Rain drummed against the rusted fire escapes and splashed into the alley's stagnant puddles. Luo Tian stood over Blitz Fang's corpse, chest rising and falling slowly, his knuckles still wet with blood. The stench of iron and asphalt mixed in the air.
The No. 1 System's voice came, but this time it was not the usual calm monotone.
> [Host, this battle is nothing. The true game spans galaxies, and your enemies are countless. Build your empire, your power, your forces — for you will need them all.]
The tone made Luo Tian's spine straighten. "Galaxies…?" he muttered, but the System went silent, leaving the warning hanging in the damp night air.
A ripple of footsteps approached. Two silhouettes emerged from the mist and neon haze.
The first was a mountain of a man, shirt stretched to its limit, tattoos winding down his forearms. His eyes were cold and predatory.
"Bruno Kai," Luo Tian thought, recognizing the underground brawler with a Combat Enhancement System. A walking wall of muscle.
The second was leaner, wearing a tailored charcoal suit beneath a raincoat, his hair slicked back. He walked like the street didn't dare wet his shoes.
Victor Han — black-market mogul, head of the Han Syndicate. Luo Tian had heard Mei Ruo speak of him in clipped tones. A businessman, yes, but also a predator in human skin.
Victor's gaze flicked to Blitz Fang's body. "I see you've been busy, Mr. Luo."
His voice was smooth, but there was a knife under every word.
Bruno cracked his knuckles. "I'll take the first swing."
They moved without further warning.
---
The First Kill
Bruno came in like a freight train, each step sending water splashing. Luo Tian's Hyper Reflex flared, the world slowing enough for him to watch the man's right shoulder twitch — the tell of an incoming hook.
Luo Tian stepped in, not back, letting the fist whistle past his ear before slamming a straight elbow into Bruno's ribs. The impact vibrated up his arm. Bruno grunted but didn't slow.
Behind him, Victor raised a hand. A strange pressure settled over Luo Tian, like moving through molasses. The Trade Domination System was interfering — slowing his motions by fractions, enough for Bruno's next swing to scrape his jaw.
"You're quick," Bruno growled, "but not quicker than me in close."
Luo Tian let the taunt hang. His Godslayer Instinct whispered the path — break the rhythm, kill the support first? No… Bruno's the hammer, Victor's the net. Kill the hammer before the net closes.
He baited another overhand, slipped to the outside, hooked Bruno's knee with his own, and drove an elbow down like a falling axe. Bone crunched. Bruno roared, dropping to one side. Luo Tian didn't hesitate — he pivoted and drove a spinning elbow into the man's throat. The impact was wet, final.
Bruno hit the ground like a felled tree, rain pattering on his lifeless eyes.
---
The Duel
Victor didn't flinch. In fact, he smiled faintly and drew two curved daggers, their edges humming with faint qi. "I underestimated you. That won't happen twice."
He moved in quick arcs, slashing in patterns that forced Luo Tian to keep turning, the rain making the ground treacherous. Every glancing strike sapped a little stamina, his System noting the drain.
> [Warning: Host's physical output reduced by 5%. Source — Market Cut skill.]
Luo Tian's breath fogged in the cool air. His mind raced — Victor was trying to wear him down before going for the kill.
But Godslayer Instinct caught the rhythm: a feint to the left, dagger to the right kidney, retreat two steps, repeat.
Next time Victor lunged, Luo Tian mirrored the move, cutting him off mid-step. His left hand caught Victor's wrist; his right hand drove a blade up under the ribs.
Victor's eyes went wide, mouth opening like he might speak. Luo Tian twisted the blade. Whatever words Victor had died with him.
---
The Loot
The System's chime cut through the rain.
> [System Bearer eliminated: Bruno Kai]
[Loot Acquired: Shadowsteel Armguards – Increases striking speed and power by 20%]
> [System Bearer eliminated: Victor Han]
[Loot Acquired: Skill – Monopoly Hand – Suppresses competitors' market influence within 2km for 24 hours]
[Business Asset Acquired: Han Syndicate smuggling network]
Luo Tian slipped the armguards on. They were light, cool, perfectly balanced — as if they'd always been his.
> [Level Up: Foundation Establishment Stage 5 reached.]
[Warning: Further breakthroughs will require triple current EXP.]
[Recommendation: Expand influence in both combat and commerce for optimal growth.]
Triple the EXP? Luo Tian exhaled slowly. So the climb was getting steeper already.
---
The Aftermath
An hour later, he and Mei Ruo stood in Victor Han's penthouse office, the city spread out below in glittering neon rivers.
She tossed a folder onto the desk. "These are his supply routes. They're clean. Discreet. We can fold them into your operations quietly."
He sat back in Victor's old chair, feeling the leather creak. "And if we keep it low-profile, no one will know the Han Syndicate changed hands."
Her eyes were unreadable. "The fewer who know… the better. About the network. About your System."
He nodded. The System was his greatest weapon, and its secrecy was worth more than any smuggling lane.
But even as he looked out over the skyline, the System's earlier warning echoed in his mind. Galaxies. Enemies without number.
Victor Han had been a name in this city. Killing him felt like a victory — but in the grand scheme, Luo Tian suspected it was just his first step onto a much longer, much bloodier road.
The rain outside blurred the lights into streaks, and for a moment, Luo Tian imagined they were star trails. Somewhere out there, other System Bearers were growing stronger, just as he was.
He tightened his grip on the armrest. Let them come.