Kael didn't sleep that night.
The words of the woman from Echo 13 kept ringing in his head. "We help people like you before the system ruins them." Was he really on a path to destruction? Or was she just trying to manipulate him?
The LIFE SYSTEM had changed everything. Money, power, skills—he was getting stronger by the day. But now, it was clear: he wasn't the only one playing the game.
The morning was gray and cold. A light drizzle tapped against the window. Kael sat with his laptop open, researching Echo 13, but there was nothing. No online presence, no records. It was like they didn't exist. And that made them even more real.
His phone buzzed with another mission.
[Daily Mission Available]
Mission: Protect a civilian from harm (Location: Midtown)
Reward: $250 | Skill Bonus (Defense)
Time Limit: 1 Hour
He pulled on his hoodie and headed out.
---
Midtown Granis was always crowded. Street musicians played under glass shelters, vendors sold spicy noodles and coffee from carts, and students hustled to their morning lectures. It was alive—loud and messy—but today, Kael was scanning every face.
[Target Civilian Identified: Selena Drax – Age 22 – Journalism Intern – Currently Unaware of Threat]
A red outline appeared around a young woman walking toward a bus stop. She wore thick glasses, held a small camera bag, and looked half-asleep. Harmless. Until Kael noticed a man following her, too close, too quiet.
He slipped into the crowd, moving diagonally until he was a few feet behind them both.
Selena stopped near the curb to check her phone. The man reached into his coat.
Kael acted.
He moved fast, grabbing the guy by the wrist just as he pulled out a sharp blade. The man struggled, snarling something in a low voice.
Selena gasped, backing away.
A quick knee to the attacker's stomach dropped him to the ground. Kael kicked the knife out of reach, just as the system chimed:
[Mission Completed.]
$250
Skill Unlocked: Counter Lv. 1]
Bonus Trait: Guardian Instinct (Lv. 1 – Slight speed and strength boost during protective actions)]
Selena stared at him, stunned. "Who… what just happened?"
Kael looked her in the eye and gave the only answer he could think of.
"You were lucky. Be careful out here."
Before she could respond, he melted into the crowd.
---
Back in his apartment, Kael sat on the edge of his bed. The missions were escalating—first spying, now saving lives. The system wasn't just training him; it was testing his morality, shaping his choices.
And what was worse?
He was beginning to like it.
Then, another alert popped up—not a mission, but a message:
[Private Message from Unknown Contact: You're not ready for what's coming. Stop digging.]
Kael blinked.
Another message followed, this one encrypted with a symbol he now recognized—Black Veil.
"The city is ours. Stay in your lane, System boy."
Kael smiled coldly.
They knew about him now.
Good.
He stood, slipping the eagle pin Echo 13 gave him into his pocket.
Because he wasn't backing down.
He was just getting started.