THE RISE OF THE SYSTEM OVERLORD

CHAPTER 6

First Attack

I woke up restrained.

Metal cuffs dug into my wrists, unyielding and cold. A faint hum vibrated through the air—machinery, unseen but ever-present. My head pounded, a dull ache behind my eyes, but I forced myself to focus.

Where the hell was I?

The room was dimly lit and sterile. No windows. Just sleek metal walls, a single table, and a man sitting across from me.

His suit was immaculate, tailored to perfection. His posture was relaxed, yet his presence filled the space with quiet authority. His dark eyes studied me, sharp and knowing.

I didn’t need an introduction to know he was dangerous.

"You were supposed to be dead, Mr. Kelly."

His voice was smooth and measured. Like he already knew every answer, he just wanted to hear me say it.

I flexed against the restraints, testing them. They didn’t budge.

"Sorry to disappoint."

The man smirked. "On the contrary, you've intrigued us."

A screen flickered on the wall behind him. My hospital records flashed across it—scans, vitals, data points. My entire existence was reduced to statistics.

And then—something else.

Something glowing faintly.

The system.

They knew.

I kept my face neutral. My heart slammed against my ribs, but I didn’t let it show.

"And who exactly is ‘us’?"

His smirk widened slightly. "We are the ones who deal with… anomalies like you."

Anomalies.

I nearly laughed. That’s what they called me?

I leaned back, feigning boredom. "You say that like I’m some kind of glitch in your perfect little world."

His expression didn’t change. "Glitches can be corrected. You, however—" His gaze flickered to the glowing data on the screen. "—are something else entirely."

I didn’t like the way he said that.

I shifted, trying to ease the tension in my shoulders. "Look, if this is about my hospital bill, I can work out a payment plan."

His amusement was fleeting. He leaned forward slightly, folding his hands on the table. "Tell me about the night of the explosion."

The explosion.

The moment everything changed.

I clenched my jaw, the memory flashing like a broken film reel. The fire. The screams. The unbearable heat.

And then—the system activating.

My survival.

I exhaled slowly, pushing the images away. "Nothing to tell. Wrong place, wrong time."

His gaze darkened. "We both know that’s not true."

Silence stretched between us.

Then, he pressed a button on the table.

Pain shot through my wrists.

A sharp, electric current surged through the cuffs, burning hot against my skin. My muscles locked, and my vision blurred at the edges, but I gritted my teeth and refused to make a sound.

He watched me. Studying. Analyzing.

After a few agonizing seconds, he released the button. The pain vanished, leaving only a dull ache in its wake.

"You’re resilient," he mused. "But we already knew that, didn’t we?"

I swallowed back the lingering pain, forcing a smirk. "And here I thought this was a friendly chat."

His lips twitched. "I don’t waste time on pleasantries."

I shifted my wrists subtly, feeling the raw skin beneath the cuffs. I needed a way out of this.

"You have something inside you, Caden," he continued. "Something that shouldn’t exist. And yet, here you are—alive when you should be nothing more than ash."

I met his gaze. "Sounds like you’re mad I didn’t die."

He tilted his head. "Oh, I’m not mad." His fingers drummed against the table. "I’m curious."

I clenched my fists, suppressing the urge to lash out. "Curiosity killed the cat."

His smirk returned. "Yes. But satisfaction brought it back."

Something about the way he said it made my skin crawl.

The hum of machinery grew louder.

The screen behind him shifted again. More data. More scans.

A strange, pulsing symbol flickered on the display. It looked like a heartbeat—only faster, erratic.

I didn’t understand what I was seeing, but they did.

He followed my gaze and nodded. "Your system. It’s not just keeping you alive—it’s evolving you."

Evolving me?

A cold knot formed in my stomach.

"I wonder," he continued, almost absently, "how far we can push it."

Before I could respond, the lights flickered.

For the first time, his calm expression faltered.

The air shifted.

Then—the room shook.

A deep, thunderous boom reverberated through the walls.

The screen flickered wildly, the data distorting before cutting to black.

Another explosion.

The lights died.

The entire facility plunged into darkness.

For a split second, everything was eerily silent.

Then—chaos.

Distant shouting. The unmistakable sound of gunfire.

My captor’s head snapped toward the door. A small frown creased his face. He tapped something on his wrist—a concealed device beneath his sleeve.

I took my chance.

With everything I had, I twisted my wrists against the cuffs. The earlier electric shock had weakened them slightly—I felt a small shift. Almost there.

The walls trembled again.

Somewhere outside, metal groaned, followed by a sharp, guttural scream.

Whoever had attacked this place… they weren’t friendly.

A red emergency light flickered on, casting the room in an eerie, hellish glow.

My captor turned back to me, his calm exterior cracking just a fraction. "It seems we have uninvited guests."

No shit.

I yanked harder. The cuffs snapped.

I moved on instinct.

Surging forward, I slammed my fist into his jaw. He barely flinched, but it was enough to catch him off guard.

I grabbed the nearest object—a metal tray from the table—and swung.

It connected with his temple.

He staggered.

Now.

I bolted.

The moment I hit the hallway, I knew this wasn’t a simple attack.

The place was wrecked.

Flames licked the edges of the ceiling. Sirens wailed. Thick, acrid smoke choked the air.

Bodies littered the floor—guards, scientists, people in suits. Some were still moving, crawling, groaning.

Others weren’t.

And then I saw them.

Figures moving through the chaos—fast, efficient. Armed.

Not guards. Not part of this facility.

Someone else.

A group of them swept through the corridor ahead, taking down anyone in their path.

I pressed myself against the wall, heart hammering.

Who the hell were they?

One of them turned, just slightly. Enough for me to catch a glimpse of their insignia.

A black emblem. Sharp. Familiar.

I’d seen it before.

A memory surfaced—the explosion.

One of the men that night… he’d worn the same insignia.

They weren’t just attacking this facility.

They were here for me.

I exhaled sharply, muscles tensing.

I didn’t know who they were.

I didn’t know if they were friend or foe.

But one thing was clear.

I needed to get the hell out of here—before they found me first.