Starting With Batman

Charlie soon realized that he had miscalculated.

While gaining the skills of Captain America sounded incredible in theory, reality quickly set in. Sure, his brain now held the knowledge and experience of one of the greatest fighters in the world, making him a first-class combat master—on paper. But there was a glaring issue: his body simply wasn't up to the task.

It was one thing for his mind to know the moves, but his hands—and the rest of his body—had their own ideas. They weren't always on the same page. The result? A disconnect between what he knew he could do and what he could actually perform. The fancy techniques were there in his head, but his body lacked the stamina and strength to execute them with the same precision and power as Captain America.

Fortunately, Charlie wasn't completely out of options. He had a unique shortcut to improving his physical fitness—playing more games.

For him, gaming wasn't just a pastime; it was a way to push his limits and enhance his physical abilities more efficiently than traditional exercise ever could. The only downside? He was progressing too quickly for his own good. But this wasn't a bad problem to have. In fact, Charlie had started to notice something remarkable: the more he played, the longer he could stay in the game without getting tired.

As his physical fitness improved, so did his endurance during gaming sessions. It created a virtuous cycle: the longer he played, the more efficient his workouts became, and the more efficient the workouts, the stronger he got. With that increased strength came the ability to play even longer and harder, further boosting his fitness.

In addition to this, Charlie stumbled upon another discovery—certain supplements actually helped him maintain this pace.

Downstairs from his apartment was Aunt Linda's pharmacy, a small, old-fashioned shop that seemed like it had been there forever. Among the dusty shelves and jars of mysterious herbal remedies, he found a particularly useful supplement called "Vitality Capsules." According to the label, it was designed to help office workers who stayed up late and students burning the midnight oil to quickly replenish their energy. Intrigued, Charlie decided to try them out. To his surprise, they worked wonders.

[TL Note - wasn't this Milf, a barber ??? The fck, Consistency Author-san

Dear readers, should I go back to Ch 1 and change the name of the barber to Aunt Bob or something]

After each night of patrolling in the game and gathering experience, Charlie would take one of the capsules before bed. The results were almost magical—he woke up each morning feeling completely refreshed as if the grueling night before had never happened.

Impressed by the capsules' effects, Charlie decided he needed more. After waking up the next day, he made a mental note to stop by Aunt Linda's pharmacy to restock. This time, he planned to keep a few extra boxes by his bedside so he could take one every night without worrying about running out.

---

The familiar scent of medicinal herbs and old wood greeted him as he entered the pharmacy. The shop was quiet, the only sound coming from the ticking of an ancient clock on the wall. Behind the counter, Aunt Linda sat with a sorrowful expression on her face, her usually bright demeanor overshadowed by whatever was displayed on the computer screen in front of her.

Charlie stepped closer, glancing at the screen. It was filled with a sea of red, numbers ticking down in rapid succession. He immediately understood—she must have taken a hit in the stock market.

It was a shame. Charlie couldn't help but think how different the situation would be if that sea of red were a 'Defeated' screen in a game. Unfortunately, real-life losses don't come with a "try again" button.

Charlie had dabbled in stock trading himself in his previous life. He quickly learned that the stock market was a fickle beast, much like a middle-aged man trying to recapture his youth with dubious tonics. Just when you thought things were starting to look up, everything would crash before you could even take advantage of the upswing. You'd feel disappointed, ready to give up, only for the market to show signs of life again, luring you back in.

After a year of being jerked around by the unpredictable market, Charlie had developed a golden rule: cherish life and stay away from stocks.

Aunt Linda, her frown quickly replaced by a warm smile, greeted him as soon as she noticed him. "Oh, Charlie, heading to class today?"

"Yeah," Charlie nodded, returning the smile. "By the way, do you still have those Vitality Capsules from last time? They worked really well. I'd like to order three more boxes if you have them."

"So soon?" Aunt Linda's eyes widened in surprise. Though her memory wasn't what it used to be, she remembered Charlie buying a large box of capsules not too long ago. Had he already gone through all of them?

"You know," she added kindly, "even though this medicine isn't toxic and has no side effects, taking too many supplements isn't good for you. Too much energy can be 'hard' for your body to handle. she said, enunciating the word 'hard."

Charlie chuckled softly, appreciating her concern, albeit ignoring the teasing. "Don't worry, Aunt Linda. I know my limits, and I'm managing just fine."

But as the words left his mouth, Charlie realized how it might sound. It was as if he were bragging about his stamina, assuring her that he could handle even stronger supplements. The thought of this getting out made him inwardly cringe—he could already imagine the neighborhood gossip if word spread that he was overindulging in such supplements.

"All right," Aunt Linda said with a nod. "You came at just the right time. I don't have many capsules left, though. We didn't get much stock this month, and another young man came by a few days ago and bought a lot. Let me check how much is left."

She turned and disappeared into the back room, leaving Charlie to lean against the counter and wait. The pharmacy was as quiet as ever, with only the faint hum of the old refrigerator and the creak of the wooden floorboards to keep him company.

A few minutes later, the sound of footsteps drew Charlie's attention to the door.

"Charlie?"

He turned and saw his good friend, Walter, standing hesitantly at the entrance. But something was off—Walter's complexion was much paler than usual, and his eyes had dark circles beneath them. He looked as if he hadn't slept well at all, which only made Charlie more curious about what had happened to him last night.

"Are you here to buy medicine?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, I… no, I’m not… I just happened to be passing by," Walter stammered, his face flushing slightly as he tried to come up with a believable excuse.

Passing by the pharmacy? Charlie could believe a lot of things, but this was stretching it. Maybe Walter was on autopilot, his muscle memory guiding him here out of habit.

Realizing that his excuse wasn't convincing in the slightest, Walter began to panic, quickly searching for a way out of the situation. But before he could think of anything, Aunt Linda returned, holding the last three boxes of capsules.

"Well, you're in luck! These are the last three boxes, and they're all yours," she said with a bright smile, handing them to Charlie.

Charlie: "..."

Walter: "..."

A few minutes later, the two friends walked side by side on their way to class. The morning sun was just beginning to rise, casting long shadows across the quiet streets of Riverton City.

Charlie glanced at Walter, who was staring straight ahead, looking both embarrassed and slightly uncomfortable. "I don't really need all of these right away. Why don't you take two boxes back with you?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Walter insisted, waving his hands as if the capsules were cursed. "You keep them."

"Uh, okay. But you don't look well," Charlie said, concern creeping into his voice as he noticed the paleness of Walter's face. "Did you stay up late last night?"

"What? Oh, no, it's just that… um, I was playing video games late last night," Walter replied quickly, stumbling over his words. His eyes darted nervously, avoiding Charlie's gaze.

Charlie raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Playing video games?"

"Yeah, that's it," Walter said firmly, as if trying to convince himself as much as Charlie. "I was up late playing video games, so I'm just a bit tired."

Charlie decided not to press further. Sometimes it was better to let things slide, especially when your friend was clearly not telling the whole truth. He knew Walter well enough to sense when he was hiding something, but he also knew when to back off.

As if eager to change the subject, Walter quickly shifted the conversation away from himself.

"Hey, what's up with your leg?" he asked, noticing Charlie's slightly awkward gait.

"Oh, I was exercising at home last night and strained a muscle," Charlie explained, trying to sound nonchalant.

Walter: "?"

Exercising at home and straining a muscle? That didn't quite add up.

Walter looked at Charlie's odd posture, then at the bag of capsules in his hand, and suddenly, something clicked. His eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. Was his friend secretly pushing himself harder than he let on? Walter had thought he was the one working to the limit, but now he realized that Charlie was on another level entirely. It seemed like everyone was pushing their limits these days…

Charlie notices the subtle change in Walter's expression and has a pretty good idea of what he is imagining. His face darkened.

Seriously, I'm the one who's actually playing video games here, okay? Don't lump me in with you!

"Ahem," Walter cleared his throat, sensing that they shouldn't dwell on this topic any longer. He quickly changed the subject again, his face lighting up with excitement.

"By the way, you won't believe what happened yesterday…"

He leaned in closer to Charlie, lowering his voice to build suspense.

"I met Batman!"

Charlie: "..."

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