[Ding!]
[Reward: 10 Exp. 10 Hijack Points.]
The notification popped up right in front of his eyes, but Caleb didn't even care.
His face stayed blank, jaw tightening.
"Bastard…" he muttered quietly.
Without hesitation, he pulled up [Single Target Hijack] again. The holographic keyboard flickered to life in front of him, waiting for input.
Caleb's fingers hovered over the keys… then stopped.
He let out a long, heavy breath.
No matter how pissed he was, he knew tonight was already screwed.
He couldn't go home.
Which meant…
He'd have to survive the night out here, like a damn vagrant.
Suddenly, his stomach felt hollow.
His eyes drifted to the store shelves stacked with food.
"If I'm gonna last the night, I'm gonna need supplies."
Caleb started slowly down the convenience store aisle.
He grabbed a few bags of snacks, some bread, canned coffee, bottled water, even instant meals with long shelf lives.
The pile in his arms kept growing—until his grip was nearly overflowing.
He did a quick mental calculation.
The total was somewhere around $110.
"This is my first career move in this kind of crap," he thought.
His heart was pounding, but Caleb stayed calm.
He opened up the Hijack Hub again, and finally typed:
[Customers making purchases between $110-$120 only need to pay with a snap of their fingers.]
[1 Hijack Point has been consumed]
Arms full of supplies, Caleb walked slowly toward the counter.
His steps were steady, deliberate.
No shaking.
No hesitation.
The cashier—the same sharp-featured MILF with that resting bitch face—looked up from her phone.
Her brows lifted ever so slightly when she saw Caleb with the mountain of snacks, drinks, and instant meals.
She said nothing at first.
Just scanned him from head to toe, that same judgmental stare that felt like it could flay a man alive.
Caleb didn't blink.
He dumped the pile of items onto the counter one by one, keeping his face completely neutral.
The scanner beeped, beeped, and beeped again as she started ringing everything up.
Her expression never changed.
Finally, she looked at him flatly.
"Total: $112.36," she said, voice cold, as if daring him to squirm.
Caleb didn't move.
He didn't even reach for his wallet.
Instead, he raised his hand slowly.
And with a sharp, confident motion—
Snap.
The sound cracked through the air like a gunshot.
The cashier blinked.
Her hand, which had been waiting for payment, froze for a fraction of a second.
Then, without a word, she pushed the bags of groceries across the counter.
"All set," she said tonelessly.
Caleb grabbed the bags and turned away without another glance.
He could feel her eyes on his back, but he didn't care.
He was already outside, bags in hand, the night air hitting his face like ice.
His jaw was tight, mind racing.
"You're next, old bastard."
Caleb kept walking aimlessly, just looking for a quiet enough place to sit.
Eventually, he found an old bench in a dark park area not far from the convenience store.
He dropped himself onto it, tossing the shopping bags carelessly by his feet.
His hands immediately reached for a pack of bread, tearing it open roughly.
He started eating without really tasting anything.
Not because he was hungry—but because he needed something, anything, to distract his mind.
But it was pointless.
Every bite only made his chest feel tighter.
His eyes started to well up.
"Mom doesn't deserve this…" he thought.
His mom… the only person he'd ever truly looked up to.
The one he respected the most, trusted the most.
And now… her name was being dragged through the mud by Joe, that rotten old bastard.
Caleb clenched his fist on his thigh, the bread in his hand nearly crushed to crumbs.
His teeth chattered with restrained rage.
"Damn you, Joe. You've crossed the line."
Before he could even steady his breathing, a notification sound cut through the night.
[DhatSupp: 1 New Message]
Caleb instantly dug into his pocket, unlocking his phone in a flash.
The sender's name made his eyebrows lift.
Luna.
His mother's friend.
A little younger, beautiful, sexy… and she always had this soft aura that was impossible to ignore.
The message was short.
Just a single Tutube link with a sad emoji at the end. 😢
Caleb frowned.
"What is this…? Don't tell me…"
His heart started pounding.
Could it be that cursed interview spreading even further?
His hands trembled as he tapped the screen, ready to open the link.
Caleb tapped the screen.
The link instantly opened a Tutube Short, auto-playing.
The screen showed him—lying unconscious in the park.
It was right after the old hag, The Traveler, had smashed his head with her cane.
Then came the narration, a woman's voice:
"Be careful! The Butt Maniac is roaming around Torkside City Park looking for victims!"
Caleb froze.
His breathing grew heavier.
He studied the woman narrating the video.
An influencer—young, pretty, but clearly nervous in front of the camera.
"She just wants money… or attention from whatever's trending," Caleb thought.
A faint wave of relief washed over him; at least the video was only about him, not his mom.
But still, his heart felt filthy.
He stayed silent, the bread in his hand half-crushed, untouched.
Then the influencer—putting on her best dramatic voice—dropped the next line:
"This is the result of toxic single-parent upbringing…"
Caleb froze.
His eyes widened, then narrowed slowly.
Blood boiled in his veins.
"So now you're blaming my mom…?"
He watched the video to the end.
Every word out of that woman's mouth was like throwing more fuel on the fire in his chest.
When the video ended, Caleb closed his eyes.
He took a long, deep breath.
A new name had been added to his list of grudges.
Mona.
The selfish little influencer who used this tragedy for her own gain.
Caleb opened his eyes again, his gaze now sharp as a blade.
"And one more… the root of all this."
A name surfaced in his mind, crystal clear.
A modern woman.
An elite.
The woman who started it all.