by Lucas Flint
Kids Mode: Disabled
Health: 40
Stamina: 20
Strength: 30
Defense: 18
Charisma: 10
Intelligence: 15
Agility: 18
Evasion: 15
Accuracy: 15
Dexterity: 17
Energy: 44
Luck: 2
HERO STATS
Courage: 10
Justice: 11
Trust: 6
Fame: 511
Willpower: 19
I frowned. Everything looked as it should except, oddly enough, Willpower. Last time I saw it, it had been a lowly 9, but now it had increased to 19. I didn’t understand how that worked until I remembered getting a notification for 10 Willpower after I successfully resisted the Z-Virus that had been trying to take over my mind. Perhaps my higher Willpower meant it would be easier for me to resist similar assaults on my mind in the future.
In any case, I decided that I needed more Stamina because that had been a deciding factor after so many battles. I didn’t want to run out of Stamina again and leave myself open to more assaults, so I threw 5 SPs into Stamina, bringing it to a healthy 25. I could already feel myself becoming stronger and I hadn’t even fought anyone yet.
That left me with 9 SPs. I tossed 6 of them into Energy in order to bring it to a solid 50 and then threw the remaining 3 SPs into Agility, thus bringing my Agility up to 21.
Now I had 7 PPs to distribute. Without even thinking about it, I tossed 2 into Hero Sense. Hero Sense had saved my life more than once over the past week or so. I was interested in seeing just how powerful it could get and what kind of benefits I got from leveling it up further.
As soon as I threw the PPs into Hero Sense, I got this notification:
Hero Sense is now Level 3! +15% chance of sensing a hidden or Disguised Villain and a chance to Unmask a Disguised Villain. Level up this Power even further to unlock new abilities!
Awesome. Leveling up Hero Sense was definitely a smart move. I didn’t know what a ‘Disguised’ Villain was or what it meant to ‘Unmask’ one. I’d have to ask Cy or Funky about that sometime. Something told me that would be a useful ability to have in the future.
That left me with 5 PPs. With so many Powers it was hard to tell where I should distribute them, but eventually, I decided on Freezing Touch. Freezing Touch was one of my earliest and most used Powers. It was Level 2 right now, but I was interested in seeing how powerful it would get once it leveled up again.
With my SPs and PPs spent, I checked my Stat spread again:
Secret Identity: Winter
Real Identity: Nyle Ash Maxwell
Level: 26
EXP: 0/18,550 (18,550 EXP to the next level)
Available Stat Points: 0
Available Power Points: 0
Alignment: Hero
Class: Fighter
Reputation: Household Name
Powers: Super Strength [Level 2], Ice Beam [Level 3. Next Level: 10 PP], Freezing Touch [Level 2. Next Level: 5 PP], Hero Sense [Level 3. Next Level: 10 PP], Dual-Wielding Ice Dagger [Level 1. Next Level: 9 PP], Ice Shackles [Level 1], Ice Slide [Level 1], Flight [Level 1]
Skills: Scan [Level 4], Perception [Level 3], Dodge [Level 3], Negotiation [Level 1], Dual-Wielding [Level 1], Blade-Throwing [Level 1], Aim [Level 1]
Combo Powers: Blizzard [Level 1]
Equipment: Ice Man Costume [Powers: 5/5], Energy Cannon, Snowshoes, Snow Cape [Powers: 1/1]
Kids Mode: Disabled
Health: 40
Stamina: 25
Strength: 30
Defense: 18
Charisma: 10
Intelligence: 15
Agility: 21
Evasion: 15
Accuracy: 15
Dexterity: 17
Energy: 50
Luck: 2
HERO STATS
Courage: 10
Justice: 11
Trust: 6
Fame: 511
Willpower: 19
Satisfied with my current Stat distribution, I closed my character menu and was about to go get something to eat when a soft ping made me look at the icon for my inbox. It said I had a message, so I opened my inbox and saw that I had a message from Funky titled ‘RE: Thank you and congrats.’ Curious to hear from one of my friends, I opened the message and read it:
Hi, Winter,
Chuck told me you were asleep, but I thought I’d send you this message anyway since I am about to log off for the day and am not sure when I will get to log back in again. I’ve got even more business in the real world to deal with since the Z-Virus incident, business I am NOT looking forward to completing, to be frank.
In any case, I wanted to thank you for your role in saving Capes Online from yet another dangerous threat. Without your help, I am not sure the assault on the factory would have gone as well as it did.
I also wanted to let you know that, thanks to your actions, you have successfully completed the Custom Team Mission that I offered you, Recover, and Dillo. As a result, it’s only fair I reward you with something I think you will get quite a bit of use out of. It’s a very rare item, however, the kind of item you don’t just give to anyone, but after seeing how much help you’ve been in the past, I believe I can trust you with it. I’ve also given similar rewards to Recover and Dillo already, although since both of them are offline right now, I wouldn’t contact them yet.
Enjoy,
Funky
Two things happened as soon as I finished reading the message. The first was that a new notification appeared before me:
CUSTOM TEAM MISSION: Stop Master Haru and Atmosfear
STATUS: Successfully completed!
Thanks to the efforts of you and your Teammates, you have defeated Master Haru and Atmosfear and saved Capes Online yet again! I think you’re on a roll here, bub.
REWARD: Omega Crystal x1 [Rare]
That was when I felt something smooth and heavy fall into my pocket. Thrusting my hand into my pocket, I pulled out an ice-blue crystal. It was so cold and so clear that I thought it was a chunk of solid ice at first, but when I Scanned it, I found out that was far from the truth:
NAME: Omega Crystal
Material: Crystal
Rarity: Rare
Omega Crystals are the rarest form of the mysterious Power Crystal that can give Heroes and Villains alike new Powers. What makes Omega Crystals different from ordinary Power Crystals is their ability to give Heroes and Villains who use them Ultimate Powers. Once an Omega Crystal’s Ultimate Power is unlocked, that Omega Crystal is rendered useless. Omega Crystals also do not need to be worn in order for a player to continue to have access to their Ultimate Power.
My jaw dropped when I read that description. I had never heard of Omega Crystals before, but I knew what Ultimate Powers were. Cy had explained to me what seemed like a lifetime ago now that Ultimate Powers were a step above normal Powers in terms of sheer strength and, well, power. Unlike normal Powers, which could only be leveled up to 10 and go no further, Ultimate Powers could go up to Level 15. I recalled how Dillo had used his Ultimate Power to nearly kill Dark Kosmos and was eager to find out what this one would do for me.
“Whoa,” said Cy, who I had completely forgotten was standing next to me, “is that an Omega Crystal? Those are rarer than people who appreciate my puns. I’ve heard of them, but never actually seen one in real life before. It’s so pretty. Can I lick it?”
I looked at Cy in disgust. “No, why would you want to do that?”
“You’re right,” said Cy with a sigh. “It looks cold, so I’d probably get my tongue frozen to it and that would hurt. Last time I did that was when I was six and some of my classmates dared me to lick a metal pole. Took three days, half of the Adventure City Fire Department, and an entire bottle of hot sauce before they freed me. Good times.”
I considered asking Cy for details about his past but decided that I could live without knowing all the details. “Right.”<
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“Anyway, are you going to use it?” said Cy. “If you aren’t going to use it, maybe you can sell it. Omega Crystals start at a million credits on the market. That would be enough to upgrade to an entirely new Base or even fund an entire League of Heroes.”
“Tempting, but I think I want to stay in our current Base,” I said, remembering the Faded Flag mission I had accepted not too long ago and the Dwellers in the sewers. “It’s not the fanciest place, but it has a few secrets that I want to crack before I leave.”
“Good idea,” said Cy. “So what are you going to do with the Omega Crystal?”
I bit my lower lip before putting it back in my item inventory. “Keep it in my inventory for now. As tempting as it is to have an Ultimate Power, I don’t really feel like I need one just yet. My current Power set has served us pretty well so far. If I ever run into an enemy who I can’t beat with my normal Powers, then I’ll use it.”
Cy’s shoulders slumped. “So you’re not going to sell it or use it? Man, you can be pretty boring sometimes, boss, you know that?”
“It’s called saving for a rainy day,” I said. “In any case, it’s better than licking it like a doorknob, you know?”
“I was just saying—”
I didn’t get to find out what Cy was ‘just saying,’ however, because I heard another ping, which surprised me, because I wasn’t expecting a message from anyone else. I immediately opened my inbox and saw a message with ‘RE:Thank you,’ which was from Kathy. Curious, I opened the message and it said this:
Dear Winter,
Hi, Winter. This is Kathy, the girlfriend of Robert, who got killed by the Z-Virus. You promised me that you would find and stop the drug dealer who sold Robert that drug in the first place. I tried calling you, but you never answered, so I decided this was the best way to contact you.
I learned recently that the drug was, in fact, a weaker strain of the Z-Virus and that you were partly responsible for the destruction of the factory where it was being manufactured. In addition, I learned that you helped capture the drug dealer who sold us the Z-Virus that killed Robert and he won’t be able to harm anyone else now.
I just wanted to thank you for doing that. I always knew you would stop that drug dealer, but I wasn’t sure until I learned about it on the news yesterday. I don’t have much to give you other than my eternal gratitude and trust. You are my Hero.
Thanks,
Kathy
As soon as I read that message, a new notification popped up in front of me:
MISSION: Stop the drug dealer
STATUS: Successfully completed!
REWARDS: Increased reputation with Kathy and +2 Stat Points and +1 Power Point and +1 Trust
Your relationship with Kathy has increased from ‘Friendly’ to ‘Trusted’! Kathy not only trusts you as her Hero, but she will also recommend your services to friends and family who are victimized by Villains, as well as advocate for you in public. Increase your relationship with Kathy further in order to gain even more opportunities and missions!
“What happened, boss?” said Cy. “Did you get a message from somebody?”
“Yeah,” I said. “It’s from Kathy. Remember her? She was the girl whose boyfriend became a zombie and got us involved in this Z-Virus mess in the first place. She just wanted to thank me for stopping Giggles and I got some nice rewards as a result.”
“Cool,” said Cy. “That’s nice of her. It would have been nicer if she came and thanked us in person, though.”
“Yeah, but the rewards are good regardless,” I said. I rubbed my belly. “Now, why don’t you go and make us some lunch? I’m starving after sleeping for two days straight.”
Cy immediately perked up. “Okay! I just found a new recipe for cooked chicken that sounds absolutely delicious. It’ll be done before you can say I love puns!”
With that, Cy zipped off to the kitchen and soon I heard the sounds of pots and pans banging together as he got ready to cook our lunch. However annoying I might have found Cy at times, I had to admit it was nice to have someone who could cook and also enjoyed doing it.
I then sent Funky a thank you message for the Omega Crystal and told him to contact me as soon as he got back online. I, of course, did not get an immediate response, but that was fine. Whatever Funky was doing in the real world—whatever business he had—wasn’t really any of my business anyway. But this Omega Crystal was yet another piece of evidence there was far more to Funky than met the eye.
In any case, I stretched my arms and went back up to my room, intending to look more closely at the Ninjutsu Armor the Ninja Guild had given me.
Hopefully, I would finally have some peace and quiet over for a while.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Somewhere else in Capes Online, far from Warehouse 13 …
When Atmosfear’s eyes snapped open and he realized he was back in his Hideout, only one emotion dominated him: Anger. Pure, unadulterated rage.
That wasn’t terribly unusual. Despite how much fun Atmosfear had been having ever since he found his mind uploaded to this game, he had always had a very … complex relationship with anger. A psychologist might say it was because his mom had run off with another man when he was six and then his dad spent the next ten years beating him whenever he got too drunk. A priest might say it was because Atmosfear was suffering from the sin of wrath and he wouldn’t see any progress made against it until he repented and turned to God.
Atmosfear was a simple man who liked simple answers to his problems. He believed his anger existed to keep him going in a world that didn’t want him and never did want him. If he hadn’t been angry, he would never have killed his father, after all, or escaped the police for so long.
But this anger was different. Atmosfear rarely woke up angry. Typically, his anger would build up throughout the day until someone—in recent days, his Sidekick Giggles, although sometimes it was other players or NPCs—did something to set him off. In the real world, he might murder someone and that would get him in trouble with the police. In Capes Online, however, he could be as abusive toward Giggles and other NPCs as much as he wanted and never have to worry about suffering consequences, unless a dumb Hero or NPC police officer tried to stop him.
Emphasis on tried.
Sitting up in his bed, Atmosfear rubbed the back of his neck. Unlike some of the past times he had died and respawned, his memories of the last moments before his death were quite clear. He remembered fighting that stupid cop Winter, remembered Winter’s attempt to destroy the catwalk underneath them and send him falling to his doom, and finally remembered Targetman putting a bullet through his head. Atmosfear had been shot before, both in real life and in the game, but getting shot in the head and falling to his doom into a vat of a bubbling, infectious virus that should have turned him into a zombie? That was new.
“Frigging Ukrainian idiot,” Atmosfear growled. “Once I kill Winter, he’s next.”
Then Atmosfear raised his head and looked around at his surroundings. He was back in his room in his Hideout, which looked the same as always. The stone walls of his room were covered with posters of scantily-clad women, although right now he was too angry to give a dang about even the most beautiful women. There were also the bones and remains of various NPCs he had killed since entering the game, trophies that reflected his competence and his desire for blood. His bed creaked under his weight, but held, of course.
Yet Atmosfear did not see Giggles anywhere. He scowled and shouted, “Giggles, you idiot! Where in the blazes are you?”
That was when a notification appeared before him:
[Sidekick Giggles] cannot be summoned back to Hideout.
Atmosfear swore foully under his breath. He remembered that Giggles had been fighting Winter’s Sidekick—whose name always escaped him but was probably something dumb like Farter—and realized that Giggles had not been killed. And if Giggles couldn’t be summoned back to his Hideout, then that meant Giggles was likely in police custody. Which meant At
mosfear would need to stage a Breakout if he was going to save him.
Or even worse, in the hands of the Department of VR, Atmosfear thought. They’re probably torturing the little moron even now, trying to make him talk and tell them where my Hideout is. Frigging knew I should have ripped out the brat’s tongue when I had the chance.
And, of course, Atmosfear had no reason to assume that the Stalking Shadows had survived the attack. He looked at his [TEAMS] tab and saw that the [STALKING SHADOWS] was grayed out and Master Haru’s name had a line through it.
Awesome, Atmosfear thought sarcastically. The Stalking Shadows got frigging destroyed, Master Haru is frigging dead, I frigging died and lost all my EXP and half of my money, the factory probably got blown up, and Giggles is probably getting waterboarded. How could things get any worse?
“Worse?” said a familiar deep voice nearby. “Don’t be so pessimistic, my friend. It isn’t game over just yet, for you or for me.”
Atmosfear started and looked over at the door. A man leaned against the door, a man who Atmosfear hadn’t seen in over a week but knew far too well at this point. He was tall and gangly, wearing a purple and black bodysuit gleaming with slime that always made Atmosfear disgusted whenever he saw it. The man’s face was hidden behind a silver, expressionless plate, which allowed Atmosfear to see his own reflection even in the dim light of his own room. A nametag, [UNALIGNED PARADOX], hung over his head, although Atmosfear didn’t need to see his nametag to know who this guy was.
After all, Paradox was the man who put him in Capes Online in the first place.
Despite that, Atmosfear felt no gratitude toward him. Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, Atmosfear rose to his feet and stomped up to Paradox. He stopped a few feet from the man and, looking directly into his stupid faceless mask, growled, “Excuse me? I don’t know what you’ve been doing while I got a bullet put through my head and dumped into a vat of Z-Virus, but the game almost is over. They got Giggles. I can’t summon the little idiot back to my Hideout. Once they get my Hideout’s location from his mind, they’ll probably send all those Task Force idiots to hunt me down. At this point, I would do better to abandon my Hideout and hide in the Sewers for the rest of my life, because unlike you, I actually have to live in this—”