Pain. That was the first thing Arthur felt as consciousness dragged him back to reality. Every nerve in his body screamed, each breath a struggle. The cold pavement beneath him seemed to mock his usual cocky demeanor.
"Arthur," he mumbled to himself, eyes half-closed. "You really know how to pick your battles."
His mind floated in and out of focus, but then, something strange happened. The pain began to dull, replaced by an almost... soothing hum. Like a distant whisper, faint yet persistent.
[Ding!]
A sound rang in his head, sharp and clear, like the chime of an elevator. Arthur groaned. "Great. I'm dying, and now I'm hearing things. Lovely."
But then, a screen appeared. Not on the pavement in front of him, but in his mind. A glowing blue interface that seemed both alien and oddly familiar.
[System Initialization Complete!]
[Welcome, Arthur Sterling. You have been chosen to wield the Scoundrel's System. Your wit, charm, and indomitable spirit make you an ideal candidate]
Arthur blinked, his mind scrambling to make sense of what he was seeing. "Okay, either I've been hit so hard I'm hallucinating, or I've finally gone insane. Both are equally likely."
The text continued to scroll as if it hadn't heard his sarcasm.
[System Overview
The Scoundrel's System enhances your natural talents for manipulation, deception, and opportunism. Use it wisely to climb the ranks of society or sink into obscurity.
[Starting Abilities Unlocked:
Clairvoyance (Active): Glimpse five seconds into the future when activated. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Silver Tongue (Active): Boosts your persuasion ability, increasing the chances of convincing someone. Duration: 5 minutes. Cooldown: 30 minutes.]
[Quest Activated:
The Art of Blackmail
Objective: Blackmail a powerful figure into giving you something of significant value. Reward: System Upgrade and additional ability unlock. ]
Arthur stared at the glowing text, the words sinking in slowly. "Scoundrel's System? Blackmail quest? What is this, some kind of cosmic joke?"
Pushing himself into a sitting position, Arthur winced as his ribs protested. He glanced around. The alley was empty, the gang that had jumped him nowhere to be seen. Either they thought he was dead, or they'd decided to leave him alive as a warning.
"Okay, let's assume for a second this isn't a concussion talking," Arthur muttered, staring at the translucent interface in his mind. "A system that enhances manipulation? Sounds... like my kind of thing."
As if responding to his acknowledgment, another *ding* echoed in his head, and a smaller notification popped up.
[Tip:
The System's abilities grow stronger the more you use them. Take risks, embrace challenges, and outwit your opponents to unlock new perks and upgrades. ]
Arthur smirked, despite the ache in his jaw. "Outwit my opponents? That's practically my middle name." He tried to stand, his legs shaky beneath him, but the thought of what he could do with these abilities kept him upright.
"Clairvoyance, huh?" he muttered. "Let's see what five seconds into the future looks like."
Focusing on the ability, Arthur felt a strange pull behind his eyes. The world around him shimmered briefly, and then...
In his mind's eye, he saw a flash of himself stepping forward only to slip on a patch of spilled motor oil and fall flat on his face.
The vision faded, and Arthur blinked, glancing down. Sure enough, a puddle of oil glistened just a step ahead.
"Well, that's embarrassing," he muttered, carefully stepping around it. "But also, very useful."
The sound of approaching footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts. Arthur ducked into the shadows, peering out to see two men in suits walking down the alley, their voices low but hurried.
"You sure King's not going to find out?" one of them asked.
"Relax," the other replied. "The deal's clean. As long as nobody talks, we're golden."
Arthur's lips curved into a slow grin. "Well, well. What do we have here?"
He stepped out of the shadows, hands in his pockets, his cocky demeanor back in place. "Gentlemen, I couldn't help but overhear. Something about a deal?"
The men froze, their eyes narrowing. "Who the hell are you?"
Arthur tilted his head, feigning offense. "Just a concerned citizen. You know, someone who cares deeply about the integrity of shady back-alley dealings."
The taller of the two men stepped forward, his hand reaching for something inside his jacket. "You've got five seconds to walk away, buddy."
Arthur smirked, his mind racing. "Oh, I'd love to. But here's the thing: I happen to be very curious by nature. And curiosity, as they say, is hard to kill."
He activated Clairvoyance without hesitation.
The world shifted. In his mind's eye, Arthur saw the taller man pulling a gun from his jacket, aiming it at his chest. He sidestepped just as the trigger was pulled, the bullet ricochet harmlessly off a nearby dumpster. The shorter man lunged at him, but Arthur ducked, snatching the weapon from his hand and pressing it to his throat.
The vision faded, and Arthur returned to the present, his heart pounding but his body moving automatically.
Arthur sidestepped just as the taller man reached for his gun. The weapon came out, but Arthur was already in motion, his foot hooking around the man's ankle and sending him sprawling to the ground. Before the second man could react, Arthur grabbed his wrist, twisted it, and yanked the gun away.
In less than five seconds, Arthur had the taller man pinned to the ground and the shorter one staring down the barrel of his own weapon.
"You were saying?" Arthur quipped, his smirk widening.
The shorter man froze, his hands slowly raising in surrender. "W-We don't want trouble, alright?"
"Trouble?" Arthur mused, pretending to consider. "That depends. You're working for King, aren't you? I'd bet this 'deal' of yours isn't exactly above board."
The shorter man's eyes darted to his partner, who groaned on the ground. "We can't talk about it—"
Arthur pressed the gun harder against the man's neck. "You can. You will. Or I'll let my curiosity run wild. And trust me, I'm very thorough."
It didn't take much more convincing before the men spilled everything. A shipment of illegal contraband King's property was being smuggled out of the city tonight. If word got out, it would ruin a major business deal King was counting on to solidify his power.
Arthur grinned as he pieced it together. Not only did he have something King would do anything to protect, but he also had a way to leverage it into something far more lucrative.
He straightened, tossing the gun into a nearby dumpster. "Pleasure doing business, gentlemen. Now, I suggest you run along before I change my mind about leaving you alive."
The men didn't wait for a second invitation. They bolted down the alley, stumbling over each other in their haste to escape.
Arthur watched them go, his grin faded into something more contemplative. "A System that rewards manipulation and risks, huh?" He glanced at the glowing interface still hovering in his mind.
[Quest Update:
The Art of Blackmail
Progress: You've obtained leverage over a powerful figure. Now, use it to secure something of significant value ]
Arthur chuckled, running a hand through his messy hair. "I've got to admit, this might just be the most fun I've ever had while bleeding."
Ignoring the dull ache in his ribs, he headed back toward his apartment. He had a meeting to prepare for, and Victor King was going to learn the hard way that underestimating him was the worst mistake of his life.