effort yielded something. His total IP count crept towards 700.
His financial situation, however, remained stagnant. Periodic checks on the OmniCorp stock showed minimal change. It hadn't tanked, thankfully, but the anticipated surge was still weeks, maybe months away. Patience was a virtue he was being forced to cultivate. The meager cash reserves dwindled, forcing him back onto a diet primarily consisting of instant ramen and tap water. Better nutrition was key to faster physical gains, creating a frustrating cycle: need money for food, need strength/quests for money.
With his three integration slots filled, simply acquiring new Aspects wasn't an immediate option, even if he had the IP for more lottery draws. He turned his focus to the System's other features, specifically Fusion and Slot Expansion.
"System, explain Aspect Fusion."
[Aspect Fusion allows the combination of two or more compatible Aspects into a single, potentially higher-rank Aspect. Fusion requires a significant IP cost, based on the ranks of the Aspects being fused. Fusion may also require specific Catalysts (obtainable via Shop or rare Quests) for guaranteed success or enhanced results. Without a Catalyst, there is a minor chance of failure (loss of IP and base Aspects) or unpredictable mutation. Successful Fusion consumes the base Aspects and frees up Integration Slots.]
Adam considered his current loadout: [Danger Intuition (B)], [Basic Urban Navigation (C)], [Basic Stealth (C)]. Could they be fused?
"Analyze potential Fusions for currently integrated Aspects."
[Analyzing...]
[Potential Fusion 1: Danger Intuition (B) + Basic Stealth (C) -> Possible Outcome: Shadow Sense (B+) or Predator Awareness (B+).
Estimated IP Cost: 1200 IP. Success Chance (No Catalyst): 85%.]
[Potential Fusion 2: Basic Urban Navigation (C) + Basic Stealth (C) -> Possible Outcome: Urban Phantom Movement (B) or Silent Pathfinder (B).
Estimated IP Cost: 800 IP. Success Chance (No Catalyst): 90%.]
The costs were steep, especially for the B+ potential fusion involving his most valuable Aspect. And even then, success wasn't guaranteed without a catalyst he couldn't obtain yet. Fusion was a mid-to-long-term goal, requiring far more IP than he currently possessed.
"What about Slot Expansion?"
[Integration Slot Expansion requires specific System Items, typically acquired through the Shop (Currently Locked) or as exceedingly rare rewards from High-Risk Quests or World Events.]
Exceedingly rare. Great. Waiting for the Shop or stumbling upon a world-altering event wasn't a viable strategy. His IP gain was too slow. Training yielded peanuts, and low-risk Opportunity Quests like the 'Silent Witness' one were unpredictable. He needed a bigger score, a higher-risk, higher-reward scenario.
He had to force the System's hand.
That night, Adam didn't just wander; he actively hunted for trouble, albeit from the shadows. Using [Basic Urban Navigation], he mapped out territories known for low-level gang disputes or smuggling routes based on news reports and Adam Walker's street-level awareness. He employed [Basic Stealth] to its fullest, sticking to rooftops, fire escapes, and deep alleys, a ghost flitting through the urban decay. His [Danger Intuition] was his Geiger counter, constantly scanning for spikes in hostility or imminent conflict.
He spent hours observing minor deals, tense standoffs that fizzled out, petty arguments – nothing that screamed 'high-reward quest'. Just as frustration began to set in again, his Danger Intuition flared violently, a sharp, insistent buzzing at the base of his skull.
Significant danger. Multiple sources. High hostility. Imminent violence.
He was perched on the edge of a warehouse roof overlooking a desolate, trash-strewn vacant lot under a flickering highway overpass. Below, two groups faced off – maybe a dozen figures in total, armed with pipes, bats, and the glint of cheap knives under the sodium lights. Their shouted threats echoed in the enclosed space. It wasn't corporate espionage this time; this was raw, territorial gang violence about to explode.
[High-Risk Quest Issued: Escalation Prevention]
[Objective: Prevent the imminent gang fight without engaging directly or revealing your presence. Incapacitate key instigators or create a major, non-lethal diversion.]
[Reward: 400 IP, 1x B-Rank Lottery Chance]
[Failure Penalty: High probability of severe injury or death if detected or caught in crossfire.]
400 IP and a B-Rank chance. This was it. But the risk was real. Getting caught meant a brutal end. He scanned the environment frantically. Direct engagement was unthinkable. He needed something big, something chaotic. His eyes landed on a stack of heavy construction materials – long metal pipes and wooden beams – left unsecured on the rooftop opposite his position, directly overlooking the lot.
It was risky, requiring precise timing and a silent approach. He moved, using every ounce of his [Basic Stealth], crossing the rooftop like a whisper. Reaching the materials, he carefully assessed the situation below. The two leaders were posturing, inches from each other, the tension palpable. Now or never.
He put his shoulder against the heaviest support beam holding the stack together, straining with his still-underdeveloped muscles. It shifted slightly. He pushed again, harder, putting his whole body into it. With a groan of protesting metal and wood, the stack tilted, hesitated, and then cascaded over the edge.
The crash was enormous, a deafening roar of metal pipes and heavy lumber slamming onto the concrete below, missing the gangs but landing close enough to send debris skittering towards them.
Chaos erupted. The gangs, startled and panicked by the sudden, violent intrusion, broke apart. Some fired handguns wildly into the air or at shadows, others simply turned and fled, the confrontation instantly forgotten in the face of the unexpected 'attack'. Sirens wailed in the distance, spurred by the commotion.
Adam didn't wait to admire his handiwork. He scrambled back across the rooftops, using his Navigation to find a swift, unseen route away from the area, his own sirens blaring in his ears – the frantic thumping of his heart.
Only when he was several blocks away, hidden in the darkness of another alley, did the System confirm his success.
[Quest Complete: Escalation Prevention]
[Reward: 400 IP, 1x B-Rank Lottery Chance Awarded.]
[Current IP: 1085 (Approx. based on prior balance + training + quest)]
He leaned against the cold brick, gasping for breath, a grin spreading across his face despite the lingering fear. Over 1000 IP. Enough to potentially attempt the C-rank fusion. And a B-Rank lottery chance – a shot at a potentially game-changing Aspect.
He now faced a critical choice: play it safer and attempt to fuse his C-Rank Aspects into a guaranteed B-Rank ability, freeing up a slot? Or gamble the B-Rank lottery chance, hoping for something powerful, knowing it could also yield something less useful, leaving him with no free slots and still needing IP for integration?