Chapter 25: A Month’s Patience
402, 403, 404, 405... Alright, I'm done for now. I stop doing push-ups and finally decide it's time to do the one thing I've been waiting a month for—yep, the gacha. I head to the kitchen, grab a beer, and flop down on the couch , checking for some news.
A week with Daredevil and Punisher, and honestly, my head's in a better place. Turns out, talking to someone is exactly what I needed. We didn't talk about the past or anything, but just having someone to talk to helped. Guess I've been way too lonely.
Once I'm done with AZI, I'll go see John's parents. It's what he would've wanted. Even though they've changed, John still feels guilty about it, but he gets the situation. He probably would've talked to them too, but his life flipped upside down the next day. I'm John now, so it's on me to do this. His memories are hitting me harder than I thought. It's not like in the fanfictions where the new guy doesn't feel the old memories—they're real, and I still get nightmares about his parents. So yeah, I need to see them one last time.
Shaking it off, I take a sip of my beer and fire up the gacha. Just like last time, 10 cards pop up when the points hit zero.
Caliburn
It's from DxD—yeah, the "tits world," as some like to call it. Honestly, DxD is pretty underrated. You've got rogue demons, vampires, the church, and demons fighting for a peerage. It's a total mess. And don't even get me started on the sacred gear like Sword Birth and Annihilation Maker—those things are straight-up hacks.
Caliburn is one of the most OP holy swords out there. It can kill demons, dark creatures, and even open portals. It was wielded by Arthur Pendragon, and yeah, he was part of Khaos Brigade, in case anyone forgot. Honestly, the writers don't know how to handle it. Yeah, we get it—you wanna show off the boobs, but really, just think about Vali and Cao Cao for a second.
One guy's a half-devil, descendant of the original Lucifer, and grandson of Rizevim, who made his own sacred gear canceller ability. Vali's got a Longinus too—Divine Dividing, the host of the Vanishing Dragon, Albion, who's ranked just as high as the Welsh Dragon, which is hosted by Issie. The other guy's wielding the strongest Longinus, The True Longinus, and yet somehow, he's ridiculously underrated. Classic case of Dawn Plot Armor. Not complaining too much, I still got to see Grayfia, Yasaka, and a bunch of other best girls.
Genetic Oblivion
Now, this one's what I really want. My genes will get wiped clean after leaving my body—whether it's blood, hair, anything. Honestly, I really don't want to see an army of my clones running around. At least I've got some protection from Mister Sinister. The guy's one of the smartest men in the Marvel universe. From cloning to resetting timelines—fuck resetting timelines. If he's got the Moria Engine and uses it, could I even be in the new timeline? Shit, calm down. It's not like I can do anything about it right now. I'll just get stronger and find some countermeasures against him. I need more info before I make any moves. Let's check the next items.
Aizen Glasses
Glasses? Really? I mean, sure, they're iconic, but can't I just get Aizen's actual powers? Last time, I got Nobita's glasses, and now this? What's next, Harry Potter's glasses? Come on.
Ghislain
From Jobless Reincarnation... Okay, I was gonna use her as a template, but nah, not gonna happen. Why? Because I'm a man of culture. I wanna see, smell, and touch her... I mean, her fur. Yeah, totally meant the fur and her tail. What are you guys thinking? But still, her toned body—okay, okay, control the drool.
Jake Cap
It's the guy's cap from Subway Surfers. No special use.
Bakuda
Oh shit, this is exactly what I need. I'm using her as a template. She's from Worm, a tinker who creates bombs with insane effects—anything from simple blasts to nukes. She can even make stuff using junk and household item. Honestly, I wanted Armsmaster or Trainwreck, but Bakuda will do just fine for now.
Background Customization Card x4
Yep, the typical gacha items.
Card Points Exchange Mode
Oh, fuck. What did I do today to get my luck this high? It's a gacha function, and with it, I can exchange $30 for 30 points each month. That means I'll get 20 cards per month now. Without thinking twice, I grab the cash and exchange it for the points. The system updates, showing 30 points added, and I'm left holding the spare change.
I was about to check the last two cards when a news headline caught my eye: Caesars Palace—Apogee Award Ceremony. Rhodes was presenting the award to Obadiah Stane since Stark wasn't making public appearances. Just like in the movie. Except, wait—it's 2006. The original events didn't happen until 2008, but this is an alternate universe, so who knows how things will unfold.
If this timeline sticks, Stark's kidnapping and Iron Man's origin are just around the corner. And if that's the case, the Avengers events might happen sooner than expected.
I need to prepare. This world's plots and events are going to spiral into chaos if left unchecked. The dominoes are already set. If I don't act, things could spiral out of control—Hawkeye accidentally killing Thor when he reaches for Mjolnir or the eventual birth of the Sentinels.
I can't afford to stay on the sidelines. I have to participate, to nudge things in the right direction. Iron Man's arc, Thor's arrival, the Avengers' formation, even the X-Men events—it's all interconnected. I need to make sure I'm ready to step in, to stop the worst outcomes before they happen.
This isn't just about survival anymore. It's about making sure this world doesn't destroy itself. Time to play my part.
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