The night air was cool and quiet.
Alex walked through the dim streets, hoodie up, hands in pockets, eyes scanning the sidewalk like he was avoiding life. Which—let's be honest—he kind of was. After everything that went down with the dragon, airport chaos, and you-know-who, the silence was oddly comforting.
Until—
Ding!
A familiar blue glow pinged in his vision.His Status Window opened up like a needy app notification.
[SYSTEM UPDATE – QUEST SEGMENT COMPLETED]
Congratulations, you chaotic little gremlin.You've completed Segment 1: "Dragon? What Dragon?"Rewards are now available.Try not to scream.
CLAIMABLE LOOT BOXES:
🎁 [Weapon Loot Box – Tier A]
🛡️ [Armor Loot Box – Tier A]
📈 [Random Stat Boost – +50 to any one stat]
🌀 [Skill Unlock – Random Tier]
Alex blinked.
"Wait, four boxes? Just like that?" He scratched his head. "I didn't even die this time."
He sat down on a park bench, pulled the hood back, and cracked his knuckles.
"Well, let's see what the gacha gods have for me tonight."
First Box: [Weapon – Tier A]
He tapped the icon, and the box burst open with a small flash.In his hand materialized a sleek black blade, lightweight but humming with some kind of contained energy.
A pop-up appeared:
"Void Edge – Tier A"
A high-frequency blade that cuts through matter and energy.
Glows purple. Because purple = cool.
Side effect: May whisper creepy things. Don't worry about it.
The sword pulsed once in his hand.
Alex blinked. "Yeah. Totally normal."
Second Box: [Armor – Tier A]
Another flash.Now, he wasn't sitting on the bench. He was standing in it because his new armor materialized in full.
Jet-black tactical gear, mixed with subtle futuristic plating. Sleek but mobile. Pieces adapted to his shape like it had been designed by Batman's stylist with Tony Stark's budget.
"Specter Gear – Tier A"
Advanced adaptive armor. Enhances agility, defense, and edge factor by 300%.
Comes with a built-in hoodie. Because of course it does.
Alex whistled. "Okay, now we're talking."
Third Box: [Random Stat Boost – +50]
A spinny wheel appeared.
He stared at it as it clicked through:
Strength…Agility…Charisma…Luck…Endurance…Intelligence…
Ding!
[+50 Intelligence]
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. Maybe I'll finally understand what the hell Strange keeps ranting about."
Final Box: [Random Skill – ??? Tier]
This one was the wild card. The box hovered, then burst with a digital explosion.
New Skill Acquired: "Time Blink" – Epic Tier
Allows the user to shift 2 seconds forward in time.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
WARNING: Use wisely. Bad things can follow.
Alex sat back, wide-eyed.
"…That's… actually OP as hell."
He leaned back on the bench, looking up at the stars now.The armor adapted to the movement, comfortable and flexible. His new blade remained sheathed at his back, pulsing quietly.
The system window faded.
For the first time in a while, he smiled to himself."Alright. Not a bad night."
But above him… far above in a different place entirely…A pair of unfamiliar glowing eyes observed from a screen. Watching. Calculating.
The game had only just begun.