Chapter 28 – "Frank Castle's Magical Murder Test Drive"
Frank Castle never thought he'd say the words, "My mana shotgun won't stop glowing," but here we were.
He stood at the edge of Adam's absurdly scenic floating city, squinting into a mana-fueled firing range that looked like Disneyland met a war crime. Towering scarecrows built like Doombots marched out of summoning gates, all made of enchanted alloys and pure "please shoot me" energy.
Adam stood nearby, wearing sunglasses indoors and sipping from a martini glass that had a mini flaming sword instead of an umbrella.
"Alright, Frank. Today's the tutorial mission," he said cheerfully. "Objective: blow stuff up. Learn how the mana weapon works. Bonus objective: impress me so I stop calling you Mr. Grumpy Castle."
Frank shifted his Shifting Arsenal into a tactical shotgun. It purred. Literally. Like a cat.
"I hate everything about this," Frank muttered.
Adam beamed. "That's the spirit!"
Tutorial Begins: Murder Time in Mana Town
Frank charged.
The first scarecrow lunged—three meters tall, metal jaws, red eyes.
BOOM.
The mana-shotgun fired like Thor's thunder had been shoved into a barrel. The scarecrow exploded in a shockwave of glittering dust and dramatic orchestra music. Literally. The weapon came with a soundtrack.
Frank blinked. "What the hell was that?"
Adam called from the sidelines. "It comes with a 'Slay Mode.' Auto-plays dramatic combat themes. You can customize it. I recommend the 'Doom With a Dash of Mozart' playlist."
Frank shot three more constructs. The weapon shifted mid-air into a railgun. Then a combat axe. Then a minigun that whispered affirmations like "You are enough, and they are not."
Meanwhile, the system was having a field day.
[EMOTIONAL SURGE DETECTED – Frank Castle]
Emotional resonance detected during controlled combat and family safety reflection.
+2 Strength
+1 Intelligence
+4% Skill Fragment – Predictive Movement(2% doubled to 4% via Efficient Evolution)+
$10,000 Cash Deposited
Adam leaned back in a magical lawn chair with popcorn. "You see that, system? He's healing! With explosions!"
Later: The Walk-and-Talk (Punisher Edition)
After turning the entire range into slag, Frank cooled off by walking the city perimeter. The mana sea shimmered below like it was humming. He noticed trees with glowing fruit. Houses full of strange tools. Spiritual crops that seemed to pulse with potential.
Adam appeared beside him with a clipboard. "So, here's the situation. I'm creating a floating civilization. Think Wakanda meets Skyrim but without the taxes. I've got infinite mana, infinite space, and few farmers."
Frank frowned. "You're building a magical country?"
"Exactly. And you're my head of security-slash-weapons tester-slash-unofficial scarecrow killer. Also, I'm recruiting spiritual farmers worldwide, in case you know anyone who's both skilled with crops and doesn't mind living above a magic ocean."
"…Sure. I'll check LinkedIn."
"Now you're learning sarcasm. I'm so proud."
Meanwhile, at the Castle Farmhouse
Adam dropped by to check on Frank's family. He handed Frank's wife a personalized magical protection token shaped like a bear. It growled if anyone got too close.
Then he left her a magically shielded garden to grow mana herbs. "Bonus: if you make salad with these, you can see through walls for 15 seconds. Careful with the spicy ones—they trigger minor time loops."
Frank's daughter got a pet elemental squirrel named BoomBoom. It exploded on command and reassembled itself while humming nursery rhymes.
Frank's son got a toy sword made of light and sarcasm.
They were happy.
Frank stood quietly at the door and watched.
Nighttime: The Talk
On a rooftop under starlight, Adam and Frank sat together. Adam tossed a mana stone into the air casually.
"You want revenge," Adam said. "But now you've got something better—power before the loss. You're different now."
Frank stayed quiet for a long time.
Then: "Thanks."
Adam looked mock-shocked. "Oh my god. Did Frank Castle just say thank you? Hold on, let me engrave this into a mountain."
Frank rolled his eyes.
System Update – Pact Enforcement
Pact with Frank Castle remains stable
System recognizes increased loyalty
Access to Mana Vault security protocols granted
Castle registered as enforcer-level authority
Chapter Summary
Stats Gained:
+2 Strength
+1 Intelligence
Skill Fragment Gained:
Predictive Movement (+4%)
New Role:
Enforcer Rank (Frank Castle) – Ring-based authority to control defenses and armory access.
Cash Gained:
+$10,000