In the corridor, the pallid light fell on the floor tiles, faintly outlining two figures' shadows.
[Ding] [Hidden quest completed: release Black Noir] [Reward: any-ability upgrade card ×1 (special). Please check your inventory.]
Soldier Boy supported Private Angel with one hand, holding the mostly empty bottle of Lafite in the other.
He raised an eyebrow. Release Black Noir? Why did that quest name sound so weird?
Still, I didn't expect hidden quests, let alone such generous rewards.
He remembered that an Ability Upgrade Card cost 100 Exchange Points in the system shop, but that was only its apparent cost.
A few days ago, with nothing to do, he had wanted to redeem one to play around with. But remembering the system's tendency to screw him over, he had asked an extra question.
Once purchased, an Ability Upgrade Card could only be used directly on a level-one ability.
Upgrading superpowers above level one required a handling fee. For example, using one on a level-two superpower would cost 10 Exchange Points.
Every additional level added another 10 points. In other words, if he wanted to raise his super strength from level seven to level eight, he would need not only to buy an upgrade card but also to pay an extra 60 Exchange Points.
What a heartless capitalist. If Old Popsicle had a physical body, he would definitely subject him to a round of utterly inhumane bullying.
Cards gifted by the system, however, required no handling fee as long as they were marked "special," like the previous special speed upgrade card, which had raised his ability by two levels in a row.
As Soldier Boy's thoughts wandered, he suddenly felt the woman in his arms sag.
"Hey, what's going on?" He looked down.
Private Angel, who usually looked like a