The city didn't sleep.
Not tonight.
Not with the name Phantom echoing through encrypted phone calls, corner whispers, and black market channels like a myth come alive.
"He doesn't show up. He appears."
"Whole crews go quiet when his people move."
"One man. No past. Unlimited money. And if you cross him?"
"You disappear like a bad habit."
Black Tower — Strategic War Room
Zeke flipped three screens at once. Kai monitored encrypted comms. Nova watched the map with arms crossed.
Damon stood at the center — composed, calculating, cold.
System Alert: High-Risk Contract Issued on Phantom
Origin: Unknown Syndicate
Bounty: $10,000,000 (Confirmed)
System Suggestion: Do not hide. Rise.
"Let them find you. Then bury them where they stand."
System Bonus — Infamy Reward Triggered
Title Claimed: Phantom – The Name in Smoke
– Street-level fear increase
– Criminal silence passive effect (low-level gangsters refuse to speak your name aloud)
– Network Respect Tier: Underworld Lord – Tier I
Bonus Skill Unlocked: "Death's Delay"
– Once per week, survive a lethal strike with 10 seconds of unstoppable retaliation
But Power Draws Passion — And Conflict
1. Vera Santiago
Sent a private invite to a council-only gala. Champagne, velvet, no cameras. "I want to talk business. And you know I never separate pleasure from profit."
2. Nova Cross
Slid into his war room at 1 AM, placed a Glock on the table, and said: "I'm in. Fully. But if you play me again? You bleed."
3. Tasha
Sent a private message: "I made a mistake. I see it now. You're not who you were. But maybe… I could be something you need again."
System Alert: Romance Collision Imminent
Three paths, all live. Choose wisely or rule them all.
Vera: High Influence
Nova: Deep Past
Tasha: Dangerous Regret
You may build power from any. But each demands a piece of your soul.
Meanwhile — The Contract Moves
Somewhere overseas, a cloaked figure watched footage of Damon fighting barehanded in the Monarch combat ring.
She smiled.
"So the Phantom lives. Time to meet him face to face."
She loaded a single silver bullet.
And whispered,
"Let's see if the man they fear can bleed."