Scum Of The Earth : System Of Dominion

The cafe buzzed with the quiet hum of conversation, the clinking of cups against saucers, and the occasional hiss of the espresso machine. Arthur leaned back in his chair, chewing lazily on a bagel. His attention shifted between Grace, who was seated across from him, and the world outside the window. 

Unlike most people, Arthur never understood the appeal of coffee. The bitterness didn't sit well with him unless he drowned it in milk and sugar, which, in his opinion, defeated the purpose. Grace, on the other hand, seemed to relish her hot black coffee, taking small, deliberate sips as though savoring every drop. 

"You know," Arthur began, swallowing a bite of his bagel, "I'll never understand how you people enjoy that sludge." 

Grace adjusted her glasses and stretched her arms over her head, letting out a soft sigh. "That's because you lack refinement, Arthur." 

"Refinement? It's bean water. Bitter, burnt bean water." 

Grace smirked, taking another sip before setting her cup down. "Where should I begin?" 

Arthur tilted his head. "At the very beginning, of course. Isn't that what all great stories do?" 

Grace folded her arms and leaned back in her chair, her lips pressed into a thin line. "What I'm about to tell you is confidential. Top secret. If I'm going to share it, I need something in return." 

Arthur deadpanned, leaning forward. "I literally saved your life. I think that's payment enough, don't you?" 

Grace opened her mouth to protest, but Arthur cut her off, waving a hand dismissively. "Don't even start. You didn't have anything under control back there." 

She pouted, her cheeks puffing slightly in frustration. "Fine," she muttered before letting out a resigned sigh. "You win." 

Arthur smirked, leaning back in his chair. "That's more like it." 

Grace adjusted her glasses again, her expression shifting to something more serious. "I'm a journalist," she began. "I work for The Meridian Chronicle, the biggest news outlet in Ardent City." 

Arthur nodded, motioning for her to continue. 

She took another sip from her cup before speaking again. "For the past few months, I've been investigating Lena King. On the surface, she's Victor King's wife and runs a few charities. But underneath all that, she's a fraud. A thief. And worse." 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Worse? How much worse are we talking?" 

Grace's gaze darkened. "She runs an underground sex ring. And that's not even the worst of it. There's trafficking, blackmail, and… well, you get the picture." 

Arthur frowned, the bagel in his hand was suddenly forgotten. "That's quite the list." 

Grace nodded. "I've been gathering evidence for months. Everything was on my camera—the same one you saw earlier." 

Arthur leaned forward. "And let me guess, you didn't back it up." 

Her face flushed with embarrassment. "I didn't think I'd need to…" 

Arthur groaned, running a hand down his face. "You're even sloppier than I thought." 

Before Grace could retort, a notification appeared in Arthur's vision: 

[Quest Alert!

Mission: Help Grace retrieve evidence against Lena King. 

Reward: 1500 EXP, +5 to Charisma. ]

Arthur sighed and waved the notification away. He glanced at Grace, who was glaring at him. 

"Relax," he said. "I'll help you get new evidence on Lena." 

Grace's eyes lit up with hope before narrowing suspiciously. "Why would you help me? What's in it for you?" 

Arthur smirked, leaning closer. "What, you think I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart?" 

Grace folded her arms. "If you're expecting me to spread my legs for you, you can forget it." 

Arthur laughed, shaking his head. "Don't flatter yourself. You're not exactly my type." 

Her brow furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

Arthur's grin widened. "Let's just say I'm into more… open-minded women." 

Grace made a face of pure disgust, taking another sip of her coffee to mask her irritation. "Charming," she muttered. "So, what do you want, then?" 

Arthur's expression turned serious. "I'm going to take Victor King down. And I need your help to do it." 

Grace blinked, her surprise was obvious . "I thought you were working for him." 

Arthur shook his head. "I'm working *with* him, not *for* him. There's a difference. I need to get close enough to destroy everything he's built." 

What he didn't tell her was his true goal. Arthur didn't just want to ruin Victor King—he wanted to claim everything the man had for himself. 

Grace leaned back, considering his words. "You realize that taking down Victor King is a lot harder than exposing Lena, right? If he even gets a hint of what we're planning, he'll kill us both without a second thought." 

Arthur nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities. "I know where to start." 

Grace tilted her head. "Let me guess," she said, a sly grin forming. "You're going to seduce and dominate Lena King to bring her over to your side." 

Arthur nearly choked on his coffee. "What?! No! Where the hell did you get that idea?" 

Grace shrugged. "It seems like the kind of thing you'd do." 

Arthur shook his head, his face flushing slightly. "That's not what I was going to say. I was going to use whatever blackmail material we get to force her to switch sides." 

Grace smirked, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "Same thing." 

Arthur frowned. "It's completely different." 

Grace leaned forward, her grin widening. "It's the same thing, Arthur. You're just trying to dress it up." 

He opened his mouth to argue, but another notification popped up before him: 

[Quest Alert!

Mission: Seduce and dominate Lena King to bring her under your control. 

Reward: 3000 EXP, +10 to Charisma, New Skill: [Manipulative Charm]. 

]

Arthur stared at the notification, and his jaw tightened . Quietly, he cursed the system under his breath. 

"Fine," he muttered, dismissing the message. "We'll do it your way." 

Grace's eyes sparkled with amusement. "I knew you'd see it my way." 

Arthur leaned back, finishing the last of his bagel. "Let's just hope your 'way' doesn't get us both killed." 

Grace chuckled, raising her cup in mock salute. "To survival, then." 

Arthur sighed, rubbing his temples.

"What have I gotten myself into?"