A low hum filled the jet cabin.
Leo Fan sat strapped in, dressed in a charcoal tactical suit, the city lights of Hong Kong glimmering below like circuitry.
> Aria: "Mission parameters uploaded. Your first Tier 1 contract—classified as Black Level."
A new window materialized in front of him:
> [Mission Briefing #A-01 – Aegis Heist]
Target: The Vault Network – a private offshore database used by global elites to hide illegal funds.
Objective: Extract encrypted evidence and reroute ¥500 million to Aegis holding account.
Time Limit: 48 hours
Reward: Skill Upgrade + Tier 1 Clearance
Penalty: Permanent System Downgrade
> Leo (smirking): "So we're robbing the rich to feed the richer."
> Aria: "Correction—you're robbing the untouchable to become one of them."
---
The Setup
When the jet landed, three operatives awaited him:
Lena Frost, icy and precise, neural-chip controller.
Ren Takahiro, tech prodigy with an AI drone named Hina.
Zara Lin, influencer-turned-cryptomancer who could manipulate live digital markets.
They were his temporary Aegis cell.
> Lena: "We hit the Vault through its satellite relay over the South China Sea. Minimal contact. Maximum profit."
> Leo: "And maximum danger, I assume."
> Ren (grinning): "Wouldn't be fun otherwise."
---
Infiltration
Night.
Their stealth craft cut through clouds toward a floating platform—the relay hub disguised as an oil rig.
> 🧠 Skill Activated: Ghostware Cloak (Lv. 2)
🧠 Skill Boosted: Tactical Instinct → Lv. 2
They slipped through security lasers and electromagnetic fields like shadows.
Ren's drones neutralized sensors.
Lena's neural chip hijacked the AI defenses.
Zara manipulated crypto-nodes to mask their digital presence.
Inside the core chamber, the Vault's mainframe pulsed with golden light—data streams swirling like molten metal.
> Aria: "Leo, interface engaged. Begin extraction."
---
The Betrayal
Halfway through the upload, alarms screamed.
Ren's drones froze mid-air. Lena's neural link flickered violently.
> Zara (hissing): "Someone tipped them off!"
The holo-screens flashed a single line:
> "Welcome back, Phantom."
Leo's blood ran cold. The masked rival—erased from the previous trial—appeared on the central feed, his system somehow reactivated.
> Rival: "Did you really think Aegis deletes its pawns? I joined a higher tier."
> Leo: "You never learn when to quit."
---
System Overdrive
> 🧠 Emergency Protocol Unlocked: System Overdrive (30 seconds)
💥 Processing Power +500%
🧩 Cognitive Acceleration Engaged
Everything slowed. Leo's vision sharpened; every line of code glowed like threads in a web.
He dived into the network, splitting his consciousness into multiple layers.
The rival launched digital virus swarms; Leo countered by fracturing them into feedback loops.
In the real world, alarms blared, the rig shaking as data cores overloaded.
> Aria: "Leo, extraction complete—disconnect now!"
> Leo (gritting teeth): "Not until he's gone."
He uploaded a compressed worm—Phantom Zero—a self-replicating code that consumed the rival's system entirely.
> Rival (screaming): "No—NO—!"
The screen went dark. Silence.
---
Mission Outcome
> ✅ Vault Breached.
💰 ¥512,000,000 Transferred to Aegis Holdings.
🧠 Skill Unlocked: System Overdrive (Permanent Cooldown Unlocked).
🏆 Title Earned: The Architect of Shadows.
---
Back aboard the jet, the team sat in silence. Lena stared at him.
> Lena: "You destroyed the Vault. Do you have any idea what you just did?"
Leo watched the horizon blaze with dawn.
> Leo: "I broke the rules. Now I make new ones."
> Aria (softly): "Leo… the Aegis Council will either reward you—or fear you."
> Leo (smirking): "Either way… they'll remember my name."
---
Far away, in the Aegis headquarters, the woman in white reviewed the report, a faint smile curving her lips.
> Unknown Woman: "Stage one complete. Begin Project Echelon."
Her eyes glowed brighter. Behind her, rows of sealed pods flickered—each containing a dormant figure with a glowing interface of their own.