Jack West stirred awake in the dim motel room, the neon glow of the city bleeding faintly through the blinds. His body still ached from the mess of emotions and sleepless nights since Lila had left. For a brief moment he considered staying in bed, curling up in that same depression that had weighed on him for days, but something inside wouldn't let him. He couldn't keep drowning. He had a system, he had power now,no matter how shaky and he had a name in his mind like a splinter.
Zane the Viper.
Jack exhaled, sitting up slowly. His body felt… different. Stronger, sharper. Yesterday's fights and yesterday's decisions still lingered in his muscles and his heart. But today was different. Today was the first step in hunting a man people whispered about like a nightmare.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes. "Let's see where I stand."
He lifted his wrist, tapping the sleek new smart watch,he had bought. The holo display flickered to life, shimmering in blue light. But instead of the watch's system, he called out to the one constant in his life.
"System. Open stats."
The familiar crystalline voice answered immediately.It flickered to life like a heads - up display only he could see.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE OPENED]
SYSTEM INTERFACE — JACK WEST ]
Name: Jack West
Level: 2
EXP: 150 / 200
Credits: 3000
HP: 125 / 125
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Endurance: 3
Speed: 4
Intelligence: 6
Willpower: 5
Charm: 3
Charisma: 3
Luck: 3
Skills:
• Blink Step (Teleportation) — Lv. 2
• Inspect — Lv. 1
• Object Teleport — Lv. 1
He rubbed his jaw. "Level two, but I'm still one bad stab away from being meat." His eyes lingered on his HP bar, uncomfortably fragile for the kind of enemies he was chasing. He sighed and dismissed the screen. The system didn't chime in immediately, which almost felt stranger than if it had mocked him.
Instead, his wristwatch blinked softly. His brand new, top of the line holo watch. Unlike the system, its tone was clinical, sharp, and smooth. The watch gave him access to layers of Neon City's public and not so public networks, a data web spread across a million terminals. He tapped across floating panels, eyes narrowing.
"Zane the Viper," he muttered. The database spat out profiles.Rumors of a mid-tier gang leader who had carved his empire out of venom and fear. A man notorious for carrying daggers coated in poisons brewed in backroom labs, toxins that could down even hardened enforcers in seconds. He wasn't the strongest. He wasn't the richest. But in a city where reputation killed faster than bullets, Zane thrived.
Jack's lips twisted. "A snake with blades."
The system's voice finally slipped in. "Oh, so now the shiny little watch gets all your attention? I'm starting to feel a little jealous, Jack. At least pretend I'm useful."
Jack rolled his eyes. "You're both useful. Just… in different ways."
"Different ways," the system echoed, mock hurt dripping from its voice. "Adorable. A watch and a parasite fighting for your affection."
"Shut up," Jack muttered, but the edge of his lips curved anyway.
Still, he wasn't foolish. Charging straight into the Viper's den without information was suicide. He needed whispers, trails, the kind of things only rats in the dark carried in their teeth. He threw on his jacket, slid the umbrella he had bought last night into his hand;this time changing it into a nice looking walking stick;one of its many wonderful features. allowing it to change from an umbrella to a walking stick when the need arises or when a change was wanted and stepped into the bleeding morning of Neon City.
His smart watch flickered again, switching to its internal network. The gadget was expensive, but it was worth every credit. Its database access was wide:city records, bounty lists, criminal reports. The perfect tool for what he had planned. He keyed in the name.
Zane the Viper.
Immediately, a dossier blinked into existence.
[Wanted: Zane "The Viper" – Mid-tier Gang Leader]
Infamous for: poison coated blades, brutal street tactics, and extortion rackets.
Known haunts: gambling dens, shady bars, "Viper's Den" (rumored).
Threat level: High.
Wanted for: Murder ,extortion, burglary,assault, illegal gang activities including drug trafficking, arms trafficking and even a little of sex trafficking.
Jack leaned back, frowning. Poison blades. That was his trademark. Nasty, cowardly, but effective. One cut could end a fight before it even started. Charging at him without preparation would be suicide.
Just then, the system's voice chimed in with mock cheer.
[Oh, now I'm beginning to get really jealous of the watch. First I was your guide, now this shiny toy has your attention.]
Jack smirked. "Relax. You're not getting replaced. But I'll admit, this makes things easier."
---
The first stop was a dive bar on 32nd. The place stank of old ale and rust, its roof patched with neon tape and desperation. Jack walked through the haze of smoke, shoulders squared, his charisma boosted by just enough stat points that people's eyes lingered when he entered.
He ordered a cheap drink, kept his ears open. Conversations flowed:gang money moving through the underground, whispers of a shipment stolen, some fool who had tried to cheat Zane's men and vanished. Jack leaned into one conversation, flashing a grin, dropping a credit note here, another there. With each bribe, his credits leaked away like sand through his fingers, but the whispers became clearer.
By midday, he had pieced together something. Zane's men were extorting protection money around the industrial district. Three of them, often spotted near a collapsed rail tunnel. If Jack wanted proof, that was where he'd find it.
"So you're a detective now?" the system purred. "What's next? A trench coat and a fedora?"
Jack didn't answer. He was too focused, jaw clenched.
---
The collapsed rail tunnel was every bit the kind of haunt he expected: shadows curling like smoke, graffiti screaming the names of the forgotten, trash fires spitting greasy fumes. And there they were;three thugs shaking down a frightened young vendor who barely had enough coin to feed himself.
Jack clenched his fists. He called his Inspect skill.
[ Inspect Results ]
Target: Eddie Clarkson
Race: Human
Level: 2
HP: 25 / 25
Weapon: Poison-Coated Dagger
Ability: None
Target: Tony Ramirez
Race: Human
Level: 2
HP: 25 / 25
Weapon: Poison-Coated Dagger
Ability: None
Target: Mark Doyle
Race: Human
Level: 2
HP: 25 / 25
Weapon: Poison-Coated Dagger
Ability: None
Jack exhaled slowly. They were sloppy compared to someone like Marcus even, but their weapons were still coated in venom that could send him to the ground in one scratch.
He stepped forward. "Leave the young man alone."
The three thugs turned, sneers curling their faces. "Who the hell are you?"
Jack's hand tightened on the umbrella. "Someone you don't want to know."
The fight exploded.
Jack clenched his fist. "Poison daggers, huh? Guess Zane teaches his dogs well."
[Careful, Jack. At your current level and HP, one cut could knock you out. Don't get sloppy or cocky.]
Jack smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Let's do this."
The fight was messy, fast, and brutal.
Eddie lunged first, dagger gleaming green with poison. Jack blinked,literally. In a blink he was carried behind the thug in an instant. Before Eddie could react, Jack teleported his umbrella into his hand, swinging it with a sharp crack that knocked the dagger free.
"Surprise," Jack muttered, slamming the handle into Eddie's gut.
But Tony was already swinging, and Jack ducked low, teleporting again, reappearing above him just to crash down with a kick to the back. Pain jarred up his leg.
The system's voice cut in sharply. "Careful, Jack! At your current endurance, one stab and you'll be drooling on the ground. Don't get cocky!"
Jack gritted his teeth. He wasn't planning on getting stabbed.
Mark came from behind, blade thrusting for his ribs. Jack twisted just in time, the tip slicing air where his skin had been a heartbeat before. His teleport skill flared, a flash that left after images, and he reappeared beside the thug's flank. He swung the umbrella, cracking Mark across the jaw.
The thugs reeled but weren't down yet. Poison blades flashed again, close enough that Jack could smell the horrible smell of the venom.
It was chaos,three against one, but Jack's teleportation turned the battlefield into his playground. He snatched random junk: an empty bottle, a loose brick; teleporting them into the thugs hands mid-swing, or even right in front of their feet,forcing them to stumble. He baited, dodged, struck. The fight left bruises on his arms, sweat stinging his eyes, but little by little, he wore them down.
Tony and Mark roared, charging at him. Jack ducked under a swipe, then used object teleport to yank Tony's dagger clean out of his hand mid-swing, the blade reappearing harmlessly in Jack's other palm.
Mark tried to stab him from the side. Jack twisted, barely avoiding the poisoned tip. His heart hammered.One cut and he'd be finished. He gritted his teeth and slammed the stolen dagger into Mark's wrist, not enough to kill, but enough to make the man drop his weapon.
They fought savagely, but Jack's speed and creativity outclassed them. He wasn't just stronger; he was smarter. By the end, the three thugs were sprawled in the dirt, groaning, their HP whittled down to one each.
Jack stood over them, chest heaving, bruises blooming on his arms and ribs. His umbrella was bent, blood smeared across his knuckles. But he was alive.He was especially carefully not to reduce their HP to 0.He grabbed each of them asking for Zane's hideout and even though they were bleeding ,bruised badly and heavily battered,they wouldn't give anything up claiming that it was better that they died than reveal the hideout.They were completely,utterly useless for information.
[COMBAT COMPLETE]
+40 EXP Gained.
EXP: 190 / 200
Jack staggered back, clutching his ribs. "Damn… that was closer than I wanted."
[Told you, one slip and you'd be drooling in the gutter. But you did well. I am almost impressed.]
"Yeah," Jack muttered, limping away. "Almost."
The potion shop on 5th smelled like herbs and ozone. Jack slapped down 200 credits and bought a basic health potion. It fizzed in his hands,glowing faint green.He downed it in one gulp,and warmth spread through his body.The liquid burned down his throat, searing like fire, but the pain in his ribs eased, bruises knitting into nothing within minutes.
Minutes later, Jack ducked into a supply shop and slapped 200 credits on the counter. A basic health potion fizzed in his hands, glowing faint green. He downed it in one gulp, and warmth spread through his body. The pain faded, bruises vanishing almost instantly.
[HP Restored.]
Jack checked his balance.
Credits: 2750
"Worth it," he muttered.The cost of getting information was a total of 50 credits,if he didn't catch this guy then it was gonna be a huge shame.
Just then, his smart watchpinged sharply.
Jack frowned, glancing at the display.
[Location Detected: "Viper's Den" – Abandoned Mine, Sector 9]
He exhaled through his teeth. "So that's where you're hiding."
For a second, he thought about resting. About waiting, planning. But no; the longer he waited, the more venom Zane spread across the city.
Jack stood straighter, bruises still aching faintly despite the potion. He looked across the street. There was a shop glowing faintly with both neon circuits and arcane runes etched across its doorframe.A place where magic and tech collided in strange, dangerous ways.
He smirked. "First, I'll gear up."
Then his eyes burned with determination. "And then… careful, Zane. I'm coming for you
And with that, Jack West pushed open the door, stepping into a world of weapons, wonders.and other perplexities.His hunt for Zane the Viper truly beginning.