My morning routine hadn't changed since the lights appeared three months ago. Get up. Check apartment security feeds. Test door seals. Count remaining food supplies. It was the new normal after half the city's population suddenly developed supernatural abilities.

The voice in my head interrupted my inventory count.

Challenge: Retrieve the red shard from Marcus Tang's apartment, 4B. Time limit: 30 minutes. Reward: Basic Interface Installation. Warning: Target is armed and powered. Accept Y/N?

I'd been refusing these "challenges" since they started. Seemed safer that way. But my supplies were running low, and I'd seen what those interfaces could do – health bars, inventory systems, real-time stat tracking. The kind of edge that kept you alive these days.

"Y," I whispered.

Challenge accepted. Timer started.

Marcus lived two floors up. I'd seen him around, always wearing that stupid "Live, Laugh, Loot" t-shirt. Last week he'd gotten some kind of strength enhancement. Threw a car at someone who tried to steal his parking spot.

The stairwell was clear. I moved quietly, keeping close to the wall. The building's security cameras were dead – had been since The Game started – but some residents had set up their own systems. Best to assume everything was watched.

Voices drifted down from above. I froze.

"...selling for 50k minimum. The market's insane right now."

"Better move fast. Shards are worthless if you can't integrate them before someone steals them."

I waited until their footsteps faded before continuing up. Fourth floor. Marcus's door was reinforced steel – new installation. But the walls...

I pressed my ear against the drywall. Nothing. Either he was out or being very quiet. The adjacent apartment was empty – foreclosed after its owner disappeared during the first wave of challenges.

The wall between units was standard construction. I pulled out my multi-tool and got to work.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Twenty minutes later, I had a hole big enough to squeeze through. Marcus's apartment was dark except for a red glow coming from his bedroom. The shard. They always glowed like that before integration.

Movement. A shadow by the kitchen counter.

"Looking for something?" Marcus's voice was amused. He stepped into view, arms crossed. In the dim light, I could see faint lines of text floating above his head – his interface display.

"Just browsing." I kept my tone casual, noting the distance to the bedroom door. "Nice place."

"Through my wall?" He uncrossed his arms. "You know what happens to shard thieves?"

I'd seen it. Wasn't pretty.

He lunged. Even with his enhanced strength, the movement was telegraphed. I ducked under his grab and sprinted for the bedroom. The red glow pulsed brighter.

The shard hovered above his nightstand, a crystalline fragment the size of my palm. I snatched it just as Marcus burst through the doorway.

"That's my level-up, you little—" He charged.

I dove through the window. Fourth floor wasn't ideal, but the dumpster below was full of renovation debris. I tucked and rolled, letting the trash break my fall.

Challenge completed. Reward unlocked. Installing interface...

The world flickered. Text appeared in my vision:

[Health: 92/100]

[Status: Minor bruising]

[Active Effects: Adrenaline Surge]

Marcus's roar echoed from above. I sprinted for the alley exit, watching my health tick up slowly as the interface's diagnostic system kicked in.

The shard pulsed in my hand. Not my challenge reward – that had been the interface. This was something else. Marcus's upgrade, probably worth serious money to the right buyer. Or...

I could try to integrate it myself. Risky. Shards taken from other players could be unstable, and this one was keyed to Marcus. But the potential power...

Heavy footsteps behind me. Decision time.

I ducked into a doorway and pulled up my new interface's inventory screen. The shard slot glowed invitingly.

Sometimes, I thought, the real challenge isn't the one The Game gives you.

I slotted the shard and felt strength surge through my muscles as the integration began. Three weeks until it was permanent. Three weeks to stay ahead of Marcus.

The interface flashed a new notification:

[New Challenge Available]

I grinned. Game on.