Monday. First day of midterms week.
The campus was a flurry of anxiety—students buried in books, group chats overloaded with review materials, and coffee shops packed to the brim. Yet amidst the chaos, Leo remained calm.
His exams were manageable—he had a photographic memory and a mind honed by the system's passive skills. But he had more pressing matters than Scantron sheets and essay prompts.
[Priority Alert]
Board Opposition Detected: Manuel Salonga has hired a private investigation firm to uncover your true identity.
Risk Level: Moderate
Suggested Action: Initiate countermeasure – Ghost Veil Protocol
Leo sat quietly at the back of the library, his laptop open—not for studying, but to deploy what the system called digital shadow mode. A powerful tool that restructured his data footprint in real time.
Photos tagged with his name disappeared. Old social media posts were wiped clean. Public records blurred. Even the café receipts he recently used had been subtly rerouted through dummy accounts.
It was like becoming a myth.
[Ghost Veil Activated]
Your real identity is now masked under six layers of digital proxies.
PI Interference Level: 2/10
Your enemies will only find dead ends.
Bonus Activated: Shadow Mastery (Passive) – Enhanced ability to operate in secret
Leo closed his laptop slowly.
"Let them hunt," he whispered to himself. "I don't run—I disappear."
Back at Ground Zero, the team was preparing for their first-ever "Pitch Lab Night," where they would present internal ideas and prototypes to one another for feedback.
It wasn't open to the public—just the five of them.
Martin stood at the whiteboard, outlining the evening schedule.
"Each of us gets 10 minutes to pitch a project or tool we think can help this platform grow. It doesn't need to be perfect, just real."
Zari tossed him a look. "You mean like a Shark Tank but without sharks?"
Martin smirked. "Exactly. Just visionaries."
Leo watched quietly, pride blooming in his chest.
They were growing.
Not because of him. But because they believed in something real.
That night, the first Pitch Lab began.
Dreigh went first, showing off a modular prosthetic hand powered by low-cost materials and recycled tech. It wasn't sleek, but it worked.
"Cost per unit: ₱1,800," he said. "Could change lives for poor amputees."
Everyone clapped.
Then Aria revealed a design for a sustainable micro-shelter that could be deployed in disaster zones. "It folds like origami," she said. "Takes two people less than ten minutes to assemble."
Then Martin pitched a student-led tutoring app for underserved schools. "The goal is to reward volunteers with internship credit or performance badges," he explained. "Everyone wins."
Then came Zari.
Her pitch? A minimalist, distraction-free writing and brainstorming platform—built for creators who hated bloated apps and notifications.
"I call it BlankSpace," she said. "No ads. No noise. Just you and your idea."
Leo smiled.
When it was finally his turn, the room quieted.
They had never seen Leo pitch anything before.
He stood, hands in his pockets.
"I don't have a product," he began. "But I have a question."
Everyone leaned in.
"What happens when we win?"
Martin blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean… when this space grows. When our names start spreading. When real investors knock on our door. When people offer money to buy us out, or politicians want to 'partner' with us."
No one spoke.
Leo's tone was calm. But serious.
"Will we stay grounded? Will we remember why we started? Or will we turn into the very system we're trying to change?"
Zari folded her arms, thinking. "That's not a pitch."
Leo smiled. "It's the most important one."
A long silence followed.
Then Dreigh raised his hand. "We should build something that can't be bought."
Everyone looked at him.
Leo nodded. "Exactly."
[New Circle Objective Formed]
Founders Pact Initiated:
A verbal, shared agreement to protect the core vision of Ground Zero
Loyalty Multiplier Increased
Group Integrity Locked – Members cannot be poached or turned unless voluntarily leaving
Leo exhaled. His system was evolving—but so was his circle.
Meanwhile, across the city, in a high-rise office, Manuel Salonga paced furiously in front of a glowing monitor.
"Still nothing?" he barked at the investigator on the call.
"Sir, we've followed every trail. This heir is a ghost. No bank records, no clear photo trail, no verified academic or business history under the name we have."
Salonga clenched his fists. "Then dig deeper. Everyone leaves a crack."
The investigator hesitated. "There is one thing…"
Salonga looked up.
"A name appeared briefly in the transfer papers of a shell corporation. Just once. Unregistered signature. Handwritten."
"Read it."
"…Leo V. Ramirez."
Salonga's jaw tightened. "Track him. I want to know what he eats, where he sleeps, and who he breathes near."
"Yes, sir."
Back at home, Leo stood on the rooftop again, staring at the stars.
His system buzzed once more.
[Threat Level Increased: Board Suspicion Rising]
Active Counterintelligence Task: Protect Identity
Optional: Recruit an "external cleaner" – someone who can defend you from digital and real-world tracing.
Reward: Elite Cloak Skill + Shadow Expansion Path
Leo narrowed his eyes.
It was time to find someone who knew how to erase footprints even better than him.
The board was coming.
But he was ready to go darker.