Riku crouched beneath the buzzing streetlamp, the cold metal of a fresh coupon trembling in his hand.
[Reward: Skill Coupon - Grants 1 random Tier C skill of your choice. Valid for 10 minutes.]
He didn't hesitate. He thought of something practical—"Urban Evasion." It sounded cool, useful, and totally spy-movie worthy.
Ding! [Skill Acquired: Urban Evasion - Tier C. Duration: Permanent.]
His breath slowed, his body relaxed, and within seconds, he could practically feel the weight of every alleyway, blind corner, and fire escape around him like a sixth sense. He wasn't just faster—he was invisible in plain sight. Useful for someone still hunted by petty thugs and larger unknown enemies.
But tonight wasn't for running. Tonight was for watching.
Riku leaned against the rooftop ledge, observing a wealthy-looking teenager exit a private club, flanked by bodyguards. That boy, Kouji Kisaragi, was the nephew of a corrupt politician Riku had been tailing for days. The system had flagged Kouji earlier for "significant plot influence," which weirded him out. Was his life now a narrative? A plotline?
He pulled out a notepad—real paper—and wrote down his thoughts. Since acquiring the system, he'd decided to track every anomaly. The system worked like an RPG shop with secret layers, and it dropped hints about deeper mechanics through mission logs and reward structures.
This wasn't a game. It was more than that.
---
Back in his cramped apartment, Riku collapsed onto the second-hand couch. The flickering ceiling light cast ghostly patterns on the walls. As his new skill settled, he checked his balance.
[Balance: 2,440 Wallet Coins] [Coupons: 1x Tier D Enhancement, 1x Tier C Insight Scroll]
He was tempted to use the Insight Scroll immediately, but remembered his promise to himself: only use scrolls when it mattered.
Knock knock.
His landlady? No, it was too late. He crept to the door, and peeked through the peephole.
"Mitsue?"
The young woman on the other side wore a hoodie, oversized and damp from the rain. A former classmate. Riku hadn't seen her in months—not since he'd overheard her name involved in something shady involving blackmail.
"I need a place to crash," she said, voice low. "And... I heard you're good at finding things."
The system pinged.
[New Mission: Assist Mitsue in recovering a stolen memory card. Reward: ???]
He blinked. Memory card? A new arc.
"You're in deep trouble, aren't you?" he muttered.
"Always."
He let her in.
---
The next day was chaos.
Mitsue explained the memory card contained footage from a hidden camera that could ruin an entire Yakuza sub-branch. She had stolen it—but it had been re-stolen. The system offered minimal clues.
Riku dipped into his wallet.
[Item Purchased: Tracer Drone - Basic Grade. Cost: 100 Coins.]
He released the tiny drone, letting it flit ahead through neon-lit streets as Mitsue gave directions. Their chase ended in a busted karaoke bar in the slums.
Inside, Riku met his first true mini-antagonist: Takeru.
Former street racer. Now fixer. Muscles for brains, ego for fuel. And he had the memory card.
"You gonna pay me to hand this over, pretty boy?" Takeru laughed, twirling the card.
Riku smiled back and pulled out a bronze token.
[Item: Instant Reflex Booster - Tier D. Duration: 5 mins.]
He popped it like candy. The world slowed.
Riku lunged forward, weaving under a table, flipping it in one fluid move, and slammed Takeru's hand against the wall, forcing the memory card loose.
As he turned to leave, he heard coughing. Takeru spat blood but laughed.
"You've changed. You used to be harmless."
"I was broke. Now I'm buying power."
Back at home, Riku and Mitsue reviewed the data. Sure enough, it revealed secret dealings between the Kisaragi family and the Yakuza.
She looked at him, tired but amazed. "Why help me?"
"Because you're part of something bigger now," he said, smiling faintly.
The system chimed.
[Mission Complete. Reward: Stealth Cloak (Tier C) + 1 Free Skill Reroll Token.]
As Mitsue slept on the couch that night, Riku stared at the wall.
Power had a price. And he was paying in secrets, shadows, and sleepless nights.
But damn if it didn't feel good.