Chapter Two: The Void System of the League of Heroes

Afterward, Harvey closed the Black Web. Their meeting wasn’t until the day after tomorrow, so there was no need to hurry. Besides, Tony Stark was about to embark on his journey as Iron Man—which meant, for Harvey, it was finally time to pull in his net.

He opened his stock trading app, went through the necessary procedures, and prepared to sell off his shares, valued at $1.1 billion, in batches over the course of a month. For Stark Industries, still a giant in the arms industry, that amount wasn’t particularly significant. There would be plenty of buyers for anyone looking to sell.

Yet, if Harvey dumped all the shares at once, he wouldn’t lose much, but the move would likely attract unwanted attention afterward. Even though he was infamous as the “Reaper” in mercenary circles, the persona Harvey Amberlac presented to the world was simply that of a young, successful, and exceedingly wealthy entrepreneur—a carefully constructed identity, managed by those who handled the origins of his money.

Every time they laundered his funds, they took a five percent cut—a steep price, but well worth it for the trouble it saved him. With this identity, Harvey was free to act as he pleased, except for those rare occasions when he felt like making an appearance.

After selling at a high, all he needed to do was wait until Tony Stark changed careers, triggering a massive drop in Stark Industries’ share price, to buy back in bulk. Then, with Tony’s genius, the value would soar again. Harvey would make a fortune from the cycle.

As he dealt with his affairs, his stomach suddenly rumbled. Used to this, Harvey temporarily set aside his work and headed to the garage. Inside were a series of beautiful luxury cars. After a moment’s thought, he changed his clothes and chose an Audi R8. A key appeared in his hand, and soon he was driving away from the manor.

Since gaining the power of the Voidreaver, Kha’Zix, Harvey was not only immensely strong but also perpetually hungry. He didn’t resent the sensation—he understood that acquiring great power always came with a price. If the system merely turned him into a glutton, that hardly counted as a real drawback.

He drove the R8 toward his usual haunt, the Clarington Restaurant. In America, in less bustling cities, most restaurants would be closed by ten at night. That was one reason Harvey, despite owning estates elsewhere, chose to remain in New York for now. Despite being dubbed “Hell’s Kitchen” and filled with danger, the city’s vibrancy was undeniable.

Harvey possessed the League of Legends Void System, which allowed him to select one of eight Void champions as a template: Kassadin the Voidwalker, Kai’Sa the Daughter of the Void, Rek’Sai the Void Burrower, Kog’Maw the Mouth of the Abyss, Malzahar the Prophet of the Void, Vel’Koz the Eye of the Void, Kha’Zix the Voidreaver, and Cho’Gath the Terror of the Void.

Each template offered terrifying and formidable power, though some were more suitable than others. Rek’Sai, Kai’Sa, and Kog’Maw, for example, all possessed evolutionary abilities and would become exceedingly strong, but their evolution was more difficult, so Harvey had eliminated them at the start.

Malzahar would grant prophetic abilities and void magic—perfect for an unfamiliar world, but this was the Marvel universe, and for now, it seemed largely as he remembered it from his previous life. So, there was no need for prophetic power just yet.

Kassadin would give him formidable spatial magic, but at present, Blue Earth in the Marvel world was enough for him. Perhaps for the second template, he’d choose Kassadin, but not as his initial preference.

Vel’Koz had immense intelligence and the ability to analyze and deconstruct anything, which was extraordinarily powerful, but as a pure mage, he lacked durability, so Harvey postponed that choice.

That left the two most obvious and safely growing options: Kha’Zix the Voidreaver and Cho’Gath the Terror of the Void. Ultimately, Harvey chose Kha’Zix, and time proved him right.

From the moment he made his choice, he gained the ability to slip into darkness, undetectable by anyone, along with razor-sharp claws. Over the past two years and two hundred and thirty-seven evolutions, he mastered supersonic flight at four times the speed of sound, and his physical defenses became nearly invulnerable. Firearms no longer posed a threat. His hearing wasn’t yet on par with Rek’Sai’s inhuman senses, but if he focused, Harvey could easily pick up the faintest sounds within several kilometers—though the cacophony was often unbearable, so he seldom used it.

Poison, fire, ice, lightning—none of these deadly forces could do him serious harm. Still, Harvey never considered himself invincible; the Marvel universe was rife with beings whose abilities defied all logic. Even among those originating on Blue Earth, there were several monsters—like the Ancient One or Captain Marvel. The Ancient One, in particular, ensured Harvey dared not act recklessly, lest he draw her attention and bring disaster upon himself.

But Harvey was in no rush. His evolution was only beginning, far from its peak—he could become much stronger. Because he wasn’t yet at the point of ignoring all threats, he acted with discretion. As for how to unlock a second hero template, that remained a mystery. The system had only mentioned that the first selection was just the beginning, with more options to be made available in time.

Thus, for the past two years, Harvey lived freely by his own will—undertaking mercenary missions for vast sums, sampling delicacies from all over the world. His evolution came not only from consuming food but also from absorbing objects imbued with unusual energy.

From past experience, absorbing common metals like iron and steel provided evolutionary energy. The Marvel-exclusive vibranium would almost certainly offer the same benefit. By absorbing iron and steel, Harvey’s strength had notably increased over the last two years. The only problem: the sensation of absorbing those metals was so unpleasant it left him unable to eat for a week, tormented by unbearable hunger. So unless absolutely necessary, Harvey avoided consuming such ordinary substances.

Yet, in pursuit of greater power for self-preservation, he would do what he must. He planned, when more templates were opened, to absorb large quantities of vibranium—the so-called hardest metal—to rapidly boost his strength. He only hoped vibranium didn’t taste as vile as iron and steel.

Thinking of vibranium reminded him of the flavor of iron and steel, which made his hunger abate a little. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Harvey continued driving toward the restaurant.

He passed through the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, spun the car with a flourish, and parked steadily in front of an upscale restaurant. Although he was of Asian descent, his tall, muscular frame, handsome features, expensive suit, and the latest Audi R8 immediately attracted the attention of several beautiful young women.

Harvey was long accustomed to this. Sometimes, when the mood struck, he would choose a woman to share the night with, if she suited his tastes. Still, he wasn’t the type to be tempted by every pretty face.

At that moment, a young blonde woman with a captivating smile approached him.

“Mr. Harvey, you’re as charming as ever,” she greeted.

“Miss Diana, you know I don’t care for such flattery,” Harvey replied, smiling at the beautiful woman before him—blonde hair, blue eyes, her impressive figure accentuated by her tailored suit.

“Of course I know. I just wonder who will be lucky enough to win your heart.”

“Shall we go in together?”

“I’ve already informed the kitchen. The chefs are preparing as soon as they heard you were here.” Diana smiled, her eyes glinting with a hint of teasing as she bowed politely.

“Winning my heart may be difficult, but fleeting moments are possible. Tell me, Miss Diana, would you like to be the lucky one to share breakfast with me tomorrow?”

Hearing that, Diana’s eyes flickered with hope as she looked up at him. Harvey Amberlac had moved to New York only a year ago—a young, handsome, and wealthy businessman, known for his approachable manner and elegant conversation. He wasn’t as famous as Tony Stark, New York’s notorious playboy, but he attracted plenty of attention from beautiful women.

If Harvey truly wished, she wouldn’t mind sharing breakfast with him—one night, and the stories about Harvey’s generosity suggested she could earn more than decades of her regular salary, even if they never spoke again. Yet, seeing the clarity in Harvey’s eyes, she knew he was only joking.

“Mr. Harvey, you never lose your sense of humor,” Diana replied with a composed smile, suppressing her disappointment as she led the way inside.

Harvey nodded without saying more, following her in.

※※※※※※

After feasting on a mountain of delicious food and filling his stomach, it was midnight by the time Harvey drove home. Upon returning, he headed straight for the secret training base beneath his manor—a labyrinthine facility equipped with fast-moving targets. With his current power, there were few in Marvel’s present world who could stand against him, and those who could often possessed absurd abilities. Thus, Harvey relied on routine self-training to adapt to the constant improvements from his evolution.

[Your evolution points have reached one million. Please select the direction of your evolution.]

[Passive: Unseen Threat, Level 27—When there is only one opponent within ten meters, they will be left isolated and helpless. Against such enemies, your cutting and piercing abilities are greatly enhanced.]

[Taste Their Fear, Level 32—Instantly unleash sixteen silent strikes. If the target is isolated, power is significantly increased.]

[Void Spike, Level 40—Instantly release explosive, toxin-laced spikes in all directions. Hitting a living creature returns life energy, rapidly healing all injuries. Effective range: 360 degrees, up to one kilometer. If the target is isolated, power and energy absorption are enhanced.]

[Leap, Level 35—Unleash terrifying force to leap and land, with greatly increased jump distance, landing impact, and flight speed.]

[Void Assault, Level 50—Vanish into the darkness of the Void. Greatly increased speed, able to phase through all matter, undetectable in shadow.]

[All skills are further enhanced when you assume your champion’s true form.]

“Change is a good thing.” —Kha’Zix, the Voidreaver

[Void Skin, Level 25; Mental Resistance, Level 15; Hearing, Level 13.]

Harvey didn’t hesitate; he invested in Void Skin. Though Cho’Gath’s power would make his body truly indestructible, for now, boosting Void Skin was his best way to increase his resistance to various attacks.

His offensive abilities were already sufficient to kill countless foes with ease, but his body wasn’t yet strong enough to ignore all harm. He could heal by absorbing life energy from others, but needing to do so meant he’d met someone who could hurt him—time to consider retreat. Retreat wasn’t difficult for Harvey, and with his evolutionary abilities, he believed that as long as he survived, he could always become stronger.

If victory required a hundred, even a thousand more evolutions, so be it. But it was always better to win outright, so strengthening his physical defenses would reduce the need to ever retreat.

As he made his selection, a five-meter-tall, purple-shelled mantis shadow appeared behind him, shrouded in a mysterious, sinister light. Harvey’s own body glowed the same way.

He gazed at the shadow, feeling both joy and complexity. He knew that fully activating the Kha’Zix template would allow him to reach his peak and wield his full power. He’d activated it once before—the sensation of merging with the Void and controlling darkness was intoxicating. But with it came Kha’Zix’s overwhelming bloodlust and hunger, echoing through his mind. Harvey worried that, if he used it too often, he might lose himself, becoming nothing but a monster driven by slaughter and evolution.

Thus, Harvey resolved to accelerate his growth by absorbing as much iron and steel as he could stomach, so that even without unleashing the Voidreaver’s shadow, he would still have the strength he needed.

[You have completed two hundred and thirty-eight evolutions. Void Skin is now Level 26. The next evolution still requires one million points.]

Donning training gear, Harvey began his regimen—flying, leaping, attacking throughout the three underground floors, totaling over three thousand square meters. His power had grown so formidable that perfect control was essential; any miscalculation could cause disaster and attract unwanted attention.

Thus, Harvey never slacked in his training. At most, he would take two days a week to rest and relax—a routine he maintained ever since gaining his powers.