The building groaned as Lex stepped inside, like it was holding its breath again. Same cracked tiles, same busted lock on the front entrance, same old graffiti tagged over by kids too lazy to cover the outlines.
He climbed the stairs without sound, each step another notch in the mental metronome ticking inside him. One flight. Two. The piss smell was stronger now. Third floor always had a bad radiator. Fourth smelled like burnt rice and menthols. Fifth was quiet.
Sixth—home.
The door creaked open and clicked shut behind him. No sound from his abuela's room. The TV was off. The silence meant she was finally asleep.
Lex crossed into his room without turning on the light.
It didn't matter. His eyes adjusted fast now.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, unzipped his hoodie, then peeled off the undershirt. His shoulder was bruised deep purple now—bat hit from earlier—but not split. Just tender.
The box cutter was still in his waistband. He set it on the nightstand.
The flip phone Kevlar gave him rested beside it. No messages. No missed calls.
Lex leaned forward, elbows on knees, and exhaled.
The System didn't speak.
It unfolded.
[LEVEL UP – LEVEL 3]
XP: 202 / 250+2 Stat Points+1 Skill Point
Access Granted: Personalized Skill Tree:Based on behavior, choices, and environmental adaptation
OPEN TREE <<
Lex blinked once.
The room around him faded—not physically, but mentally. The System took the front seat. He felt it click into his spine, like pressure behind his eyes, then expand.
A web unfolded in the air above his bed. Not rows of squares. Not columns and options.
It looked like a mural painted in wire and light—growing in real time.
Three branches curled outward from a glowing central node labeled:
Lex Santiago – No Class Assigned
Each branch glowed a different color, with labels handwritten in that same strange font—clean, glitchless, but like it was being typed now, just for him.
BRANCH ONE: The Operator
Color: Cold silver Shape: Lines like city blocks, cross-sectioned, angular. Description: Tactical leadership. Reputation-based growth. Control through information, delegation, pressure.
Sample Perks: – Command Presence I: Allies fight better near you.– Corner Lord: Passive XP from controlled territory.– Eye for Weakness: +5% damage against known enemies.
Subpath Options:→ Strategist→ Enforcer's Hand→ Neighborhood Architect
BRANCH TWO: The Solo
Color: Matte black Shape: Spiraling inward, sharp-edged nodes, movement based. Description: Combat perfection. Stealth-based survivability. XP from efficiency, damage avoidance, and outnumbered wins.
Sample Perks: – Ghoststep I: First movement in combat doesn't trigger detection.– Blood Echo: Deal 5% bonus damage to enemies that have harmed you.– Reflex Chain: First successful dodge unlocks a temporary speed boost.
Subpath Options:→ Silent Blade→ Countermaster→ Urban Predator
💵 BRANCH THREE: The Broker
Color: Dirty goldShape: Wide branching fans, webbed connections.Description: Hustle-based. Profit equals power. XP from transactions, deals, manipulation, and social leverage.
Sample Perks: – Talk Low, Talk Fast: Chance to auto-succeed low-stakes lies.– Pawn to King: Turn one-time favors into recurring profit.– Value Detection: See item worth at a glance, including black market markup.
Subpath Options:→ Smuggler's Touch→ Street Psych→ Ghost Capital
Lex stared at the branches. They pulsed like veins under skin.
This wasn't like picking a class in a game.
This was him—the way he'd fought, walked, answered, watched. The way he'd moved through that first fight. The way he'd delivered the package without asking. The way he'd stared Kevlar in the face and said I'm in.
He hadn't been trained.
He hadn't read a guide.
But the tree had.
And it had been watching.
[NOTE:]
Once you select a Branch, it cannot be undone.Perks, skills, and missions will adapt based on your chosen growth path.You may still use skills from other styles, but bonuses will favor your specialization.Choose your shape.
Lex leaned back against the wall, knees bent, hands folded under his chin.
He considered it carefully.
The Operator meant power. Control. Standing at the top and calling plays. That meant people. That meant eyes. That meant weight.
The Broker? Tempting. He'd always been good at reading people. Deals came easy. He liked leverage. But talk only got you so far when bullets were flying.
Then there was the Solo.
The shadow.
The blade.
The one who didn't wait for orders because he didn't need any.
That felt right.
Not because he wanted to be alone—but because he'd always been. He wasn't built to lead yet. Wasn't built to sell. He was built to survive.
To move quiet.
To strike sharp.
To make sure that when it came down to it… they'd never see him coming.
Lex thought it, clear and deliberate:
Choose: The Solo
[CLASS SELECTED: The Solo]
Welcome, Operator: "Lex – Street Ghost" You are now on the Solo Path Bonuses to stealth, counter combat, one-on-one XP gains, escape ability
Starting Perk Unlocked: Ghost step I– Your first move during any hostile encounter will not trigger detection or aggression.– You now move 20% quieter than others your level.
The tree shimmered.
The black branch flared, nodes pulsing outward, new perks forming deeper inside. Some were too far to read yet. Others waited, their names already burning:
– Blade Work– One Versus Many– Urban Phantom– Fear Trigger– Blood Ledger
Lex blinked.
The System receded.
The tree collapsed like smoke being inhaled back into the dark.
And Lex sat there, room dim, shoulder sore, breath steady.
No celebration.
No level-up sound.
Just a name burned into the back of his brain like a quiet warning.
Street Ghost.