Speed upgrade

Soldier Boy rested one foot on the coffee table, a can of beer in his hand, his whole body sunk into the couch.

He had always been frustrated with his speed.

His strength and durability stats were like cheats. Logically, someone with physical attributes like his should not have been so slow.

From his thawing until now, Soldier Boy's repeated tests had shown that he really was only a little faster than an ordinary person.

He was as slow as a fucking old tractor. Any enemy on a rental bike could leave him in the dust.

It was ridiculous.

"System, did you crash, you stupid thing?" Soldier Boy called again.

[Ding.]

"Where's my reward?" Soldier Boy took a sip of the wheat juice in his hand.

[The reward has been issued.]

Soldier Boy froze. "Issued where?"

[The system inventory.]

"You have a fucking inventory?"

[This system has always had one.]

"Fuck you. Then why didn't you say so sooner?"

[I did. You forgot.]

Soldier Boy nearly crushed the beer can.

"Old Popsicle, I've noticed you're getting more and more like an idiot. Your top priority is learning how to make me happy."

[Host detected insulting the system.]

[One offense recorded.]

"Record your mother."

[Two offenses recorded. One more insult and the host will be terminated immediately.]

Soldier Boy's eyes widened. "You fucking homo, who are you trying to scare? Got the guts to come out and fight me one-on-one?"

A moment later, the system's ethereal female voice sounded:

[Hehe, didn't fool you.]

Fuck.

This shitty system was too sneaky.

Soldier Boy could not be bothered interacting with it. With a thought, he opened the system inventory.

He found the reward in the first slot.

[Speed Ability Upgrade Card (special). Description: raises super speed by two levels upon use.]

[If a system item is used by someone else, the host must pay an additional 50 Exchange Points.]

Soldier Boy's eyes lit up. He had not expected the system to have that feature, but a moment later, his face fell.

It cost 50 Exchange Points to let someone else use it.

He had only earned 100 points after all this time. At that price, why didn't it just rob him?

His expression darkened, and the next second, he clicked to use it.

A warm current instantly surged into his body.

The muscles, bones, and nerves in his legs all began to strengthen.

After a dozen or so seconds, the warmth faded and the enhancement ended.

Soldier Boy stood and moved his body around. There was none of the earth-shattering change he had imagined, but he could clearly feel that his body was much lighter.

"That's it?"

[Please experience it for yourself.]

"Did I tell you to speak? Fuck off." Soldier Boy headed toward the living room, swearing.

The accommodation Homelander had arranged for him was a private apartment inside Vought Tower, just like those of the other members of The Seven.

Its specifications surpassed everyone else's and matched Homelander's: a three-story luxury apartment, lavish in every detail.

With a whoosh, Soldier Boy ran from the first floor to the third.

It took him only five seconds to cover roughly 100 meters.

"Whoa," Soldier Boy exclaimed. "System, bring up my stats panel."

[Currently possesses:

Level 2: super speed

Level 3: physical immortality

Level 5: Nuclear Chest Blast, super healing, Thunder Voice Pack

Level 7: super strength, super durability.

[Exchange Points: 100]

Soldier Boy noticed that his super speed had gone from unranked to level two.

He could not help marveling inwardly that superhumans and ordinary people were practically different species.

At just level two, his super speed had already surpassed the limit of an ordinary person's hundred-meter sprint.

Then what level was A-Train's super speed, if he was supposedly the fastest superhuman?

"System, scan A-Train's stats."

[10 Exchange Points deducted.]

[Character: A-Train.]

[Currently possesses:

Level 1: physical immortality

Level 2: super durability, super healing

Level 3: super strength

Level 6: super speed]

Soldier Boy's eyebrow twitched.

Even A-Train was only level six. He distinctly remembered that in the original show's final season, when Homelander flew after A-Train to kill him, the speed he displayed was on par with his.

So Homelander's super flight was level six too?

With that question in mind, he decided to check Homelander's stats panel later, when he had more Exchange Points to spare.

He only had 90 points left now. With reserves at home, there was no need to panic when disaster struck.

Soldier Boy returned to bed and played with his phone, completely unaware of what Homelander had done.

The next day.

At nine in the morning, Vought International Tower was running at full capacity.

In the CEO's office, the secretary hurried through the door. "Mr. Edgar."

"What is it?" Edgar did not look up, his fountain pen moving briskly as he wrote something.

"Mr. Waynes is dead."

The fountain pen paused.

A few seconds later, Edgar continued signing documents. "How did he die?"

His voice was calm, as though the deceased were not an important member of Vought's board, but someone of no consequence.

"A fire at his estate. The police's preliminary ruling is that it was an accident."

Edgar finally looked up, his gaze unwavering. "Send Madelyn in."

The secretary nodded and all but fled the office.

The pressure Edgar put on her was too much. Every second, she worried whether she had said something wrong.

A few minutes later.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Sir?" Madelyn knocked softly outside the door.

Edgar set down his fountain pen and slowly leaned back in his chair. "Come in."

Madelyn carefully closed the door.

Seeing Edgar's reaction, she felt a chill down her back. She knew exactly why she had been summoned.

"Sit." Edgar pointed at the chair and took out a cigar.

Madelyn moved to light it for him, but Edgar raised a hand to stop her.

"Waynes is dead."

Here it comes.

Madelyn sounded somewhat subdued. "I know, sir. The police ruled it an accident."

"Yesterday, Waynes mocked Soldier Boy, and Homelander stared at him for a while. I think you should know the truth."

Madelyn was at a loss for words. She knew she could not hide it, but still clung to a sliver of hope.

"Sir, I think we should ask Homelander..."

"Do you know what your greatest function is?" Edgar interrupted her.

"Managing the company?" Madelyn forced a smile.

"Wrong." Edgar's gaze was serious. "Managing Homelander."

Madelyn could no longer maintain her smile.

"I don't care about Waynes. Someone else will replace him now that he's dead."

"What I care about is that Homelander actually struck at Vought's management, for Soldier Boy."

Edgar's voice was cool, betraying neither pleasure nor anger.

Madelyn seethed inwardly. How could she not know that?

Rather than saying Homelander had sided against Vought because of Soldier Boy, it was more accurate to say he had sided against her.

"I told you to try to drive a wedge between them. How is that going?" Edgar pressed her relentlessly.

"I haven't seen Homelander since yesterday." Madelyn gritted her teeth.

Panic rose inside her. In the past, no matter how busy Homelander was, he would always make time to see her.

After Soldier Boy appeared, her position as his source of emotional gratification had been stolen.

"Stop explaining." Edgar cut her off in a voice that brooked no argument.

"Your task now is to keep both of them in check. This is your last chance."

Madelyn nodded in agreement, anger simmering inside her.

She had to take the initiative and go see Homelander.