Kael didn't sleep that night.
He returned to his tiny apartment, locked the door, pulled the curtains shut, and sat on the edge of his bed with the flickering city lights barely visible behind him. The Life System interface hovered in front of him, dimmed for night mode.
[Mission Complete: Contact Established – Sentinel Order]
[Reward: System Patch + Intel Access Unlocked]
He tapped on the new tab labeled Intel.
Dozens of documents and video files loaded instantly—blurred faces, surveillance camera stills, reports about disappearances, digital anomalies, and unexplained deaths. Most of them were marked CLASSIFIED.
But one caught his attention. A folder titled: "The First User."
Kael clicked it.
A video loaded. Grainy, black-and-white security cam footage from what looked like a hospital hallway. A man in his early 30s staggered into frame, eyes glowing blue, veins pulsing unnaturally. Then—he exploded.
Literally.
The hallway was consumed in a flash of light and data static. The footage ended there.
Kael leaned back slowly, heart racing.
"What the hell is this system doing to people?"
Suddenly, his Life System pinged again.
[Daily Quest Generated]
"Observe and Report: Monitor High-Tier Activity at Sector 14"
Location: Downtown Granis City – Zephyr Arcade Building Rooftop
Time Limit: 3 hours
Reward: 150 Credits | Skill Upgrade Token (Random)
Warning: High Threat Area – Proceed with Caution
Kael stared at the mission.
Sector 14 wasn't far—but it was known for gang activity, especially from the group known as Chrome Fang, one of the more tech-savvy criminal outfits in the city. If the system was sending him there, it had to be serious.
He changed into black cargo pants, a fitted black shirt, and zipped up his hoodie. Before leaving, he grabbed his retractable hook, his burner phone, and a small flash drive.
Just in case.
---
The Zephyr Arcade Building had been abandoned years ago. Now, it was rumored to be a hideout for illegal augmented humans—those who used black-market tech to enhance their bodies.
Kael crept through the shattered glass doors, climbed the emergency stairs, and emerged on the rooftop.
He wasn't alone.
A group of six figures stood in a semi-circle, all of them wearing masks. In the center, a tall man in a crimson coat held a silver briefcase. His voice carried across the rooftop.
"The next shipment comes in from the border in two nights. The client expects results. If your men can't extract the Life Seeds, we'll find someone who can."
Kael's blood froze. Life Seeds?
He pulled out his phone, began recording, and activated the system's Stealth Mode skill he had acquired in Chapter 9.
[Stealth Mode: Active – 45 seconds remaining]
He crawled closer, hiding behind an air vent.
"I heard rumors," one of the masked men spoke. "That someone in the city has a pure system. A real one."
The man in the crimson coat chuckled.
"Oh, it's more than a rumor. The system is adapting—spreading. The experiment is entering its final phase. And that pure user? He's already on our radar."
Kael's heart pounded. Were they talking about him?
[Stealth Mode: Deactivated – Cooldown: 3 minutes]
A crunch. Kael's foot shifted on broken glass.
All six figures turned toward the sound.
"Someone's here," the crimson coat said quietly.
Kael bolted.
He dashed across the rooftop, vaulted over the edge, and used his hook to latch onto a nearby billboard. Swinging down two floors, he crashed through a window into the adjacent building.
Bullets pinged behind him. He ducked, rolled, and sprinted into the stairwell.
[Mission Update: Escape Zone Reached – Countdown Initiated: 60 Seconds]
Kael panted heavily, sweat pouring down his neck. He kicked open the exit door and burst into an alley.
The system pinged.
[Mission Complete: Intel Collected – Sector 14]
Reward: +150 Credits | Skill Upgrade Token (Received: Reflex Boost Lv1)]
He slumped against a wall, laughing breathlessly.
"That was insane…"
But even as his heart slowed, Kael couldn't forget the words.
The system is adapting… the final phase… and someone's on our radar.
He didn't know who the man in the crimson coat was, but he knew one thing:
There was a war happening beneath Granis City.
And Kael Riven was caught right in the middle of it.