Jack collapsed onto the creaky mattress of his motel room, his body still humming with the aftershocks of his battle with Zane the Viper. The springs groaned beneath his weight, and for the first time in what felt like days, the silence of the room pressed against his ears. He let out a long, shaky breath, staring up at the water-stained ceiling.
His mask was still on, and for a moment he considered leaving it there, a part of him unwilling to let go of the anonymity it gave him. But the sweat soaking the inside burned against his skin, so he reached up and peeled it away. His breath caught.
The scar.
Across his chest, from shoulder to ribs, a raw slash marked where Zane's poison claws had nearly ended him. Jack brushed a trembling hand over the wound. It should have still been searing with pain, festering with infection, but instead the skin beneath his fingertips tingled, alive.
A faint glow pulsed through his body, like embers dancing under his skin. Before his eyes, the scar began knitting itself shut, muscle and flesh reforming at a pace that defied reason. In less than a minute, what had been a mortal wound was nothing more than a faint pink line.
Jack sat up slowly, staring. "That's… new."
Then it hit him. The level up.
Of course. He remembered the brief flashes of light, the adrenaline surge, the strange vitality that had washed over him after Zane fell. The Nexus Walker System hadn't just restored his strength.It had rebuilt his body entirely.
A grin ghosted across his face. "Guess that's one perk of climbing higher."
Before he could dwell on it, the [SYSTEM INTERFACE] blinked to life before his eyes.
[ SYSTEM INTERFACE ]
Name:Jack West.
Level: 5 .
EXP: 200 / 1600 .
Credits: 17,700 .
HP: 125/ 125
Stats:
Strength: 6 .
Agility: 8.
Endurance: 5.
Speed: 7.
Intelligence: 8.
Willpower: 6 .
Charm: 4 .
Charisma: 4
Luck: 3.
Available Stat Points: 15 → Allocated
(+2 Strength, +3 Agility, +3 Speed, +2 Endurance, +2 Intelligence, +1 Willpower, +1 Charm, +1 Charisma)
Skills:
Blink Step (Teleportation) – Lv. 2
Inspect – Lv. 1
Object Teleport – Lv. 1 .
NEW: Warp Strike – Lv. 1.
Jack rubbed the back of his neck. Warp Strike? Another "strike move." He sighed, shaking his head. "I'll check it out later."
The numbers meant something; proof that he was growing stronger but the reality of Zane's claws still scraping against his ribs weighed heavier. If he hadn't blinked at the last second, that poison would have ended him.
He clenched his fist. "I can't afford to get cocky. If that was mid-tier… what the hell's waiting at the top?"
His eyes drifted to the mask sitting on the nightstand, its smooth black surface catching the dim light. In battle, it had become a second skin, a symbol. To his enemies, it was terror. To himself, it was the reminder that he couldn't afford to let his true face slip into the city's web of predators and watchers.
Jack shook off the fatigue and dragged himself to the bathroom sink. Cold water splashed against his face, grounding him. For a fleeting second, he caught his reflection in the cracked mirror:dark hair plastered to his forehead, his sharp jawline smeared with grime, and those piercing eyes that carried too much weight for a boy his age.
He forced himself to look away.
The watch on his wrist buzzed sharply. Jack frowned and tapped it, the holo-screen rising into the air.
[ ALERT: NEW TARGET IDENTIFIED ]
Name: Luther Draque.
Crimes: Serial rape, sadistic assault, multiple homicides.
Status: Extremely dangerous.
Bounty: Alive – 8,000 credits.
Jack's jaw tightened as he read the words. Images of terrified victims flickered in his mind;the woman he had saved in Zane's den, her broken sobs echoing in his ears.
"This bastard…" His voice came out low, edged with fire. "You're mine."
The Nexus Walker System pulsed faintly. Justice? Or vengeance, Jack? Curious.
He ignored it.
Night had fallen fully over Neon City when Jack stepped out of the motel. The streets buzzed with neon lights, vendors hawking their wares, and shadows slinking through alleys. High above, holo ads blazed in impossible colors: women selling fantasy, corporations promising salvation, politicians spewing lies.
But down here, in the grime and trash and fumes, life was different. Desperate. Dangerous.
Jack pulled his mask tight. Already, whispers followed him.
"Hey;wasn't he the one who dragged Zane out of the Den?"
"No way. A kid like that?"
"They say he's a ghost. Appears, disappears… like he's teleporting."
"An urban legend, man. Neon City finally has one."
Jack felt their eyes burning into his back. He quickened his pace, pulling his Jacket tighter. The last thing he needed was for anyone to start following him.
As he moved through the sprawl, he saw crime everywhere. A drug dealer slipping packets into the hands of trembling teens. A thief lifting credits from a young woman's pocket. A gang of punks smashing up a shop window.
His hand twitched toward his umbrella; his makeshift club. But he forced it down.
"Not every battle's mine to fight," he muttered. "Not tonight."
It was the hardest lesson yet; restraint. He wasn't just some reckless kid anymore. He had a bigger target, a mission that required focus.
Hours later, the watch pinged again.
[ Luther Draque – Spotted entering: The Red Fang Club ]
Location: Lower Neon District, abandoned subway sector.
Notes: Front for human trafficking and black-market trades.
Jack clenched his fists. He could almost smell the rot from here.
He pulled up his system screen one last time, running his eyes over the stats. Stronger. Faster. Smarter. But would it be enough?
The scar on his chest had vanished completely, but the memory of Zane's claws lingered. He touched the mask once more, pressing it firmly against his face until it clicked into place.
The boy vanished. The phantom returned.
"Luther Draque," he whispered into the night. "Your night ends with me."
The watch pulsed, and the system chimed.
[ QUEST ACCEPTED: HUNT THE PREDATOR ]
The chapter closed with Jack disappearing into the neon haze, a storm waiting to break.