The following morning, Jhon woke up with the weight of last night's events still pressing down on him. The Fortune System's notifications had been ringing in his mind for hours, but no amount of new abilities could shake the growing danger he now found himself in. Kastov knew about him, and Vincent Gerard was now marked by the tracking device that Jhon had planted. But this was only the beginning.
Fortune System: [New Task: Investigate Vincent Gerard's Associates. Reward: 300,000 FP.]
Jhon stared at the new task. The deeper he went, the more complex the network surrounding Kastov became. Vincent Gerard wasn't the only piece in this puzzle; there were more, much more. The reward attached to this task, though enticing, only served to remind him that his situation was growing more perilous by the second.
He rubbed his temples and leaned back in his chair, staring at the screens in front of him. The data from the virus he had planted was flowing in. Private emails, phone records, transaction details—Gerard's entire operation laid bare before him. And yet, there was so much more to uncover.
Jhon: "Where do I even begin..."
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
His body tensed. No one should know where he was, especially not after the gala. The Fortune System had given him various survival skills, but even with all his newfound talents, there was an instinctive fear that something could go wrong.
He approached the door slowly, his hand hovering over the gun concealed in his jacket.
Voice: "It's me."
The familiar sound of Elara's voice filtered through the door. He relaxed slightly, though the edge of caution remained. He opened the door to find her standing there, as elegant as ever, but there was something different about her—something sharper.
Jhon: "I wasn't expecting you."
Elara stepped inside, her presence commanding the room as always. She moved gracefully to the center, her eyes scanning the data that flashed across the screens.
Elara: "Things are moving faster than we anticipated. You've stirred the hornet's nest, Jhon."
Jhon crossed his arms, his brow furrowed.
Jhon: "That was the plan, wasn't it? We need to shake them up if we're going to bring Kastov down."
Elara smirked, but there was no humor in it.
Elara: "Yes, but now they know you're more than just a minor inconvenience. You've become a target."
Her words hung in the air, and Jhon's mind raced. He had expected blowback from last night's mission, but he hadn't realized just how fast the ripples would spread.
Elara: "Kastov is moving his pieces. He's not just sitting idle. Vincent Gerard has already ordered a hit on you."
Jhon's stomach dropped. He had heard the threat at the gala, but hearing it from Elara made it all the more real. He was a marked man, and the clock was ticking.
Jhon: "So what's the next move? You didn't come here just to tell me that, did you?"
Elara's smile returned, and this time, there was a glint of excitement in her eyes.
Elara: "I came here to give you the tools to fight back."
She reached into her coat and pulled out a sleek, black case. She placed it on the table in front of Jhon, her fingers lingering on it for a moment before stepping back.
Jhon eyed the case suspiciously.
Jhon: "What is this?"
Elara's voice dropped to a whisper, her tone conspiratorial.
Elara: "It's a weapon. Something far more powerful than a gun or a knife. It's a tool of manipulation, deception, and control. If you're going to survive in this world, you need more than just brute strength—you need influence."
Jhon opened the case to reveal what appeared to be a simple, unassuming earpiece and a small device that resembled a phone but with no visible buttons.
Elara: "That earpiece will connect you to a private network of the most dangerous players in the underground world. With this, you can listen in on their conversations, manipulate their deals, and turn them against each other. The device is a control unit—it gives you the ability to feed false information into their systems. In the right hands, it can bring empires to their knees."
Jhon stared at the devices, the enormity of the offer sinking in.
Jhon: "Why are you giving me this?"
Elara leaned in, her eyes burning with intensity.
Elara: "Because, Jhon, I need you to win. Kastov is more than just a powerful man—he's a force. If you fall, he will sweep over everything. But if you rise, if you take control, we can reshape the entire world."
Her words filled the room with a sense of urgency and power. Jhon understood now—this wasn't just about him. Elara had her own reasons for wanting Kastov gone, and in some twisted way, they were aligned. For now.
Jhon: "Alright. I'll use it. But if I'm going to survive, I need more than just tools—I need information. I need to know who else is involved, who else is coming after me."
Elara nodded, her expression softening slightly.
Elara: "Of course. That's where we start. There are three key figures in Gerard's network that you need to be aware of. Each of them controls a different sector of his operations, and each of them will come after you in their own way."
She pulled out a small tablet and tapped the screen, bringing up images of three individuals.
Elara: "This is Anton Varga, Gerard's right-hand man. He handles the arms deals and is responsible for most of the violence in the organization. Then there's Lydia Westfield—she's the one who manages their money. Without her, the entire operation would collapse. And finally, there's Victor Reyes—he runs the underground trafficking rings. He's the most dangerous of them all, and the one you need to be most careful of."
Jhon studied the profiles, each more terrifying than the last. These were powerful people, and they wouldn't go down easily.
Jhon: "So what's the plan? How do we take them out?"
Elara's smile returned, and this time it was filled with dark anticipation.
Elara: "One at a time, Jhon. One at a time."
The air in the room seemed to grow heavier as the gravity of the situation settled in. Jhon was in deep now, deeper than he had ever been. But with the Fortune System on his side and Elara's resources at his disposal, he was ready for the challenge.
The first step was to take down Anton Varga, and he knew that this would require more than just strategy—it would require deception, manipulation, and a willingness to cross lines that could never be uncrossed.
===
The First Strike
Later that night, Jhon sat in his darkened apartment, staring at the devices Elara had given him. The earpiece hummed quietly as he slipped it into his ear, connecting him to a world of secrets and lies.
Fortune System: [New Task: Neutralize Anton Varga. Reward: 500,000 FP.]
The message blinked in front of him, and Jhon's heart raced. He had faced danger before, but this was different. Anton Varga was a killer, and Jhon knew that if he made one wrong move, it would be his last.
But the Fortune System had brought him this far, and it wouldn't let him down now. He was ready for whatever came next.
As the night deepened, Jhon listened to the conversations flowing through the earpiece, his mind racing as he pieced together Anton's movements. He was going to strike, and when he did, it would change everything.
Jhon knew one thing for certain—this was a game he couldn't afford to lose.
[ A/N : Thank You @Vijay_Daniel_9127 for the first power stone]