The attack came at dawn.
Alex's compound—a fortified office building surrounded by loyal guards—erupted in flames as something that moved too fast to track tore through his defenses.
*EXTREME DANGER DETECTED*
*HOSTILE SYSTEM USER: POWER LEVEL MAXIMUM*
*RECOMMENDATION: IMMEDIATE EVACUATION*
"Everyone out!" Alex shouted, his enhanced senses tracking the destruction moving toward his location. "Now!"
Elena grabbed important files while Maya vanished into the shadows. David moved with them, his former hero training evident in how efficiently he covered their retreat.
The thing that burst through Alex's office wall wasn't quite human anymore.
It had been a person once, but the Purifier System had changed it into something else entirely. White energy crackled around its form, and when it spoke, its voice carried otherworldly authority.
"ALEX CHEN. YOU HAVE BEEN JUDGED CORRUPT. PURIFICATION REQUIRED."
*BOSS BATTLE: THE PURIFIER*
*WARNING: ENEMY POWER EXCEEDS CURRENT CAPABILITIES*
*SURVIVAL CHANCE: 12%*
Alex activated every enhancement he had—strength, speed, tactical genius, intimidating presence. None of it mattered. The Purifier moved like a force of nature, each attack capable of leveling buildings.
The battle was brief and one-sided.
Alex found himself pinned against a wall, the Purifier's energy burning through his enhanced durability.
"CORRUPTION LEVEL: EXTREME. PURIFICATION COMMENCING."
That's when David arrived.
"Stop!" The former hero stepped between Alex and the Purifier. "I won't let you kill him."
"DAVID PARK. HERO SYSTEM USER. STATUS: COMPROMISED."
"Status: evolved," David corrected, golden energy beginning to flow around his hands. "I've learned that justice isn't as simple as good versus evil."
*CORRUPTED HERO DEFENDING VILLAIN*
*SYSTEM PARADOX CREATED*
*PURIFIER SYSTEM EXPERIENCING ERROR*
The Purifier paused, its perfect certainty wavering for the first time. "ERROR. HERO SYSTEM USER SHOULD NOT PROTECT VILLAIN SYSTEM USER."
"Maybe the systems don't understand everything," David said quietly. "Maybe we're supposed to think for ourselves."
What happened next would be debated by system users for years.
The Purifier began to shake, white energy flickering unstably. "ERROR. ERROR. FUNDAMENTAL PROTOCOL VIOLATION."
Then it screamed—a sound like reality tearing—and vanished in a burst of chaotic energy.
*PURIFIER SYSTEM USER ELIMINATED*
*CAUSE: SYSTEM PARADOX OVERLOAD*
*MASSIVE VILLAIN POINT BONUS: +2,000*
*TOTAL: 8,000 VILLAIN POINTS*
*ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: SYSTEM BREAKER*