Neo Avalon buzzed louder than usual—an uneasy frequency under the city’s neon heartbeat. Screens across the skyline flickered with emergency broadcasts, while hovering news drones zipped through the fog like anxious fireflies.Ruby noticed it first when the late-night cafeteria television cut from a cheerful cooking show to a red-striped alert. Students gathered around the screen, murmuring.“Another one?” someone whispered.“Third this week,” another girl said.Ruby’s tray trembled slightly in her hands. She forced her shoulders to relax and slipped into the nearest empty booth. The footage replayed: a street in Sector Nine, crowds scattering, flashes of violet light, a figure darting across rooftops too fast to be human.The anchor’s voice was calm, but strained.“Authorities report disturbances across five sectors in the last forty-eight hours. Citizens are advised to stay indoors after midnight. Investigations continue.”Ruby stared until someone slid into the seat across from her

The warehouse was supposed to be quiet after hours.Rows of metal shelves stretched into the dim haze, lights buzzing faintly like dying insects. The air smelled of dust, oil, and the lingering sweat of a long day.Leon walked between the aisles, carrying a clipboard and finishing the late-night inventory the manager had asked for. His steps were slow but steady—controlled, grounded. The System’s steady hum in his mind kept him calm.[Vitality Stable][Focus Enhanced]For the first time in weeks, Leon felt… centered.But he didn’t realize he wasn’t alone.Not until the door slammed.Hard.The echo thundered through the warehouse like a gunshot. Leon’s head jerked up.Footsteps followed. Heavy. Angry. Purposeful.Mason Briggs.He appeared at the end of the aisle, chest heaving, face flushed red from rage and humiliation. His uniform vest hung crooked, like he’d yanked it on in a hurry. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles went white.Leon sighed quietly. “If you’re here for an

The sky over Neo Avalon was a washed-out gray when Leon arrived for the morning shift. Cold wind cut through the warehouse yard, carrying the distant noise of traffic and the hum of industrial machinery waking up for the day.Leon walked with slow, steady steps. His body felt different—lighter, sharper, more tuned. Each breath seemed deeper. Each movement more controlled.[Host Status: Stable][Strength Improved]He was no longer the man clinging to survival.And the System wasn’t slowing down either.As he pushed open the warehouse door, the interface flickered into existence across his vision.A calm tone chimed in his ears.[NEW MISSION AVAILABLE]Leon blinked.Another one already?The text unfolded in precise digital lines:---MISSION 5: FIRST JUSTICEObjective: “Expose Mason Briggs’ corruption and protect the innocent.”Reward: +5 Integrity, +10 ReputationPenalty (Optional Mission): NoneNotes: Taking action will accelerate Host evolution.---Leon stopped walking.“…Corruption

After the incident the warehouse was unusually quiet that morning. The kind of quiet that presses against your ears and makes your chest feel heavier than it should.Leon walked through the rows of metal shelves with the same calm, measured steps he’d learned to master. The morning light filtered through the high windows, slicing beams across the floor like judgmental fingers pointing at those who had done wrong.In his hand, he held the final proof: digital files, audio recordings, and timestamps that clearly documented Mason Briggs’ corruption. Every forged record, every stolen shipment, every harassment complaint—painstakingly collected over the last few nights. The System had guided him, step by step, ensuring that nothing could be disputed.[Mission 5: FIRST JUSTICE — FINAL PHASE][Objective: Submit Evidence][Reward: +20 Reputation, +15 Integrity][Penalty: None]Leon didn’t hesitate. He walked directly to Manager Harris’ office.Harris looked up as Leon knocked softly on the do

Neo Avalon never slept.Even at two in the morning, the city pulsed with light—towering glass spires glowing like veins of fire, elevated rails humming above empty streets, surveillance drones drifting silently between buildings. Power lived here. Money lived here.And now…something else did too.---High above the city, on the top floor of a private residential tower, a man stood before a floor-to-ceiling window. He was tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a tailored black coat that looked more like tactical armor than fashion. His hands were clasped behind his back, posture relaxed—yet predatory.A translucent interface hovered in front of him.Unlike Leon’s, this one was crimson.---[HOST MONITORING SYSTEM — ACTIVE][ALERT: NEW ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION SIGNATURE DETECTED][LOCATION: SECTOR D-17][THREAT LEVEL: GROWING]---The man’s lips curved slightly.“So it finally happened,” he murmured.His name was Darius Vale.In Neo Avalon, he was known as a corporate enforcer—a man hired to cle