Night fell like a curtain over the city, wrapping the skyline in the sharp edges of neon and shadow. Lin Chen sat in his study, the quantum chip now locked inside a biometric safe. But the system refused to rest.
[System Alert: Proximity Warning – Host has entered an interference zone.]
[Foreign Surveillance Detected. Countermeasures Engaged.]
His laptop screen flickered—then went black. Lights dimmed for a second. Outside, a low hum vibrated through the glass windows.
He stood up.
"System," he said calmly. "What's happening?"
[Analysis Complete: One member of the Erebus Initiative has traced the chip's transaction trail.]
[Warning: Level-1 Pursuit Unit en route. Objective: Eliminate compromised target. Estimated arrival: 03:12 minutes.]
That snapped him to full attention.
"They're already here?"
[System Protocol: Auto-defense initiated. Activating Guardian Protocol Lv.1]
A surge of energy pulsed through his chest. The air shimmered as the room was surrounded by a faint blue light—an invisible energy field cloaking the apartment in static defense.
Lin Chen had only seconds.
He ran to the corner of the room and opened a concealed panel—the System had recently installed a prototype escape passage linked to an adjacent empty unit. Just in time.
The door exploded behind him.
Smoke and shockwaves tore through his living space. From the smoke stepped a figure—humanoid but not human. Clad in black with no visible face, the attacker's limbs moved with inhuman precision.
[System Notification: Class-C Cleaner Identified – Codename: Kappa Unit 3]
[Objective: Capture or Eliminate Host. Lethality: High. Weakness: Pulse Disruption Fields.]
Lin Chen slid into the next unit, sealed the wall behind him, and activated a secondary system tool:
[Skill Activated: Adrenaline Surge Lv.1 – Movement Speed +45%, Reflex +30%]
His heart pounded like a war drum.
From the system interface, a translucent blueprint of the apartment complex overlaid his vision. Kappa Unit 3 was tracking him by heat signature.
He had less than a minute to think.
Downstairs, the building's automated defenses tripped. Cameras froze. Alarm systems shut down. The Erebus unit had deployed an electromagnetic silence field. It wasn't just here to kill Lin Chen—it was here to erase him without a trace.
[Emergency Protocols Triggered – Host is permitted one-time use of system-bound defensive weapon.]
"Deploy it," Lin Chen ordered.
From thin air—no, from a materializing shimmer—came a palm-sized silver device. He recognized it from the system shop: Pulse Emitter V.0.9
He attached it to the adjacent wall, set the radius, and waited.
The Cleaner burst through the corridor door just as he hit "Activate."
BOOM—
The entire hallway lit up with high-frequency sonic waves. The figure staggered, its black armor rippling and sparking as it collided with the walls.
[Critical Hit Registered – Enemy Unit Disoriented for 14 seconds.]
That was his opening.
Lin Chen didn't hesitate. He launched into a sprint, adrenaline fueling every stride. He reached the rooftop access, slammed the door open, and was met with the cold wind of the night.
Behind him—mechanical steps.
It wasn't down yet.
[System Override Available: Prototype Cloak Module]
"Use it."
Light bent around him like liquid. He vanished into the dark as the Cleaner scanned the rooftop.
Below, a black SUV pulled up. A second agent in civilian disguise stepped out, holding a controller.
"Target evaded initial strike. Deploy recon bots," he said into a mic.
[System Warning: City-Wide Surveillance Grid Hacked. Enemies increasing in number.]
Lin Chen gritted his teeth. "So this is Erebus... real and moving."
He opened the system panel. The Pulse Emitter had given him a momentary advantage, but the enemy was escalating.
He selected a new route—through the adjacent tech firm's fire escape. Midway down, he paused.
There was someone waiting for him at the bottom.
A woman.
Not just any woman—
Li Chu.
Dressed in a sharp-cut trench coat, she looked up at him calmly, moonlight tracing the edges of her high cheekbones.
"I figured they'd come for you," she said.
"How did you—"
"I have my ways," she cut in. "Come with me. I have a secure drop point."
He followed without protest. For now.
Underground Parking Vault – 11:39 PM
"I bought this place with a dummy shell corporation years ago," she explained, activating security. "It's off-grid. Erebus won't find us here."
He turned to her. "You knew about Erebus?"
"I've been tracking their operations for years. What I didn't expect—" she looked him dead in the eyes "—was you."
He stayed silent.
Le Chu poured two glasses of water and handed him one. "What are you?"
He shrugged. "Lucky?"
She smiled faintly. "More than that. You move like someone who's trained. But not in the usual way. There's... something else."
He didn't answer. The system pulsed a warning in his peripheral vision.
[New Quest Available – Gain Le Chu's Full Trust (Progress: 42%)]
[Optional Subtask Unlocked – Reveal a Fragment of the System to the Target (Reward: +15 Trust)]
He weighed the risk. She had saved his life. And her eyes... they didn't lie. Not entirely.
He held up his hand. A flicker of system light shimmered above his palm—just enough to show.
Her pupils widened slightly. She didn't move.
"So it's true," she whispered. "You have... something beyond this world."
He nodded once.
She didn't ask more.
Outside, the city slept on. But war had already begun—between a ghost organization and a man with a rising system of his own.
[Chapter Complete – Chapter 26: First Encounter – Who Is the Enemy?]
[Reward: 20,000 Gold Coins, Unlock Next Mission Thread: "Trace the Network"]