Chapter 581 - Target Acquired

Shout-out to Termi9999, msafz, jeremy alsbury, and jesus hernandez for patron support

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"So... basically, you were betrayed by your husband and then decided to leave the S.H.I.E.L.D for good, is that right?" Nik inquired while knowing fully well about Mary's past but it was her decision to reveal it and that she did as Anna slept beside Nik with her legs dug beneath Nik's calves, much to his chagrin. "Yeah," with her elbow on the pillow and her head supported up, Mary continued to lay with her body turned towards Nik and her voluptuous b.r.e.a.s.ts hidden by the thin sheet which still curved around her bosom. With the other hand over Nik's chest as he enjoyed the twirl of Mary's index, the short-haired redhead continued, "I still have my contacts there if it's really an emergency. Like Brandon or Anna getting in danger." She gazed at Anna before groaning, "Honestly, I don't know how to tell her about Andrew..." now leaning on Nik's chest as he hugged her back, she whispered, "Anna... I was 2 months pregnant when that happened."

"But she turned out quite well," Nik smiled, kissing the top of Mary's head as she breathed languidly in content. "You should sleep, your days are always hectic," rubbing the back of Mary's head, Nik suggested as she closed her eyes. It was almost 2 in the morning and while Mary did want to try and go past her limits, even if it meant another day off, she found herself mentally exhausted with all the tension after noon. Wrapping Nik with her arms until Mary could touch her daughter, Mary finally slumbered into sleep with Nik gazing at the ceiling aimlessly.

'I feel that I've wasted quite a bit of time by doing nothing...' thinking to himself, Nik started to devise on what he can use to get stronger. Aside from the methods he could use which were— Space Manipulation, Cure, and Purification— Nik had now obtained physical strength much greater than his real body which slumbered within the Transmigration Heart on the right side of his chest. There were two ways to diversify his output. First, find other methods to utilize his current options so that he can truly master them. Second, find new options for strengths in this world. Honestly, the second option was merely a stupid desire that Nik didn't have the heart to follow. What's the point of having too many abilities if he couldn't master them?

With newfound determination regarding his only mental conflict that would emerge every now and then, Nik decided to think of ways to utilize purification in a hostile manner.

[Purification: A+

Use: The ability to purify anything deemed waste into the void.]

Nik gazed at the description of the ability with deep consideration. He knew that the words were actually dependent on his own perception of the skill. How the ability develops is completely based on him and his imagination and with everything Nik purifying actually being waste, from shit to trash in the trashcan, he couldn't really oppose the texts shown.

'But there is the fact that excrements aren't actually a waste and can be reused for fertilization purposes. Plastic can be reused, too. So... I am the one who 'deem' anything as waste... but this never worked on living beings.' The ability was definitely complicated and as Nik continued to ponder upon it, he realized one thing— how did he know if the waste is actually transported to 'void'? If the texts were based on his knowledge, when did he learn about the void? Thinking for a second, he recalled that the concept of the void was taught to him by Xue Yin during his trying to learn about inscriptions.

'An ambiguous location that nobody jas found but definitely exists and is a collection of... nothingness. Say, Sky, have you ever visited void?' Nik inquired as Sky mumbled, 'Not really. It's never been found as a location but connections to that place are found in many places.'

'Did you try entering it?'

'Considering the death of everyone who even tried to put their limbs within, I'm happy to say no.'

'Damn... but if the stuff I purify is sent to the void... maybe I can try to really make it an ultimate weapon.' Nik grinned. One wave of his hand and the filth known as the three ancestors, and the male Lucifer can finally die in peace.

'You can try,' Sky sounded doubtful, 'But you got purification from a ravager bloodline that still isn't activated. I mean, the abilities from bloodline are often narrow in methods of utilization. Maybe you can do stuff once you find a way to activate your ravager bloodline and learn about its true nature.'

Nik thought about how the bloodline in the form of black fog would try to oliberate anything that was harmful to Nik. That is how Nik got rid of the marks placed by Nirdai and Mirage and earned the soul of what looked like Carla's.

{A/n: If in any other chapter I may have named Ray's sister as Claire, then please take note. I am wrong and it's Carla.}

"But the effects are limited against Khooni's mark for some sort of reason," mumbling, Nik redirected the ravager bloodline flowing within his phantom body into his real body where the mark was placed and tried to eradicate it, much to another failure since Nik couldn't even chip away the mark. And every time he tried this, a feeling of deep exhaustion would be received as a feedback.

'Damn, Purification is far more complex. The most efficient way is to use it for personal purposes only... maybe purification doesn't work on living beings because I don't consider any living being truly a waste... if I did, I wouldn't have turned Lucifer's true clone into a slave...' Nik thought seriously and the more he explored this concept, the more plausible it sounded. 'Yeah, after all, I can always genderbend the enemies, try to remove their power and turn them into a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e for lone men and finally bring peace to the world...' Nik sighed, 'Maybe I can really open a brothel filled with my enemies after all...'

His thought silencing all the meta-physical beings existing within Nik as the apostle himself now desired to see Khooni and Nirdai strapped to a chair and getting pounded by dragons... he now had an objective. All he needed was strength.

'If it isn't purification, and of course, not cure... then can I try to diverge the path of Space Manipulation? Shifting is one thing, maybe I can try to play with the space around me... not around me, a little away from me, instead.' Gazing at the broken lamp placed on the table a little away just because of its novel design— a merman with his mouth stretched out and the stick coming out— Nik concentrated and recalled how the reincarnation paradise locked him in space and that definitely seemed a cool ability.

In the morning.

"What happened here?" Anna and Mary gasped simultaneously as they looked at the ruined nightstand while Nik rubbed his eyes while yawning in exhaustion, "I'm a damn genius to figure out the trick, that's what happened..." Mumbling, Nik fell back on the bed, "You girls would need to shower... I'm out of juice, sadly," his words pulled a short giggle from Anna who instantly straddled onto Nik, his upright shaft pressed against a little above the flat of her crotch as Nik's boxers pressed against the erect tool, "This doesn't look out of juice?" She leaned down as Mary sighed and walked out. She unexpectedly felt sore down there, much to her grimace. She needed her ability to walk to perform her job well.

"Honey, this is one machine that never breaks," leaning forward to peck Anna, they both heard Mary groaning, "If just Mac Donalds could claim that!"

---

"Dad? Again? I waited till midnight!" Gwen stormed out of her apartment as George looked at the slammed down door with a deep sigh. He didn't ask for 'Luke' and some woman dressed in white-grey costume to lay ruin to a small russian gang. Well, in his hindsight, he should have replied to his daughter's texts, a bad habit of his that usually gets on to him from time to time. Meanwhile, Gwen puffed her cheeks while walking down the stairs, of course, unwilling to get her father's lift to the school while reasonably rebellious thoughts finally forming within her mind. Should she get the worst boyfriend to rub it in his nose? Should she publicly embarrass him?

Of course, these thoughts weren't impulsive but well thought. As a student who took a little shine on psychology and grazed through all the high school level stuff, Gwen had been slightly able to point her insecurities. Only slightly. And even when knowing that these thoughts burned within her mind out of her father's ignorance and in fact, no one being there for her aside from her father himself, Gwen eyed a salon in the way and stormed in. Later, into a cloth store, too.

Midtown Highschool.

"Hey, Mum seemed pretty shaky yesterday. Did she say anything to you?" Anna inquired as Nik thought for a moment before nodding casually. "Yea, but I hope you can wait till you hear things from Mary. Of course, if you want, I can share anything you ask," Nik waved at Harry while Ann shook her head. "It's fine," she sighed while gazing at the pale and sickly looking Harry Osborn. His eyes sunken, and his lips slightly darker than before. Of course, a pale complexion was a given. Not minding the company after a little over a week, Harry smiled at them, "Hey guys, at least, you two don't mind talking to me..."

'Instantly going to his problems?' Nik raised an eyebrow while Anna hugged him with a wide smile, "Why wouldn't we? We missed you!" She exclaimed, "How about going to Charla's for a smoothie later on?" She instantly invited as Harry looked at Nik with a wry smile, "I would love to—"

"Come on!" Nik rolled his eyes, "You know you want to. You always like to chat with that goth chick, right?" Nik stated while recalling the girl from the establishment as Harry coughed, "Fine! Just—"

"Junior!" Anna greeted loudly as she saw a man walking towards the trio.

"H-hey, Brandon," Harry replied a little meekly. He had long understood that sometimes his reputation and wealth couldn't get his ass out of a beating while Nik smiled and greeted, "This is a surprise," his words making Brandon flinch for a moment as he looked at the remaining duo. "A... little privacy, people?" Anna looked a little uncertain but once Nik just spoke into her mind, she sighed and turned to kiss Nik before leaving Harry and Brandon with a wave. "I'll see you after classes," Harry walked away as Brandon gazed at Nik before nodding. "I came here to thank you... about Kiara."

"Why not yesterday? Were you back in the hideout?" Nik snickered as he opened his locker and got his materials straightened out while Brandon took a deep sigh, "To almost get a slap, yep. Luckily, I'm still going out with her."

"Not luckily but because of me," closing the locker door, Nik winked at Brandon and spoke up, "Anyways, I did get you a major favor but I also made my source speak up for you and... make your street reputation a little foggy. So, what happens from now is on you." With that, Nik left as Brandon nodded slowly and walked back to his own classroom. Much to Nik's surprise and the chatter of the whole class, Nik found Gwen sitting with quite a lovely black t-shirt with a pink heart printed on top of it and a skull within the heart. Her blonde hair trimmed that barely passed her neck and the tip of her naturally blonde hair now turned into soft pink tone. The color itself blended up to a little higher height, giving Gwen an unusual but still, charming look.

"Well... hello," Nik muttered the moment he sat behind her as she turned back and showed quite the smug expression.

"So? How do I look?"

"Considering that your father might finally get a heart attack, a perfect 10," Nik nodded, "Out of 15, if that wasn't clear."

Gwen's victorious expression dampened a little before she snorted, "What do you know!" She did, however, turn back to Nik after three minutes before speaking up softly, "Just so you know, when my dad comes to pick me up, grab me, but not in a 'too much' manner. I'll talk to Anna."

Not startled by the situation, much to Gwen's frustration, Nik nodded with a wide smile, "Don't worry. I'll only go for the ass."

And Gwen didn't look back for the entire first lecture, with Ms. Harthworth on time this morning.