Arcane: I have Plasmids F*** YEAAAAAAH!!!

Lukas stepped out of Renni's factory like he owned the place.

Back straight. Shoulders relaxed.

Like he hadn't just threatened a Chem Baron in her own fucking den.

Like he hadn't just pulled the biggest goddamn bluff of his life.

Like he hadn't just made a fucking enemy of 1/4 of the undercity.

He adjusted his vest.

Took a deep breath.

Kept walking.

Cool. Calm. Collected.

Until—

The moment he turned the corner—

He fucking BOLTED.

"RUUUUUUUN BITCH, RUUUUUN!"

His boots pounded against the pavement.

His heart slammed against his ribs.

Adrenaline still pumped through his veins like pure jet fuel.

Holy shit, holy FUCKING SHIT, holy FUCK—

That should NOT have worked.

That was SO. FUCKING. CLOSE.

His EVE Bar? Almost empty.

His bullets? Not nearly enough to fight his way out of there.

One wrong move? DEAD.

One bad read? DEAD.

If Renni had even blinked wrong?

SO. FUCKING. DEAD.

(At least he would've taken her and like twenty Chem-Enforcers down with him, right? That's...something?

Hell no.

He would've fucking DIED!!!

…

I need sleep...sorry.)

Lukas skidded into an alleyway, pressing his back against the cold, grimy wall.

Tried to breathe.

Failed.

Tried again.

Still failed.

Then—

He laughed.

Not a normal laugh.

A holy-fuck-I-survived-what-the-fuck-was-that kinda laugh.

"Holy shit."

His breath was shaking.

His body was shaking.

His mind was still catching up to everything he had just done.

And yet—

A slow, wild grin pulled at his lips.

"I just went full Darth Andrew Ryan on that bitch."

Another breathless laugh.

"That was so fucking cool."

Then—

A ding.

Lukas groaned.

"Fuuuuuuuuck, what now—"

[SYSTEM LEVEL UP!]

[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 9.]

[REWARDS: +2,000 POINTS, NEW STORE UNLOCKS, BONUS REWARD FOR SUCCESSFUL TAKEOVER: +2,000 POINTS]

[AVAILABLE POINTS: 5,230]

Lukas blinked.

Then exhaled.

Then whispered—

"Jackpot."

But before he could even process that—

A second notification popped up.

[NEW BLUEPRINT UNLOCKED: VITA-CHAMBER]

[COST: 4,500 POINTS]

Lukas's breath hitched.

No fucking way.

His fingers moved before his brain could even process.

[VITA-CHAMBER]

[CAN BE BOUGHT ONLY ONCE.]

[A machine capable of bringing someone back to life upon death.]

[Upon activating the chamber, the user's biological signature is recorded.]

[If fatal damage is taken, the chamber will restore the user's body to full health.]

[Slow wasting sicknesses or genetic illness cannot be cured by the Vita-Chamber.]

Lukas just stared.

His heart? Stopped.

His mouth? Dry as fucking sand.

Did I—

"Did I just accidentally become immortal?"

This was the cheat code to life itself.

The single most important safety net in existence.

And he needed it.

Now.

Lukas slammed the purchase button.

The moment he did, a glowing blueprint materialized before his eyes.

Intricate details.

Components.

A full-ass diagram.

And in the bottom corner?

A single requirement.

[MUST BE PLACED IN A SAFE LOCATION.]

Lukas exhaled.

Safe.

Secure.

Somewhere no one would find it.

And he knew exactly where to put it.

Beneath Fontaine Futuristics.

Lukas let out a slow, shaky breath.

Then—

He started walking.

Straight to his new home.

---

By the time he reached the factory, the sun was beginning to rise, at least I think it was...

The entrance loomed ahead, rusted and quiet.

The bodies were still there, Nothing a good old Incinerate shouldn't solve. But that's a problem for future Lukas.

---

Lukas stepped inside, closing the doors behind him.

The silence wrapped around him.

For the first time since entering Renni's factory—

He could breathe.

His heart still hammered.

His body still burned.

His mind still screamed.

But this?

This was his home now.

---

The blueprint hovered before his eyes, glowing faintly.

Vita-Chamber.

His second chance.

He moved through the factory, stepping over stray bolts and old blueprints.

His boots echoed against the floors as he walked.

Straight to the back.

To the hidden passage.

He pressed against the concealed panel—

And the secret door slid open.

Darkness greeted him.

That same abandoned underground chamber.

That forgotten piece of history.

Lukas stepped inside.

The air was cold.

The room was still.

But he wasn't.

His fingers moved.

The System responded.

And the blueprint came to life.

A glowing projection of the Vita-Chamber formed in front of him.

Tall. Sleek. Mechanical.

A coffin made of steel and wires.

A rebirth machine.

He could already hear it.

The low hum.

Lukas smiled.

Then, without hesitation—

He selected [BUILD.]

Ding.

The system roared to life.

The room shook.

Metal shifted, gears clicked, sparks flew—

As the first piece of Rapture took form.

The Vita-Chamber was being built.

Piece by piece.

Wire by wire.

Bolt by bolt.

Until finally—

The system chimed.

[CONSTRUCTION: 1% COMPLETE]

[TIME REMAINING: 1,080 HOURS]

…

…

…

"FUCK."