Chapter 17: All your fault

Day 3 After the Bordel Incident

Lukas sat in his 'home' eating cold, questionable food, and contemplating his life choices.

"So, uh… yeah. I may have fucked up."

---

In his defense—

It was an accident.

Okay, no, it wasn't an accident.

He very deliberately murdered those guys.

But how the fuck was he supposed to know he had killed someone important?!

---

Turns out, the guy he executed in the brothel?

Bronn, right-hand enforcer of Renni, the Chem-Baroness.

That meant powerful friends.

That meant accusations flying.

That meant the Barons turned on each other instantly.

Boom. Civil war.

---

For the past three days—

Zaun had been an absolute warzone.

Gang fights breaking out everywhere.

Bodies stacking up in the alleys.

Nobody trusting anyone.

Apparently, nobody actually knew who killed Bronn.

So what did they do?

Blamed each other.

One Baron accused another of sending an assassin.

The other Baron denied it and blamed someone else.

And just like that—

War.

---

Meanwhile, Lukas?

Hiding in a shitty tent with his ass cheeks clenched.

Every single day, people were dying in the streets.

And for once in his life?

It wasn't his fault.

…Mostly.

---

The craziest part?

Topside didn't give a single fuck.

The Enforcers weren't coming down to stop it.

They were just waiting.

Waiting for Zaun to burn itself out.

And then, when enough people were dead?

They'd come down and clean up the survivors.

"Holy Janna, this city is fucked."

---

Day 5 After the Bordel Incident

The war was still going, but things were starting to slow down.

Which meant Lukas had time to focus on himself.

And more importantly—

Money.

He opened the System Shop, scrolling through his options.

Current Balance: 2,800 Points

Alright, let's see what we got—

Bandages – 20 points (Good for when people try to kill me.)

EVE Syringes – 100 points (A necessity. Bought three.)

Revolver Ammo – 10 bullets for 100 points (Also necessary. Bought a batch.)

First Aid Kit – 200 points (Damn, Riot is that you??!.)

"Fucking hell, I feel like I'm shopping in Piltover."

---

Then—he noticed something new.

He had leveled up.

New Level: 3

And with it?

New unlocked items.

Special Ammunition (Incendiary, Armor-Piercing, Shock Rounds)

Weapons: Shotgun (1,500 points) / Crossbow (3,000 points)

Consumables: Pep Bars (Restores HP, but 50 points each? Fuck me sideways.)

Plasmids: Incinerate! (400 points) / Insect Swarm (400 points) / Target Dummy (400 points)

---

He scrolled through the Plasmids, tapping his chin.

Incinerate! – Offensive. Turns people into burning corpses.

Insect Swarm – Summons angry murder bees to ruin someone's day.

Target Dummy – Creates a decoy to distract enemies.

Normally, he would've picked Incinerate.

Because, fire.

But considering the entire city was trying to kill each other?

Target Dummy was looking real tempting.

Because holy shit, was he gonna need an escape plan someday.

---

Lukas made his decision.

[400 Points Spent – Target Dummy Acquired]

The moment he confirmed it, a sharp pain stabbed into his skull.

His vision blurred.

The System interface flashed blue.

And then—

A new familiar sensation flooded his body.

A new power.

A new way to survive.

Lukas grinned.

"Now we're talking."

---

Day 7 After the Bordel Incident

The war was dying down.

The worst was over.

The streets were piled with bodies, but the fighting had stopped.

And most importantly—

The Lanes were officially starting to open

---

Vander had put his foot down.

His turf?

No fighting.

Anyone who brought violence into his streets got dealt with.

Lukas heard a rumor that Vander personally broke a guy's arm after catching him trying to kill someone near the Last Drop.

"Damn. That guy doesn't play around."

Which meant?

It was probably safe enough to go outside again.

And Lukas?

Had been cooped up for way too long.

Lukas walked through the recovering ruins of the Undercity, carrying two heavy boxes in his hands like an absolute dumbass.

"Fuuuuuck… should've bought another cart…"

---

The Lanes were starting to recover.

People were picking up the pieces.

But the damage?

Still obvious.

He passed by a woman sitting on the curb, head in her hands.

Passed by a man hammering wood over a broken window.

Passed by a little girl, clutching her mother's dress, staring at the street with empty eyes.

Lukas swallowed hard.

He didn't need to ask what happened.

They lost someone.

Because of him.

---

His grip on the boxes tightened.

The System hadn't given him a choice that night.

But still…

It was his hands.

His bullets.

His fault.

He looked forward again, setting his jaw.

"I can't fix it. And it's all my fault."

And with that, he kept walking.