Chapter 257: Chapter 257: Plans In Motion (Part 3)

"Hmm, what an interesting plan you have," Irene's muttered with intrigue, yet her face remained hard, hostility etched deeply into her gaze as she stared at Harold.

Harold kept his eyes closed, giving a short nod, his voice wavering just slightly as he replied, "The plan is pretty much foolproof. I'm even offering to pay in advance in case anything goes wrong." He cleared his throat, pushing the words out a bit too quickly. "What do you say? The money could be of great use to your cause and its children—"

A deep frown cut across Irene's face as her gaze sharpened. "They are not 'its!!'" she hissed. The snakes atop her head then snapped forward, their fangs out and glistening under the dim theater lights as they hissed menacingly mere inches away from Harold's face.

*Drip, drip,* flecks of what Harold could only assume was venom landed on his skin, a prickling sting rising wherever the droplets touched him. Instinctively, he took a quick step back, hands raised slightly in a gesture of surrender as he muttered, "Sorry, I didn't mean—"

"Spare me your empty corporate apology," Irene's voice was cold, cutting him off as she looked away, her gaze settling on the now vacant stage.

Her rigid expression softened, revealing a hollow look as she stared silently at the stage, her sharp features momentarily replaced by an unexpected, lonely expression. But just as quickly, the hardness returned to her eyes, and she turned her head, glancing at Harold out of the corner of her eye.

"I want double the amount," she demanded, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "All clean. Otherwise, take your offer elsewhere."

A slight frown creased Harold's brow, but he nodded nonetheless. "Fine," he replied. "I'll even add a quarter more to apologize."

She scoffed, dismissing his offer as she turned her back on him and walked back to her seat. "Keep your apology; it sickens me enough that I am accepting your blood money," she muttered. "It's funny, you know?" Her steps slowed, her heels clicking softly as she moved. "How much of a giver you turn into when you need something, Harold."

As her footsteps faded, Harold's shoulders relaxed, and he opened his eyes, letting out a quiet sigh.

He tugged at his collar, straightening it, then cleared his throat, doing his best to sound composed as he called after her. "I'll take it we have a deal then. I'll have someone deliver the money to you along with everything you'll need to know about your target… and mine."

---

Meanwhile, back at the Bright residence, Don was laying on his bed, exhausted from the mental training session he chose to finish. He shifted slightly, his gaze drifting to the ceiling as he prepared to close his eyes and call it a night.

Suddenly, a faint sound rang out—

*ding*

—followed by the familiar glow of a system prompt appearing in front of him.

———

**Day Complete. Compiling Rewards and Achievements.**

---

**Achievements Earned:**

1. **Achievement Unlocked: Rising Star**

- **Description:** Your performance has gone viral, making you an entry-level celebrity in Santos City.

- **Rewards:**

- **+500 Aura**

- **+20 Idol Points**

2. **Achievement Unlocked: Idol Status Initiated**

- **Description:** Attained Celebrity status, unlocking new potential as a public figure.

- **Rewards:**

- **New Skill Tree Unlocked: Idol Influence**

- **Idol Influence (Skill Tree)** - Grants abilities tied to public influence, charm, and the ability to sway crowds and media. Skills in this tree will grow as your Idol Reputation increases.

3. **Achievement Unlocked: Wealth Accumulator**

- **Description:** You've amassed over 20 million credits, significantly increasing your influence and resources.

- **Rewards:**

- **+30 Idol Points**

---

**Trust Level Updates:**

- **Donald:** 20 ⟶ 30

- **Tori:** 20 ⟶ 15

- **Summer:** 30 ⟶ 35

- **Sylvia:** 25 ⟶ 30

- **Amanda:** 40 ⟶ 43

- **Samantha:** 50 ⟶ 54

- **Gary:** 50 ⟶ 50

- **Claire:** 0 ⟶ 5

- **Elle:** 100 ⟶ 100

---

**System Update Complete. Loading Updated Profile**

**Name:** Don

**Hair Color:** Black

**Eye Color:** Brown

**Occupation:** Supervillain

**Height:** 181 cm

**Net Worth:** $20,006,667

---

**Supervillain Profile**

**Supervillain Name:** The Predator

**Idol Name:**??

**Sidekicks:** 1

**Supervillain Reputation:** 0

**Idol Reputation:** 0

**Points System:**

- **Supervillain Points:** 50 (earned through notable criminal actions, defeating heroes, intimidation tactics)

- **Idol Points:** 55 (earned by unintentional or strategic heroism, saving innocents, or reputation-building events)

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**Aura:** 1434

*Aura increases based on feats of power or notoriety and may also be spent to unlock temporary boosts, trigger powerful abilities, or gain advantages in dire situations.*

---

**Abilities**

1. **Superhuman Senses (Enhanced Senses):** Heightened perception abilities, including improved vision, smell, hearing, and touch.

2. **Enhanced Regeneration:** Accelerated healing of wounds and injuries.

3. **Basic Telekinesis:** Ability to manipulate objects with the mind.

4. **Basic Durability:** Provides minor resistance to physical harm.

5. **Mark of the Arcane Being:** A high affinity for supernatural encounters; You have a 50% higher chance of meeting supernatural beings, potentially triggering special events or side quests.

6. **Beastshift:** Ability to manifest the powers of a select creature at 1:1 ratio, regardless of form.

---

**Traits**

- **Honeyed Words (Bronze):** Lies have a 10% higher chance of being believed by those with 50+ trust in Don.

- **The Thinker (Silver):** Enhanced insight into situations, enabling deeper and more strategic planning.

- **Unfazed (Silver):** Near-death experiences, strange encounters, and formidable enemies no longer intimidate Don.

**Special Traits:**

- **Manipulator (???):** 10% chance of convincing others to accept morally questionable plans. (This trait may evolve based on Don's manipulation attempts and success rates, unlocking new abilities or bonuses as it grows.)

---

**Skill Trees**

**Vanguard Skill Tree**

1. **Basic Shielding (Bronze):** Creates a temporary shield that absorbs a small amount of damage. *(Duration: 5 seconds or up to 100 points of damage)*

2. **Forceful Strike (Bronze):** Delivers an impactful melee attack with a chance to knock the opponent back.

3. **Adrenaline Rush (Silver):** Temporarily boosts strength and speed, enhancing physical abilities and reducing the impact of minor injuries.

4. **Combat Reflexes (Silver):** Enhanced reflexes in combat situations, increasing dodge and counter chances.

5. **Defensive Stance (Silver):** Reduces incoming damage by adopting a defensive stance, improving durability against attacks for a short period. *(Duration: 8 seconds)*

*Potential Branches:*

- **Offense Specialization:** Increased damage and additional knockback chance for **Forceful Strike** and similar abilities.

- **Defense Specialization:** Boosts **Basic Shielding** and **Defensive Stance** to absorb higher damage and increase duration.

---

**Tactician Skill Tree**

1. **Strategic Maneuver (Bronze):** Grants quick analysis of the battlefield, helping Don find advantageous positions or weak points.

2. **Feint Attack (Bronze):** A deceptive move to throw the enemy off balance, leaving them vulnerable to critical hits.

3. **Battlefield Awareness (Silver):** Enhanced awareness in combat, reducing the chance of surprise attacks and detecting hidden threats.

4. **Calculated Assault (Silver):** Amplifies damage when targeting an enemy's weak points, especially effective against stronger opponents.

5. **Coordinated Strike (Silver):** Increases the effectiveness of combined attacks when fighting alongside allies or minions.

*Potential Branches:*

- **Precision Attacks:** Boosts **Calculated Assault** with an increased chance for critical hits on weak points.

- **Group Tactics:** Improves **Coordinated Strike** to give allies a speed boost, enhancing coordinated attacks.

---

**Idol Influence Skill Tree **

1. **Fan Appeal (Bronze):**

- **Effect:** Gain a small, loyal fanbase that actively supports you on social media, spreading positive narratives and defending your image.

- **Passive Bonus:** Increases the rate of Idol Points accumulation by 10%.

2. **Charismatic Presence (Bronze):** Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

- **Effect:** Amplifies your natural charisma, subtly influencing people around you to feel more favorable or captivated by you. Works particularly well in close, personal interactions, providing a 10% boost to trust gain.

- **Passive Bonus:** Eases interactions with individuals of low trust, making it easier to gain new allies or sway neutral parties.

3. **Media Savvy (Bronze):**

- **Effect:** Improves your skill in handling press and media, enhancing your effectiveness in interviews or public appearances, and reducing the risk of accidental reputation loss.

- **Passive Bonus:** +5% Idol Reputation gain from successful media engagements.

---

**Progression and Upgrades**

- **Skill Upgrades:** At every x10 Supervillain/Idol Points, You earn a **Skill Upgrade Token**, allowing you to improve existing skills.

- **Trait Evolution:** Repeated successful use of traits like **Manipulator** can unlock additional bonuses or transform traits entirely.

---

**Current Status**

- **Location:** Santos City

- **Duration of Stay:** Unknown

---

**Objectives**

**Primary Objective:** **Here's Your Aura**

- **Target:** Seduce Miss Claire within 6 months.

- **Rewards:** 5,000 Aura, New Ability: Flight

- **Time Left:** 5 months, 3 weeks

**Failure Penalty:** Reduced Supervillain and Idol Points by X amount, impacting your influence and access to new objectives for 3 months.

-—

Don raised an eyebrow, leaning forward to read the content. He nodded in satisfaction as he read through the list of new rewards.

'Those skills should come in handy.'

More importantly, the system finally gave him a clearer picture on how to improve certain aspects and the progress he was making with others.

END OF VOLUME 1.