Jack woke to softness. Real, actual softness.
The mattress beneath him cradled his body like it had been forged specifically to erase the aches of warehouse floors, and for a moment he just lay there in stunned silence, sinking deeper into the embrace of the bed. He blinked slowly, staring at the faint shimmer of sunlight bleeding through the curtains. No dripping pipes. No rats scratching in the corners. No cold drafts gnawing at his bones.
It was warmth,Comfort,Safety.His perfect example of a good night's sleep.
He hadn't felt anything like this since…
Jack swallowed, memories tugging. Since he was seven, before the world had fully decided to break him. Before orphanage fights, cold streets, hunger, betrayal. The thought nearly tore a bitter laugh from him, but instead he exhaled slowly and let his head fall back into the pillow.
"This…" he muttered under his breath, "…is the best sleep I've had in over a decade."
But that wasn't the full truth. It wasn't just the bed. It wasn't just the absence of dripping roofs or the hum of old neon buzzing outside cracked glass. It was because of her.
Lila Myers.
Her name alone sparked the echo of her smile in his mind—the sly, teasing curve of her lips, the playful flicker in her eyes, the way her voice danced between flirty respect and molten danger. And her body… oh, her body.
He groaned softly, rubbing at his temple. Because the truth was he hadn't just fallen asleep thinking about her smile. No—his dreams had been filthy.
Every detail of her curves had replayed in his imagination: the swell of her breasts under that too tight blouse, the hypnotic sway of her hips, the way her ass had nearly burst out of that skirt when she leaned over her desk. His mind had painted scenes of her straddling him, her skin bare and flawless under neon light, her lips gasping his name while her hips ground against him. She had done wicked things in his dreams, things that made him wake up with heat crawling down his neck.
"...fuck," Jack muttered, dragging his hands over his face.
[ Immoral thoughts detected. ]
The system's monotone voice slashed into his head like a knife.
Jack froze, his ears burning crimson. "Seriously?!"
[ Yes. You were practically drooling. ]
He sat up and glared at nothing. "So much for privacy."
[ Privacy? Inside your own head? Cute. You think you get that luxury with me around. ]
"Goddamn pervert system…" Jack muttered,I wish I still had my thoughts to myself but a small, sheepish grin tugged at his lips anyway.
He swung his legs out of bed and stretched, every joint singing with relief. Then he wandered toward the curtains, tugging them open with one swift motion.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Neon City didn't look like a wet graveyard.
No endless sheets of rain. No black clouds smothering the skyline. Instead, light poured over the streets in fractured brilliance, glinting off chrome signs and glass walls. Vendors were already out, setting up stalls. Children raced through narrow alleys with sticks and old tires, laughter rising above the hum of hover trains. Women with bright shawls hawked steaming bowls of broth, baskets of fruit, fried meats sizzling on cracked pans.
The city was alive. Vibrant. Breathing.
"…peaceful," Jack said quietly, leaning against the window. "I've never seen it this happy."
For a while, he just let himself soak it in.
But then curiosity gnawed at him. With a sigh, he opened his system interface.
<<[Status Screen]>>
Name: Jack West
Level:1
EXP: 50/100
Credits:50
HP:125/125
Strength:3
Agility:4
Endurance:3
Speed:2
Intelligence:4
Willpower:5
Charm:2
Charisma:2
Luck:1
Skills:
Teleportation:LV 2
Inspect:LV 1
Object teleportation:LV 1
Jack squinted at the numbers, his eyes narrowing on the credits line. "Wait… fifty?!"
He ran a hand down his face. "I blew through that much already?!"
[ Correction: you didn't 'blow through.' You invested in your survival. One week of a decent motel versus a rat cave warehouse? We both obviously know which one is better now matter the cost.]
"Easy for you to say. You don't have to eat."
[ Speaking of. You've noticed you're not hungry, haven't you? ]
Jack paused, frowning. "Yeah. I haven't eaten since yesterday, and I don't even feel a little hungry. What's that about?"
[ System regulation. Your endurance stat affects metabolic drain. The higher it grows, the less often you'll feel hunger. Right now I'm suppressing your need for food to keep you focused. ]
Jack blinked. "So you're basically hacking my stomach."
[ You're welcome. ]
He shook his head, going into the shower and afterwards pulling on the same shirt from yesterday "Fine. Whatever. But… yesterday. That fight."
[ Ah. Marcus. ]
Jack's fists clenched automatically at the name. "How? How did I put him down so easy? He's bigger, stronger—hell, he had almost every advantage on me. And yet—"
[ Don't get cocky. ]
The system's cold interruption silenced him.
[ You had one advantage yesterday: surprise. He underestimated you. He didn't expect resistance. If he had, if he'd been ready? That fight would've ended very differently. ]
Jack swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.
[ Never confuse luck with skill. Improve. Train. Or next time, you'll be the one pinned. ]
"…yeah," Jack whispered. He wasn't ready. Not yet.He had to train and get stronger because knowing Marcus,he would already be plotting his revenge and who knew when or what that might be.
He tied his boots and headed downstairs.
The lobby smelled faintly of cheap perfume and polished wood. Behind the desk, Lila Myers was already at work, speaking politely to an elderly man while flicking through the motel's outdated terminal. Her blouse was tighter today, the buttons straining across her chest in a way that made Jack's throat tighten.
As if sensing him, her gaze flicked up.
Her lips curved. Wickedly. She winked.
Jack nearly tripped down the last step.
"Get it together," he muttered to himself, brushing past and stepping outside into the warmth of the day.
Neon City breathed around him as he walked. For once, not suffocating him. He passed stores with half glitched neon signs, children darting between stalls, hawkers shouting their deals in every language under the sun. The streets buzzed not with desperation but with a strange joy, fragile but present.
And then, he spotted it.
The noodle stand.
Steam rose from battered pots, broth bubbling as the vendor tossed noodles with a practiced hand. Jack grinned and lifted a hand in greeting.
The vendor's eyes lit up. "Kid! Over here!"
Jack stepped closer, but before he could pull out his last credits, the vendor slid a steaming bowl toward him.
Jack blinked. "Wait,I can pay."
"Sit. Eat," the vendor insisted, shoving the bowl closer.
Jack frowned. "No, really. I..."
The vendor scowled. "You think I'm feeding you charity? You cleaned up my kitchen and those thugs last time. This is thanks. Now eat before I dump it on your head."
Jack hesitated… then chuckled softly and sat down. The noodles were rich, steaming, the flavor exploding across his tongue in a way that almost made him groan.
When the bowl was empty, the vendor leaned close, voice low. "Listen, kid. People are watching now. Some like you, some don't. Be careful where you step. Not all enemies look like thugs."
Jack's jaw tightened. "…got it."
He wandered after that, full and buzzing with strange warmth. Along the way, he decided to mess around with his skills.
A woman walked by with a neon-pink umbrella. Curious, Jack whispered, "Inspect."
<<[Inspect Skill]>>
[ Target: Civilian.]
Name:Susan Munroe
Race:Human
Ability:None
HP:5/5
[ Weapon: Umbrella ]
He blinked. "…an umbrella?"
The system deadpanned: [ It can keep you dry. Marvelous,and if you made her angry you'd be shocked at the full potential of that little umbrella.]
Jack rolled his eyes but then he got curious then asked,"Hey system how does my HP work,how many hits can I take before it fully depleted."
[It depends it can take 10 punches from a really weak person to bring you down but sometimes a one punch from a really strong person can bring you down,as you level up your HP will also upgrade and maybe at some point,it may increase
That's nice to know so maybe one day I might have 200 HP
Next, he inspected a glowing vending machine.
[ Item: Neon public Dispenser ]
[ Function: Dispenses soda,snacks,mints and other snacks at a regulated price. ]
Jack burst out laughing. "Totally useless."
[ Accurate. ]
And then came teleportation.
He stared at a half-eaten sandwich abandoned on a bench. "...can I?"
[ Direct contact required. Touch the object, focus, teleport. ]
Jack touched the sandwich, thought about the trash bin nearby.
fwip
The sandwich vanished from his hand and reappeared neatly inside the trash.
Jack blinked, then grinned. "Hah!"
But his second attempt… not so much. He aimed for a bottle lying on the ground. Focused. And—
fwip
The bottle appeared upside down… pouring water directly onto a stranger's head
The man looked around the his eyes widened then he shouted curses and bolted away. Jack bolted down the street, laughter tearing out of him.
"Okay," he wheezed. "Definitely gotta work on aim."
Eventually, he made his way back to the motel at around 9:00 pm after a long day of exploring the city and training,the neon streetlights flickered magically lighting up everywhere. The lobby was quiet. Too quiet.
His eyes flicked to the desk. Empty. No Lila.
Something heavy settled in his chest. Disappointment.
He sighed and trudged upstairs to his room. Dropping his key card on the dresser, he sat heavily on the bed. Maybe she was off shift. Maybe.....
A knock.
He frowned, standing. He hadn't ordered room service. He opened the door;
And froze.
It wasn't staff. It wasn't some stranger. It was Lila Myers.
Her blouse unbuttoned just a little too far. Her skirt riding a little too high. And her smile—hungry.
Before he could speak, she pushed him forward and jumped on him holding him tight while he carried her at the waist level her legs curling tightly around his waist , her lips crashing into his.
Jack stumbled backward, heart exploding, hands instinctively clutching her waist as she slammed the door shut with her heel. The world tilted, spun, and narrowed down to the taste of her mouth and the feel of her curves pressed against him.
His back hit the bed.
Her weight straddled him.
The system chimed faintly in the corner of his mind, but for once,Jack didn't give a damn.