It was Sunday, marking a full seven days since Theo had arrived in Forks and embarked on his newfound evolutionary pathway. Suffice it to say that since reopening the store, things had been going remarkably well for both him and the business.
Bella, as it turned out, was a boon; having her work in the town's latest attraction brought in more students than Theo had anticipated. He assumed the hype surrounding her arrival was the primary driver of the foot traffic, as she was essentially a shiny new object for the boys to fawn over and the girls to silently judge.
With the influx of new customers, Theo was able to capitalize on the need for a barista in the cafe section, quickly hiring Angela Webber—a friend of Bella's—to man the counter after school and on weekends.
Theo chuckled at the memory of Bella's pleading look as he feigned indecision between hiring Jessica Stanley and Angela. He had known exactly who he was going to hire the moment they asked for the job, but he couldn't resist the opportunity to drag out the selection for a bit of amusement.
He was currently in the basement while his two employees worked upstairs. In his hand sat a pair of glasses that caused Theo no small amount of frustration. They were a reward from his daily draws, and if he were being honest, an incredible win. His pull for the day had been Clark Kent's Glasses, and the description stated that they possessed a form of 'Cognitive Disruption'—whether magic or science, it didn't specify.
If he had obtained these glasses before the Sea King Meat reward, Theo could have easily passed himself off as an entirely different person just by wearing them. Sure, the timing was a slight inconvenience, but he knew he'd have plenty of opportunities to utilize them in the future.
Thinking about the Gacha System, Theo pulled up the interface once more to review his gains for the week. He was genuinely impressed by the random items he'd acquired, appreciating the sheer variety of categories the rewards covered.
Staring at the inventory, he nodded with satisfaction.
Pull 3:John Wick: 10 Continental Gold Coins (approx. $40,000 USD)
Pull 4:Food Wars!: Yukihira Diner Professional Set (Knives & Pans)
Pull 5:Neon Genesis Evangelion: Asuka Langley's Plugsuit (Unit-02)
Pull 6:Death Note: Potato Chip (Standard Salted)
Pull 7:Naruto: Icha Icha Paradise (Volume 1)
Pull 8:DBZ: Turtle School Weighted Set (Kami Variant - Weight scaled via willpower)
Pull 9:DC Comics: Clark Kent's Glasses (Cognitive Disruption)
Oh, some of the items were absolutely useless—like the Plugsuit, a red spandex combat suit designed for a teenage girl, and the Icha Icha Paradise book, which was essentially softcore pornography. However, he was content with almost all of his other prizes, especially the weighted training clothes.
He remembered them being worn by the Z Warriors in the anime: a black undershirt, a pair of wristbands, and boots. Though the boots looked garish, Theo was thankful to have gained such practical items. He hadn't had the chance to test them yet, but from what he understood, he simply needed to think about the weight changing, and it would apply instantly to the clothing.
The culinary set was already in his apartment kitchen, and after using it the night prior to cook his Sea King Meat, he noted that none of the items seemed to dull or stain whatsoever. The chip packet was... underwhelming but useful; by some anime logic, once the contents were eaten, the packet would refill the following day.
He was thankful for the gold coins from John Wick, as any additional wealth meant he didn't truly need to worry about his financial future. The store was already turning a profit, and anything gained from the System would create a comfortable buffer zone.
With a sigh, he hoisted a large box filled with new books into his arms and walked back up to the store. He had meant to restock the shelves earlier, but upon obtaining the glasses, Theo had gotten lost in his own world contemplating their future applications.
Pushing open the door that connected the basement to the store, Theo called out, "Bella, did you say the whole box, or just half? I swear we just got these in stock yesterday; how are they already selling out?"
He heard the girl laugh as she watched him move the obviously heavy box around like a plaything.
"Half the box, but we may as well keep it up here," she said. Theo raised an eyebrow in question, prompting her to continue. "We sold some more while you were in the storage room. I have no idea why so many of the boys love this Japanese comic, but it's selling out quickly."
Theo scoffed at her words as he set the box down.
"How can you say such blasphemous words? They're called manga, and Berserk is possibly one of the best ever created." There was no bite to his tone, but he watched as the girl rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, so comic books, like I said. Honestly, though, why do boys like violence so much?"
Opening the box, Theo began unloading the hardcover Berserk manga onto the shelves. He'd had a moment of inspiration during the week, realizing that even though the town was small, he had nothing for the younger demographic. So, with a fleeting desire to read manga himself, he'd reached out to his suppliers and overnighted a test batch. With the obvious success of the sales, he planned to slowly branch out into comics, light novels, and other genres.
"Bella, my sweet, deluded child," he said in a mock solemn voice.
Though Bella was only scheduled to work a full Sunday, she'd been happy after her Friday shift and had asked to work Saturday as well. The time spent together had allowed the duo to become friendly; since the store wasn't always packed, they had spent hours chatting, which in turn allowed them to understand one another better.
"What?"
"Action, muscles, violence, and swords are the lifeblood of any young man. Seriously, this town is so depressing that the moment I randomly decided to sell these books, look how they flocked to them. It's in their blood; it's calling to them."
With a shit-eating grin, Theo watched as the girl shook her head and began helping him unload the books.
"Or," she countered, "you were all dropped on your heads one too many times."
Theo snorted at that as they continued to work. The store had maintained its popularity throughout the majority of the day before tapering off slightly towards the end. The addition of Angela was a godsend; the girl was friendly and knew almost everyone in town. She was happy to work in the cafe section, busying herself with cleaning or chatting with the patrons in the now-populated seating area.
While cleaning the floor, Theo heard the telltale chime of the front doorbell, signifying another customer had entered. He smiled as two teenagers walked in, but paused the moment he looked at them. His mind shut down momentarily as he attempted to cool his thoughts; he needed to be cautious.
"Afternoon guys, welcome to The Common Ground. Anything I can help you with?" Theo watched as Bella went still at the sight of the duo before she continued working at the till.
Edward and Alice Cullen were exactly like their movie counterparts. Edward stood at an impressive height of over six feet, his bronze hair styled in an untidy fashion, his face pensive and angular. Alice, on the other hand, was the complete opposite; even shorter than Bella, she had black hair styled into a pixie cut. Her features were beautiful, showing off her large eyes, full lips, and a bright smile filled with curiosity.
"Hiya!" Alice said, while Edward nodded towards Theo. "Dad told us about this place, thought we'd check it out."
"You're more than welcome to browse; each section has a name above it, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask me or Bella over there."
Theo watched as Edward's eyes snapped to the girl in question, his body locking momentarily before he exhaled and nodded. "Thank you."
With a shrug of his shoulders, Theo continued cleaning, slowly making his way to the register. He could see Bella's eyes shifting towards Edward's back, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Boy trouble?" Theo asked in a whisper, though he knew the duo could hear him.
Bella looked at Theo for a moment, weighing her options, before subtly nodding.
"What happened?"
"That's Edward, he's in my grade," she said, her voice subdued. "I don't think he likes me much; he practically ran out of Biology class after I sat next to him."
Oh, Theo knew exactly what she was talking about. In the movies, Edward had smelled her blood the moment she stepped into the room and had done everything in his power not to tear everyone apart in the class before feasting on her. What she didn't know was that he had disappeared to Alaska that same day in an attempt to calm his mind. However, since Edward was currently in his store, his self-inflicted exodus must have already ended.
"Weird," Theo said, keeping his mind on the current conversation in an attempt not to let his thoughts stray. "Stomach ache, maybe?"
The distinct sound of the tumbler rolling over sounded once more, and Theo breathed a sigh of relief. If it was what he expected, then he would be free to think after today.
Bella shook her head. "More like he began gagging the moment I walked in. But I didn't smell, so I have no idea what his problem is with me."
Theo hummed at the words; he could see Edward's body tense slightly at her comment.
"Could be an allergy to your perfume, or maybe just an off day. Who knows with teenage boys? One time I had to leave a date because I stubbed my toe so badly it broke. Made up a stupid excuse to bail, unfortunately."
He heard a snort and giggle come from the pixie-like vampire, which made him second-guess mentioning that embarrassing moment from his past.
Angela appeared as they spoke, letting Theo know she was done with her work and had closed up her station. After speaking with Bella, she wished them both a good night and left for the evening.
Bella mulled over his words in silence, but he could see that she wasn't actually hurt by Edward; more accurately, she was annoyed at him for being rude. It was a valid opinion, and if Theo hadn't known the story, he'd be in the same boat.
With the cleaning done and the store closing in ten minutes, Theo walked over to the duo to let them know.
"Sorry guys, we're closing in ten minutes. Did you need help with anything?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you had any books on fashion?" Alice said with a smile as she twirled around to face him. Edward ignored the duo and continued examining the Berserk manga, his eyes holding a look of curiosity.
"We should, but I don't know how 'modern' they are. Most of the books need to be updated to the current year, but I'll show you them anyway."
Alice nodded happily as she followed Theo. He couldn't help but notice her glancing toward him a few times, though he didn't say anything. It took only a couple of seconds before they arrived at the less-than-startling selection of fashion design books.
"As I said, not the best selection."
"Oh, it's fine! I just like learning about it, so it doesn't matter how old the books are. I didn't mention my name: I'm Alice Cullen."
"Oh, Carlisle's your dad, right? That makes sense now; he was actually my very first customer. I'm Theo. Nice to meet you, Alice."
She smiled sweetly at him, and Theo could instantly understand why so many people had crushes on her. It was like standing next to a bundle of pure happiness.
"Well, if you can't find what you're looking for here, we can order books in as well."
"Thanks, Theo! I'm sure I'll be visiting a lot more."
Almost pausing mid-step, Theo brushed off her comment as nothing more than a bored vampire wanting to buy some books. He knew they couldn't sleep, so to pass the time they filled their hours with any manner of entertainment.
With a shake of his head, Theo called out to Bella. "Bella, I'm heading upstairs. Make sure to lock up when you're done. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." With a yell from her acknowledging she'd heard, Theo made his way up the stairs and back into his apartment.
Stepping into his living room, Theo pulled up the panel once more and cheered to himself internally.
'Thank God! I don't know how it happened, but my body must have responded to the stress, or maybe he caught some of my thoughts and my powers went on the defensive.'
[New Trait: Void Mind]
Type: Passive Defense
Description: Your mind is now a psychic black hole. It absorbs scans but reflects nothing back.
Effect: Complete immunity to mind reading and mental influence.
He eased into the couch and let out a relieved sigh. 'There was literally no other way of gaining this power without being subjected to it in the first place. If I were in the world of Harry Potter, I could have used Occlumency, or hoped the Gacha granted me something, but this is the next best option.'
This also meant that he was immune to Jasper's emotional control, Aro's tactile mind reading, the woman in the Volturi who could affect connections to people, and a plethora of other vampires who held mental-based powers.
He had planned on training that night, but with the visit from the vampires fresh in his mind, Theo thought it best to ensure his secrecy for a little while longer. He was under no illusion that he wouldn't be exposed at a certain point, but he hoped it would be of his own volition rather than an accidental discovery.
Moving to the kitchen, Theo pulled out another piece of Sea King Meat and began his daily cooking; the nutrients were the perfect fuel for his ever-evolving body. As he pan-seared the steak, Theo pondered how he could utilize the meat in a more efficient manner, before he stopped and slapped himself on the forehead.
'You absolute idiot. How could you forget about that?' He stared at the now-cooked meat and shook his head. 'I can literally gain the qualities of something I consume, and I've been eating fucking Sea King Meat! My power scale would jump with just one meal.'
With those thoughts, Theo plated his meal and sat on the couch. As he began to eat, he willed the power of Selective Genetic Assimilation to work. The sensation was immediate; with each bite, his body felt hot, as if it were being tempered in a blast furnace. He could hear the couch groan slightly as his overall density increased.
Within five minutes of finishing his meal, Theo felt like he'd gone through weeks of training, his body taking on the beneficial qualities of a Sea King.
"Fuck," he said in a low tone. "That was blissful."
Pulling up his panel for one last look of the night, he cackled.
[Status Update: Sea King Assimilation]
Durability: You are now immune to small-arms fire and can withstand falls from terminal velocity. Your skeletal structure can endure 50 tons of crushing pressure.
Strength: Maximum lift capacity has increased to 15 Tons (approx. one falling SUV). Striking power is sufficient to pulverize reinforced concrete and steel.
Adaptation: You now possess Zero-Drag Hydrodynamics for underwater movement and Hyper-Oxygenated Lungs capable of sustaining peak combat exertion for 45 minutes on a single breath.
"Hahaha! Oh my God! I'm an idiot!" Theo shouted to himself as he read the words.
**********
Waddup party people! Hope you liked the newest chapter, had to rework it slightly because of some valid comments from people about the Sea King issue. We've now met Edward and Alice, though it was brief, it was needed.
Donate some powerstones and leave a comment / review and I'll drop more chapters today!