I have to admit.
Even a Bronze-level Identity brought Herman some unexpected perks.
The Glowing Cuisine massively enhanced flavor. And even without using that effect, his regular cooking alone could put many so-called master chefs to shame.
Carrie, the company's finance girl, was a perfect example. After eating Herman's fried rice, she declared it the most delicious dish she'd ever tasted.
She was a genuine foodie through and through. Herman couldn't help but wonder—if she ever got to try Glowing Cuisine, how ecstatic would she get?
Sometimes Herman even suspected Carrie might be a mutant with a power like "limitless digestion." He had once personally witnessed her devour an entire pot of fried rice.
Yes.
An entire pot.
The kind of oversized iron wok used in rural kitchens. And after finishing it, Carrie still looked unsatisfied. Herman seriously wondered if her stomach was connected to another dimension.
[Bronze-level Identity — Bar Owner]
[Note — Once activated, this identity is permanent!]
[In addition to being a culinary-savvy god-in-the-making, you're also someone who knows how to enjoy life. Years ago, you secretly opened a bar with investor money.]
[To avoid discovery by investors and others, you set it up in rustic Texas, where it has since become a biker gang's favorite paradise.]
[Identity Exclusive Mission: Renovate the bar and redecorate it with a pink theme.]
[Mission Reward: A Bottle of Never-Ending Wine.]
Compared to the first Bronze identity, this one wasn't nearly as useful. At best, it gave Herman some knowledge of fine wine.
Oh, and a bank card that brought in twenty to thirty thousand dollars a month.
Since Herman had never been to Texas, he couldn't use his Raven teleportation to get there. The exclusive mission would have to wait for later.
When he had the time, he planned to finish it. After all, a bottle of endless wine might be worth plenty in trade with Odin's prodigal son.
...
With Season One completed, a celebration banquet was inevitable. Using Charles's money, Herman treated the entire cast and crew to a feast at the New York Grand Hotel.
"To the completion of our series!" Herman popped open a bottle of 1982 Lafite. He'd been itching to taste that legendary wine for ages.
"Director, you've worked so hard!"
"I didn't even get enough screen time!"
"Slurp~ This food is amazing."
The mutant students were in high spirits. But since they were all underage, Herman had to drink the entire bottle of wine by himself, blinking back tears.
What's that?
The three female agents were adults?
Sure, but sitting in a private room full of mutants, none of them wanted to risk clouding their judgment. In the end, Herman was left to finish the bottle alone.
As for Skye... she wasn't old enough to drink either.
"Bang!"
Just as everyone was chatting happily—and the three agents were secretly hoping to loosen Herman's tongue with alcohol—a loud crash came from outside, followed by chaotic screams and panicked shouts.
"What's going on?"
Natasha frowned.
She exchanged a look with Hill and May... Could they really have been unlucky enough to stumble into one of those "daily shootouts" America was famous for?
Suddenly, Jean Grey—who had been quietly eating while keeping an eye on the students to make sure they didn't drink—was the first to react, rushing out of the room.
The others quickly followed. Herman sighed, set down his wine glass, and strolled out at an unhurried pace.
...
In the hotel's main hall, terrified guests were frantically rushing for the exits.
A man covered head to toe in porcupine-like quills staggered around drunkenly, making a wild scene.
When he spotted Herman and the group standing at the staircase, he snarled and swiped his claws menacingly.
"Ha!"
He expected them to scatter like the other patrons.
But...
"..."
The mutant students only looked conflicted. Jean's temples pulsed as she restrained her power, while the three female agents wore grim, watchful expressions.
"I'm a mutant! How dare you not fear me! No—you have to be afraid of me!" The porcupine-spiked man's quills bristled as he shouted furiously at the crowd.
"..."
A mutant? Who here isn't? If we really cut loose, we're far scarier than you.
The mutant students' emotions grew even more tangled. How could there be such a stupid fellow mutant?
Meanwhile, the three female agents were already discreetly contacting field operatives... A mutant disturbance was always classified as an extremely severe incident. Not that they were afraid of this one.
"Director..."
Shadowcat Kitty didn't know about the agents' covert actions, but she worried this drunken fool might be gunned down by the arriving police.
She sidled up to Herman, tugging at his hand, and shot him a pleading look. The message in her eyes was unmistakable.
"He really is just an idiot..."
Herman had already linked to the porcupine man's mind and learned he was a family man who'd simply been hiding his mutant identity. Even so, he hadn't planned to intervene—live or die, it wasn't his concern.
But seeing Kitty still clutching and shaking his arm... he gave in.
His heart softened. Mostly because the girl was holding his arm... and her grip felt surprisingly soft. With a sigh, Herman gave Shadowcat Kitty a small nod.
"Pssh, pssh~"
The porcupine man was still flailing and snarling when suddenly, a jet-black raven darted past his feet. The bird split apart, forming a storm, and in an instant, he was swallowed by a mass of swirling black wings.
The three agents spotted the anomaly and immediately vaulted down the stairs, rushing to intervene. But by then, the ravens had already vanished.
They dissolved into black smoke that seeped back into Herman's body from the floor... and the porcupine man had been relocated to a park nearby.
"Where... where am I?"
He found himself suspended above a lakeshore on the outskirts. He plunged into the icy water, the shock sobering him instantly. Shivering, he scrambled up and looked around in confusion.
"Treasure this second chance."
Suddenly, a young man's voice rang in his mind...
The porcupine man instantly recalled his earlier rampage. Regret washed over him, but he also realized some mysterious power had spared him.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Crawling ashore, he dropped to his knees and bowed several times toward the hotel.
"I really am too kind," Herman thought to himself inside the hotel, quietly giving himself a mental pat on the back.
Outwardly, he put on a look of pure shock.
"Where did he go? My god! Could those be the mutants they always talk about on TV?"
His acting was convincing. But neither the mutant students nor the three S.H.I.E.L.D. agents bought it.
You cast a bunch of mutants as actors, and now you're telling us you don't know any? The three agents could only roll their eyes internally.
If anyone was still firmly on Herman's side, it was the clueless Skye. She gawked at the lobby in awe.
"You guys... did you see that? That was magic! Definitely magic! And a porcupine man! I knew those conspiracy sites were telling the truth!"
Skye loved browsing all sorts of fringe forums, and right now she looked like someone who'd just spotted a cryptid.
"Oh, right—why were you climbing over the railing?"
After her initial excitement, Skye frowned, puzzled by the agents' odd behavior earlier. Normal people, after seeing something that incredible, should have been stunned like her. But these three looked like they were about to rush straight at the porcupine man.
Her gaze turned suspicious.
"..."
The three agents had no idea how to explain. They looked at Skye, then at the wary expressions of the mutant students.
Finally—
"We had to pee. Really bad. We were just trying to get down to the bathroom," Natasha blurted out at last.
All three of them needing to pee at the same time? Perfectly reasonable.
...
(50 Chapters Ahead)
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