Chapter 4: JUST YOU WAIT

Thank fuck I had insurance.

After a quick scan showed I had no serious damage in my brain, they just stitched up the dog bite on my calf and sent me home. Other than some bruises and soreness, I was physically okay. Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about yesterday. That bastard had beaten the shit out of me over a fucking cat.

Fuck him.

I pushed open my broken door and stepped inside. The moment I heard the weak click, I collapsed onto the couch, exhausted. A few seconds later the door creaked open again on its own, but I didn’t bother getting up. I was too tired to even lift a finger.

"What the hell was that box...?" I muttered.

I shook my head and covered my face with both hands. No. Before I started thinking about glowing blue screens and weird messages, I needed a shower. I stank of dried blood and sweat, and my clothes felt disgusting.

With a groan, I forced myself up from the couch. My body ached with every movement as I shuffled through the small apartment toward the bathroom. The cramped space barely had room for a toilet, a tiny sink, and a shower cabin that always felt like it was closing in on me.

I stripped off my bloody, dirty clothes and dumped them on the floor. Stepping into the shower, I turned the handle and let the hot water rain down on me. I stood there for a long time, just letting it wash over my sore muscles, watching the reddish water swirl down the drain. Slowly, I rinsed the blood and grime off my skin.

When I finally stepped out, I rolled my stiff shoulders and let out a long breath. I dried myself with an old towel, then walked into the bedroom and grabbed a plain black t-shirt and grey sweatpants.

"Feels better..." I muttered.

I headed to the kitchen area and opened the fridge. No real food, as usual. I grabbed a cold beer instead, twisted the cap off, and took a long sip. It wasn’t much of a meal, but it would have to do.

As I drank, memories of last night came flooding back, the crying, the laughing, the screaming "fuck everyone" like a madman. I shook my head in disgust.

"Stupid..." I whispered to myself, then took another swig.

The clock on the wall read 1 PM. The sun was finally up and about, bright and mocking after yesterday’s endless rain. The apartment felt slightly less depressing with actual daylight coming through the windows, for once.

"Okay... now what is this?"

As if the damn thing had heard me, a glowing menu suddenly materialized in front of my eyes.

It knew my name. And right at the top, a small notification flashed: You have 10 unspent points.

I stared at the menu, heart beating faster as I examined it. Core Stats... Charisma, Endurance, Perception, Luck. Just like the RPGs I used to grind for hours. And right now, most of them were pathetically low.

"What if I..."

With nothing to lose, I started assigning the points. Four into Charisma, bringing it up to 5. Two into Luck. The remaining four went into Endurance. A confirmation window popped up. I shrugged and clicked yes.

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MAIN MENU

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NAME: Chance Brooks

LVL: 1 [0/100]

RANK: -

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[ CORE STATS ]

> CHA: 5

> END: 5

> PER: 1

> LCK: 3

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[ ENERGY ]

> LUST : 140/140

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[ ACTIVE PERKS ]

> [The Outsider]

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SIN POINTS: 0

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I blinked. My Energy had jumped from 100 to 140. So Endurance also affected that... Interesting.

I dismissed the menu and tapped on Sin Points. A much larger shop appeared.

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SIN SHOP

[ Balance: 0 SP ]

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[ CONSUMABLES ]

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> AMNESIA DUST: 500 SP

[5m memory erase for Target]

> TRUTH SERUM: 800 SP

[10m forced honesty from Target]

> LUST OVERDRIVE: 1,000 SP

[Refill + Double Lust cap for 2h]

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[ PASSIVE PERKS ]

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> SCENT OF ONE: 2,500 SP

[Target ’Ideal’ scent: +25% Favor]

> GHOST CAM: 3,500 SP

[60s Target-POV vision per day]

> COMMAND VOICE: 5,000 SP

[Orders bypass Loyalty once]

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[ WORLD SHAPERS ]

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> BETA CONTRACT: 10,000 SP

[Partner: No anger, only service]

> HOME ADVANTAGE: 7,500 SP

[+10 Stats inside Target’s home]

> SOCIAL PARASITE: 12,000 SP

[Viewed as ’Natural’ in any home]

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[ SELECT AN ITEM TO PURChance ]

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This was insane.

The headache got worse, but my mind was racing. This system had shown me Sarah’s info too. 80% loyalty to that piece of shit Hubert. And those grievances... the exact things he was failing at as a husband.

I finally understood.

"Always the good guy..." I whispered bitterly.

A cold chill ran down my spine as the realization hit me like a freight train.

All my life I had been stepped on. Used. Ignored. I played nice. I helped everyone. I swallowed my pride and stayed quiet while assholes like Hubert got everything, or like my damn neighbor, loud sex every night, a hot wife, respect I never got.

And what did I receive in return?

A broken door. Blood on my floor. Debt. Loneliness.

My hands slowly clenched into fists.

No more.

This system... it wasn’t just some hallucination. It was a weapon. A fucking golden ticket dropped right into my lap. The grievances, the loyalty meter, the wedge, everything was telling me exactly how to ruin that bastard’s life.

I could steal his wife. I could take everything from him.

And the best part? Sarah would thank me for it.

A dark, twisted smile slowly spread across my bruised face. For the first time in years, something other than emptiness burned in my chest.

"Fucking Hubert..." I said, teeth gritted. "Just you wait."

I stared at the menu.

"I’m going to be the one who takes everything, from now on."

❤︎‬‪‪❤︎‬‪‪❤︎