Victor's victory over Nathan Graves had not only bolstered his reputation but also deepened his control over the city's elite. His manipulation skills, enhanced by the system's reward, allowed him to weave a network of influence that extended into every corner of Elaris. The once-hidden puppet master now stood more powerful, his fingers wrapped around the throats of businessmen, politicians, and crime lords alike.
In the days following Nathan's downfall, Victor wasted no time securing his next target. He had his eyes on a formidable figure, one who, like Nathan, had been blessed with the elusive luck that made them a key player in the world's future. This time, it was a business magnate, Alexander Ward, who had built an empire in the technological sector. The man was a genius inventor, but more importantly, he was a "son of luck."
Victor sat in his office, reviewing dossiers on Alexander's known associates and potential weaknesses. His mind churned with possibilities, crafting strategies to bring the man down. The system had already provided Victor with a clue: Alexander's greatest strength—his intellect—was also his greatest vulnerability. The man had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, often pushing himself beyond his limits in his quest for technological innovation.
A smile crept across Victor's face as he formulated a plan. If Alexander's ambition could be fueled and redirected, it could become his undoing. All it would take was the right nudge, the right bait, to make the man destroy himself.
Victor reached out to his latest acquisition in the media industry, a small but influential tech magazine that often published stories about the latest advancements. He crafted a series of articles praising Alexander's inventions while subtly planting seeds of doubt about the future sustainability of his projects. With each article, the pressure mounted on Alexander, forcing him to double down on his work, to push his employees harder, to take risks he wouldn't normally take.
Victor's manipulation didn't stop there. He had already infiltrated Alexander's company, placing spies in key positions who fed him valuable information. It wasn't long before Alexander's board of directors began to question his leadership, concerned that his obsession with progress was leading the company down a dangerous path. Investors began to waver, and soon, rumors of instability within the company started circulating in financial circles.
But Victor knew that wasn't enough. Alexander, like any "son of luck," had an uncanny ability to survive even the most perilous situations. He needed something more personal, something that would shake Alexander to his core. And that was when Victor discovered the inventor's secret—a woman, one who had been Alexander's muse, his inspiration for many of his most successful inventions.
Her name was Sophia, and she had been out of Alexander's life for years, but her influence on him remained. Victor had his spies track her down, finding her living in quiet obscurity, far away from the limelight. It didn't take much to persuade her to meet with Victor—after all, she had her own grievances against Alexander, and the promise of revenge was a powerful motivator.
When Victor met Sophia, he immediately saw why Alexander had been so captivated by her. She was intelligent, strikingly beautiful, and possessed a sharp wit that could cut through even the most guarded of defenses. Victor wasted no time bringing her into his fold, manipulating her anger and resentment until she was eager to be part of his plan.
With Sophia by his side, Victor made his next move. He arranged a meeting between her and Alexander, knowing full well the emotional chaos it would cause. The reunion was bitter and filled with unresolved tension. Victor, watching from the shadows, could see the cracks beginning to form in Alexander's carefully constructed facade. The man who had always seemed so composed and in control was unraveling, unable to handle the turmoil Sophia had brought back into his life.
And that was when Victor struck the final blow.
He leaked critical information to Alexander's competitors, allowing them to steal key patents from his company. The fallout was immediate and catastrophic. Investors pulled out en masse, the stock plummeted, and Alexander's once-great empire began to collapse around him. The media, ever hungry for a scandal, painted Alexander as a reckless genius who had flown too close to the sun.
Alexander, broken and desperate, turned to the only person he thought he could trust—Sophia. But she, under Victor's influence, betrayed him. She revealed that she had been working with Victor all along, that everything he had endured had been part of a carefully crafted scheme to bring him down.
The shock was too much for Alexander. The man who had once stood at the pinnacle of innovation now stood on the edge of ruin, with nothing left but the knowledge that he had been outwitted at every turn.
As Alexander's company crumbled and his reputation lay in tatters, Victor received another notification from the system.
**[Son of Luck, Alexander Ward, defeated. Reward: Advanced Strategic Insight.]**
The thrill of victory washed over Victor, but as always, he remained calm and composed. This was just another step in his grand plan, another son of luck brought to his knees. There were still others out there, still more enemies to defeat, but Victor had no doubt that he would succeed.
With each victory, his power grew, and the world around him bent to his will. But Victor knew that true control was never absolute, that the seeds of chaos could never be fully eradicated. And that was exactly how he liked it.