Chapter 3: First Blood
I could feel every eye in the VIP section locked on me. Phones were up, red recording lights blinking like tiny predators. The bass thumped through the floor, but it sounded far away now, like the club had shrunk to just this table, this moment, these two people who thought they'd already buried me.
Marcus Voss stood there towering, all six-three of him in that perfect white suit, face twisted between confusion and anger. Sofia stayed seated, clutching her drink like it was a shield, eyes wide and glassy.
I took another step forward. Not fast. Not aggressive. Just deliberate.
The Charm boost was still humming under my skin, warm and electric, like I'd chugged three shots of something stronger than liquor. Words came easy. Confidence felt real. For the first time tonight, I wasn't the one shrinking.
Marcus jabbed a finger at my chest. "You got some nerve coming back in here after getting tossed. Security!"
One of the bouncers started moving from the rope line, but I didn't flinch. I kept my eyes on Marcus.
"You sure you want them to drag me out again?" I asked quietly. "Last time was embarrassing enough. This time? With all these cameras? Your brand takes a hit, not mine."
He hesitated. Just a flicker, but I saw it.
The interface chimed softly in my head—only I could hear it.
[Sub-mission progress: 30%. Public humiliation window still open.]
[Tip: Leverage audience attention for maximum impact.]
I glanced around. At least twenty people were watching now. Some laughing nervously. Others filming vertical videos, the way people do when drama's about to pop off.
Perfect.
I turned back to Marcus. Smiled small.
"You called me the delivery boy," I said loud enough for the nearest tables to hear. "That's fair. I was. Still am, technically. But you know what's funny?"
I pulled out my phone again, held it up so the neon blue glow lit my face.
"This little thing just deposited fifty grand into my account. Right now. While we're standing here."
Marcus snorted. "Bullshit. Show me."
I tapped the screen. A fake bank notification popped up—courtesy of the system, I guess—showing a balance jump from $47.32 to $50,047.32.
I tilted the phone toward him.
His smirk faltered when he saw the numbers.
Sofia leaned forward. "Jax… what the hell is going on?"
I ignored her. Kept talking to Marcus.
"See, I came back to reclaim something," I said. "Not her. My dignity. And right now? I'm thinking the best way to do that is to make sure everyone here knows exactly who the real joke is."
I raised my voice just a notch.
"Yo, everybody listen up!"
Heads turned faster.
"This guy?" I pointed at Marcus without looking away from him. "He just spent the last hour bragging about how he 'acquired' my girlfriend. Like she's a yacht or a watch. Told me I was holding her back because I deliver pizzas for a living."
A few gasps. A couple laughs—mean ones, aimed at him now.
I kept going.
"But here's the thing. While he was busy flexing his daddy's money and his rented VIP table, I just got handed the keys to something way bigger. And trust me, Marcus… you're about to feel what it's like to be the one left outside in the rain."
Marcus's face darkened. He stepped closer, voice low and dangerous.
"You think you can walk in here and talk to me like that? You're nobody."
The interface chimed again.
[Sub-mission progress: 65%. Trigger phrase detected. Final push available.]
[Option: Activate targeted humiliation burst. Cost: 100 Neon Points. Effect: Amplified public embarrassment on target for 60 seconds.]
I had no idea what "humiliation burst" meant, but I had 500 points burning a hole in whatever digital wallet the system used.
I mentally selected it.
A soft vibration ran through my phone.
Then it happened.
Marcus's phone—sitting on the table next to his drink—suddenly lit up. Loud. A notification sound blared over the music.
Then another.
Then a dozen.
His screen started flashing with texts, DMs, tags—stuff pouring in so fast the phone vibrated across the glass.
He snatched it up.
His face went from red to pale in seconds.
"What the fuck…"
I didn't need to see the screen to know what was happening. The system had done something. Maybe pulled every embarrassing post he'd ever made, every shady DM, every time he'd talked shit about people behind their backs. Or maybe it just amplified rumors. Didn't matter.
The VIP crowd was already crowding closer, peering over shoulders.
Someone laughed out loud. "Yo, is that him in that old thirst trap vid? With the filter fail?"
Another voice: "Bro's got Venmo requests from three years ago popping up. 'Pay me back for the coke, Marcus.'"
Marcus's hands shook. He tried to turn the phone off. It wouldn't.
Sofia stood up. "Marcus? What's happening?"
He spun on her. "Shut up!"
Too late.
The crowd was turning. Phones everywhere. Laughter spreading like fire.
I stepped back one pace.
The timer hit thirty minutes remaining.
[Sub-mission complete: Humiliate Marcus Voss publicly.]
[Bonus Reward: +200 Neon Points + Instant $10,000 deposit.]
[Main Mission 1 progress: 85%. Final objective: Exit with dignity intact.]
I looked at Sofia one last time.
She was staring at me like she'd never seen me before. Fear. Confusion. Maybe a little regret.
I didn't feel sorry for her.
I felt nothing.
"Enjoy the rest of your birthday," I said. "Don't worry about me. I got places to be."
I turned.
The bouncers were standing at the rope now, but they didn't move to stop me.
One even nodded slightly. Respect? Fear? Didn't care.
I walked out of VIP, through the club, past the dance floor, out the front door.
The rain had slowed to a drizzle.
My phone buzzed again—notifications from the system.
[Main Mission 1: Complete.]
[Rewards deposited: $50,000 + Charm +10 (permanent) + 500 Neon Points + Bonus $10,000.]
[Current Balance: $60,047.32]
[Level Up: Neon Empire Rank 1 → Rank 2.]
[New Feature Unlocked: Daily Sign-In.]
[New Mission Available: Build Your First Asset.]
I stopped on the sidewalk, looked up at the neon skyline.
For the first time in years, I smiled for real.
No more delivering pizzas.
No more begging for scraps.
The king of Miami just woke up.
And the game was only getting started.