CHAPTER 1: THE BLOCK

  Part 2: System Shock

  It hit like a second heartbeat—deep in Kai’s chest, pulsing with alien rhythm.

  A tremor passed through the air, subtle and soundless, but undeniable. The alley flickered. For a second, everything froze—the rain, the city noise, even the steam rising from a nearby grate.

  Then—

  [System Activation Complete]

  Subject: Kai

  Classification: Sovereign Candidate

  System: TERRITORY

  Current Claimed Area: 3.6 square meters

  Status: INITIALIZED

  Power Buff: +1 Strength | +1 Perception

  Ability Unlocked: Presence Detection (Territory Only)

  The glowing text hovered in front of him—pale blue, translucent, but impossibly real. No sound. No machine. Just… presence. Like the words had always been there, waiting for him to see them.

  Kai stumbled back, heart pounding. “What the—?”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  He blinked. The interface stayed. Not a hallucination. He reached out instinctively, and the menu shifted with his movement. Like it was alive, responding to thought instead of touch.

  Another notification slid in:

  TERRITORY SYSTEM: Tutorial Mode

  Rule #1: Territory is power.

  Any location claimed by you becomes part of your Sovereign Domain.

  Within this domain, you grow stronger. Faster. Sharper.

  And over time… dominant.

  Rule #2: You control life and death within your Territory.

  Kai’s breath caught.

  “What does that mean?” he muttered.

  As if in response, his vision shifted—again. This time, it wasn’t the interface. It was sensation. He could feel the alley now. Not just see it. Not just walk through it.

  He felt every inch of it like it was an extension of his own nerves.

  The broken bricks underfoot. The cracks in the wall. The dying pulse of the two gangsters on the ground. Their heartbeats echoed faintly in his ears.

  And the junkie?

  He was at the edge of the zone. Kai could feel his panic, his weak, fluttering breath.

  A new menu opened:

  TARGET: Unnamed Gang Member

  Status: Unconscious

  Condition: Broken jaw, internal bleeding

  Location: Within Claimed Territory

  Available Actions:

  — [Heal] (Cost: 10 Units)

  — [Mark as Servant] (Cost: 25 Units, Consent Required)

  — [Kill] (Cost: 0 Units)

  Kai froze.

  “Kill? Just like that?”

  He focused on the word. The menu pulsed, waiting.

  He hesitated. The thug was scum, sure. But this? This was different.

  Then he looked down at his hands—the scars on his knuckles, the callouses, the blood crusting beneath his nails. This city never gave him mercy. Never offered a choice.

  So maybe he shouldn’t either.

  He locked eyes with the interface. Focused.

  [Kill]

  For a split second, nothing happened.

  Then the man convulsed. His body stiffened—and then went still.

  Dead.

  No blood. No drama. Just… silence.

  Kai stumbled back, hands shaking. His pulse throbbed in his ears.

  “What the hell is this…?”

  But the interface wasn’t done.

  Territory Kill Confirmed.

  +1 Unit Gained

  Power Buff Extended: +1 Agility

  Territory Control Solidified: +2% Stability

  Kai looked around. The alley felt different now. More his than ever. Like gravity itself bent slightly in his favor.

  He exhaled slowly, steadying himself.

  This wasn’t a dream. This wasn’t some VR glitch or stim trip.

  This was real. And it changed everything.