**Arc 2: Chapter 15 – A Taste of Victory**
The apartment was alive with an energy So-ra hadn't felt in months. Her small workspace, usually cluttered with notes and tech gadgets, now had an air of triumph. Screens lit up with congratulatory messages from fellow developers, and a pile of untouched ramen cups sat on the desk as a testament to the chaos of the past few days.
Jae-min leaned back in the old office chair he'd claimed, a can of soda in his hand and a smug grin plastered across his face. "So, how does it feel to be an industry hero?"
So-ra glanced at the messages scrolling across her screen, a small, almost shy smile tugging at her lips. "It feels… surreal. People actually care about what I have to say."
"They always cared," Jae-min said, his tone firm. "They just needed to hear it through the noise of jerks like Han Joo-sung."
So-ra rolled her eyes but didn't argue. "Still, I wouldn't have been able to pull this off without you."
Jae-min smirked, taking a sip of his soda. "Obviously."
So-ra threw a crumpled piece of paper at him, laughing.
---
Elyra materialized on the couch, inspecting her nails like she was bored. "You two are disgustingly cute when you're not wallowing in misery."
Jae-min shot her a look. "Don't you have a system to run or something?"
"Done and dusted," Elyra said, her voice dripping with faux innocence. "And by the way, I've unlocked something fun for you as a reward."
A glowing panel appeared in front of Jae-min.
**[New Feature Unlocked: Influence Points]**
**Description:** Use influence points to sway decisions, manipulate outcomes, or gain insider information. Points earned through high-impact actions.
Jae-min's eyebrows shot up. "Influence points?"
Elyra nodded, smirking. "Think of it as a way to make life a little more... interesting."
---
Before Jae-min could dive deeper into the new feature, So-ra's phone buzzed. She picked it up, her face going from relaxed to tense in seconds.
"What's wrong?" Jae-min asked, straightening up.
"It's Han," So-ra said, her voice tight. "He's trying to spin the story. Says the recording was doctored and that we're just bitter competitors."
Jae-min cursed under his breath. "Of course he is. He's not the type to go down quietly."
So-ra chewed her lip, her earlier confidence faltering. "What if people believe him?"
"They won't," Jae-min said firmly. "We've got the truth on our side."
Elyra chimed in, her tone smug. "And you've got me. Want me to handle this little PR crisis for you?"
"How?" Jae-min asked, curious despite himself.
"Simple," Elyra said, snapping her fingers. Another glowing panel appeared.
**[Task Unlocked: Cement the Truth]**
**Reward:** +5 Influence Points
**Penalty for Failure:** Decreased public trust
"Fine," Jae-min muttered. "What do we do?"
---
Elyra outlined the plan, her voice brimming with confidence. The goal was to amplify So-ra's message and counter Han's lies before they gained traction. It required timing, precision, and a little bit of calculated risk.
Jae-min turned to So-ra. "Are you okay with this? It's going to mean putting yourself out there even more."
So-ra hesitated, then nodded. "If it means shutting him down for good, I'm in."
---
The plan involved two steps. First, they released additional evidence—screenshots of Han's emails and chat logs, proving his predatory behavior. Second, So-ra agreed to do a livestream Q&A, where she answered questions from her growing fanbase and laid everything out in the open.
The livestream was nerve-wracking. So-ra sat in front of her webcam, her posture stiff and her hands fidgeting in her lap. Jae-min sat just out of frame, giving her silent encouragement.
"Hi, everyone," So-ra began, her voice shaky. "I'm So-ra, the developer behind the mod you've all been talking about. I wanted to take this opportunity to address some things directly."
As she spoke, the live chat exploded with support. Messages of encouragement and solidarity poured in, drowning out the occasional troll or skeptic.
By the end of the stream, So-ra looked visibly relieved. She turned to Jae-min as soon as the camera was off. "Was that okay?"
Jae-min grinned. "You crushed it."
---
The fallout for Han Joo-sung was immediate. The additional evidence, combined with So-ra's heartfelt livestream, left no room for doubt. His company's reputation was in shambles, and developers everywhere vowed to steer clear of him.
So-ra's mod, on the other hand, gained even more attention. Offers for partnerships and collaborations flooded her inbox, each one more tempting than the last.
"You're a hot commodity now," Jae-min teased as they sifted through the emails together.
"Yeah," So-ra said, a small smile playing on her lips. "But I'm going to be a little more careful about who I trust."
"Good call," Jae-min said.
---
Later that night, Jae-min sat on the couch, Elyra lounging beside him.
"Not bad, huh?" she said, stretching like a cat.
Jae-min glanced at her. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Of course," Elyra said, smirking. "Watching you stumble your way to success is endlessly entertaining."
Jae-min rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a smile. For the first time in a long while, things were looking up—and he was ready for whatever came next.