Porter glanced down at the next section that appeared on the screen, his curiosity growing with each detail he uncovered. The text was crisp, glowing slightly on the screen, and the header for the next mechanic read clearly:
[2. PERMADEATH + SKILL RESET]
• One life per character. If you die, your character is permanently gone and you have to start over.
• All skills and faction abilities are lost and must be relearned from scratch.
• Legacy gear or intel may be left behind for future characters to discover.
• High-stakes gameplay where every move matters.
As his eyes moved down the list, Porter paused for a moment when he read the words "Legacy gear." He furrowed his brow and repeated the phrase quietly to himself, "Legacy gear?" The idea seemed interesting, but also a bit vague. He was not sure if it meant he could retrieve his old character's items on a new run, or if it meant that they would be left behind as static parts of the world. Either way, he figured he would find out once he started playing, so he shook off the confusion and continued to the next section without thinking too hard about it.
The third section was much larger and more detailed, and the title immediately grabbed his attention.
[3. FACTION RECRUITMENT SYSTEM]
This section explained how each of the five main factions within the game operated differently, especially in how they chose to bring in new players. Each one had its own method, location, and style of recruitment that added to the game's realism and depth.
The Hollow Syndicate (Manhattan)
Recruitment Method:
• You must hack into a surveillance hub and prove your stealth by infiltrating a high-security corporate facility without being seen.
• Successful infiltration triggers a Syndicate observer to offer contact.
Porter read the description carefully. The Hollow Syndicate seemed like a faction that focused on stealth, hacking, and infiltration. The idea of sneaking into a secure facility undetected sounded intense, and he imagined it would take real skill in the game to pull that off. The fact that it did not just give you access immediately, but waited for an observer to approach you afterward, made it feel more alive.
Echelon 7 (Queens)
Recruitment Method:
• Complete a high-risk weapons test in a contested war zone.
• Survive an ambush while defending a civilian outpost.
• Surviving operatives are tracked and contacted by an E7 handler.
The next faction had a completely different approach. Echelon 7 clearly prioritized military-style combat and survival. Being thrown into a warzone and expected to both defend civilians and survive a surprise attack sounded like something out of a war simulator. Porter imagined this faction was for players who enjoyed head-on fighting and tactical pressure.
The Oathbound (The Bronx)
Recruitment Method:
• You must tail an Oathbound spy without being detected.
• Decode encrypted messages across multiple boroughs.
• If successful, you're abducted, interrogated, and recruited based on your answers.
Porter raised an eyebrow when he read about The Oathbound. Their recruitment felt like something straight out of a spy novel. You had to follow someone without alerting them, then travel across the city to decode secret messages. And then, if you succeeded, you would be kidnapped and questioned. It was a strange but immersive twist. It made him curious about what kind of people were actually part of this faction.
Karma Noir (Brooklyn)
Recruitment Method:
• Hack into a citywide terminal network.
• Upload chaos scripts that disrupt faction comms and traffic control.
• If you create enough disruption, Karma Noir invites you into their underground.
The Karma Noir faction sounded chaotic and unpredictable. It centered around hacking and disrupting the entire city's infrastructure. Creating disorder seemed to be the goal here, and Porter got the sense that this faction would attract players who liked digital warfare or just wanted to see the world burn. It stood out from the others in terms of how direct its methods were.
Red Veil (Staten Island)
Recruitment Method:
• Survive 72 in-game hours in Staten Island with no gear.
• Kill 5 AI bounty hunters or players during that time.
• A Red Veil "Ghost" will find you and offer initiation through ritual combat.
Finally, he came to the last faction. Red Veil sounded brutal. You had to survive completely unarmed for three in-game days while being hunted. On top of that, you needed to take out five bounty hunters or players just to trigger an invitation. It was all about raw survival and strength. The mention of "ritual combat" suggested that even the recruitment process was dangerous.
After reading through every faction and their requirements, Porter sat back for a moment. There was no denying that the game went far beyond what he was expecting. The way each group functioned differently added layers of choice and replayability. Even though he was still a bit unsure about the whole "fully immersive consciousness-link" part, the depth and detail of what he had just read made him want to dive in immediately.
Porter didn't feel the need to rush. He leaned back slightly and calmly moved to the next part of the mechanics menu, labeled as Section Four.
[4. SKILL SYSTEM]
• No skill trees or XP bars.
• Skills improve through physical repetition and successful execution.
• Categories include:
• Combat (weapons, melee, tactics)
• Stealth (evasion, takedowns, hiding)
• Mobility (climbing, parkour, dodging)
• Tech (hacking, drones, traps)
• Social (disguise, persuasion, interrogation)
• Crafting (gear mods, healing, traps)
• Faction Mastery (specialized, high-level training)
He read through each bullet point slowly, letting the information settle in his mind. The skill system seemed to avoid the traditional route that most games followed. There were no skill trees to plan out in advance and no experience bars to grind toward. Instead, it was all based on what you actually did within the game. If you wanted to get better with weapons, you had to use them. If you wanted to get good at stealth, you had to move quietly, hide effectively, and pull off clean takedowns. Every improvement came from consistent effort and successful actions.
Porter thought that was pretty reasonable. It matched up with the rest of the game's commitment to realism and immersion. It meant players would have to earn their progress through trial and error, instead of just choosing options from a menu. He liked that. It gave the game weight.
With that out of the way, he scrolled down to the next section.
[5. FACTION OVERVIEW]
This part broke down the five major factions he had read about earlier, but now it focused more on their themes, the tools they used, their signature abilities, and the kinds of places they called home.
The Hollow Syndicate (Manhattan)
Theme: Tech Assassins and Corporate Spies
Tools: Cloaking, drones, smart weapons
Signature Skill: Neural Ghosting
Safehouse Style: Clean, surgical, high-tech bunkers
The Hollow Syndicate looked like it was built for people who liked sleek tools, advanced technology, and the kind of combat that required precision and subtlety. The safehouses being described as "surgical" matched perfectly with their vibe. It was the kind of faction that would feel like you were part of a futuristic assassination agency.
Echelon 7 (Queens)
Theme: Tactical Combat and Black Ops
Tools: Rifles, explosives, armor
Signature Skill: Adrenal Surge
Safehouse Style: Reinforced bunkers, military-grade tech
Next was Echelon 7. Porter's attention sharpened slightly as he read this one. The faction was focused on pure combat tactics. Heavy gear, explosives, and powerful firearms made up their toolset. They operated like a military unit with strategy at the core. Their safehouses were reinforced and equipped with advanced military tech. That sort of setup appealed to Porter more than the others so far. It seemed straightforward, focused, and dangerous in a grounded kind of way.
The Oathbound (The Bronx)
Theme: Cold War Espionage
Tools: Disguises, poison, fiber wire
Signature Skill: Cloak of Deceit
Safehouse Style: Abandoned buildings, secret basements
Then came The Oathbound, who leaned deep into the old-school spy archetype. Disguises, poison, and quiet kills were their specialty. Their environments were hidden in places nobody would expect abandoned spaces and hidden basements tucked beneath the city. The Cloak of Deceit skill suggested their playstyle relied on misinformation and misdirection. Porter thought it sounded cool, but maybe a little too indirect for his liking.
Karma Noir (Brooklyn)
Theme: Hacktivists and Parkour Agents
Tools: Hacking tools, crafted bombs, silent pistols
Signature Skill: Echo Hack
Safehouse Style: Rooftop squats, subway hideouts, hidden tech hubs
Karma Noir had a more chaotic energy than the rest. It felt less like an organization and more like a movement. They combined hacking with fast movement, using parkour and crafted weapons to keep mobile and unpredictable. The safehouses were tucked into hidden places across the city on rooftops, in subways, and anywhere the grid didn't reach. It felt like they were always on the move, always slipping through the cracks.
Red Veil (Staten Island)
Theme: Chaos and Brutal Combat
Tools: Improvised weapons, traps, psychological warfare
Signature Skill: Blood Frenzy
Safehouse Style: Burned buildings, makeshift outposts
Finally, there was Red Veil, the most violent and primal of the five. They used whatever they could get their hands on. Traps, psychological tactics, and whatever else would give them the upper hand. Their homes were burned-out buildings and improvised outposts, giving them a savage feel that separated them from the more structured factions. They were raw, wild, and dangerous.
Porter read over the last description and leaned back slightly. He had made up his mind. "It looks like I'll be with the Echelon 7," he muttered to himself. That faction checked the most boxes for him. They had structure, firepower, and a clear direction. After that, he scrolled to the remaining five sections.
Porter continued reading, keeping his pace steady as he moved into the next chunk of information. Section Six focused on the safehouse system, something he had only skimmed in passing before.
[6. SAFEHOUSE SYSTEM]
• Each faction has 15 unique safehouses throughout the city.
• Safehouses function as:
• Planning Rooms: Briefings and faction missions
• Gear Vaults: Weapon/tool storage
• Healing Stations: Regeneration and recovery
• Faction Comms: Updates on world events
• Infiltration Risk: Rival factions can attack and capture your safehouses.
As he read through it more carefully now, he realized how important these safehouses actually were. Each faction having fifteen separate locations scattered throughout the city gave the game a sense of scale and complexity. These weren't just safe zones for resting. They were functional hubs, serving different roles like mission planning, gear storage, recovery stations, and communication centers. What made it even more intense was the note at the end stating that rival factions could actually infiltrate and take over your safehouses. That meant no place was truly secure. Even if you were healing or storing your gear, you could lose it if you weren't careful. It added another layer of tension to the game, where defending your faction's ground might become just as important as progressing in the story.
Next came the section on gear and crafting, something Porter was curious about.
[7. GEAR & CRAFTING SYSTEM]
• You start with no gear—everything must be earned.
• Craft from materials, scavenge from the world, or trade in the black market.
• Faction-exclusive blueprints offer powerful tools.
• Legacy Gear from past characters can be discovered but only once per death.
He noticed right away that you didn't begin the game with any weapons, equipment, or tools. You had to earn everything from the ground up. That meant exploring, scavenging, crafting, or getting involved in the black market if you wanted an edge. The mention of faction-exclusive blueprints hinted at some serious specialization.
If you were loyal to your group and progressed deeply into it, you could unlock powerful equipment no one else had access to. And then there was the legacy gear. If one of your past characters had died, there was a chance to find something they left behind, but only once. That detail stuck with him. It meant your past runs still had meaning even after death, but you couldn't just farm them for free gear. It made each loss feel more permanent, yet still left behind some echoes of what came before.
He kept going and found himself on the next section, which turned out to be about world events.
[8. DYNAMIC WORLD EVENTS]
• Faction Wars: Player and NPC missions shift borough control.
• World Changes: Riots, safehouse battles, assassinations, lockdowns.
• Enemy Evolution: NPCs get smarter, stronger, and more organized as you rise in power.
• Borough Instability: The city changes based on which faction dominates.
NPC: NPCs are as smart as the player. Some might be even smarter, so don't treat them like they're not real or they might kill you.
This section really pushed the idea that the game wasn't static. As players completed missions and factions clashed, the control of entire boroughs would shift, causing riots, targeted assassinations, and even safehouse battles. The detail about enemy NPCs adapting as players grew stronger caught Porter's eye.
It meant that brute-forcing your way through the game wasn't going to work forever. The AI would recognize your patterns, respond to your strategies, and eventually start outsmarting you if you became predictable. That warning at the end about treating NPCs like they weren't real made him pause for a second. It wasn't just flavor text. It felt like a genuine warning. These weren't just mindless enemies. They learned, they reacted, and they could take you down.
He moved on to the next piece, which focused on rankings and player infamy.
[9. TITAN BOARD – BOUNTY & KILL RANKING]
The Titan Board ranks the top 100 most dangerous players.
• Ranked by:
• Number of confirmed player kills
• Total bounty earned
• Faction mission completion and survival time
• Top 10 Perks:
• Broadcast in terminals and enemy networks
• High-risk contracts offered to others to hunt them
• Legacy items are guaranteed to drop if they die
• Bounty System:
• Gain bounty from player kills, high-level AI kills, and territory captures
• The more infamous you become, the more you're hunted
It was essentially a leaderboard for killers, infiltrators, and survivalists. If you were skilled enough to crack the top 100, the whole game would know your name. The top ten players didn't just get bragging rights. Their names were broadcast to enemy terminals, and special contracts were created just to hunt them down. Even worse—or more impressive—was the fact that if a top ten player was killed, their legacy gear would be guaranteed to drop. It made being at the top both a reward and a death sentence. The bounty system made everything more dangerous. The more power you gained, the more people would come for you, both players and AI alike.
Porter scrolled a bit further and landed on a long list of boss characters tied to each faction, as well as rivalries between them.
[BOSS NPCs – THE TOP 16 AND FACTION RIVALS]
Hollow Syndicate (Manhattan)
1. Director Lysander Vex
2. Cipher-3
3. Helena Cross
4. The Mirror
Echelon 7 (Queens)
1. Colonel Rhys Danner
2. Shadowpoint
3. Major Nyla Creed
4. Overwatch Zero
The Oathbound (The Bronx)
1. Marshal Kaelen Voss
2. Whisperblade
3. Seer Elira Thorne
4. The Vowkeeper
Karma Noir (Brooklyn)
1. Phantom Riko
2. Echo Queen
3. Zero//Trace
4. Ash Dagger
Then there were the listed rivalries between factions, and each group had something to say about the others.
Hollow Syndicate (Manhattan)
Feuds With:
• Karma Noir – "They reject control; we are control."
• Oathbound – "Honor is obsolete. We deal in results."
Echelon 7 (Queens)
Feuds With:
• Red Veil – "They are chaos incarnate. We eliminate threats."
• Karma Noir – "They fight shadows with noise. We fight wars with precision."
The Oathbound (The Bronx)
Feuds With:
• Hollow Syndicate – "They have no code. Only greed."
• Red Veil – "No honor in madness. They must be cleansed."
Karma Noir (Brooklyn)
Feuds With:
• Hollow Syndicate – "They watch the world burn from a tower. We set the fire ourselves."
• Echelon 7 – "We don't obey boots on our streets."
Red Veil (Staten Island)
Feuds With:
• Everyone – "If they breathe, they're a target."
After reading through the entire list, Porter blinked a few times and then mumbled to himself, "Everything checks out, but why doesn't it show the bosses of the Red Veil?" He scrolled back up and down just to make sure he hadn't missed something. But the list ended right there. No bosses were listed for the Red Veil, even though every other faction had four.
He gave a small shake of his head, like brushing the thought aside, and pressed the back button on the interface. That brought him back to the main menu. There, a large option stood out on the screen: PULSE Streaming.
Even though Porter wasn't exactly tech-savvy, he knew what the word "streaming" meant. He had heard it used all the time on news broadcasts or global alerts when channels were showing things live to everyone on the grid. Whether it was a major announcement or emergency news, they always called it "streaming" or "broadcasting."
[PULSE Streaming]
[Create Account]
[Start Streaming]
Reading the short prompt on screen, Porter didn't hesitate. He immediately selected "Create Account," typed in the name Porter, and completed the process in seconds. Right after that, he hit "Start Streaming," not even thinking twice about it.
With that done, he went back to the main menu once more, and this time, he pressed the play button.