The neon skyline of Linhai buzzed with deceptive serenity, its glass towers glinting like blades in the moonlight. In the shadows beneath, Lin Chen stood alone, facing the remnants of a mission that had just slipped through his fingers.
He had failed.
For the first time since binding with the Salvator System, a primary objective had been marked with a scarlet "X".
System Notification:Mission: Intercept the arms transaction between Black Horn Syndicate and Erebus - FAILED.
His fists clenched. The mission intel had been off. The arms cache was a decoy, a trap, and when the real transaction went down elsewhere, he was still stuck monitoring ghosts in an empty warehouse. Worse yet, he barely escaped a confrontation with three cloaked Erebus scouts, who left scorch marks on the pavement and a chilling sense of dread in their wake.
As he leaned against a rusted shipping container, panting from the earlier chase, a new message blinked across his retina.
System Triggered: Risk Evaluation Complete.Due to abnormal difficulty and mission failure under non-user error, system is initiating contingency protocol.
Secondary Challenge Unlocked: Death Reversal Protocol - Bonus Route.
Objective: Retrieve core drive from Erebus scout drone within 6 hours. Success grants x2 gold bonus, +1 Lucky Attribute, and Skill Token.
Lin Chen narrowed his eyes. The system wasn't punishing him. It was testing him.
"Alright then," he muttered, swiping the blood from the edge of his lip. "You want to see how far I'll go? Let's dance."
Phase One: The Setup
Tracking the Erebus drone wasn't easy. Unlike human adversaries, drones moved with military precision and zero emotional leakage, making Lin Chen's newly awakened emotional perception useless.
However, what he had was better—system-purchased access to Linhai's underground surveillance grid and a temporary boost to his perception matrix.
He dived into an abandoned net café in Old Port District, hijacking a satellite signal with the ease of a seasoned hacker.
"System," he said under his breath, fingers flying across the cracked keyboard, "overlay predicted path modeling for high-speed target with known Erebus drone parameters."
Processing... 12%... 48%... 92%...Target identified. Last known path intersects Wujin Rail Yard. ETA: 43 minutes until target self-deletes.
Lin Chen's heartbeat quickened.
He jumped onto his motorcycle, the engine roaring to life like a beast. "Let's make this failure worth something."
Phase Two: The Ambush
The rail yard was a labyrinth of steel and rust. Cranes loomed like prehistoric monsters against the cloudy night sky.
He parked behind a stack of containers and activated the system's low-profile stealth protocol.
Skill Activated: Urban Camouflage Lv.1Effect: Blends user into industrial surroundings. Duration: 15 minutes.
Within moments, Lin Chen was just another shadow in the maze.
A soft mechanical whirring reached his ears. There it was—a sleek black Erebus drone, its legs spider-like, eyes glowing red as it skittered across the metal tracks.
He moved silently, closing the distance. At ten meters out, he slipped a magnetic dart from his belt.
He aimed.
He threw.
The dart embedded in the drone's joint. It staggered for a fraction of a second—just enough.
Lin Chen pounced.
It wasn't a clean fight. The drone was fast, deadly, and had automated blades spinning from its sides like scythes. But Lin Chen had the system's predictive modeling, and despite several close calls—including one that left a deep gash along his arm—he managed to disable the drone and retrieve its core drive.
System Notification:Mission Success: Core Drive Acquired.
Reward Multiplier Applied: 2x Coins Earned+1 Lucky Attribute Gained.Skill Token Acquired: Redeem for one passive or active skill.
Lin Chen slumped back, chest heaving. The drive in his hand pulsed with a soft blue glow, like the heartbeat of a secret.
"Failure, huh?" he whispered, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Looks like I found a better ending."
Phase Three: Consequences
The next day, the financial world buzzed with news of a sudden disruption in a global weapons stock's trading patterns. Lin Chen read the headlines on his tablet while sipping coffee in a quiet rooftop café, his wounded arm bandaged beneath his sleek suit.
The core drive had provided valuable intel—not just on Erebus's movements, but on their embedded networks across Linhai. He had passed the data to the government through an anonymous channel, earning both gold coins and system favor.
More importantly, the +1 Lucky Attribute had already started showing its effects.
A random stock he had invested in surged 22% overnight. A hostile coworker tripped in front of the board and inadvertently praised him during a rant. Even the barista gave him an extra croissant for free, "on the house."
The Salvator System beeped.
New Passive Effect Unlocked: Beginner's LuckEffect: Slightly increases favorable outcomes in unknown scenarios. Stackable.
Lin Chen chuckled to himself. "Now that's what I call turning the tables."
But beneath the charm and rewards lay something else.
The feeling that someone—some thing—was watching him now.
The drone wasn't just any drone. Erebus had noticed his interference. And unlike corporations or jealous coworkers, Erebus didn't forget.
Phase Four: Shadows Move
That night, as Lin Chen trained in his private system simulation space—dodging, countering, absorbing muscle memory like a warrior monk—he paused midway through a combo.
A shadow flickered in the corner of his virtual environment.
"System," he said cautiously, wiping the sweat from his brow. "We have company?"
Warning: Unknown signal interference detected. Initiating firewall lockdown.
The environment dissolved into a blank white cube. A distorted voice echoed through the space.
"Impressive. You're not like the others."
Lin Chen's jaw tightened. "Who are you?"
The voice chuckled. "You already know. Or you will, soon enough."
Then silence.
The system rebooted, and Lin Chen found himself back in the simulation room.
Alone.
Closing Thoughts
As the moon rose higher over Linhai, Lin Chen stood on his balcony, the city stretching out below him.
He had started this journey as a man abandoned by society. Now, he was a wildcard in a game played by giants.
One failed mission had led to more growth than ten successful ones.
But with Erebus moving and shadows growing thicker, Lin Chen knew one thing for certain:
This was only the beginning.
And he was ready for whatever came next.