Bank Balance: $20,000
I had to blink a few times to make sure I wasn't imagining it.
$120,000 a year. Plus a $20,000 joining bonus.
Maybe I judged Xavier a little too quickly.
"You seem cheerful," Jean's voice came from my right. I didn't even glance at her—my eyes were still locked on the glowing numbers on the screen.
"Of course," I said, barely containing my excitement. "I'm not broke anymore."
I was tempted to blow a chunk of this money on some rolls—but no. That would be dumb. I needed to keep something stashed away for emergencies. No sense in going broke five minutes into a new life.
"I didn't think you were the type to care so much about money," Jean said, walking beside me with a faint smile.
"Who doesn't?" I shrugged. "No one ever complains about having too much money. Only the rich say it doesn't matter."
For the rest of us? Money is everything.
She giggled. "Fair enough."
After a beat, I asked, "Why didn't you accept the job offer?"
She hadn't turned it down outright, but she didn't seem interested either.
"I'm working on my PhD," she said, surprising me. "Balancing school and superhero work is already pushing it. Teaching here would make it impossible. There's just not enough time in the day."
Can't say she's wrong. A PhD isn't exactly a part-time thing.
"I'm also assisting a few researchers and professors," she added. "The stipend covers most of my personal expenses. So, for now… I'm not chasing money."
That's admirable. Not something I can relate to, but admirable. For me, even before all this… education was just a means to a better paycheck.
Then she turned to me with a curious look. "By the way, did something happen between you and Ororo? You both seemed kind of… off earlier."
I barely kept a straight face. If she'd been looking at me, she would've caught it.
"Well… nothing really happened," I lied smoothly. "I asked her to teach me about electricity manipulation, but she declined. Said we tap into our powers in fundamentally different ways."
Jean tilted her head, thinking. "That makes sense. You manipulate raw electricity. Her powers come from controlling the weather—electricity is just one aspect of it."
Still, I wonder if Storm understands the full scope of her abilities. And if she does… can she actually use them to their full potential?
If she can, she could level cities.
Definitely not someone to piss off.
'Don't tell anyone about what happened.'
Her words echoed in my mind. Not that I ever planned to. Private meant private.
"It's good to see you adjusting well around here," Jean said, breaking my thoughts.
"And it's good to see you in a better mood," I replied.
She glanced at me and smiled, soft but real.
"I guess," she said softly. "The issue's still there… but I realized that stressing over it won't help. So I'm choosing to ignore it."
It.
It wasn't an it. It was a he.
But if she didn't want to talk about it, I wasn't going to bring it up either.
"And about what happened back then—"
"Don't worry," I cut her off gently. "It was the heat of the moment. You don't have to explain anything. I won't bring it up again."
Her expression softened further. "Thank you. But… that's not what I was going to say."
Oh?
"I just meant… I don't usually do that kind of thing," she said, a hint of embarrassment creeping into her voice. "I'm not sure what happened. It just… it never happened before."
I didn't doubt her.
Because, truthfully, it had been my fault.
"You don't have to explain," I said, offering a small smile. "I get it. And we don't need to talk about it if you're not comfortable."
See? I can be a gentleman.
"I know it's hard to adjust at first. It always is for us," she said, arms crossed against the chill in the evening air. "But I think you'll be fine. And if you ever need anything… you can always come to me."
Jean Grey is probably one of the most important women in the world.
And if I'm going to keep my word to the Phoenix… she might become the most important.
It's a hell of a relief that she's friendly. Because the alternative?
I don't even want to imagine what fighting the Phoenix would be like.
Just the thought of being erased from existence made my skin crawl.
…Wait.
Didn't I just make an enemy out of another woman who can do that?
Thinking back to the Brotherhood, maybe—just maybe—I should've handled that situation with a bit more finesse.
"You okay?" Jean asked beside me. "Hope it's not the cold."
"Ah, don't worry, it's not. Just… feeling a little overwhelmed."
We walked through the garden together. Fresh air, the scent of wet leaves, and just enough distance from the chaos to let my mind settle.
Still, even while enjoying the peace, temptation lingered.
Twenty thousand dollars. Sitting in my account. Do I really need all of it right now?
Starting next month, I'll be getting ten grand every thirty days. And let's be honest: my living expenses here are practically zero.
Free food. Free shelter. Free clothing—literal closets full, just waiting to be claimed in the basement.
Even hygiene stuff? Shampoo, razors, trimmers—all brand new, all provided. No strings.
"Professor Xavier is extremely rich, isn't he?" I asked, half curious, half trying to distract myself from my thoughts.
Jean nodded. "Yeah, he is. His parents were successful researchers. They earned a fortune through their work, and they invested most of it."
So, generational wealth. That explains part of it. And well, pretty sure he has just as many patents under his name if not more.
"And the professor does the same. Invests, I mean," she added. "And, well… his powers help."
Telepathy.
Insider trading.
But the kind you'll never get caught for.
"…Right." I nodded, lips twitching into a half-smile.
Anyway, point is—I don't need to spend a dime unless it's an emergency.
Which means…
Setting aside $10,000 as a rainy-day fund? Smart move.
System, roll for an Epic Skill.
[Current cost of an Epic Roll: $10,000]
[Confirm Roll: Accept/Decline]
I'm probably an idiot for this.
But now I understand why people gamble.
Accept.
[Rolling for an Epic Skill…]
Three seconds passed.
[Congratulations! You have acquired the skill 'Kamui.']
[Kamui: Allows you to phase through solid matter. Focusing on an object with your right eye and maintaining contact allows you to teleport it within 100 meters.
Using your left eye, you can teleport small objects from a distance.
Using both eyes, you can send people or objects into a 500×500×500 meter pocket dimension for 15 minutes. You can enter it yourself.]
Okay. This is busted.
"You okay?"
"Y-Yeah." I tried not to grin like a maniac. "I think I am."
How the hell is this only an Epic skill?
Then again, Legendary skills apparently mess with entire worlds. This one has limits. Time caps. Range caps.
Still… being able to phase, teleport, and banish people to a private void?
Yeah. This is insane.
Maybe gambling's not so bad after all.
Jean narrowed her eyes. "You sure? You're looking a little… off."
I opened my mouth, but I didn't even know what to say. I was still reeling.
"And the best cure for looking weird," she smirked, "is a drink."
"…Huh?"
"Perfect. It's settled." She beamed. "Let's go."
She didn't even wait for me to answer. Just made the decision and ran with it.
But hey, I'm not complaining.
Alcohol, a little harmless gambling, and a beautiful woman.
What more can a man ask for?
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[[A/N: Read 25+ advance chapters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Greedyfrog
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P.S. DxD fic ongoing on Patreon as well.
P.P.S. Small chapter, IK. Will make up for it soon.]]