The Rolls Royce glided back through the city, the setting sun painting the skyscrapers in hues of orange and red. The subtle aura of unease I'd spread with [The Joker's Laugh] was dissipating, but the impression lingered. People were already talking about "that weird chill" in the Central District. My first whisper of terror.
Leo, my grandfather's driver, still looked shaken. He hadn't seen a fight, but he had felt the palpable shift in my presence, the unspoken authority that now radiated from me. He drove with a new respect, even a hint of fear, in his posture. Good.
Back in the mansion, the Elders had cleared out, leaving behind a sterile silence and the faint scent of fear. Silas's shares were in my account, the vault keys secured. The Cain Clan's vast network of legitimate and illicit businesses was now under my control, awaiting my command.
But money and influence were just tools. Power, true power, came from the System.
I locked myself in my private study—a cavernous room filled with antique books and a holographic globe that projected the world's real-time crime statistics. I leaned back in the high-backed leather chair, the glow of the GTAS interface illuminating my face.
[Total Fear Tickets: 600]
"GTAS," I thought, "Execute a mass Gacha draw. Use all 600 tickets."
[Confirmation: 600 Fear Tickets will be consumed for 6 Gacha Draws. Confirm? Y/N]
"Confirm."
The wheel appeared, larger and more vibrant than before. It spun, then slowed, colors blurring into streaks before settling on a single, blazing segment.
[Spin 1 Result: Black-Gold Rank – Mind Breaker (Active Ability: Induces targeted extreme paranoia and psychological collapse in enemies. Can trigger hallucinations and acute phobias.)]
My breath hitched. Mind Breaker. This wasn't just fear; this was psychological warfare on a grand scale. The Joker's Laugh was a subtle chill, but this... this was shattering someone's sanity. This was the true terror I needed.
The wheel spun again, faster this time.
[Spin 2 Result: Black Rank – Shadow Blink (Active Ability: Teleport short distances between areas of shadow. Cooldown: 5 seconds.)]
Perfect for infiltration. The [Criminal Mastermind] knew every blind spot; [Shadow Blink] would let me exploit them. I wasn't just "Unseen"; I could now literally vanish.
[Spin 3 Result: Purple Rank – Voice Mimicry (Active Ability: Perfectly replicate any voice heard within the last 24 hours. Can be projected.)]
Another excellent tool for sowing chaos and misinformation. I could turn allies against each other with a single, perfectly faked command.
[Spin 4 Result: Blue Rank – Data Ghost (Passive Ability: Untraceable digital presence. Cannot be tracked by conventional or System-based electronic means.)]
With my inherited fortune, I now controlled an empire of data. This ability made me the ultimate ghost in the machine. No one would ever know who was pulling the strings.
[Spin 5 Result: Green Rank – Bulletproof Overcoat (Durable Clothing: Offers protection against small arms fire and blunt force trauma.)]
Practical. My [Super Soldier Serum] body was tough, but a little extra protection never hurt.
[Spin 6 Result: White Rank – A Single, Slightly Bent Paperclip.]
I chuckled. Even with 600 tickets, GTAS loved to throw in a piece of trash. But with the powers I'd just gained, that paperclip felt like a small price to pay.
"GTAS, integrate all abilities and items," I commanded.
The integration was swift, a torrent of new knowledge and instincts flooding my mind. My brain felt sharper, capable of processing information at an accelerated rate. I could feel the subtle shifts in the shadows, an innate understanding of their potential pathways.
"Now, for the plan," I murmured, turning to the holographic globe. It showed a real-time feed of major infrastructure. My golden eyes settled on a massive, floating billboard above the city's busiest plaza—the "Heroic Deeds Display."
It was a constant loop of the top-ranked Heroes, including those involved in the 'rescue' mission that had killed my parents. It was a monument to their lies. And it would be my first canvas.
I opened a secure channel to Leo. "Leo, I need a vehicle. Something inconspicuous. And a secure, discreet entry into the Central Plaza. No CCTV, no system-user patrols in the vicinity. Use the old tunnels from Grandpa's network. And bring me the Stealth Camouflage Suit."
"Understood, Young Master. It will be ready in thirty minutes."
Thirty minutes later, I stood in a hidden garage deep beneath the mansion. Leo waited next to a sleek, black electric car—a ghost on the city streets. He handed me a compact package.
Inside was the [Stealth Camouflage Suit]. It was made of a flexible, dark material that seemed to absorb light, making it difficult to focus on. As I put it on, it molded to my body, the internal tech humming softly. I felt like a shadow given form. The [High-Frequency Vibrating Blade], a sleek, jet-black tanto, was secured to my thigh.
"Leo, I want an anonymous data burst sent to every major news outlet in the city at 03:00 AM sharp," I instructed, my voice flat, devoid of emotion. "The message: 'The Unseen watches. The truth will be revealed.' Use the new data protocols."
"At 03:00 AM, Young Master," Leo confirmed, a hint of unease in his tone. He didn't ask questions. He just obeyed.
The drive was silent. The city slept, bathed in the soft glow of distant streetlights. We stopped near an abandoned subway entrance—one of my grandfather's forgotten routes.
"Wait here," I told Leo. "And don't look back."
I activated the [Stealth Camouflage Suit]. The world seemed to shimmer around me, and then I was gone. No longer visible to the naked eye. No longer traceable.
I moved through the dark, damp tunnels, a ghost in the forgotten arteries of the city. The [Criminal Mastermind] talent guided me, identifying weak points in the ancient infrastructure. The [Shadow Blink] ability was exhilarating. A flicker of movement, and I was meters ahead, melting from one patch of darkness to another.
Soon, I emerged into the heart of the Central Plaza. It was deserted, save for the occasional drone camera sweeping the skies. Above me, the "Heroic Deeds Display" glowed, a monument to the very lies I intended to expose. It showed Apollo, his chiseled jaw gleaming, saving a cat from a tree. Propaganda.
I used [Shadow Blink] to ascend the side of the towering building, a silent phantom in the night. The security sensors, designed to detect physical mass and energy signatures, registered nothing. The [Data Ghost] ability ensured that not a single byte of my presence was recorded.
Reaching the control panel for the display, I pulled out a small, specialized data jack from my utility belt. My [Criminal Mastermind] and [Data Ghost] talents synchronized. I didn't just hack it; I became one with its system.
I uploaded a new video. A silent, terrifying montage.
It started with a grainy, distorted image of my parents, not as 'Heroes,' but as desperate, cornered figures. Then, it cut to flashes of the 'Hero Association' logo, subtly corrupted, its shining symbol twisting into a leering skull. The screen flickered with subliminal messages: 'They Lie.' 'They Kill.' 'They Control.'
And then, for a single, terrifying second, a pair of golden, predatory eyes flashed across the entire colossal screen.
I set a timer. The video would loop for precisely ten minutes, starting at 03:00 AM, synced with Leo's anonymous data burst.
I slipped back into the shadows, descending as silently as I had risen. The city was about to awaken to its first true nightmare.
[System Notification: Massive Fear Potential Activated!]
By the time Leo picked me up, the clock on the dashboard read 02:58 AM. Two minutes until the chaos began.
"Home, Leo," I said, a dark smile playing on my lips. "It's going to be a long day."