The Broken(?) Card
"Business... Joker?"
Jack stared at the floating window screen, his mind scrambling to process the only option listed on the M-System's Shop menu.
------------------------
[SHOP]
— JOB —
o [JOB] BUSINESS JOKER — [1 C-Point]
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That was it. One lone line stretched wide beneath the header, and everything else in the menu... was blank.
"...Huh?"
He blinked, still staring, trying to make sense of it.
This wasn't right.
He'd seen plenty of Card-Holders flaunting their M-Systems on the internet—be it on social media or online forums—
There was supposed to be a list. A huge list.
"Where the hell are the rest of them...?!"
The other options, like skills, weapon arsenals, upgrades—everything he'd imagined—were supposed to be there.
But there was only one option—a single 'job' option.
Nothing else. Nothing more.
He held his shaky finger to the screen, hoping the window would react like any normal app or program.
Maybe it's just some glitch, he thought, forcing a breath through clenched teeth—
But no.
The window did react, but... it didn't scroll down for him. It stayed frozen in place, with only the original option on the list.
His frustration bubbled up, rising like bile in his throat. He couldn't believe the only option available to him was just... this.
"What the hell is even a 'Business Joker'...?!"
He continued to stare at the lone 'job' option with something between confusion and contempt...
But then... he tapped it anyway. Not sure what to expect, but desperate for something—anything—else to appear.
The screen shimmered for a moment, and the next thing he saw was just...
------------------------
[SHOP]
— JOB —
o [JOB] BUSINESS JOKER — [1 C-Point]
>> [???]
------------------------
"...Seriously?!"
Jack let out a low growl of disbelief, his pulse quickening as his mind raced.
"What the hell does this even mean?!?"
The only information given to him about this supposed 'job' was just three question marks—as if it was telling him that even 'it' itself didn't know what kind of job this was.
"You gotta be kidding me..."
His eyes flicked to the bottom of the window screen.
'1 C-Point [BUY]'
The large, glowing green button was practically daring him to purchase this shady job... and he had exactly that.
Just one C-Point to spend.
A curious part of him wondered what would happen if he bought it...
What if it was useful? What if this was some hidden-job kind of deal, like those old power fantasy fictions that used to be all the rage?
But then... another thought slammed into him—
What if it's just trash? What if he wasted his only C-Point on some joke 'job' he couldn't even use?
He hesitated—
"...No."
—and pulled his hand away from the option.
It wasn't worth the risk.
He swiped away the job's info window, reverting back to the original M-Shop screen... that still had only the SAME singular option.
"...Damn it."
He palmed his face in frustration.
"This isn't right... This can't be right..."
The M-System was supposed to be the ultimate system—one with the potential to change everything, if you had the monetary power to feed it.
He'd seen it—watched it from a distance—how people accessed its seemingly unlimited power...
And now here he was, holding an M-Card of his own, hoping for a chance to be at the same level as those Holders—
But all he got was... this.
"…Is this even an M-Card?"
He turned his attention back to the black M-Card in his hand, staring at the grinning clown symbol embossed on its surface.
Normally, M-Cards were golden—seemingly gilded in pure gold—and bore the sleek, official-looking 'M' logo that signified their identity.
The card in his hand was none of that.
Jack wasn't sure if he was supposed to feel delighted or pissed off right now…
"...The damn thing could be broken... right? Can an M-Card even malfunction?"
He honestly had no idea.
He'd never heard of an M-Card glitching like a computer—let alone one a black version of it.
Hell, for all he knew, this thing was defective.
Eventually... a sigh escaped his lips.
"...No point thinking about this right now."
His escape plan was the priority.
The defective M-Card? A minor distraction.
Yeah, it might be broken—hell, it probably was—but he had other things to focus on.
While he couldn't fully access the M-Shop, at least he could still upgrade his stats later... if he ever got enough money to do so and... if he could survive long enough for it.
Survival. That's what mattered now.
With a resigned huff, Jack closed the M-System's floating window.
He stared at the black M-Card for a moment longer, before slipping it back into the pocket of his worn-out suit.
The clinking sound of the barred train station's entrance gate echoed through the air.
Jack turned, eyes narrowing as he faced the entrance, the path forward...
"...Here goes nothing."
...and then he climbed up toward the entrance, his resolve hardening once more.
- < ( ♦ ○ ♦ ) > -
Jack ventured deeper into the abandoned facility, each step echoing across the rusted metal, broken tiles, and dirty dirt beneath his feet.
What once might've been a grand station now stood as a ghost of its former self.
Rusted tracks stretched endlessly in either direction. Massive, derelict trains loomed in the dark like sleeping beasts—some cracked open, some half-tilted off the rails... all forgotten.
He passed through shattered gates and twisted signs... etched names of distant and forgotten cities that had faded beyond recognition.
"..."
The very air reeked of dust, rust, and old oil... but Jack put aside his discomfort as he ventured further to a large clearing.
A large stretch of many empty tracks, where the station's roof above had caved in—leaving behind a large gaping hole that bathed the area in pale moonlight.
The light cut through the darkness like a spotlight... quiet, cold, and almost serene.
For a moment, Jack slowed his pace as he stepped into the moonlight's gentle glow.
And then—
A voice echoed from above, cold and condescending—
"So... this is where you're hiding, huh? Pathetic."
Jack's eyes widened—! A sudden chill ran down his spine!
His body froze. Just for a split second.
Something's coming—!