Industrial District – 19:12 HRS
The sky turned bruised and bitter as clouds loomed over the rusted veins of the city. The industrial district sat like a graveyard of old ambition — collapsed scaffolding, shattered concrete, and forgotten machinery with oil bleeding into weeds.
Aiden moved fast, boots light, eyes scanning every blind corner like second nature. His fingers grazed over rusted lockers and overturned crates, system window flickering quietly beside him.
[Sub-Quest: Gear Up – IN PROGRESS]▸ Estimated distance to cache: 40 meters.▸ Threats: None detected.▸ Status: Minor radiation residue detected. Safe for short exposure.
The "cache" turned out to be half-buried beneath a heap of broken piping and some idiot's idea of a wall.
He kicked aside the junk, pulled out a dented ammo crate, and popped it open.
Inside—
A Glock 17 — scratched, but clean.
Slide oiled. Trigger smooth.
A single mag, 14 rounds, half-loaded with hollow points.
No spare ammo.
And beside it: a carbon-infused military-grade combat knife. Serrated. Balanced. Razor-hungry.
Aiden picked up the Glock, checked the chamber, racked the slide.
"Who the hell just tosses this in a junk pile? Guy must've been high… or dead."
[Weapon Acquired – Glock 17 (Common-Rare Tier)][Melee Acquired – Military-Grade Combat Knife (Rare Tier)]
[Smile Points +2,400]
A Silent Gladiator nods in approval.
A Collector of Forgotten Blades adds your clip to his watchlist.
He holstered the pistol at the back of his waist, knife sheath strapped to his thigh.
Then moved.
En route to Gang Hideout – ETA: 5 minutes.
The streets got quieter the deeper he went. Like even the rats didn't want to breathe the same air here.
Then the system buzzed again. This time, darker.
[Celestial Quests – Optional]New high-reward quests available:
▸ Eliminate all targets with a headshot only. – Reward: 40,000 Smile Points + "Whisperer of Death" title – Condition: No survivors, no sound beyond initial shot.
▸ Dismember every enemy before killing them. – Reward: 1 Rare Box – Bonus: Hidden stats gain based on performance
▸ Use only melee. Bathe in blood. Laugh while killing. – Reward: ??? – Note: System is not responsible for trauma inflicted.
▸ Free the captive woman in the back room. Let her kill one. – Reward: 25,000 Smile Points + Morality Alignment Boost – Bonus: +Affinity with Celestials of Justice
Aiden chuckled darkly.
"Bunch of sick bastards."
[Smile Points +20]
A Sunless Priest sighs in annoyance.
The One Draped in Crimson Chains licks their lips.
Industrial District – 19:15 HRS
The wind howled through the hollow skeletons of broken buildings. Long-abandoned machines groaned in their rusted sleep. The warehouse sat ahead like a tumor of concrete and corrugated iron, cables tangled like veins above it.
Aiden stood across the street, Glock 17 resting heavy in his grip.
No suppressor.
Just noise and violence.
He stepped toward the side gate—one arm loose, another flexing the tension in his shoulder.
Two men outside.
Leather jackets. Cigarettes. Laughter about something stupid.
He didn't wait.
CRACK!
One shot rang out — raw and deafening.
The first guard's head snapped back, the back of his skull painting the rusted wall behind.
The second froze mid-step.
Aiden didn't.
CRACK!
Second body hit the ground like a sack of meat.
The gunshots echoed like thunder down the street.
[Star Stream Surge Detected.]An Elegant Killer leans forward.A Goddess of Justice whispers, "Finally."
[Smile Points +4,000]
Inside the warehouse—
Chaos.
Yells. Chairs scraping. Guns drawn. Metal screeching.
Six men now. Weapons up. Confused. Angry. One shouted over the others.
"What the fuck was that?!"
"Someone's here—!"
The door burst open.
Aiden stepped through, coat flared back, Glock raised. His university blazer still on.
"The hell— is that a student?!"
He shot the first guy mid-sentence.
CRACK!Blood sprayed across the crates stacked behind him.
They scrambled. One fired. Missed.
Another lunged from the side — crowbar raised.
Aiden ducked under the swing and slammed his boot into the guy's kneecap, twisting with all his weight.
CRACK.
Scream.
Aiden drove his knife upward, straight into the man's gut, twisting until he stopped moving.
Another tried to blindside him—sawed-off shotgun trembling in his hands.
Too slow.
CRACK!
Shot to the clavicle. He spun, screaming, disarmed. Aiden didn't waste a bullet. He stepped in, grabbed the man's head, and slammed it into the steel beam beside them.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The body dropped.
[Close Quarters Combat (Lv.4) – Active]▸ Precision: Enhanced▸ Lethality: Max▸ Recovery Delay: 0.4s▸ Flow Chain: 5x
One of the last two fired from behind a pillar.
The bullet grazed Aiden's arm — shallow. He growled, ducked, rolled, and popped up near a broken forklift.
CRACK!
The man stumbled, a hole between his ribs. He crawled, coughing blood.
"P-Please—!"
Aiden walked over.
"This is a side quest. Not a mercy run."
The knife slid through his throat.
The last man.
He'd been watching through the crack of a side room door — the one guarding the hostage. He stepped out, trembling, holding a steel pipe.
"Wh-What the hell are you?!"
Aiden raised the Glock.
Paused.
Lowered it.
Then tossed him the knife.
"Open the back room."
The man blinked.
"Huh—?"
"Now."
[Bonus Quest Activated.]▸ Free the captive. Let her kill one.▸ Reward: +25,000 Smile Points▸ Alignment Boost: Just Celestials
He followed orders. Hesitant. Pale. Opened the rusted door with shaky fingers.
The woman inside looked half-dead. Bruised. But her eyes still burned.
Aiden tossed her the pipe instead.
"Your turn."
No hesitation.
The man screamed.
She didn't stop.
[Kill Confirmed – 10/10][Quest Completed: Eliminate the Gang Hideout][Bonus Achieved: Justice Delivered]
Aiden stepped outside again, lighting another cigar with shaking hands.
Blood clung to his boots.
The woman asked for his identity, he just shrugged and left.
His shirt was torn at the arm, shoulder slicked with blood — not his.
He didn't care.
He looked up.
Above the warehouse, the clouds had started to crack.
Literally.
A thin rift, glowing like broken glass, shimmered in the sky — barely noticeable unless you knew what to look for.
[Rift Signature: Confirmed]▸ Type: Infection-Class▸ Status: Dormant▸ Estimated Detonation: 2 years, 11 months, 27 days
"Guess they're starting early."
Aiden blew a trail of smoke into the sky.
And somewhere, far above—
The gods watched.
Cheering. Laughing. Betting.
While their only entertainment sharpened his blade for the next round.