Kaien limped down a backstreet, the city pulsing around him like a living organism—horns blaring, steam rising from sewer grates, neon signs flickering like dying stars. His hoodie clung to his back, soaked with blood and rain.
He ducked into an abandoned laundromat. Broken machines, shattered tiles, silence.
Perfect.
He slumped against a dryer, breathing heavy.
[You have leveled up.]
[Your wounds are regenerating.]
[New Feature Unlocked: SYSTEM STORE]
Kaien's head snapped up. "System store?"
A soft ding echoed in his skull, like the ring of a bell no one else could hear. A black panel unfolded before him—smooth, elegant, terrifying.
[SYSTEM STORE]
Currency: Soul Shards – 12
> Veinburst II – 10 SS
Adrenal Surge – 15 SS
Cloak of Obscurity – 25 SS
Unlabeled Artifact (???) – 50 SS
??? – Locked
His fingers hovered in the air, instinct guiding him. He tapped Veinburst II.
[Purchase confirmed.]
[Skill upgraded.]
A heat shot through his veins. Veinburst, his explosive strength burst skill, burned hotter—stronger. Faster. He felt the change.
Then he noticed something strange.
At the bottom of the store, a message flickered for a second—glitched, almost like it wasn't meant to be seen:
> They're watching. Do not trust the Order.
Kaien froze.
The Order.
He'd heard the whispers—stories of people who vanished, who "ascended" in the wrong way. No one talked about them. But they were real. And they were hunting him.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
"You opened the Store. Now they'll never let you go."
He looked up.
A red dot blinked on the cracked laundromat window.
Sniper.
[DANGER DETECTED.]
[Triggering Passive: Shadow Dive (Prototype)]
The world shattered into black mist.