Rain hammered down on the broken streets of Blackridge City's West Vire Alley, washing filth into the sewers and blood into the gutters. Elias Kane lay facedown on the pavement, the cold mixing with the warmth of his own blood. He had lost. Again.
His ribs throbbed from a well-placed kick, his left eye was swollen shut, and the metallic taste of failure clung to his tongue like poison.
"You should've stayed down, Kane," one of the Scavengers sneered, lighting a cigarette with a bloody knuckle. "You're past your expiration date."
Elias didn't respond. Couldn't. Not yet.
He used to be a fighter — a rising star in the underground ring, with knockout potential and a chip on his shoulder. But that was before the debts, the betrayals, and the broken promises. Now, he was just another name in a city that chewed up men like him and spat them out into unmarked graves.
The thug's boot came down hard, but before it landed—
******
[CRIME SYSTEM ACTIVATED.]
User: Elias Kane
Rank: Street Scum
Welcome, Host. Commit crimes. Level up. Rise or die.
******
The world stopped. A screen — translucent and glowing — hovered in front of his fading vision. His body went numb, then buzzed with a strange surge of energy.
******
New Quest: Commit Your First Crime
Objective: Rob the Scavengers' Safehouse (500m)
Reward: +5 Crime Points | +1 Skill Point | Basic Weapon Pack
Optional Subquest Unlocked: Eliminate Lookout – Reward: Butterfly Knife
*******
"What the hell…" Elias muttered through cracked lips. The thug paused, confused, just long enough for Elias to spring.
Old instincts roared back to life.
A quick lunge. A punch to the throat. A knee to the ribs. The Scavenger choked, staggering, before Elias delivered a brutal hook to the temple. The man dropped, unconscious before he hit the ground.
*******
Enemy Defeated: +2 Crime Points.
Item Acquired: Butterfly Knife (Worn).
******
Elias knelt, gripping the knife. The weight of it grounded him — not just steel in hand, but power in his veins.
He stood, breath heaving, vision sharpening. His HUD now displayed:
******
Health: 62%
Stamina: 44%
Crime Points: 2
Inventory: Butterfly Knife (Worn)
******
He didn't understand it all. But one thing was clear — he wasn't dying in this alley.
Following the pulsing red indicator on the HUD, Elias moved toward the Scavengers' safehouse — a rundown building disguised behind a shuttered laundromat. He crept up on the back entrance where another guard, bored and checking his phone, stood unaware.
Elias struck fast.
The blade slid in clean under the ribs, just like he'd seen in prison fights. The guard gurgled, gasped, and collapsed.
******
Enemy Eliminated: +3 Crime Points
Level Progress: 5/10
Loot Acquired: Glock 19 (12 Rounds)
******
Elias stared at the handgun, hands trembling. His first real weapon. He took it and stepped inside.
The safehouse interior was dim, with crates, cash, and guns scattered like junk. A third thug — heavyset and counting stacks — looked up too late.
Elias didn't hesitate.
Three shots. One to the chest, two to the head.
******
Enemy Eliminated: +5 Crime Points | +1 Skill Point Earned
Level Up: Rank Increased to Tier I – "Footsoldier"
New Skill Unlocked: Pain Tolerance (Lv.1)
Crime Shop Now Available
******
He dropped the gun, panting, adrenaline pumping like wildfire. Blood painted the walls. A silence lingered — heavy, terrifying… liberating.
******
Quest Complete: First Crime
Rewards Claimed: +5 Crime Points | +1 Skill Point | Basic Weapon Pack Unlocked
******
The system chimed again.
******
Next Objective: Establish a Territory. Recommended: Vire Alley.
Time Limit: 72 Hours.
******
Elias looked around. Three bodies lay cooling on the floor. The safehouse was his now.
And for the first time in years, so was his future.
Rain hammered down on the broken streets of Blackridge City's West Vire Alley, washing filth into the sewers and blood into the gutters. Elias Kane lay facedown on the pavement, the cold mixing with the warmth of his own blood. He had lost. Again.
His ribs throbbed from a well-placed kick, his left eye was swollen shut, and the metallic taste of failure clung to his tongue like poison.
"You should've stayed down, Kane," one of the Scavengers sneered, lighting a cigarette with a bloody knuckle. "You're past your expiration date."
Elias didn't respond. Couldn't. Not yet.
He used to be a fighter — a rising star in the underground ring, with knockout potential and a chip on his shoulder. But that was before the debts, the betrayals, and the broken promises. Now, he was just another name in a city that chewed up men like him and spat them out into unmarked graves.
The thug's boot came down hard, but before it landed—
******
[CRIME SYSTEM ACTIVATED.]
User: Elias Kane
Rank: Street Scum
Welcome, Host. Commit crimes. Level up. Rise or die.
******
The world stopped. A screen — translucent and glowing — hovered in front of his fading vision. His body went numb, then buzzed with a strange surge of energy.
******
New Quest: Commit Your First Crime
Objective: Rob the Scavengers' Safehouse (500m)
Reward: +5 Crime Points | +1 Skill Point | Basic Weapon Pack
Optional Subquest Unlocked: Eliminate Lookout – Reward: Butterfly Knife
******
"What the hell…" Elias muttered through cracked lips. The thug paused, confused, just long enough for Elias to spring.
Old instincts roared back to life.
A quick lunge. A punch to the throat. A knee to the ribs. The Scavenger choked, staggering, before Elias delivered a brutal hook to the temple. The man dropped, unconscious before he hit the ground.
******
Enemy Defeated: +2 Crime Points.
Item Acquired: Butterfly Knife (Worn).
*******
Elias knelt, gripping the knife. The weight of it grounded him — not just steel in hand, but power in his veins.
He stood, breath heaving, vision sharpening. His HUD now displayed:
******
Health: 62%
Stamina: 44%
Crime Points: 2
Inventory: Butterfly Knife (Worn)
******
He didn't understand it all. But one thing was clear — he wasn't dying in this alley.
Following the pulsing red indicator on the HUD, Elias moved toward the Scavengers' safehouse — a rundown building disguised behind a shuttered laundromat. He crept up on the back entrance where another guard, bored and checking his phone, stood unaware.
Elias struck fast.
The blade slid in clean under the ribs, just like he'd seen in prison fights. The guard gurgled, gasped, and collapsed.
******
Enemy Eliminated: +3 Crime Points
Level Progress: 5/10
Loot Acquired: Glock 19 (12 Rounds)
******
Elias stared at the handgun, hands trembling. His first real weapon. He took it and stepped inside.
The safehouse interior was dim, with crates, cash, and guns scattered like junk. A third thug — heavyset and counting stacks — looked up too late.
Elias didn't hesitate.
Three shots. One to the chest, two to the head.
******
Enemy Eliminated: +5 Crime Points | +1 Skill Point Earned
Level Up: Rank Increased to Tier I – "Footsoldier"
New Skill Unlocked: Pain Tolerance (Lv.1)
Crime Shop Now Available
******
He dropped the gun, panting, adrenaline pumping like wildfire. Blood painted the walls. A silence lingered — heavy, terrifying… liberating.
******
Quest Complete: First Crime
Rewards Claimed: +5 Crime Points | +1 Skill Point | Basic Weapon Pack Unlocked
******
The system chimed again.
******
Next Objective: Establish a Territory. Recommended: Vire Alley.
Time Limit: 72 Hours.
******
Elias looked around. Three bodies lay cooling on the floor. The safehouse was his now.
And for the first time in years, so was his future.