He slammed the table hard, struggling to catch his breath. His anger wasn't just about losing data — but because someone had crossed the line. The line he didn't allow anyone but himself to cross.
Someone had invaded his private domain. And worse…
That someone had defenses far superior.
"Find him!" he finally ordered.
"Whoever this small-time hacker is... find him. I'll show them what it means to touch a dangerous man."
He turned and left the room, slamming the door hard behind him. Giman could only stare at the dark screen in disbelief.
They lost. But they wouldn't give up.
Elsewhere, Alaric locked the flash drive in a small metal box.
His eyes were no longer tired. But sharp and focused.
This was no longer about himself.
It was about protecting people who didn't even know they were being hunted.
"You think I'll just stand still?"
"You just started a war with someone you can't play around with."
And just as he was about to turn off his monitor, the familiar "ping" of his AI system sounded.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
["Your actions today have saved more than just data."]
["Ethical and moral analysis detected. Your retaliation was driven not by personal revenge, but by the protection of the vulnerable."]
[Mission Progress: "Unknown Crusader" +18%]
[Total Progress: 100% (COMPLETE)]
Alaric stared at it for a few seconds... then slowly, his eyes softened. His hand moved deliberately to press enter, and the next notification appeared:
[BONUS REWARD LOCKED]
["Because today, you chose to be a shield, not just a sword."]
[Redemption tokens will be available once the recovery system completes]
[Recovery timer active]
[It's late. Your body deserves rest too.]
[System recommendation: Sleep at least 4 hours before dawn. Sweet dreams might come as a thank you from your subconscious.]
Alaric paused for a moment.
Then slowly, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"So, you can care about me after all," he said quietly, his voice barely more than a murmur—like talking to an old friend who understood him, even if he'd never truly spoken to it like a person.
His eyes felt heavy.
That chair had been the silent witness to hundreds of his long nights, but tonight felt different.
No applause. No medals.
But... a sense of peace that money could never quite buy.
He powered down the screen.
Leaving his workspace dim, lit only by a small hanging lamp in the corner.
As he walked toward his bedroom, his steps felt lighter. Beneath the exhaustion eating away at him, something stronger remained.
Satisfaction. For having done the right thing.
And even if the world never knew his name, behind the scenes, Alaric had just made the digital world a little safer.
..
That morning, sunlight slipped gently through the gaps in Alaric's curtains. The golden rays touched the edge of his bed, then crept slowly toward the desk that just last night had been a digital battlefield.
The room remained quiet, filled only with the soft sound of running water from the bathroom.
A moment later, the bathroom door opened. Warm steam flowed out as Alaric stepped into the room. A white towel wrapped around his body, another twisted loosely around his hair like a makeshift turban.
Droplets still clung to the tips of his wet hair, trailing down his shoulders.
He let out a light yawn. His eyes were still slightly glazed—leftovers from a night without sleep. Strategy, logic, tension. But also a hint of relief. That feeling of knowing—though the world may never find out—someone had been quietly protected.
Just as he reached for his comb and looked at his reflection in the mirror, suddenly—
TING.
A soft system notification tone chimed from his desk. A blue holographic screen gently lit up—like an eye awakening from slumber.
Alaric turned, walking casually toward the desk, still patting his hair with the towel.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Progress Full Detected. Tokens are now redeemable]
[Congratulations, you have reached 100% total progress]
[Please choose one of the following rewards]
Phantom Thread — Skill Level: EX+++
✦ High-level digital manipulation skill
✦ Can lock, unravel, or redirect enemy AI systems in real time
✦ Capable of rewriting enemy logic in digital confrontations—before they even realize it
⚠️ Overpowered level — usage is limited to 3 times within a set period
BioTrace — Skill Level: A
✦ Ability to track digital or physical fingerprints from any device previously touched by an enemy
✦ If the enemy is within a 200-meter radius, the system will passively detect their presence
✦ The system also alerts the user if enemy fingerprints or digital DNA are found on their gear, belongings, or home
✦ Ideal for detecting real-world threats
Alaric stared at the two options for a while.
His eyes studied them closely. The first—Phantom Thread. Insane... the system rarely gave out skills tagged with EX+++. On paper, this was god-tier. He could twist enemy AI systems like puppets on strings.
But then his eyes dropped to the second option. BioTrace.
Simpler. Not as flashy. But... its function was crystal clear. Protection.
Not from viruses. Not from digital threats.
But from people. Those who might come back for revenge—by hand, with weapons, or by setting traps to harm him.
Alaric was silent for a moment.
He placed the towel from his head on his shoulder, eyes digging deeper into the notification.
In his mind, last night's words echoed:
"What I do isn't just about data. It's about protecting the ones who can't protect themselves."
If that syndicate had been disrupted, if that man in the worn hat did bear a grudge... they wouldn't be satisfied just tracing back servers. They'd want to find the mind behind it all.
And when that happened...
He didn't want the people around him getting caught in the crossfire.
Alaric took a slow breath. Then raised his hand, his index finger tapping the second option.
CLICK.
[SYSTEM CONFIRMED]
[BioTrace skill acquired]
[Active in background mode. Detection radius: 200 meters]
[System will issue silent alerts upon detection]
[Detection level will improve with activity and interaction]
Alaric gave a faint smile.
"Phantom Thread might be stronger," he muttered, sitting down on his favorite chair, towel still drying his hair.
"But there's no point in playing god... if I can't protect my real world."
He leaned back for a moment, then looked at the screen with fresh eyes.
"One step safer."
His gaze shifted to the now-open window, letting sunlight gently spill in.
The morning breeze pushed the curtain inward. In the distance, birds sang to one another—as if reminding him that the day would go on, no matter how hard it got.
Alaric stood up, opened his wardrobe, and threw on a black T-shirt and a thin denim jacket. Maybe there wouldn't be a digital war today... but who could say for sure?
Because real enemies could now come with footsteps—not just lines of code.
And Alaric was already prepared for that, even if no one knew they were being protected.
..
The time was 5:43 PM, and the streets were starting to glow with a pale yellow light from the street lamps that turned on automatically, competing with the last remnants of sunlight fading behind the clouds.
Alaric stood beneath the metal roof of the bus stop, both hands tucked into the pockets of his black jacket. The air felt humid, a sign that rain might be coming soon.
A small earphone was still in his ear, though no music played. He was more focused on watching the vehicles passing in front of him.
In his hand, he held a compact tablet — a prototype of his latest smartwatch product, but these days, he used it more to monitor security log codes.
And that day, one particular notification made him uneasy:
[BioTrace]
[⚠️ Registered target fingerprint detected within a 15-meter radius. Location unstable, moving slowly]
Alaric straightened up. He turned off the tablet screen and slipped it back into his sling bag. His eyes scanned the area around the stop.
A few people were standing nearby. Two middle-aged women quietly chatting, an old man with a cane, and a young man sitting at the far end of the bench. He wore a gray hoodie and carried a backpack — looked like an ordinary student.
Nothing suspicious at first glance. But Alaric knew his BioTrace system never made mistakes. If the fingerprint of a hostile target was detected, that meant someone here wasn't who they appeared to be.
He swallowed slowly. His heart beat a little faster, though his face stayed calm. He began walking, pretending to move toward the pole near the stop.
But his steps carried him slightly away from the group. His new position gave him a clear view of the street and no longer left his back exposed to anyone.
TING
[System Notification]
[🛑 Alert. Hostile fingerprint now behind you. Distance: 3 meters. Approach speed increasing]
Alaric had only a split second to decide.
He turned slightly, left hand brushing the strap of his bag. The movement was instinctive, either to grab something or prepare to defend. His gaze swept the area sharply.
Then he saw him.