CHAPTER 1: THE BLOCK

  Part 3: Blood and Boundaries

  Kai stood frozen, staring down at the thug’s body.

  He didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

  The guy wasn’t twitching. Wasn’t groaning. Just… gone.

  Not from a knife. Not from blood loss. Just a thought. A silent command. Like the universe had leaned in and whispered, “Okay,” and that was that.

  He felt sick.

  Not from guilt, but from the weight of it.

  I just killed him. Didn’t even lift a hand. Didn’t even blink.

  It wasn’t self-defense. It wasn’t in the heat of a fight. It was cold. Clean. Instant.

  He tried to tell himself the guy deserved it. That he’d done worse. That he would’ve done worse again. But it didn’t make it feel any more real.

  Or any less terrifying.

  The glowing system window pulsed again, gentle and clinical, like it hadn’t just handed him the power of a god.

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  Territory Kill Confirmed.

  +1 Unit Gained

  Power Buff Extended: +1 Agility

  Territory Control Solidified: +2% Stability

  Another bonus. More stats. More control.

  Kai ran a hand through his wet hair, stepping away slowly, eyes flicking around the alley. The rain was falling harder now, washing streaks of red into the gutter.

  Everything looked the same.

  But it wasn’t.

  He felt the space differently. Like the alley had accepted him. Like it was no longer a place he passed through—it was a place that answered to him.

  His thoughts twisted. Not out of fear—but possibility.

  If this is real… if this thing stays with me… then what’s the limit?

  He looked down at the surviving thug. Still breathing. Face swollen. Blood bubbling from his mouth.

  Kai hesitated, staring at him.

  He could do it again. End him with a thought. Two bodies instead of one. More Units. More territory strength. No witnesses.

  But something inside pushed back.

  Not guilt. Something colder.

  Efficiency.

  Killing didn’t scare him. But wasting potential? That was sloppy.

  The system had said “Mark as Servant.” That meant more than just death and numbers. That meant control. Power beyond the blade.

  And Kai didn’t want to just kill.

  He wanted to rule.

  [Mark as Servant]

  Consent Required.

  Initiating Link Protocol…

  A low hum filled the air. The unconscious thug’s body jerked. His eyes fluttered open—bloodshot and unfocused.

  “Kai…” the system spoke in his mind, calm and flat, “Territory-bound individuals may be offered a contract. Upon acceptance, they become marked under your Domain. They gain minor buffs. Their loyalty becomes absolute. Breaking the bond is lethal.”

  Awaiting Subject Response…

  Kai knelt beside him, pipe still in hand.

  “You want to live?” he said, voice low.

  The man blinked, lips trembling.

  “Y-yeah…”

  “Then swear it.”

  “I—I swear—whatever you want—just don’t kill me—”

  Consent registered. Bond sealed.

  Subject: Aron Vex

  Role: Servant

  Territory Buff: +0.5 Stability, +0.5 Awareness

  Mark Active

  Aron gasped, body arching as the mark etched itself onto his chest in glowing lines—like circuitry made of light and pain. Then it faded, and his breathing steadied.

  Kai stood.

  Just like that, he wasn’t alone anymore.

  He turned his eyes toward the flickering exit of the alley. Beyond it, Sector 12 stretched wide—broken streets, rusted gates, drug dens, gang corners, and dead zones filled with people no one cared about.

  No kings.

  No rulers.

  Just predators and prey.

  But now… something had changed.

  And for the first time in his life, Kai didn’t feel like prey.

  He felt like something worse.

  He felt like the beginning of a legend.