The Zhao Family Gala was a display of sickening wealth. Held at the "Aether Heights" skyscraper, the ballroom was draped in gold and guarded by a literal small army of professional Awakeners. This was the world Lu Chen had been told he would never belong to a world where the air was filtered by mana-purifiers and the wine cost more than a slum-dweller's life.
Outside, Lu Chen stood on the roof of a neighboring building, overlooking the gala's balcony. He was no longer the ragged boy from the pawnshop. He had purchased a sleek, black tactical suit from the black market that clung to his refined frame like a second skin.
[Target: Aether Heights Security Grid]
[Detection Level: High (Mana-Sensors and Thermal)]
[Weakness: The ventilation shafts use a rotating fan cycle. Every 15 seconds, there is a 2-second gap in the sensor sweep.]
"Fifteen seconds," Lu Chen murmured.
He flicked his wrist. Thwip! A nearly invisible thread from the [Ghost-Wire Striker] shot through the air, anchoring itself to the balcony railing of the Zhao penthouse. Lu Chen didn't use a winch; he used his own enhanced strength. He launched himself into the void.
[Skill Activated: Sovereign's Breath (Stealth Mode)]
He moved like a phantom, his mana suppressed to the point of being a ghost in the machine. He landed silently on the balcony, ducking behind a marble pillar just as a security drone buzzed past.
Inside, the music was a soft, classical violin piece played by an orchestra of B-Rank bards. He saw them through the floor-to-ceiling glass: Su Mei, wearing a dress made of starlight silk, and Young Master Zhao, looking smug as he swirled a glass of blue nectar.
"To the Zhao Family," a voice boomed over the speakers. "The future kings of Sector 7!"
Lu Chen's eyes narrowed. [God-Level Appraisal] flared, scanning the room.
[Target: Zhao Feng (Young Master)]
[Level: 8 (C-Rank Talent)]
[Current Status: Intoxicated, Arrogant, Unprotected by Armor.]
[Target: Su Mei]
[Level: 4 (E-Rank)]
[Current Status: Calculating, seeking social advancement.]
But his eyes shifted to the shadows behind Zhao. Two men stood there, their presence like cold iron.
[Target: Zhao Family Enforcers (Twins)]
[Level: 14 & 15]
[Combat Style: Synchronized Killing.]
"I can't take them all at once," Lu Chen whispered. "I need a distraction."
He looked at the massive chandelier in the center of the ballroom. It wasn't just crystal; it was powered by a massive, Grade-B Fire Mana Core to provide a warm, golden glow.
[Item: Great Sun Chandelier]
[Hidden Fact: The core is unstable due to poor maintenance. A single high-frequency vibration will cause a mana-overload.]
Lu Chen smirked. He reached into his [System Inventory] and pulled out a small, heavy iron bolt he had picked up in the basement earlier.
He didn't throw it. He attached a [Ghost-Wire] to it and began to whirl it with incredible speed. The wire hummed, a sound too high for human ears but perfect for disrupting mana.
Flick.
The bolt flew, guided by the wire, and struck the chandelier's core housing with the precision of a surgeon.
CRACK-HISS!
The golden light of the ballroom suddenly turned a violent, angry red. The guests gasped as the temperature in the room spiked.
"What is happening?!" Zhao Feng screamed, dropping his glass.
BOOM!
The chandelier didn't explode with fire, but with a shockwave of raw mana. The room was plunged into darkness, followed by the high-pitched screams of the socialites. The security twins immediately moved to cover Zhao, but in the chaos and the mana-smoke, their vision was obscured.
Lu Chen didn't waste the opportunity. He slipped through the glass doors, which had shattered from the blast.
He moved through the smoke like a shadow. He wasn't going for the kill not yet. He wanted something better. He wanted to ruin the foundation.
He reached the pedestal where the "Zhao Family Crest" a massive diamond infused with the family's legacy mana was displayed. It was the source of their political power and their proof of "Nobility."
[Item: Zhao Legacy Diamond]
[Value: 10,000,000 Credits]
[Function: Acts as a beacon for the family's private dungeon portal.]
Lu Chen touched the diamond.
[Ding! Item detected. Would you like to 'Absorb' the legacy mana to upgrade the System?]
"Absorb," Lu Chen commanded.
In an instant, the brilliant diamond turned into a pile of worthless, grey sand. Lu Chen felt a massive surge of energy rush into his body, nearly knocking him unconscious.
[Ding! System Upgrade Initiated!]
[Absorbing Legacy Mana...]
[Host Level Up! Level 5 -> Level 8]
[New Skill Acquired: Sovereign's Eyes (Active) Can now see through walls and detect illusions.]
The smoke began to clear. Emergency lights flickered on.
"The diamond!" one of the twins roared. "Someone stole the Legacy!"
Zhao Feng looked at the pile of sand on the pedestal, his face turning a ghostly white. Without that diamond, the Zhao family would lose their status with the Global Alliance by morning. They would be just another rich family, stripped of their dungeon rights.
"Find them!" Zhao shrieked, his voice cracking. "Kill everyone in this building if you have to!"
Lu Chen stood just ten feet away, leaning against a pillar. He used [Eyes of Deception] to remain invisible in the dim, flickering light. He looked at Su Mei, who was trembling, clutching Zhao's arm for protection.
He felt... nothing. No love, no hate. Just the cold realization that they were small.
He stepped out of the shadows for just a second, letting the light catch his golden eyes.
Zhao Feng saw him. His eyes went wide. "Lu... Lu Chen? No, that's impossible. You're a Zero!"
Lu Chen didn't say a word. He simply raised a hand and made a "cutting" motion across his throat.
Shhhkt!
He flicked a Ghost-Wire, slicing the expensive silk tie right off Zhao's neck without scratching the skin. A warning.
Then, Lu Chen turned and leaped off the balcony, disappearing into the night before the Level 15 enforcers could reach him.
Inside the ballroom, Zhao Feng fell to his knees, his hands shaking. He wasn't just scared of the loss of the diamond. He was scared of the monster he had helped create.
[Ding! Main Quest: Step 1 Completed!]
[Reward: Rare Grade Cultivation Art 'Heaven-Sunderer's Strike' acquired.]
[Warning: The Zhao Family has issued a 'Black Level' bounty on your head. Every mercenary in Sector 7 is now looking for you.]
Lu Chen landed on the street below, his blood pumping with power. "Let them come," he whispered. "I need the experience points anyway."