Johann mopped the marble floors on the fiftieth floor of the Reinhardt Corp building with mechanical movements. The sharp scent of floor cleaner stung his nose. He kept his head low, avoiding the gaze of the executives passing by in suits that cost as much as an economy car. To him, they were gods, and he was merely dust that had to be swept away so as not to disturb the beauty of their world."Make sure there isn't a single spot in Mr. Viktor's office," his foreman whispered through the scratchy radio earphone.Johann snorted softly. He knew every corner of this room by heart. He knew where Viktor hid his expensive whiskey bottles, and he knew where the man often dropped biscuit crumbs while stressed out over suppressing stock prices. Johann was a ghost behind this luxury. No one cared about him as long as the floors remained shiny.As he entered Viktor Reinhardt's main office, the atmosphere felt cold. The room was massive, boasting a grand view of the city skyline. There was a spil

"Johann, we have to get out of here right now or we're going to go completely bankrupt and die poor!"Freya grabbed Johann's arm with incredibly powerful force. She didn't wait for an answer. Johann, still reeling from the pressure of Viktor's shadow magic, was immediately pulled toward a giant ventilation hole covered by thick iron."Buy a thrusting power!" Freya shouted, pointing at the iron door.Without asking much, Johann closed his eyes and pressed the buy menu in his vision.[ PURCHASE: MASS KINETIC BLAST. PRICE: $200,000. ]Instantly, a wave of golden energy exploded from Johann's palm. The ventilation iron, hard as steel, shattered into dust. The two of them jumped out just as the shadow monster lunged at them. They tumbled onto the cold asphalt of the deserted street behind the building."Damn, that almost took my life!" Johann stood up, gasping for air. His work clothes were in tatters, leaving a collar barely hanging on and the smell of sweat mixed with the ozone scent of

Johann frowned. He stood up with great difficulty, his bones feeling as if they had just been struck by a sledgehammer. Beside him, Freya remains on high alert, her hand instinctively searching for a weapon that had already run out of ammo. Johann's cramped apartment was now nothing more than ruins of broken concrete. Thick dust danced under the beam of the flashlights held by those strangers in black suits."Who are you?" Johann asked hoarsely. He tried to stand tall even though his body was still trembling from the side effects of the ancient artifact. "And what do you mean by the first test?"The woman in the sunglasses did not answer immediately. She signaled with her hand, and two of her subordinates moved forward with the precision of a machine. They did not attack.Instead, they began picking up the remaining debris of corporate magic scattered across the floor. Their movements were systematic, efficient, and highly professional."We are the Auditors," the woman replied briefly

Johann and Freya plummeted into a darkness that felt cold and sharp as a razor. The wind roared in their ears. They fell in an embrace, with Freya wrapping her arms around Johann's neck to ensure they weren't separated. Johann closed his eyes tight. He felt as if he were being sucked into an endless drain of reality.Suddenly, a violent jolt sent them slamming onto a hard marble floor. Johann groaned as his back felt like it was about to break. He rolled to the side and found himself in the middle of a vast room. Pale blue neon lights glowed on the walls. This was the board of directors' meeting room in the Reinhardt Corp building. Johann recognized this luxury carpet. The faint scent of the floor cleaner he used to use still lingered in the corners of the room."Get up, Johann!" Freya was already standing in a defensive position. She checked her weapon, but her face soured. "My gun is dead. The magic in this place is completely suppressed."Johann stood up unsteadily. He straightened

The man stepped out of the forest's darkness with a calm yet threatening stride. He was Elias, Johann’s former colleague from the logistics department who had been declared dead in an elevator accident three months ago. His face was deathly pale, with prominent purple veins bulging around his temples. He no longer looked like the man who used to share his lunch with Johann. Now, he wore a tattered corporate supervisor's uniform and was surrounded by a hissing aura of energy."Elias? How is this possible?" Johann shouted, his eyes widening. His heart pounded so hard it felt painful behind his ribs. He gripped Freya’s hand tighter until his knuckles turned white.Elias only gave a thin smile. The smile felt wrong because there was no joy in it. He flicked his fingers, and the horde behind him—consisting of mutated former janitorial staff—began to move forward with horrifying, jerky movements. "This world never truly allows someone to leave easily, Johann. They took my soul and turned it