r18novel Page 8
Page 8
[Practical Application Evaluation: Excellent. Successfully utilized environmental interference, weakness avoidance, and basic morphological transformation techniques (sand blade). It is recommended to strengthen training in sand grain cohesion and energy resistance.]
Looking at the improvement data on the screen, accurate to the decimal point, Flint felt a surge of accomplishment. This visible progress was far more inspiring than any empty encouragement.
He opened his hero account, where the 150 points had been credited and were lying there quietly. He couldn't wait to enter the guild's internal shop (hero version).
A dazzling array of exchange options appeared before him. Although he still couldn't exchange for most of the high-end items, there were many more options that were now available than before.
His gaze quickly settled on a project he had been longing for:
[Advanced Sand Grain Control Tips (Beginner)]: Includes more refined techniques for sand grain compression, structural stability, and energy conduction. Requires 120 points to redeem.
Without much hesitation, Flint immediately chose to redeem it.
[120 points consumed, 30 points remaining. Knowledge transfer in progress...]
A cool, data-rich stream, containing a wealth of information and instinctive bodily memories, flooded Flint's mind like a sudden awakening. He instantly understood and absorbed all sorts of techniques and insights, such as how to more effectively manipulate each grain of sand, how to make the internal structure of the sand grains more stable when they condense, and how to distribute the impact force more evenly.
He subconsciously raised his hand, his mind subtly shifting. The grains of sand in his palm no longer simply coalesced into a rough shape, but swiftly and precisely constructed a miniature, structurally complex model of the Eiffel Tower, every detail clearly visible and exceptionally stable!
Flint stared at the exquisite sand sculpture in his hands, his eyes gleaming with delight. He could feel that his control over his abilities had reached a whole new level! Those 120 points were absolutely worth it!
Meanwhile, in the top-floor office.
Kingpin watched the reports on the screen about the Sandmen's debut—from the battle process, public reaction, media evaluation to logistical handling, and even the Sandmen's recently completed points exchange and ability upgrades—with no surprise on his face.
Everything was progressing steadily according to the script he had set.
The Sandman's successful debut clearly conveyed several messages to the outside world:
1. The Hero Association has truly capable heroes.
2. The association's handling of the matter is more professional and responsible, with minimal collateral damage.
3. By joining the association, heroes can not only receive rewards, but also genuinely improve their strength.
This is more effective than any advertisement.
“Tell Sandman he’s doing well,” Kingpin told Wesley. “Let him focus on training and digesting what he’s learned. The association will have new assignments soon.”
“Yes, sir.” Wesley bowed and replied, then added, “Also, Stark Industries seems to be showing unusual interest in the cleanup equipment used by our logistics units…”
Kingpin's lips curled into a cold, hard arc.
"interested?"
"Let them be interested."
"This is just the beginning."
Chapter 15: Points Arrive, Strength Increased!
Flint Marko stood deep underground at the Association headquarters, inside the [Training Simulation Chamber] constructed with advanced system technology. Unlike the previous evaluation room, this space was much more spacious, with the walls and ceiling made of a soft, dark material that seemed to absorb all light, and active metal plates under his feet that could transform into various terrains at any time.
The knowledge he had just redeemed, the [Advanced Sand Grain Control Insights (Beginner)], was still swirling in his mind, like newly acquired physical memory, eagerly awaiting practice and consolidation. The remaining 30 points, like spare change in his pocket, reminded him that there was still room for improvement.
“Training Mode: Basic Control Advanced. Environment: Standard Training Ground,” Flint said to the air. The simulator's built-in AI was connected to the system and could understand his commands.
Instantly, the space around him lit up, transforming into a spacious environment resembling a huge warehouse. At the same time, not far in front of him, dozens of metal targets of varying sizes and shapes rose from the ground, some stationary, others moving slowly along complex trajectories.
[Training Objective: To simultaneously hit the core of at least five moving targets with sand grains, ensuring the sand grains remain sharp and do not scatter after penetration.] The system provides precise requirements.
This was an almost impossible task for Flint before. His previous control precision was only good enough to create a crude sand whip and sand hammer, let alone precisely control multiple sand grains to maintain a specific shape for a accurate strike? He wouldn't even dare to think about it.
But at this moment, he took a deep breath, recalling the new skills he had acquired—how to divert mental energy more economically, how to sense and lock onto multiple targets, and how to compress the internal structure of sand grains to maintain their shape stability.
He spread his arms slightly, but instead of stirring up a cloud of dust as before, he controlled a relatively small number of sand grains that separated from himself. These grains of sand floated around his body, like a living golden nebula.
His eyes narrowed, and he activated his will. The suspended sand grains instantly split into ten strands, each rapidly elongating and shaping in the air, its tip becoming incredibly sharp, gleaming with a metallic sheen—no longer rough sand spikes, but true sand spears!
As if guided by precision, the ten sand spears shot towards ten different moving targets with a slight whooshing sound!
"Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!"
Five sharp, almost overlapping piercing sounds rang out. Five sand spears struck the very center of five moving targets with pinpoint accuracy. After penetrating, the spear shafts remained intact, with only the tips slightly scattered rather than completely disintegrating. The other five spears, while also hitting their targets, either missed their mark slightly or failed to maintain their shape after penetration, scattering in the air.
[Task completion rate: 50%. Accuracy: 78%. Form retention: 65%. Evaluation: Pass, with significant room for improvement.]
Looking at the results, Flint wasn't discouraged at all; instead, he clenched his fist in excitement. Controlling ten sand spears at once, hitting five moving targets, and essentially maintaining their form! This was unimaginable to him before yesterday! The boost from those 120 points was immediate and significant!
Without pausing, he immediately began the next round of training. What went wrong with those five failed sand spears? Was it uneven distribution of mental energy? Insufficient prediction of their movement trajectories? Or perhaps the sand grains weren't compressed enough?
He tried again and again, adjusting his mental manipulations and sensing the subtle changes in the sand grains during compression. Sweat dripped from his forehead, but he didn't care, completely immersed in the exhilarating feeling of rapidly becoming stronger.
During a training break, he opened the in-game store again. The remaining 30 points weren't much, but they might be enough to redeem some auxiliary items. His gaze searched the list, finally settling on an inconspicuous item:
[Basic Endurance Enhancer (Minor Effect)]: Slightly improves physical endurance and energy recovery speed; effects are cumulative (with a cap). Requires 25 points to redeem.
Endurance! That's exactly what he needs. The sandification ability takes a toll on both mental and physical strength, especially during high-intensity combat or prolonged periods of precise control. Improving his basic endurance means he can fight longer, train longer, and grow stronger much faster!
[25 points consumed, 5 points remaining. Please accept the item.]
A small storage compartment slid open on the side wall of the simulator, revealing a small syringe filled with a pale blue liquid. Flint picked up the syringe and injected himself into his upper arm without hesitation.
A cool liquid flowed into my veins, then transformed into a gentle warmth that spread throughout my body. I didn't immediately feel a surge of strength, but a subtle, energetic feeling welled up inside me, as if I had just taken a short nap, which relieved much of the fatigue from the continuous training.
"Keep going!" Flint felt the changes in his body and became even more confident, throwing himself back into the intense training.
Time flew by as he focused intently. When the simulator indicated the end of the preset training time, Flint slowly stopped, slightly out of breath, his body soaked in sweat, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.
[Comprehensive Training Report Generated:]
[Sand particle control precision: improved to 19.1% (from 18.4%).]
[Multi-target manipulation limit: Increased to 12 units (previously unclear, estimated to be below 8).]
[Sand cohesion strength: increased by 8%.]
Endurance recovery speed: Slightly improved (requires continued monitoring).
[Overall combat capability assessment: Consolidated at C+, with a slight tendency towards B-.]
Looking at the report, Flint let out a long breath, a satisfied and determined smile spreading across his face. Points really could be converted into real ability! This feeling of seeing every bit of effort rewarded was wonderful!
He left the simulation chamber, showered, changed into clean clothes, but instead of resting immediately, he went to the hospital where his daughter Penny was.
This time, he was no longer burdened by heavy pressure and guilt as before. Instead, he walked briskly, carrying a box of high-grade fruit that he had redeemed with his last 5 points at the association's welfare center. The fruit was said to be beneficial for recovery.
Through the glass, he saw that Penny had been moved to a more spacious and brighter special care ward, her complexion seemed rosier than before, and she was sleeping peacefully. The attending physician saw him and approached him with a smile.
“Mr. Marco, you’ve arrived. Penny is responding very well to the new targeted therapy, her vital signs are stable, and her indicators are improving. At this rate, we are very confident that we can control her condition.”
Listening to the doctor's words and looking at his daughter's peaceful sleeping face, Flint felt his heart overflowing with a tremendous emotion called "hope." All of this was given by the association, earned through points, and earned through his own strength and hard work!
He gently placed the fruit on a chair outside the ward, without going in to disturb her. He just took another deep look at Penny, then turned and strode away.
Walking back to the association's headquarters, the neon lights of New York City reflected in his eyes, no longer conveying coldness and alienation, but rather a sense of opportunity and challenge. He gripped the association's identification card in his pocket, which recorded his points, his growth, and his and his daughter's future.
The feeling of increased strength was like the finest wine, intoxicating him and also making him more aware of what he should do.
He wants to earn more points, become stronger, heal his daughter, and then... repay this kindness and protect the hope that gave him a new life.
The association's points system acts like a powerful engine, not only driving heroes to complete missions but also propelling them to constantly break through their own limits and become stronger.
The success and advancement of the Sandman is like a pebble thrown into a calm lake; the ripples it creates are slowly spreading within the association and among those who are closely watching the situation.
Chapter 16: Spider-Man's Observation
For Peter Parker, the New York night sky is never silent. It is his highway, his playground, and his responsibility. At this moment, he is gracefully hovering on the lightning rod of a skyscraper near Times Square in a posture that defies all the laws of physics, his slender but strong spider silk swaying slightly in the night breeze.
Below, the city pulses with its dazzling lights and never-ending rhythm, a cacophony of voices, traffic, and electronic billboards blending into a blurry background noise. But Peter's keen spider-sense allows him to precisely filter out the discordant sounds—a suspicious struggle in a distant alley, a panicked cry for help from behind a window, or… simply some unlucky soul having their wallet stolen.
This is his daily "patrol," an instinct and duty deeply ingrained in his bones.
However, tonight, he found it difficult to concentrate. His fingertips were unconsciously swiping across his phone screen—the old smartphone he had painstakingly repaired and which was barely functional. On the screen was the blue icon that almost everyone knew these days: Hero Association.
Driven by his friend Ned's repeated recommendations (and his own irrepressible curiosity), he finally downloaded the app. Right now, he's browsing the [Mission Hall].
The interface is so simple it's almost cold. Cards representing "trouble" are arranged in an orderly fashion.
[Midtown Manhattan - Wolf Level]: Multiple thugs are robbing pedestrians in an alley. You must stop them and hand them over to the police. Reward points: 15.
[Brooklyn Warehouse District - White]: Suspected small drug trafficking den; must be dismantled and evidence secured. Reward points: 45.
[Queens - Grey]: An elderly woman's pet cat is trapped at the top of a tree and needs rescue. Reward points: 2.
[Preventing a Bank Robbery - White]: ...Reward Points: 80.
His gaze, as if drawn by a magnet, was firmly fixed on the "80 points".
He didn't know how many points he needed to redeem anything, but the equipment in the app store, even just the preview images—the special fiber material that looked incredibly tough, the small and precise sensors, the high-efficiency energy batteries—made this "tech geek" who had pieced together equipment through self-study and junkyard parts, his heart race.
Last night, in his efforts to stop the bank robbery in Brooklyn (the very task on the app), he not only used up his entire stockpile of hand-prepared cobweb liquid, but also, while dealing with the armed robbers, a stray bullet grazed his backpack... a secondhand scientific calculator.
“Oh, my calculator…” Peter was so heartbroken he almost fell off the ceiling. That thing cost him a full seventy-five dollars! It was a treasure he had saved up for a long time to find at a flea market, hoping to use it to cope with the increasingly difficult high school physics courses ahead.
Now, stopping a bank robbery is openly priced at 80 points by the association.
What can 80 points do? He didn't know the exact exchange rate, but there was a subpage called "Points Redemption" in the corner of the app, which clearly stated that 100 points could be redeemed for a general shopping voucher or specific goods worth $1000.
In other words, 80 points are roughly equivalent to $800!
Not only would it easily cover his lost calculator, but it would even give him the time to upgrade his old, outdated camera that always lags when taking pictures of Spider-Man! Or… buy more, better materials to improve his web shooter? The thought made his throat dry.
A strong emotion called "heartbeat" wrapped around me like a spider web.
This is so unfair! He risked his life and personal property to stop a crime, and the association is going to provide tangible, visible rewards for such an act? This is practically testing his already fragile financial situation and moral bottom line!
“No, Peter Parker!” He shook his head violently, trying to dispel these “utilitarian” thoughts, and whispered to himself, “With great power comes great responsibility! Have you forgotten what Uncle Ben said? You do these things to help others, not for rewards! Measured by money… that’s a disgrace to the Spider-Man identity!”
However, another, more realistic voice whispered in his mind: "But... Aunt May seems to be worrying about next quarter's rent again... What if I could earn some extra money in a 'legal' way... even if it's just to help her out a little? Besides, upgrading my equipment would allow me to fight crime more effectively and protect more people, wouldn't it? Wouldn't that be a virtuous cycle?"
Two conflicting thoughts clashed fiercely in his mind, making him restless and agitated.
Just then, his extraordinary hearing picked up on an unusual noise coming from several blocks away—the sound of breaking glass and a short scream.
The spider sensed a slight tingling sensation.
The sense of responsibility instantly overwhelmed all other thoughts.
“Okay, business is here.” Peter took a deep breath and stuffed his phone back into the hidden pocket of his homemade suit. With a flick of his wrist, a milky-white spider silk shot precisely towards the billboard on the opposite building.
"Whoosh-!"
The red and blue figure swung out like a pendulum, piercing the New York night sky, and swiftly headed towards the scene of the incident. The movements were still fluid, and the words were still (what he thought was) humorous, but deep down, the ripples about "80 points" and "$800" had not completely subsided.
In a few leaps, he arrived at the scene. The doors and windows of a 24-hour convenience store were smashed, and the cries of the cashier and the rude shouts of the robbers could be heard from inside.
Peter hung upside down outside the broken shop window like a ghost, watching two masked thugs stuffing money into bags inside.
“Hey guys!” He cleared his throat and said in a disguised, slightly cheerful voice, “Good evening! Mind if I see your… shopping receipts? I suspect you didn’t pay for these ‘goods’.”
The robbers were terrified and raised their pistols.
The next few dozen seconds were a one-man show for Spider-Man, a foregone conclusion. He precisely blocked the gun muzzle with his webs, skillfully dodged the clumsy shots, and then tied the two guys upside down like comical dumplings in the most effortless way, hanging them upside down from the ceiling fan of the convenience store.
"Done!" Peter clapped his hands, gave the still-shaken cashier a reassuring gesture, casually used a spider web to repair the largest pane of glass in the display window (at least it would block the wind), and then prepared to swing away gracefully.
"Wait! Spider-Man!" the young cashier called out bravely. "Thank you! Do you...do you need any reward? Or...who should I report this to? The police, or...that new Hero Association?"
The word stung Peter like a thorn. He paused slightly, glanced back at the robber hanging upside down, still struggling in vain, and then at the messy convenience store.
If this is an association task, has he already earned points? How many can he exchange for? Is it enough to buy a new calculator?
He forced himself to shake the thought off, waved to the cashier, and said in as casual a tone as possible, "Payment? No need, ma'am. Just give me a five-star review! As for the report... call the NYPD, they're good at handling these."
After saying that, without waiting for the other person to say anything more, he shot out spider silk and his figure quickly disappeared into the shadows between the buildings.
But this time, he seemed to be wandering at a slower pace. He was no longer as completely immersed in the pure joy of chivalry as before. His eyes, hidden behind the mask, would occasionally glance at the brightly lit streets of the city below, and the blue app interface and the glaring "80 points" would involuntarily reappear in his mind.
The satisfaction of helping others remains, but a faint, subtle sense of melancholy, akin to "losing a hundred million," has quietly crept in.
He stopped at the top of another tall building, took out his phone again, and hovered his finger above the "Register/Login" button, hesitating and struggling.
Join? Or... continue to wait and see?
For Peter Parker, this seemed to be an even more difficult decision than dealing with all the criminals in New York.
In the darkness, the red and blue figure appeared somewhat silent. And beneath his feet, in that vast city, the Hero Association's blue emblem was gleaming with an undeniable light on more and more screens and in people's minds.
Chapter 17: Eccentric Characters: Keyboard Warriors
Inside a trendy café near New York University, the air is filled with the rich aroma of coffee beans and the cloying scent of desserts. Soft jazz music cannot drown out the increasingly loud clatter of keyboards emanating from a laptop in the corner.