I leaned on the balcony railing and let the sounds of the gala fade into the distance, feeling the cool night air as if it were a slap in the face Below me, the city glistened like a sea of diamonds and I let myself take in its strength, promise and potential for a brief moment. But I kept thinking about the system's final caution: * Enemies are attracted to power. Be ready. * Enemies? That sounded absurd. I was just a man trying to push my way through this crazy system that kept presenting me with chances that would change my life. But the tension in my chest would not go away. As I continued to ponder the mysterious message, a quiet voice interrupted me." You appear to be a man who is always preoccupied."I turned around sharply. With an unreadable smile on her face and a glass of champagne in her hand, Isabella English was walking out onto the balcony I briefly lost consciousness as I stared at her gown glistening in the moonlight. She looked around the city leaning aga

THOMAS The bell over the door jingled. The tinny, depressing chime that used to make fun of my life whenever I arrived late for work was gone. It was broken, worn out and completely undetectable. There were still a lot of things here which remained unchanged though. My old misery was perfectly captured in the shop which looked exactly the same. The oily Formica counter smoothed by countless transactions that never happened to me. A Family Special that hadn't changed in ten years was still advertised on the faded sun-bleached menu signs and that smell too. The unavoidable oily scent of stale oregano, cheap tomato paste and burnt crust used to stick to my uniform like a second skin. I remembered one of my friends would wrinkle his nose and said I smelled like failure when I got home. I was different though and that made everything feel different. Instead of being heavy with desperation, the air felt charged with possibilities. The boy who had to smile while cleaning up othe

THOMAS I turned away and didn't want to answer but my phone buzzed once more but this time it wasn't your typical alert. It felt real, urgent and different. It displayed Zaria as the caller ID again .“Thomas Salazar speaking.”I answered. She spoke in a quick smooth voice before I could respond. “Sorry for disturbing your evening, sir but please pay attention. I am aware that other people are calling you. “I squinted. “Nobody is—”“The talent scouts are circling, I know that. But first Allure Media wants you. We'll give you complete creative control, a massive marketing campaign and a million-dollar contract. Even your own fashion line will be given to you. This is our offer.”My brows went up. “Zaria. Do you know what you are saying? I'm still considering —”A slight pause.“$4million that's what we would offer, our brand needs you.”Another call from an unknown number came in as if on cue. Important figures in the media industry sent two more texts after that. I knew what neede

A river of liquid gold poured across the polished marble floors of my penthouse as the morning sun pierced the glass walls that ran from floor to ceiling. The abstract art I had impulsively purchased and the simple chrome furniture were all painted in a warm opulent glow. The system's recognizable quiet hum started its daily routine inside my head while I was still enmeshed in high-thread-count sheets and not even completely awake. 《 SYSTEM UPDATE 》• Emotional Lockdown: +2,000 XP• Reputation Increase: +4,500 (City-Wide)• Caleb Loyalty Meter: MAX – Buff Activated [BROTHERHOOD BOOST]• Daily Quest Unlocked: “Spend $1,000,000 in 24 Hours to Unlock [CROWN KING AURA]With a quick disbelieving laugh that reverberated throughout the empty room, I wiped the sleep from my eyes. “A million in one day?” I whispered to the void. That is a flex not a quest.My chest felt like it was vibrating with the system's low hum, a silent but strong nod of approval. It's intent was always obvious and d

The warning from the system blazed in a fiery urgent red across my screen. 《 FINAL WARNING 》• Social Showdown Entering Critical Stage• Counter Now or Lose [CITY ICON] Permanently I gazed at the words, each one hitting me like a hammer blow, like a piece of glass on the verge of breaking. Although the Fox's aura was invisible, I could feel it pressing down on me like a crushing weight. Everyone on the yacht was drawn in by the delicate, pretty woman that had gradually and deftly captured their interest. There seemed to be a rift in the crowds energy and the air itself. The other half remained mesmerized by her effortless elegance and charm. The other half turned to watch me anticipating something extraordinary from the man they had read about. Her piercing perceptive eyes challenged me to move. Her lips formed a small sly smile. She believed she had me. She thought I had run out of tricks. So I followed her wishes. I started moving. Shimmering with latent power, a new prompt