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[Mysteries On Marvel] Chapter 90/91
🕑 Added 2025-01-15 16:00:09 +0000 UTCThe aftermath of the textile factory massacre presented more than just the logistical nightmare of handling the sea of blood and corpses—it also included a black bag filled with ledgers and incriminating evidence recovered from a macabre room containing six mummified bodies.
While the evidence documenting various assassination targets, dates, and locations offered hope for solving numerous cold cases, the ledgers presented a far more delicate challenge for George.
One name stood out in the most recent transaction: a high-ranking official within the NYPD, someone even outranking George.
It wasn't surprising. A covert assassin ring like the textile factory's wouldn't have operated so brazenly in New York for years without protection from high-level insiders.
Beyond the NYPD, the ledger also listed several New York City council members whose names George recognized all too well.
Heh.
If the contents of this bag went public, it would send shockwaves through New York's political and law enforcement landscapes.
However, if handled strategically, this information could elevate George and everyone involved in the operation. Promotions for all were on the table, which was precisely why Vinny handed the bag directly to George.
Among them, only George had the connections and savvy to manage such a volatile situation.
Sitting in a police car, George immediately pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Chief."
"George, I've arranged everything. Mr. Robert will meet us at the Secret Garden Club in Queens. I'll head over first and see you there."
"Understood, Chief."
Hanging up, George glanced at the bag on the passenger seat. Revving the engine, he headed for the Secret Garden Club.
As the deputy chief of the 13th Precinct, George's position was not just a result of merit—it also stemmed from his sharp political instincts.
Robert De Niro, a leading candidate in the upcoming mayoral race, had strong ties to George's superior, Chief Damon Jones. Over the years, Robert had donated generously to the NYPD, particularly to the 13th Precinct, whose patrol cars bore his name.
The incriminating evidence George carried included damaging information about Robert's primary rival in the election. His intentions were clear—this meeting was about securing his future.
This move wasn't just about ambition.
George's career had been marked by frustration at having his cases stripped away due to insufficient rank and authority.
The Spider Murders case was a bitter reminder. Despite being a firsthand investigator, George had been sidelined when the FBI claimed jurisdiction. That failure to control the investigation left his family vulnerable, culminating in Helen's kidnapping by shadowy forces.
Even after the kidnapping, when George sought help from Joaquin, the FBI's lead agent on the case, he was rebuffed. The man who had once smiled as he took George's case refused to share even a scrap of information.
Had Eren not intervened to rescue Helen, George might have lost his wife forever.
From that day forward, George swore vengeance against Joaquin and the FBI. But he knew a deputy chief had no real power to challenge the federal agency.
He needed greater authority and influence—not out of ambition, but to protect his family and ensure such tragedies never happened again.
Meanwhile, as photos of the textile factory's carnage leaked online, social media across New York erupted.
Within hours, news spread that the factory had been a front for a clandestine assassin organization.
Sensing a story, journalists descended on the factory like ravenous wolves. Bribes to officers, covert photography, and even drones circumventing police barricades became commonplace as media outlets vied to expose the factory's secrets.
The public uproar left the NYPD with no choice but to hold a press conference.
The NYPD commissioner personally addressed the media, declaring that the department had meticulously planned and executed an operation to dismantle the assassin network, taking minimal losses.
He also took the opportunity to highlight George's heroism, portraying him as the mastermind and leader of the operation.
No sooner had the NYPD's press conference concluded than the FBI joined the fray, announcing that evidence from the factory had led to the arrest of several suspects, including corrupt city council members and the NYPD's Internal Affairs chief.
One explosive revelation followed another, leaving the public enthralled by the scandal.
At an old house in Chinatown...
Eren emerged from the basement, glancing at the live news coverage on the TV. A sly smile crept across his face.
George had played his hand masterfully.
Rather than exposing all the names in the ledger outright, George had allied with Councilman Robert, leveraging the evidence to secure allies, purge enemies, and even eliminate a few NYPD parasites to pave the way for his own promotion.
With this maneuver, George was poised to rise from deputy chief of the 13th Precinct to an even higher position.
(End of Chapter)
However.
No matter how substantial George's gains were this time, they clearly couldn't compare to what Eren had achieved.
This operation, although it cost Eren an untold amount of time and effort, yielded equally massive rewards for him.
Aside from the 10,000 Fate Points and the [Exchange] function unlocked in the Fate Scale after sacrificing the Fate Weaver, Eren obtained several other treasures.
Among them was the formula for the factory's unique wax-based restorative potion, along with a complete sample.
Unlike the Assassin Brotherhood, which treated it merely as a life-saving medical remedy, Eren immediately recognized its immense commercial potential upon learning its detailed properties from the alchemist.
If he could replicate this wax-based restorative potion, he could easily secure a new avenue for wealth and prosperity.
Beyond this, Eren discovered numerous valuable items while looting the factory.
The Assassin Brotherhood, though a killer organization, had amassed some extraordinary treasures over their thousand-year history—priceless jewels and relics with unique supernatural properties that ordinary people couldn't utilize.
Among Sloan's possessions, Eren found several of these items.
The most surprising discovery came after Sloan's death. In the place where Sloan fell, Eren found a translucent, gel-like object interwoven with vein-like patterns.
Although Eren had never seen such a thing before, he immediately recognized it—a remnant Extraordinary Trait from the mysterious world of Beyonders.
These traits were formed when an Extraordinary individual perished in that world.
While Eren didn't know why Sloan's death left behind this trait, there was no mistaking its authenticity.
To determine which Pathway and Sequence this trait belonged to, Eren took it to the Fate Space for appraisal.
Abyss Pathway—Sequence 7: Serial Killer.
The result didn't surprise Eren much. The Sequence matched Sloan's identity in this world perfectly.
But what use do I have for a Beyonder's Extraordinary Trait?
In the world of Beyonders, such traits could be sold for money. For Eren, however...
After pondering silently for a few seconds, Eren realized it could still serve several purposes.
He could use the [Exchange] function of the Fate Scale to trade it for something he wanted or utilize it to craft items imbued with extraordinary powers.
After tallying his spoils, Eren, satisfied, summoned the Fate Panel to review his current attributes.
[Fate Panel]
Name: Eren
Fate Compass: 100 Fate Points to spin once.
Fate Manifestation: Materialize anything that has existed within the River of Fate.
Exchange: Place sufficient weight on one side of the Fate Scale to exchange for anything desired.
Innate Talent: [Fickle Fate]
Skills: Driving (Beginner), English (12th Grade), History (12th Grade), Mathematics (12th Grade), Chemistry (12th Grade), Antiquities Appraisal (Novice), Programming (Advanced), Divination (Intermediate), Marksmanship (Master), Gaze of Despair (Beginner)…
Combat System: Sequence 8 (Clown), Cosmic Brain Meditation (Uninitiated)Power Assessment: A clown growing increasingly inhuman.
Fate Points: 11,000
Fate Essence: 2
Compared to when the Fate Panel first appeared, its features and Eren's skills had expanded significantly. Even his power assessment had grown from "weakling" to "a clown growing increasingly inhuman."
The most satisfying aspect, however, was the 11,000 Fate Points displayed in the final section.
Of these, 10,000 Points came from sacrificing the Fate Weaver, while the remaining 1,000 Points were earned by killing Sloan and eliminating the remaining assassins in the factory.
Apparently, Sloan, having become Extraordinary and mutated, had turned into a Fate Singularity.
By resolving Sloan and the factory's disruptions, the Fate Scale smoothed out the disturbances in the River of Fate, bringing significant benefits. Eren's Fate Points increased by a thousand as a result.
With 11,000 Fate Points, Eren had never felt so wealthy.
He knew that materializing a Sequence 7 Magician Potion only required 3,000 Points. Even after setting aside 3,000 Points for that, he still had 8,000 Points to spare.
With 8,000 Points, he could afford to spin the Fate Compass eight times for tenfold draws. Even with bad luck, these draws were bound to yield some valuable rewards.
Despite advancing to Sequence 8: Clown, Eren still lacked a sense of security in this dangerous Marvel Universe.
He believed that the stronger he became, the easier it would be to earn Fate Points in the future.
For instance, during the containment of the Morning Star Bar's forbidden item, Eren had needed to act as a Diviner and persuade Coulson to help him complete the task.
But now?
With his current strength, Eren could have handled the containment alone.
Proper investments weren't wasteful—they promised better returns.
If Eren hadn't drawn the Clown Potion earlier and advanced before the final battle at the factory, could he have defeated Sloan and earned those 11,000 Points so easily?
It's like playing a game. Without upgrading your gear first, how can you expect to beat higher-level enemies and level up efficiently?
Deciding it was time to test his luck, Eren summoned the Fate Scale's projection and initiated a tenfold draw.
In the next instant, the massive shadow of the Fate Compass began spinning rapidly.
Moments later, as the shadow dissipated, ten glowing orbs materialized before Eren: one blue, two green, and seven white.
No purples?
Though Eren knew his previous tenfold draw had been sheer dumb luck, netting him a purple item, he couldn't help but hope. Alas, reality crushed his expectations.
Not only were there no purple orbs this time, but there was only one blue orb—the results were even worse than his threefold draw last time.
"Damn it. Bad luck."
With a sigh, Eren reached for the lone blue orb, determined to see what it held.
Even in failure, he wanted to know what he had gained.
The moment Eren's hand touched the blue orb and received the item's information, his expression underwent a dramatic change.
(End of Chapter)
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