The world outside Ethan’s penthouse was drenched in darkness, but inside, the lights glowed low and sharp, throwing long shadows across the glass walls. The city never slept, but tonight it felt like every skyscraper, every neon billboard, every blinking traffic light was watching him.Ethan stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the glowing mission panels in his mind. Two countdowns blinked side by side, their scarlet digits pulsing like the beat of a predator’s heart.[Mission: Eliminate Grayson’s Influence – Time Left: 37:21:09] [Mission: Acquire Council’s Hidden Key – Time Left: 37:21:09]Both tied to the same man. Both deadly.He exhaled slowly, the weight of it pressing against his chest. He had thought money was the only battlefield. Now the system was showing him otherwise. Power. Control. Elimination.His phone buzzed.Damian.The fixer’s voice oozed smugness when Ethan answered. “Word is, Grayson is moving tonight. He’s hosting a… private gathering at the old Conco

The city glittered beneath Ethan’s penthouse window, a kingdom of neon and steel that just months ago he could only admire from the ground. Now it belonged to him—or at least, parts of it did. His phone buzzed on the glass desk, but his focus was fixed on the glowing blue system interface only he could see.[Mission Complete: Secure the West-End Tech Hub] Reward: Skill Upgrade – Tactical Manipulation Lv. 3 Bonus Trait: Corporate Authority +5]A surge of heat rolled through Ethan’s body, his mind sharper, his voice carrying an even heavier weight of command. The kind of presence that could silence a boardroom with a single word.The system’s cold voice echoed: “Level 11 achieved. Title unlocked: City’s Rising Power.”Ethan’s lips curved into a faint smile. Level Eleven. Every advancement was no longer just personal growth—it reshaped the city around him.But the smile didn’t last long. His thoughts turned back to Councilman Grayson—the man who had nearly cornered him at the gala, the s

The private jet cut through the night sky like a blade of silver, its engines humming in steady power. Ethan sat alone in the leather seat, one hand swirling the glass of whiskey in his grasp. The city lights below looked like scattered jewels, glowing faintly against the darkness.But Ethan’s thoughts weren’t on the view.They were on the mission.[System Alert: Primary Mission – Expose Councilman Grayson’s Hidden Network.Time Remaining: 23h:17m. Reward: Level Up + Unique Trait.][Secondary Mission – Survive the Counterattack. Reward: Random Legendary Skill.]The glowing blue text hung in his vision, sharp and relentless. The system didn’t lie. Grayson wasn’t just another corrupt politician. He was a gatekeeper to something bigger—a shadow syndicate pulling strings behind the city’s glittering façade.Ethan leaned back, exhaling through his nose. The system had pushed him hard before. But this? This felt like it had teeth.Damian’s voice from earlier echoed in his head: “You’re stepp

The room was silent except for the faint hum of the neon lights buzzing overhead. Ethan stood by the window of the safehouse, his sharp eyes tracing the rain-slick streets below. Every car, every shadow felt like a potential threat. The city had changed for him; it wasn’t just streets and buildings anymore. It was a battlefield mapped out by his system’s glowing missions and hidden timers.The words MISSION COMPLETE still lingered faintly in his vision from hours earlier. But unlike before, the system hadn’t faded back into its usual quiet hum. Instead, new notifications kept rippling across his mind’s eye, one after another.[System Update: Congratulations, Player Ethan Cross. New tier unlocked.][Level Up Achieved: Rank 5 → Rank 6.] [Unlocked: Shadow Arsenal – access to covert weapons cache linked to missions.] [Unlocked: Adaptive Reflexes – reaction speed increased by 20%.]Ethan’s jaw tightened as the cascade of upgrades settled into him. He could feel it — his heartbeat steadier,

Ethan’s boots struck the marble floors with steady, deliberate steps. The corridors of the underground compound were quiet now, eerily so—like the calm before a storm. He had barely slept, the weight of the Council’s latest move pressing down on him. Two missions had been completed, two stages of the system cleared, but he knew he wasn’t out of the fire. If anything, he was deeper in.The holographic mission window still lingered in his vision:[Next Objective Unlocked: Infiltrate the Inner Circle. Time Limit: 72 Hours.]His jaw tightened. The Inner Circle wasn’t just a name. It was the core of the Council’s power—untouchable politicians, hidden generals, and shadow financiers who ruled from the dark.Damian had warned him once, over whiskey and smoke, that touching the Inner Circle was like reaching into a nest of vipers. You might kill one, but the others would sink their fangs in before you even realized.Yet here he was.In the control room, Damian was waiting, feet kicked up on t