Nash's jaw clenched at the view of the holographic system screen materialized. The crowd surged around him, a sea of sweat-slicked bodies grinding to Baby-Boom's electric beats, but all he could focus on was the glowing text dooming him.
[NEW QUEST: VIP CHALLENGE]
Objective: Finger 5 random fans (non-bonded) before the concert ends.
Reward: VIP Access +20 Charisma.
Failure: –15% Squad Trust, Concert Lockout.
"Fuck," he muttered, the word lost in the thumping bass.
Five? In this madhouse, with no clue how many songs were left? The quest wasn't just a random pop-up anymore, it felt engineered, like invisible strings pulling him toward some predetermined fate.
The system had been working to get him to VIP, certainly to meet Aiko, but if it was the goal, why was the mean so hard and confusing?
He glanced at the stage. Baby-Boom was midway through their set, Aiko's voice a sultry siren call in flashing strobes of violet and crimson.
