Hans sat at the table, wiping sweat from his forehead with a greasy napkin as he and his soldiers finished off the last of the meat sandwiches.
The house still smelled like gunpowder and cooked bacon — not a pleasant combination.
The man who had broken in last night had vanished.
No blood, no trail, no explanation.
The only thing left behind was a torn black cloak draped over Hans's broken windowsill — still fluttering slightly, even though there was no wind.
Hans frowned.
"That guy really just vanished, huh? What was he even trying to do?"
"Sir," one of the soldiers interrupted. "Permission to patrol the street perimeter. Possible intruder trail may still be recoverable."
Hans nodded. "Go ahead… but stay low. I don't need the neighbors panicking."
The soldier saluted and disappeared into the hallway.
Meanwhile… In The Forest
A different man — dressed in worn hunter's gear — stood on a branch, chewing a piece of dried fruit as he stared into the tree line.
"The one called Hans…" he muttered, scribbling into a notebook. "Summons four. Coordination 95%. Kill ratio: unnatural."
He turned the page.
"An anomaly."
Below that word, the paper was filled with drawings of Hans's face, the soldiers, and even the way they surrounded Pigmen when attacking.
Suddenly, the forest shifted.
The trees bent slightly, and a quiet, female voice whispered into his ear:
"Observe, but do not interfere again."
The hunter shivered and dropped his fruit.
Back at Hans's House
Hans opened the system panel again while brushing his teeth.
[Skill Unlocked – Officer's Intuition Lv. 1]"Allows minor premonitions and gut-based reactions in high-pressure situations."
He spit out his toothpaste.
"Wait, I got intuition now?" He grinned, tapping on the skill icon. "About time something actually helped me."
Another notification slid into view:
[New Mission Available – 'Hold the Line']"Unknown party has tracked your activities. Secure your home for 24 hours."
Hans's stomach dropped. "Tracked my…? Oh hell no."
He ran into the living room. "Men! DEFENSE MODE! Secure the front entrance and windows. Set up fallback position in the hallway!"
"Yes Sir!" The soldiers barked and moved without hesitation, even flipping over furniture for cover.
Hans ducked behind the couch with a frying pan in one hand and his Luger in the other.
"I knew I should've bought that extra door upgrade…"
Midnight – The Ambush
It started with a whisper.
Then a crash.
Then… silence.
Hans was sweating through his hoodie. His soldiers hadn't moved an inch, eyes trained on the windows.
"CLINK."A rock rolled into the hallway.
Then a voice spoke, low and cold from outside:
"Hans. We warned you not to go too far. You've drawn attention."
Hans stood up. "WHO THE HELL IS 'WE'?"
Silence.
Then something landed in the front yard — not a rock, not a grenade — but a flare. Bright blue, burning silently.
Hans's soldiers immediately snapped into action.
"Enemy breach imminent. Weapons ready."
Just as Hans shouted "WAIT—!" the door EXPLODED inward.
Three masked figures in strange armor rolled inside with twin daggers glowing red. They didn't even speak.
They just charged.
The house erupted into chaos.
Shots rang out, echoing through the neighborhood. Furniture shattered. One soldier went down — sparks and smoke pouring from his chest.
Hans, eyes wide, dove toward his "Officer Panel" and shouted:
"RECRUIT!"
Two more soldiers shimmered into reality beside him, instantly firing on the intruders.
The fight lasted less than a minute — and then it was over.
All three attackers were down, either unconscious or bleeding.
One soldier had a melted rifle. Another had a deep gash in the shoulder, but was still standing.
Hans was covered in dust and breathing hard, staring at the damage.
Then a final system message appeared:
[MISSION COMPLETE – You Held the Line]"Your reputation has increased. New threat level: MONITORED."
And below that:
[Skill Evolved – Recruit → Commanding Presence Lv. 1]"All summoned soldiers now respond 15% faster and auto-form defense perimeter under threat."
Hans collapsed on the floor and groaned.
"I just wanted a normal life…"
One of the soldiers helped him sit up.
"You are not normal anymore, Sir."
Hans sighed.
And far above — in that hazy space where ancestors watched — an old man in a black coat laughed as he lit a cigar.
"Now he's learning."