Morning sunlight crept through the thin blinds of Jack's new apartment, tracing faint golden bars across the floor. The place was clean and modern, walls a smooth off-white that caught the early glow, but it was utterly empty. His footsteps echoed against the bare tile as he stretched, half-dressed, yawning into the hollow quiet.
It smelled faintly of detergent and old wood,someone had clearly cleaned before he moved in but there was no warmth, no sound of a fridge humming, no fabric to absorb the silence. Just the hum of the city faintly filtering through the window: Neon City's slow rising rhythm of honking hovercars, clattering delivery drones, and street chatter drifting up from the sidewalks below.
Jack rubbed his eyes, glancing around. "Yeah," he muttered, "definitely needs… something."
He leaned against the window frame and watched the sunrise bounce off the gleaming glass towers beyond Ridge Point Flats. This part of Neon City was a curious mix of old and new apartment blocks built in the last century but carefully maintained, with freshly polished exteriors and neon signboards at the corners. He could see laundry flapping from balconies, a few early risers watering plants, and somewhere down the block, a noodle vendor setting up shop.
His Aegis Chrono X watch blinked awake as it detected movement.
SYSTEM ALERT:Quest Generated!
Furnish your home fully :furniture, shelves, bed, even light bulbs, desk,microwave,TV,Air conditioner,Gas cooker.
Reward: All furnishings paid for + 20,000 credits.
Bonus Reward: +1 Strength, +2 Luck.
Failure: All credits lost.
Time Limit: 24 hours.
Jack groaned. "You couldn't give me, I don't know, a week?"
SYSTEM:Efficiency breeds greatness, Jack.
He sighed and grabbed his jacket. His credit balance flickered at 29,600 credits, a number that felt comfortable but not rich. The kind of balance that whispered, don't make any stupid purchases, but Jack had learned that the system's quests weren't optional.
He stepped out into the hallway, the polished floorboards creaking slightly. The Ridge Point Flats looked even nicer in daylight:brushed steel railings, clean walls, wide windows framed by potted plants. It had this quiet suburban charm that didn't fit the chaos of downtown Neon City.
Just as he reached the stairwell, Mrs. Halden, the landlady, appeared at the far end of the hall, carrying a basket of folded laundry. She was a short, silver-haired woman in her late fifties, with bright eyes that seemed to notice everything.
"Well, if it isn't my new tenant," she said, her tone equal parts suspicion and friendliness. "Heading out already, Mr. West?"
Jack stopped, forcing a polite smile beneath his hood. "Yeah. Gotta pick up some furniture. The place is a bit… empty."
Mrs. Halden tilted her head, scanning him up and down. "Empty, you say? I noticed you didn't move in with much. No boxes, no helpers, not even a pillow. Most tenants take hours clogging up the elevator, but you came in light as a ghost."
Jack chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Had to move fast. Parents have been giving me too much trouble lately. Figured I'd get out before things got worse.I told you already."
His tone emphasising on the last sentence.
That softened her expression instantly. "Ah, parents.Sorry.I forgot that you already mentioned that."she sighed. "Always think they know best, don't they? Well, I'm glad you found a place here. You seem like a polite young man."
Jack nodded, hiding his relief. "Thank you. I'll do my best not to cause any trouble."
She smiled warmly. "Oh, this building has seen its share of trouble already. My husband.God rest his soul,used to say a place like this should feel like home, not a cage. He could've sold it for a fortune, but he wanted it to stay affordable. Said he didn't want folks to suffer like we did, scraping for rent in our younger years. So I kept the price low. Twelve thousand credits a year is nearly charity, but it keeps the right kind of people here."
Jack's eyes softened a little.But then he realised that she kept repeating the same sentences and conversations over and over again ."Did she really forget or does she just want to keep repeating the same thing."
"Eeh,who knows it might be a mental problems of some sort,who knows who is running mad in the current chaos of neon city.I should really make a mental note of that,just in case."
She chuckled, turning toward the stairs. "A man who pays promptly,now that's a rarity around here. Try not to let the furniture people scam you. They'll see a young face and start adding zeros."
Jack gave a mock salute. "Noted."
As he descended, he passed Tess, the girl from the floor above, her hair tied up in a messy bun, earbuds in, and a coffee cup in hand. She wore a loose gray crop top and jeans that hugged her curves just right.
"Morning," she said, flashing a bright smile.
Jack paused, trying not to stare. "Morning."
She tilted her head. "You're the new guy, right? Jack or something?"
"Yeah," he said. "Just moved in yesterday."
"Well, welcome to Ridge Point. Hope you don't mind the occasional party upstairs."
"Not at all," Jack said, his tone even but his eyes lingering a half-second too long as she walked past. Her ass pulling him in irresistibly,her sexy,curvy figure giving him a large boner making him picture an intensely,erotic,scene happening on the bare floors of his bedroom.When she turned the corner, he caught himself murmuring, "One more score wouldn't hurt,she's so beautiful,it wouldn't even matter.
By late morning, the streets of Neon City were alive,vendor stalls opening, public transport lines buzzing, the hum of traffic forming a kind of music. Jack found himself in the Mercantile District, a sprawling complex of open-air shops, furniture galleries, and warehouses.
The air smelled of varnish and coffee; holo-signs blinked above every storefront,HomeLux Designs, NeuraLiving, Modern Habitat Co.—each claiming to sell the "best in modern comfort."
Jack walked into HomeLux Designs, where a friendly saleswoman greeted him. "Welcome! Looking to redecorate, sir?"
"More like start from scratch," Jack said, glancing at a set of sleek black couches displayed near the rance.
"Oh, you've come to the right place!" she chirped, motioning to an aisle of modern pieces. "Minimalist style, perfect for bachelors."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "You just called me single without asking."
She laughed nervously. "Lucky guess."
"I really have to work on my pick up lines.I am 17 for God's sake,why wont I be single."
The system's timer flashed faintly at the corner of his vision—23 hours, 11 minutes remaining. He took a deep breath. Time to move.
He picked through the showroom with a kind of impatient precision. A black couch or a blue one? The red one looked bold but impractical. He ran his hand across the smooth surface of the blue couch;cold, firm, stylish. The black one felt warmer, more neutral.
"Blue or black?" he asked Tess,who had just appeared behind him, her expression smug.
"Took you long enough to notice me," she teased. "I saw you heading this way and thought I'd help. Definitely blue. Black says 'brooding mercenary.' Blue says 'mysterious but approachable.'"
Jack smirked. "And which one do you prefer?"
Tess grinned. "The one that gets you to invite me over for coffee."
"Blue it is," Jack said, pretending not to react.
He went into the equipment and appliances section.A Flat screen TV with an adjustable size,a microwave which could melt a glacier in a minute,an air conditioner which could reach up to temperatures of -500 degrees,A refrigerator which could freeze the a person in 5 minutes.
His inspect skill really came swooped in to save the day,helping him to save and purchase the most efficient goods.
As the seller came over, he rattled off his list:
"One couch, one queen-size bed,a nice mirror,two bedside drawers, one desk, a few shelves, and… lighting and a hell lot of appliances.Nothing fancy, just functional."
The saleswoman tapped on her pad, humming as she totaled it up. "That'll be… 68,300 credits, including delivery."
Jack leaned on the counter. "That includes delivery?"
"Of course."
He looked at the clock, then at her. "Actually, I'll handle delivery myself."
Her brow furrowed. "Sir, these aren't exactly small items."
Jack shrugged, smiling slightly. "Don't worry about it. I have… transportation."
The woman blinked, confused, then forced a smile. "As you wish. Payment first?"
Jack nodded, tapping his Aegis Chrono X again. The holographic numbers shimmered, and the total vanished from his account. She stared at the screen, mouth slightly open. "You can actually pay for all this?"
Jack smirked. "Of course. No problem."
The sales woman attempted to pass Jack her phone number but Jack have her a look that signalled that he would toss it in the trash on the way out,even if he collected it
Tess leaned toward him as the woman walked off to confirm the order. "You just dropped nearly seventy grand like it was pocket change."
Jack shrugged. "I'm good at my job."
"You better be," Tess said, half-joking. "People with that kind of confidence either make it big or crash hard."
Jack chuckled quietly, his eyes glinting. "Guess I'll find out which one soon."
When the seller was out of sight, Jack glanced around the showroom. Empty. No cameras in the aisle. Perfect.
He raised his hand, fingers glowing faintly with a ripple of violet light,his Object Teleportation ability flickering to life. One by one,he made contact with everything the furniture pieces shimmered and vanished, the appliances disappeared leaving a wide vaccine staring at him.leaving faint traces of energy in the air. Within seconds, the entire order was gone.
A young clerk walked by, blinking at the suddenly empty display. "Uh… where did the new stock go?"
Jack straightened his jacket. "Must've been pre-sold."
By afternoon, his apartment looked completely different.At first he was worried that he had teleported it to a completely wrong location but it turns out that his skills were still very sharp.
He worked all afternoon deciding whether to set the couch up against the wall or directly in front of the TV.His object teleportation really came in handy saving him all the stress of having to haul kilograms of load from one room to the other.By evening he was done completing the quest fully in more than enough time.
The blue couch sat perfectly against the far wall, the queen-size bed neatly assembled in the adjoining room. Shelves lined the walls, filled with new books, knickknacks, and fake plants that gave the place a soft color. Warm white bulbs replaced the harsh ceiling lights, casting a calm glow that made the apartment feel lived in.The TV and the AC hanging efficiently but loosely on the walls after hours of battling with it.
Jack stood in the center of it all, arms folded, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"That would've been hell to carry by hand," he muttered.
SYSTEM:Admit it,you're lucky to have me.
Jack: "You didn't carry any of it."
SYSTEM:Motivational management counts as assistance.
Jack: "Sure, whatever helps you sleep."
He dropped onto the couch, the cushions molding perfectly around his body. The Aegis Chrono X flickered again:
QUEST COMPLETE!
Reward: 20,000 credits added.
Bonus: +1 Strength, +2 Luck.
Updated Credits: 49,600.
Jack exhaled, eyes closing briefly. "Not bad for a day's work."
Through the window, the city buzzed beneath the setting sun,lights flickering on in waves, like constellations awakening. Down the street, a jazz band played softly outside a café. Somewhere above, he could faintly hear Tess's laughter through her open window.
He leaned back and smiled faintly. For the first time in what felt like months, the silence around him didn't feel empty.
It felt earned.
And as the city outside came alive, the Void Walker finally had a place he could call home,at least for now.