Arthur lounged in his cramped, dingy apartment, nursing a whiskey that probably cost less than the glass it was poured in. The System's glowing interface hovered in his peripheral vision, impossible to ignore even as he tried to focus on the task at hand.
A quest to blackmail someone of power. A smuggling operation tied to Victor King. Leverage in hand, but still no clear plan of attack.
"Well, System," Arthur muttered, swirling the amber liquid in his glass, "any chance you come with a 'how-to' manual? Or do I just wing it and hope for the best?"
No response, of course.
[Tip:
The System grows stronger with risk. Fear and failure are the only true limits.]
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Great. Inspirational posters now. What's next, a motivational speech?"
But the tip wasn't wrong. Blackmail wasn't new to him, it was practically his bread and butter but doing it against someone like King? That was a gamble with a very real chance of backfiring, especially after failing the first time
Still, the memory of the thugs' hasty confession made him grin. If King had a shipment this important, Arthur knew exactly how to make the man sweat.
By nightfall, Arthur had a plan or at least, the skeleton of one. He'd spent the better part of the evening making phone calls, forging documents, and planting breadcrumbs. All that was left was execution.
Dressed in his sharpest knock-off suit, Arthur strolled into The Velvet Fang, King's favored nightclub. The place screamed money, gaudy chandeliers, velvet-lined booths, and a clientele that reeked of too much cologne and too little morality.
The bouncer gave him a once-over, clearly unimpressed, but Arthur flashed his signature smirk. "Relax, big guy. I'm here on business. King's expecting me."
The lie slid off his tongue effortlessly, and the bouncer hesitated. Arthur didn't wait for him to question it. He slipped a crisp bill into the man's pocket and sauntered past, grinning to himself.
Inside, the music thumped like a second heartbeat. Arthur scanned the crowd, his eyes landed on the VIP section, where King held court like the emperor of his own tiny kingdom.
Victor King was a man who thrived on intimidation. Broad-shouldered, with a perpetual scowl and eyes that seemed to see through every lie. He was surrounded by bodyguards and sycophants, but Arthur didn't flinch. He walked straight up to the table, ignoring the murmurs of surprise.
King's gaze locked onto him, cold and calculating. "You've got some nerve showing your face here, Sterling."
Arthur grinned, sliding into an empty chair across from him. "Nerve is my most redeeming quality. Well, that and my charm. Shall we skip the pleasantries?"
The bodyguards tensed, but King waved them off, leaning forward. "You've got thirty seconds before I have you thrown out—or worse."
Arthur reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a slim folder. He slid it across the table, his smirk widening as King's expression darkened.
"See, the thing is," Arthur began, "I happen to know about a certain shipment. A very sensitive shipment. And I have to say, King, you really need better staff. They're terrible at keeping secrets."
King opened the folder, his jaw tightening as he scanned the contents. It was a mix of incriminating photos, fake shipping manifests, and just enough truth to make it all believable.
"This again? You think you can blackmail me?" King's voice was low, dangerous, "I thought you would be useful to me, that's why I didn't have you killed the first time but it seems you're foolish"
Arthur leaned back, feigning nonchalance. "Blackmail is such an ugly word. I prefer... negotiation. See, I don't want to ruin your operation. I just want a small piece of the pie. Call it a finder's fee."
King's fists clenched, but Arthur didn't give him a chance to respond.
Arthur's voice softened, taking on a persuasive edge as he activated [Silver tongue]. "Think about it, King. You shut me down, and I go public. Sure, you could take me out afterward, but the damage would already be done. Or... you could let me help. I've got connections, I've got skill, and most importantly, I've got nothing to lose."
The effect was subtle but undeniable. King's scowl lessened, his body language shifting from aggression to consideration.
"Or I could Kill you now and go back to sipping on expensive wine off the breasts of women you only see in your dreams"
Arthur smiled, "You sip wine off your mother's breasts?" He fired back quickly
King's bodyguards began approaching him but King stopped them with a wave of his hand.
"To answer your earlier question, yes you could kill me right here and now but do you really want to do that? You think I'd walk in here without a failsafe?" He bluffed knowing fully well that he had no failsafe. If King were to kill him, nothing would happen
"Failsafe?"
"Kill me and find out" Arthur replied with a bright, confident grin
"You've got guts, I'll give you that," King said finally. "But guts don't mean much without loyalty. Why should I trust you?"
Arthur chuckled. "You shouldn't. Trust is for suckers. But you can rely on my self-interest. As long as I'm making money, I've got no reason to cross you. And let's face it—you need someone like me. Someone who can handle the dirty work without getting his hands too dirty."
The tension lingered for a moment longer, but then King leaned back, a slow smile spreading across his face. "You've got a mouth on you, Sterling. Fine. I'll give you a chance. But if you screw me over—"
"You'll kill me, throw my body in a ditch, and make it look like an accident," Arthur finished with a grin. "Understood. Now, how about a drink to celebrate our new partnership?"
King laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that sent shivers down Arthur's spine. But it wasn't fear—it was exhilaration.
As the bartender brought over a round, Arthur couldn't help but glance at the glowing interface in his mind.
[Quest Complete:
The Art of Blackmail
Reward: System Upgrade and new ability unlocked.
New Ability Unlocked:
Leverage Vault (Passive): The System automatically gathers and organizes leverage on key targets. ]
Arthur smirked, raising his glass in a silent toast. The game had just begun, slowly but surely.
His fingers tapped against the edge of the glass he was holding as he replayed his previous encounter with Victor King in his mind. The memory of that disastrous attempt to blackmail the man made him grit his teeth.
It had been a stupid, impulsive move, a shot in the dark without proper ammunition. He had barged into King's territory with a bluff too flimsy to hold, and King had practically laughed him out of the building.
"That was rookie work," Arthur muttered to himself, swirling the amber liquid. "But this time? This time, I'll play it smart."
The System's interface hovered faintly in his mind, the completed quest and its rewards were a silent reminder of his new advantage.
Clairvoyance and Silver Tongue had already proved useful, saving his life and talking his way out of sticky situations.
But now? Now he had something new : The Leverage Vault.
With a thought he accessed the vault.
[Leverage Vault Activated:
Leverage has been gathered on Victor King. Opening files now…]
Arthur's grin widened as a series of dossiers unfurled in his mind, detailing King's operations, associates, and most importantly, his weak points.
The System had worked in the background, collecting the breadcrumbs Arthur had unknowingly left behind during his previous interactions with King and his men.
"Well, King," Arthur said, smirking to himself, "I might've stumbled before, but this time? I've got you.
Climb the ranks of society or sink, right system? I choose to climb and I'll start by eating you up and taking your crown, King!!"