2026-09-10 15:34:58Ethan watched the black vehicle disappear into the rain before turning his attention back to the strange blue screen floating before his eyes.
He reached toward it, but his fingers passed through the display.
“System, what exactly are you?”
The screen remained still for several seconds before new words appeared.
[The Hidden System exists to assist the chosen host in fulfilling his potential.]
“That explains nothing.”
[The host currently possesses insufficient authority to access advanced information.]
Ethan frowned. Even an impossible system apparently had rules.
He looked at the objective again.
[Emergency Trial: Survive the next twenty-four hours.]
[Time Remaining: 23:57:41.]
“What happens if I fail?”
[The system will permanently terminate.]
Ethan stared at the final line. He did not know whether the system could actually kill him, but after everything that had happened that evening, he was not willing to discover the answer.
He stepped away from the building and walked toward a nearby café. He needed somewhere dry, a phone charger, and most importantly, a place to think.
Before he reached the corner, his phone rang.
It was Daniel Brooks, the only friend Ethan trusted completely.
“Ethan, where are you?” Daniel asked.
“Outside Cole International.”
There was a pause.
“I heard what happened. Marcus told everyone you resigned.”
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“I was fired.”
“I know. That is why I am calling. You need to get away from there.”
“Why?”
“Because Marcus has been asking about you.”
Ethan stopped walking.
“What exactly did he ask?”
“He wanted to know whether you had taken anything from your father's office before leaving.”
Ethan's hand tightened around the old watch.
“What did you tell him?”
“That I had no idea.”
“Good. Keep it that way.”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Ethan, something is wrong. I checked the company records after you called me earlier. Someone accessed your father's archived files three days ago.”
Ethan's expression changed.
“Who?”
“I couldn't identify the account. The access was hidden behind an executive authorization.”
“Richard?”
“I don't think so.”
“Then who?”
“I am still trying to find out.”
The call suddenly ended.
Ethan stared at his phone.
A notification appeared on the system screen.
[New information detected.]
[Hidden Mission available.]
[Mission: Investigate the person who accessed Adrian Cole's archived files.]
[Reward: 100 System Points.]
[Failure: Mission will expire in twelve hours.]
Ethan's heart began beating faster.
His father's name was Adrian Cole.
Fourteen years ago, Adrian had disappeared without leaving a trace. The official explanation had always been that he had abandoned the family after a financial scandal.
Ethan had never believed it.
Now, for the first time, he had evidence that someone was still searching through his father's records.
He entered the café and chose a table near the window.
“System, how do I earn points?”
[Complete missions, overcome obstacles, and demonstrate personal growth.]
“Can points buy things?”
[Yes.]
A menu appeared.
[Basic Attributes]
[Physical Strength: 7]
[Agility: 6]
[Intelligence: 8]
[Endurance: 7]
[Available Points: 0]
Ethan studied the numbers.
They were ordinary, perhaps even below average.
“Can I increase them?”
[Yes.]
He smiled faintly.
“So this really is a leveling system.”
The screen changed.
[Starter Package unlocked.]
Three rewards appeared.
[Financial Insight.]
[Enhanced Memory.]
[Basic Combat Training.]
Ethan's eyes widened.
“What do these do?”
[Financial Insight improves the host's ability to recognize profitable opportunities.]
[Enhanced Memory improves information retention and recall.]
[Basic Combat Training provides foundational knowledge of defensive movement and physical conditioning.]
He selected Financial Insight first.
A warm sensation passed through his head.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then he looked through the café window toward the street.
Advertisements, storefronts, traffic patterns, and property signs suddenly seemed different.
He noticed an empty commercial building two streets away.
Something about its location immediately stood out.
“That's strange.”
The building had been abandoned for months, yet a large construction project had recently begun beside it.
If the new project succeeded, nearby property values would rise sharply.
Ethan opened his phone and searched the address.
The information confirmed his suspicion.
The city had approved a major transportation hub less than a kilometer away.
He stared at the screen.
A property that most investors considered worthless was about to become extremely valuable.
The system had not given him money.
It had given him the ability to see opportunities before everyone else.
Ethan leaned back.
For the first time since leaving Cole International, hope returned.
Then the café door opened.
A tall man wearing a dark coat entered and looked directly at Ethan.
Ethan immediately recognized him.
He was one of Richard's private security officers.
The man reached inside his coat.
Ethan stood.
The system flashed before his eyes.
[Emergency alert.]
[Host has entered a dangerous situation.]
[Optional mission detected.]
[Defeat the threat without assistance.]
[Reward: 50 System Points.]
Ethan's pulse quickened.
The man began walking toward him.
Ethan slowly closed his phone.
If the system was truly going to change his life, then this was his first test.
He had spent years allowing powerful people to decide his fate.
Tonight, that ended.
The security officer stopped three steps away.
“Mr. Cole,” he said coldly, “your uncle wants the watch.”
Ethan's hand moved instinctively toward his pocket.
The man's expression changed when he noticed.
“Give it to me.”
Ethan looked at him calmly.
“No.”
The officer stepped forward.
Ethan could hear the rain striking the glass, but his attention remained fixed on the threat.
The officer's hand moved toward his waist.
Ethan remembered the warning from the system and forced himself to remain calm. Panic would make him careless.
“Why does Richard want a broken watch?” Ethan asked.
The officer said nothing.
That silence told Ethan more than an answer could have.
His father had hidden something inside the watch, and Richard knew it existed.
Ethan raised his hands.
“Come and take it.”
The officer lunged forward.
[Combat Training activated.]
Ethan moved before he could think.
For the first time, Ethan realized that survival would require him to fight for himself.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
The Witness who Could Not Answer
The countdown reached forty-seven seconds before Ethan ordered everyone to stop speaking.Nurse Amaka had been dead for six years. Her name appeared in the hospital's archived personnel records, her death certificate had been verified, and her employment file had been closed. Whatever was generating the notification had no right to demand a response from someone who could no longer give one.“Daniel, preserve the countdown exactly as it appears,” Ethan said. “Mara, confirm that nothing connected to this request can affect the hospital's doors, patient records, or medical equipment.”Daniel began recording the terminal's activity while Mara contacted the hospital's technical supervisor. The administrator moved the paper documents away from the screen and ordered staff to keep the corridor clear without disturbing Adrian or Elias.The countdown continued.WITNESS CONFIRMATION: 00:31.Daniel examined the notification's metadata. “The system isn't communicating with a nurse's account. It'
The Signature Before the Name
The timestamp on the authorization changed everything, but it proved less than the archive wanted them to believe. Adrian had entered Room 317 eleven years earlier; the replacement request had supposedly been approved during that same minute. The record offered no name, only a status that treated an unidentified custodian as an unquestionable authority.Ethan asked Daniel to compare the timestamp with the hospital's original ledger, not the reconstructed digital file. “We need to know whether these records were created together or joined later. Until then, nobody calls this Adrian's approval.”Daniel contacted the records officer, who retrieved a sealed storage box from the hospital archive. The box had remained untouched since the old ward system was retired. Two officials documented its condition before opening it, and Mara ensured the security team did not remove any page without recording the transfer.Inside lay a carbon-copy register, several maintenance sheets, and a narrow env
The Authorization that lied
Ethan stared at the hospital administrator's screen, where his name appeared beneath a request for access to Room 317. The authorization carried his executive credential, a valid signature, and a timestamp showing that the request had been submitted less than thirty seconds earlier.He had never touched the hospital access system.“Freeze the request,” he instructed. “Do not approve it, and do not reject it yet. Preserve the original record and create an independent copy.”The administrator contacted hospital security while Daniel examined the authorization through an isolated device. Victoria remained connected to the conference call, listening as the technical details emerged.“The credential is genuine,” Daniel said. “The signature matches Ethan's certificate, but that doesn't mean Ethan created the request. Someone may have copied the signing authority or used a system permitted to act under his certificate.”“Can you identify the originating device?”“The record lists the executi
The Voice behind the Wall
The ticking continued for eleven seconds before Ethan heard a voice coming from the sealed wall.“My name is not the question you should be asking.”Ethan remained beside the records cabinet, keeping the evidence tray within the hospital administrator’s view. Daniel had disconnected the terminal, but the isolated screen had awakened again, displaying a single line that neither of them had entered.ONE QUESTION REMAINS.“You agreed to identify yourself,” Ethan replied. “You cannot change the terms after I have honored them.”“I agreed to answer one question. I did not agree to answer yours.”Victoria joined through the secure call. “Then clarify the arrangement before anyone proceeds. If you expect cooperation, you must explain what you are offering and what you are asking in return.”The voice fell silent.Mara checked the corridor. No person stood near the wall, and the facilities manager confirmed that the sealed passage remained inaccessible. The ticking, however, continued. Its rh
The Room That Kept it's Time
The alert reached Ethan before the hospital called. Room 317 had registered an incoming visitor, but the timestamp placed the arrival eleven years earlier, during the night Adrian first entered Saint Orson Hospital and stopped responding. The visitor’s identity field was blank. The destination field was exact.Ethan ordered Daniel to preserve the alert and send a copy to the independent auditors. Victoria arranged a secure call with the hospital administrator, while Mara prepared a team to accompany Ethan without entering any restricted area. Nobody would open a door because a screen demanded it.“Room 317 is occupied by Adrian,” Daniel said. “The hospital’s live record confirms he is still there with Elias. But the visitor record is attached to an archived ward system that was supposedly retired.”“Supposedly?” Ethan asked.“The archive has no closure certificate. It has a maintenance note saying the ward system was disconnected, then a second note saying its clock would remain activ
The Call from Two Places
Ethan did not turn when the phone rang. The map still showed Elias Cole standing behind him, although the security feed showed an empty corridor and every officer on the floor had confirmed that nobody had passed the conference room.“Daniel, answer the call on speaker,” Ethan said. “Keep the line recording, and don’t merge it with the building system.”Daniel connected the call. “Elias, can you hear us?”“I can,” Elias replied. His voice sounded strained, as though he had been running. “Why are you calling me from the executive floor?”“We didn’t call you first. Your number called us.”“That is impossible. I’m at the hospital with Adrian.”Ethan watched the map. The marker remained behind him. “Can you see the executive floor on your end?”“No. I can see the call record. It says the call began from your office, but I didn’t place it.”Ethan kept his eyes on the empty doorway. “Then we have two records and no reliable account of who initiated this. We need to establish where you are w
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