The night hung heavy over the city, drenched in a storm that hadn’t broken yet. Dark clouds gathered, lightning rumbling in the distance as if the heavens themselves were restless. Ethan Cross sat on the edge of the rooftop, his eyes locked on the flickering holographic map projected from his wristband. Red markers pulsed across the grid—enemy signatures, shifting rapidly.They were closing in.But Ethan wasn’t the type to be cornered. He thrived in moments like these.The system’s voice whispered in his mind.[Warning: Hostile forces approaching. Estimated time of arrival: 5 minutes.][Optional Mission Unlocked: Survive the ambush without retreat.] Reward: 2,000 EXP | Random Epic Skill Card.Ethan smirked. “Survive without retreat? That’s exactly my style.”He holstered his pistols, double-checked his knives, and tightened the black gloves on his hands. Every detail mattered now. Tonight’s mission wasn’t just about survival—it was about sending a message.Down below, the streets flick

The night air was thick with mist, clinging to the neon lights of the city like a veil. Ethan stood at the edge of the rooftop, watching the chaos below. The Council’s men had grown bolder, their patrols tightening around every district he moved through. He could almost feel the noose pulling tighter with each passing day.His phone buzzed once—an encrypted message. Coordinates. Midnight. Come alone.No signature, but Ethan knew. This wasn’t just another mission. This was the kind of invitation that ended in blood.He turned, finding Layla crouched on the rooftop ledge behind him, her blade glinting faintly in the moonlight. “You’re going,” she said. Not a question.Ethan adjusted his gloves. “Of course. They wouldn’t call me out if they weren’t desperate.”“Or if they weren’t setting a trap.”He gave her a sharp look. “All missions are traps, Layla. The question is whether the reward outweighs the risk.”Layla’s jaw tightened. She had seen him push his limits before, but something in

Ethan moved like a ghost through the abandoned warehouse, his footsteps silent against the dust-coated floor. The faint smell of rust, oil, and old blood clung to the air, mingling with the hum of broken machinery that stood like corpses in the shadows. His instincts screamed at him. Something wasn’t right.The system’s mission timer pulsed in his mind like a second heartbeat: 01:42:17. Just under two hours left.Find the betrayer.That was the mission. Not kill, not capture. Find. Which meant the system already knew who it was. The bastard was close.Damian had been right—Grayson was only the surface of the rot. Somewhere deeper, someone had been feeding information to both sides. Someone close enough to know Ethan’s movements before he made them.Ethan’s jaw tightened as he checked the corners, pistol drawn. He had survived too long in the underworld to let paranoia cloud his judgment, but tonight it didn’t feel like paranoia. It felt like truth.The first sign came in the form of a

The city never truly slept. Even in the late hours of the night, neon lights painted the skyline with restless glow, and the underground buzzed with activity. For Ethan, however, the world had narrowed to a single room—one filled with smoke, tension, and the dangerous weight of silence.He sat in the safehouse, the dim glow of the single overhead bulb casting sharp lines over his face. Across from him, Ava leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, her eyes sharp as ever. The mission was done. Councilman Grayson was dead, and the system had rewarded him handsomely. New stats, new abilities, another jump in his ranking. On paper, everything was perfect.But it didn’t feel perfect.The notification had been too smooth. Too easy. The kill, despite its danger, had given him a strange unease—as though someone else had been pulling the strings, as though every move he’d made had already been predicted. And worse, the whispers in the back of his mind weren’t going away.Ava finally broke the

Ethan’s boots pounded against the wet rooftop, the chill night air whipping against his face. Below, the city sprawled like a sleeping beast, oblivious to the high-stakes chase playing out above. The echo of gunfire still lingered in the distance, shards of broken glass glinting faintly on nearby ledges.[System Alert: Active Combat Scenario Initiated.] [Objective: Evade Mirella Kane’s pursuit and survive.] [Time Limit: 10 minutes.]Ethan exhaled slowly, letting his new abilities settle into place. Level 7 had given him more than strength—it had sharpened his instincts. Every shadow became a potential ally, every angle a route of escape. And above all, the new ability he had unlocked—Shadow Command—throbbed in the back of his mind like a cold promise.Two guards were closing in from the east balcony. Their silhouettes were sharp against the neon glow of the city, weapons drawn, precision deadly.Ethan moved first.[System Activation: Shadow Command.][Effect: Compel enemy movement.]He