The System of Justice

Chapter 3: The Predator in the Dark

The car pulled up in front of a secret entrance to the Abyss. The system flashed a new alert:

[Detection: 12 Armed Guards in the VIP Area.] [Suggestion: Use the passive skill 'Structural Weakness Analysis' to enter through the air ducts.]

Arga gazed at the magnificent building before him. The Abyss was more than just a nightclub; it was a fortress for those who believed they were above the law. The heavy thumping of techno music vibrated through the asphalt, clashing with the occasional roar of thunder that split the sky.

"Walking through the front door is suicide," Arga muttered.

Even with his confidence in his martial arts skills, facing twelve armed men in a confined space was not a smart move.

[Passive Skill: Structural Weakness Analysis Activated.]

Instantly, Arga’s vision shifted again. The concrete walls of the club seemed to turn transparent. He could see wiring paths, water pipes, and the zigzagging ventilation shafts in the ceiling. A neon green line lit up, showing the safest route to VIP Room 1.

[Route Found: Access panel behind the water tank on the side of the building.]

Arga stepped out of the car. The Black Cab vanished silently into the darkness of the highway. With agile movements, Arga climbed a drainage pipe on the side of the building. His rough hands gripped the iron firmly; every muscle pull felt more powerful than usual. The effects of the system were truly tangible.

He reached the roof and pried open the steel ventilation panel. Arga crawled into the narrow, dusty duct. The thumping music below grew louder, vibrating the metal plates beneath him. After crawling for about ten meters, he reached a vent grate looking directly down. Arga peeked through.

Below him, VIP Room 1 was lavishly decorated. Expensive bottles of alcohol lined a marble table. On a plush leather sofa, Police Commissioner Hardi was laughing uproariously while holding a cigar. Beside him sat a middle-aged man in a sharp suit—Raka’s father, the General.

"It’s only a matter of time, General." Hardi’s voice sounded arrogant, nearly drowned out by the music but caught clearly by Arga’s now-sharper hearing. "Arga is taken care of. My men never fail. Now, there are no more obstacles for your son."

The General smiled with satisfaction, clinking his crystal glass against Hardi’s. "You’ve done well, Hardi. Your next promotion is already in my pocket."

Seeing this, Arga’s jaw tightened. His son’s blood had not even dried yet, but they were already celebrating the death of the truth with expensive alcohol.

[System Suggestion: Use Target A’s phone to trigger a disturbance.]

Arga pulled out the phone belonging to the hitman he had neutralized earlier. Following the system’s instructions, he sent a short message to Hardi’s phone, which lay on the table below.

Pling!

Hardi frowned and picked up his phone. His face, flushed from alcohol, suddenly turned deathly pale as he read the message:

"Enjoying the party, Commander? How about we discuss my son’s death now?"

Hardi stood up with a violent jolt, spilling his drink. "Who... who sent this?!" he thought frantically. His face was ashen as he scanned the room, his eyes searching every corner.

"What is it, Hardi?" the General asked, confused.

"Oh, it's—" Hardi had just told the general that he had completed the mission. He didn't know how to explain that Arga was still alive and that all his plans had failed.

Hardi stammered, cold sweat beginning to soak his forehead and neck. His hand holding the phone trembled violently. "It’s nothing, General. Just... a technical issue at the office," he answered, trying to mask his panic.

However, his eyes darted wildly. The message was sent from his own subordinate's number. That meant the clean-up crew he had sent had been defeated—or worse, they had betrayed him.

Just as Hardi was about to set his phone down, the crystal chandelier in the room flickered before plunging the room into total darkness.

[Procedure Commenced: VIP Room 1 Power Cut Complete.]

Pitch-black darkness swallowed the room. The loud techno music was suddenly muffled, cut off by the room's soundproofing system, which now made the space feel like a coffin.

"Hardi! What is the meaning of this?!" The general barked in the dark.

THUD!

The iron ventilation grate from the ceiling slammed onto the marble table. Arga leapt down, landing with the silence of a predator. To an ordinary person, it was total darkness, but Arga’s vision was crystal clear thanks to the night vision automatically activated by the system.

"You might be able to buy justice with a title, Hardi," Arga’s voice echoed, cold and heavy. "But sins never have an expiration date."

"What is this? Who is he?" the General shouted, immediately calling for his aides.

Hardi screamed hysterically, "Guards! Get in here! There's an intruder!"

The VIP door burst open. Two armed guards entered with flashlights sweeping wildly; they were the general’s personal aides.

"Get that rat!" the general ordered loudly.

The two aides were no ordinary police officers. They were trained military personnel assigned specifically to guard the general. Their flashlights swept the room rapidly, but Arga moved first. Through his night vision, the movements of the two aides appeared slow and full of openings.

[Weakness Analysis: Aide 1 - Left Elbow Joint. Aide 2 - Right Carotid Artery.]

"This 'rat' is the one who will drag you to your graves," Arga hissed.

Arga ducked as the first aide fired a shot. BANG! The bullet hit the wood paneling behind him. With agility impossible for a normal human, Arga slid across the floor, sweeping the first aide’s legs and sending him crashing down. Before the man could rise, Arga slammed his elbow into the joint.

CRACK!

The first aid collapsed with a muffled scream. The second aide tried to attack with a tactical knife pulled from his waist. He stabbed vertically, aiming for Arga’s heart. Arga didn't retreat; instead, he lunged into close range, caught the man’s wrist, and twisted it until the knife fell.

Without wasting a second, Arga delivered a powerful uppercut to the second aide’s jaw. The man’s head snapped back, and he fell unconscious in a single blow. It had taken Arga only ten seconds to neutralize the general’s two best guards.

Hardi, witnessing this, trembled violently in the corner of the sofa. He tried to reach for the pistol hidden beneath his jacket, but Arga was faster. Arga snatched an unopened bottle of alcohol from the table and threw it with lethal accuracy.

SHATTER!

The bottle smashed right against Hardi’s wrist, making him howl in pain and drop his weapon. Arga stepped forward, pinned the pistol under his boot, and grabbed Hardi’s uniform collar with his left hand.

"You... you... Arga, listen! I can give you money! Any amount!" Hardi babbled, the stench of alcohol and fear radiating from him.

[Active Skill: Lie Detector Activated.] [Target Status: Extreme Fear (Truth Level: 5%)]

"I don't need your money, Hardi. I need a name," Arga said, his voice cold as ice. He pressed down on the wound on Hardi’s hand, making the man wail. "Who is the prosecutor who helped you erase Raka’s CCTV footage? Answer, or I will make sure you never see the sun again."

"Pratama... Prosecutor Pratama Putra!" Hardi cried while sobbing. "He handled everything! He has the original copy as insurance in case the general betrays him!"

[Detection: TRUTH DETECTED (100%).] [First Night Visit Mission: Success.] [Reward: Feature Unlocked [Virtual Evidence Vault] & Identity of Prosecutor Pratama Putra Locked.]

Arga released his grip, letting Hardi slump to the floor. He glanced at the general, who was now cornered, his arrogant face replaced by a deathly pallor.

"General Anton," Arga said, staring intensely at the man. "Your son killed someone, and you tried to look the other way because he is your son. Starting tonight, I will ensure your son receives the punishment he deserves."

Suddenly, the sound of many footsteps echoed from the corridor outside. The other twelve guards were on their way.

[Warning: 12 armed personnel arriving shortly. Evacuation time: 15 seconds.]

***