Jack West awoke in the dim light of his rented motel room, the cheap ceiling fan whirring lazily overhead. His body felt rested, but the sharp weight of anticipation pressed against his chest. Today wasn't just another day in Neon City.It was the day he would take his first real step toward Zane the Viper.
He sat up, rolled his shoulders, and exhaled through clenched teeth. The system flickered to life before his eyes as he summoned his interface, the glowing blue letters hovering neatly across his vision.
[ SYSTEM INTERFACE ]
Name: Jack West.
Level: 2
EXP: 190 / 200 .
Credits: 2,700
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
Jack's lips twitched into a grim line. "One fight away from leveling up."
His gaze shifted to the mask he'd purchased the day before. A plain black piece, Basic-tier, nothing flashy but effective. He reached over, picked it up, and tied the straps tight behind his head. The cheap synthetic fabric hugged his skin. Jack paused for a moment, staring at his reflection in the cracked mirror across the room.
"No one needs to know my face. Not yet."
The mask would hide him. The mask would protect him.
He reached for his umbrella, the same one he had bought to shield himself from Neon City's unpredictable rain. But in his grip, its weight reminded him it was more than a shield .It could double as a walking stick, and if need be, a blunt weapon. Jack swung it experimentally through the air. The solid thud it made against the wooden edge of the bed frame reassured him. He tightened his grip.
It was time.
Neon City shimmered in neon haze as Jack walked the rain slick streets. Billboards and holo ads flickered, their colors bleeding into puddles. Above, hovercars streaked through the sky like glowing comets. Yet in the cracks of this brightness, shadows thrived.
Jack tapped his new smart Watch. The device hummed to life, its holo interface expanding in front of his wrist.
"Locate: Zane the Viper," Jack whispered.
The watch beeped, and streams of data scrolled before his eyes.Zane's rap sheet.
Wanted: Zane "the Viper" Mendez
Crimes: Murder, extortion, burglary, racketeering, armed robbery, trafficking
Infamy: Mid-tier gang leader.
Ability: Poison-coated blades, brutal tactics, rumored to kill slowly with venom.
Threat: HIGH.
Jack exhaled. "So I'm not chasing a small-time crook. This guy's a real monster."
The watch displayed a flashing marker: Viper's Den – Abandoned Mine, Eastern Outskirts.
Jack's gut tightened. Heading straight there was suicide. He needed intel, and stealth was his ally.
He slipped into the underbelly of Neon City, ducking into dim lit bars and smoky gambling dens. The stench of cheap liquor and desperation filled the air. Jack's new charisma made people listen, whether they wanted to or not. A little probing, soon whispers spilled.
"Heard Viper's boys been extorting shopkeepers near Fifth Street."
"They've got the mine all rigged up,don't walk in unless you got a death wish."
"They say his claws ain't natural… poisoned, sharper than steel."
Jack smirked. "Good to know."
The system's voice teased him: "Look at you, playing detective. Should I get you a trench coat, gumshoe?"
"Shut up," Jack muttered under his breath, pushing through the bar's backdoor and into the alley.He immediately headed to the eastern outskirts.
Jack spotted them soon enough;three of Zane's thugs cornering a trembling shopkeeper, demanding protection money. Each carried a dagger that glistened faintly with a sickly green sheen.
"Poison blades, huh? Lovely," Jack muttered.
He tightened his grip on the umbrella, stepped into the shadows, and blinked forward teleporting just behind the first thug . The umbrella cracked against the back of the thugs head, sending him sprawling. The second thug spun, snarling, dagger raised, but Jack teleported again, wrenching the dagger from his grip with Object Teleport and sending it clattering into the gutter.
The third thug lunged, slashing wildly. Jack ducked low, swept the thugs legs with the umbrella, and drove his fist into his jaw. Poison-green blades slashed through the air, close enough for Jack to feel the wind of their passage. His heart pounded. One cut, and I'm done.
It was a brutal, scrappy brawl, Jack teleporting in short bursts, disarming and striking with precision. When the dust settled, the three thugs lay groaning in the alley, alive but beaten, their HP hovering just above zero.
[ Combat Complete ].
Defeated: 3 Hostile Humans.
Reward: +110 EXP.
Level Up!
[ SYSTEM UPDATE ] .
Name: Jack West.
Level 3 .
EXP: 100 / 400 .
Credits: 2,750.
HP: 125 / 125(restored).
Bonus:+ 5 stat points earned.
Jack leaned against the wall, panting. A small, victorious smile tugged his lips. "Level three, huh? Guess I'm moving up in the world."
Further into the outskirts, Jack spotted another group; four thugs this time, lounging near a rusted out truck, laughing as they counted stolen credits. He slipped into the shadows, tightening his mask.
No need to waste energy. Stealth first.
He blinked silently behind the nearest thug, swung the umbrella hard into the man's temple, and dragged him back into the shadows before the others noticed. One by one, he struck:silent, efficient, like a predator.
But by the fourth, his cover broke. Blades flashed, green venom glinting under dim streetlight. Jack teleported past a slash, grabbed one thug by the wrist, twisted hard, and cracked the man across the face with his walking stick umbrella. Another lunged, but Jack teleported an empty crate into his path, tripping him before delivering a finishing kick.
When the last man hit the ground, Jack was left sweating, his knuckles raw.
[ Combat Complete ]
Defeated: 4 Hostile Humans
Reward: +130 EXP .
EXP: 230 / 400.
Credits: 2700
Jack wiped blood from his lip. "Stronger… but not enough. Zane's no pushover."
The mine entrance loomed closer. Jack moved cautiously, sticking to shadows, each step deliberate. That's when he heard it; the muffled cries of a woman.
Jack's jaw tightened. He peered around the corner. One of Zane's men had a woman pinned against the wall, assaulting her brutally, dagger glinting at his side.
Rage surged. Jack didn't hesitate.
He teleported in, yanking the dagger away with Object Teleport. The thug spun in shock, but Jack's fist was already smashing into his face. He struck again, and again, until the thug collapsed, groaning.
[ Combat Complete ]
Defeated: 1 Hostile Human .
Reward: +30 EXP
EXP: 260 / 400
Credits: 2700
Jack turned to the woman, pulling his mask lower so only his eyes showed. "Go. Now. Run, don't stop until you're out of here."
Trembling, she nodded, tears streaking her face, and sprinted away into the night. Jack exhaled heavily, chest heaving.
Finally, he reached it;the abandoned mine known as the Viper's Den. The air stank of damp earth and rust, littered with trash, broken crates, and the distant echo of dripping water. The walls were coated with grime, graffiti scrawled in jagged letters. Shadows moved like predators in the dark, though Jack had cleared most of them out already.
This place wasn't just a hideout;it was a nest of rot, a wound in Neon City's body.
At the center chamber, beneath the sickly glow of flickering floodlights, Zane the Viper waited.
His skin was sallow, his grin sharp and cruel. Long, metallic claws extended from his fingers, their edges glistening with venomous sheen. His eyes gleamed as Jack stepped into the light.
Jack whispered: "Inspect."
[ Inspect Results ]
Target: Zane "the Viper" Mendez
Race: Human
Level: ???
HP: ???
Weapon: Poison Claws.
Ability: Poison Claws ;Venom-infused strikes capable of piercing flesh and transferring lethal toxin.
Zane sneered. "So you're the punk who's been thinning out my men. Thought you could sneak into my den, boy?"
Jack adjusted his mask, standing tall. "They won't be coming. I took care of all of them."
Zane's eyes narrowed. "You've got guts. I'll give you that. But I'm a reasonable man. You walk away now, I'll even pay you more than the bounty. You'll be rich, and no one will know."
Jack shook his head. "Doing the right thing is its own reward."
Zane chuckled darkly. "Is that why you're chasing the bounty, hero? You're no saint. You just want your cut."
Jack raised his umbrella, ready. "Careful, Zane. I didn't come here for deals. I came here for you."
The air tightened as Zane flexed his claws, poison dripping onto the stone floor with a hiss.
And just as they squared off.
[ SYSTEM ALERT .]
The system chimed, but before it could finish, the world cut to silence.