Novels by storiesbyVie

Rey’s stomach dropped the moment the System notification vanished.Forty minutes.Forty minutes to destroy Pembroke Industries.How the hell was he supposed to blow up a billion-dollar paint empire in forty minutes? He wasn’t some action movie villain. He didn’t even have a plan, let alone a bomb.Before he could process anything, the taxi jolted violently.“Damn it!” the driver cursed, slamming the brakes. The car wheezed, sputtered, then died with a final clunk.Leon blinked, disbelief flashing across his face. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”“Looks like the engine’s fried,” the driver said, stepping out with a sigh. “Everybody out.”The rain had finally stopped, leaving the air cold. Gwen climbed out first, brushing her hair from her face. Leon followed, every nerve in his body buzzing.Time was ticking. 00:38:42He clenched his fists, trying to think. No weapons. No plan. No backup. Just a suicidal mission and a digital timer burning into his brain.“Where exactly are we?” he asked

“Leon Vergas, You’re under arrest for the possible murder of Rey Pembroke.You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"Ethan read,as one of the officers cuffs Leon.Leon’s brain blanked for half a second.“Wait, what?” “Okay, okay, listen,this has gotta be some kind of mistake.”Ethan just stared at him. As he is been led out of the house.***********The room was tense,a single metal table, two chairs, one light above.Leon sat back, arms crossed, tapping his foot against the floor. Across from him were Detective Ethan Black and Officer Hughes, both with the same tired “let’s get this over with” look.Leon sighed. “Okay, wait,let me get this straight. I was suspected and arrested because I was one of Rey Pembroke’s enemies?”Officer Hughes flipped a page in his not

It was Rey’s girlfriend.She saw Leon ,the body, and the mark.Next thing a loud scream mire like a shriek tore out of her.Leon moved before the guards arrived.He had rehearsed escape routes in his head a thousand times; he did not need to map them now. He slipped away,before help arrived.He did not look back.Leon arrived home that night, exhausted but alive. He dropped his mask and knife on the table, his pulse still racing from the chaos.Then, the glowing blue interface flickered in front of him.MISSION COMPLETE Target: Rey Pembroke Status: Eliminated Experience: +800 XPReward:5,000,000.Points:20Leon blinked, stunned. 5,000,000. His jaw dropped. That was new,the system has never gift him millions.He stared at the floating numbers in disbelief. His first million.A shaky laugh escaped his lips. “Guess saving the world finally pays,” he muttered, collapsing onto his bed. The adrenaline began to fade, replaced by exhaustion.his eyelids grew heavy and he fell asleep.*******

Twenty-four hours. That’s all the System had given him.Rey Pembroke lived like a god. Leon had watched the mansion from every angle,white marble pillars and tall walls, thirty armed security guards, and ten surveillance cameras with three men watching the feeds like hawks.He exhaled slowly, fingers drumming against the table. “Thirty guards… ten cameras… three watchers. Piece of cake,” he muttered, half mocking himself.He needed strategic planning, but first, he needed a costume.“I guess I need a suit,” Leon said to himself, scanning the mess of materials on his bed.And within some minutes he created one.The suit was black, and right in the center, there was a bold stitch of the letter L.He smirked. “Looks good enough.”A small screen glowed faintly on the left side of his gloves, feeding him live data. When he pulled the eye mask on, it was no longer Leon but L.And all his saw was his target Rey Pembroke.He looked at his reflection in the mirror. “Alright, L…. Don’t die.”Le

(LEVEL UP: Class B - Class A Enforcer)Leon blinked. “Wait, already?”The system shimmered again. New Features Unlocked:InventoryWeapon AccessAdvanced Mission Tier (Class A)Inside his new Inventory, a single item showed up a rope,Then inside his weapon access a single item also showed up a dagger.Leon frowned. “A dagger? What am I supposed to do with that?". He waving the screen away. “Yeah, no thanks. I’ll stick to my keyboard.”The blue light chimed again.(New Mission Available)Mission Type: Class A - High ThreatTarget: Pembroke IndustriesOwner: Rey PembrokeOffense: Illegal toxic waste dumping into Gotham waterways.Secondary Crimes: Bribery, intimidation, and homicide of activists attempting to expose operations.Objective: Bring Pembroke to justice.Time Limit: 24 Hours.Leon exhaled slowly. “Alright, Rey Pembroke. Let’s see what secrets you’ve been hiding.”He sat at his desk,turning on his monitors. Then he bypassed firewalls, infiltrated databases, and pulled up years

Leon kept staring at his account balance. It was real. The $5,000,00.sitting there was actually real.He blinked a few times, half-expecting it to disappear.While he was still in shock, his phone rang. “Hello?”Leon answered.“Hello, Mr. Vergas,” a woman’s voice said politely. “This is St. Mary’s Hospital calling. I’m calling to remind you about your mother’s body. It needs to be cremated.”Leon rubbed his temples. “Oh… right. I almost forgot about that. How much did you say it was again?”“It’s $2,000 for the cremation,” the nurse replied gently, “and her outstanding medical fees is $2,000. The total comes to $4,000.”“Okay,” Leon said quietly. “I’ll send the money now.”“Thank you, sir.”He hung up before she could say more. A few taps later, $4,000 was gone from his account."One problem solved"Leon muttered as he packed up for the day.He got back to his apartment only to find his things scattered outside the building. Clothes, boxes, and a cracked monitor lay in a sad pile.Turns