Sunday night, 11:17 p.m.
A dark alley in a quiet corner of Binondo.
Leo stood beneath a flickering streetlamp, hands in his pockets, waiting.
He wore a hoodie tonight—plain, unbranded—and a mask that covered half his face. Not to look intimidating, but to make sure no one could identify him in photos or cameras.
The system had led him here.
[Side Quest Activated: Recruit the Cleaner]
Profile: Handles digital scrubbing, trace blocking, stealth logistics
Code Name: Nyx
Requirement: Gain trust through trade or challenge
Risk: Medium
Reward: Shadow Expansion Tree + Elite Cloak Skill Tier 1
He had no idea what this person looked like.
Only that they were the best in Metro Manila at "making people disappear"—digitally, and sometimes literally.
A shadow moved at the far end of the alley.
Then a voice, distorted and low.
"You're late."
Leo didn't flinch. "You didn't give me a time."
A soft chuckle echoed. "Touché."
Out of the shadows stepped a figure in a black windbreaker, black jeans, and a cap pulled low. No visible skin. Their voice came through a voice modulator clipped near the collar.
"Why does a student need a ghost?"
Leo didn't answer immediately. He knew Nyx was testing him.
"I don't need a ghost," he replied. "I need an eraser."
Nyx tilted their head. "Bold. What are you hiding?"
Leo stepped forward. "Something that will shake boardrooms and billionaires. I don't need attention—I need silence."
Nyx was quiet for a long moment.
Then pulled out a small tablet.
"If I were working for your enemies, you'd be exposed by now. Everything on you is already in this."
Leo didn't react. "Then destroy it."
Another test.
Nyx stared at him. Then, without breaking eye contact, dropped the tablet to the ground and crushed it under their boot.
"You passed."
Leo raised an eyebrow.
Nyx smirked. "Let's talk business."
Back inside a run-down café that served as Nyx's hideout, Leo sat across a table while the masked operative tapped quickly at several screens. Multiple VPNs, private servers, darknet forums—Nyx moved through digital layers like slicing butter.
"You're already being hunted," Nyx said. "The Salonga camp is dangerous. They've hired a firm that once worked for a senator who disappeared a journalist."
Leo stayed calm. "That's why I need you."
Nyx looked up. "And what do I get?"
Leo reached into his jacket and slid over a USB drive.
"₱2 million worth of crypto. Untraceable. Plus private access to Ground Zero's digital core. We're building the next generation of decentralized tools. You'll have your own lab, your own firewall, your own clean identity."
Nyx leaned back slowly.
"…You came prepared."
"I don't move unless I'm ready."
Another pause.
Then Nyx held out a gloved hand.
"We have a deal, Leo Ramirez."
[Recruitment Successful: Nyx – The Cleaner]
Shadow Expansion Tree Unlocked
Skill Gained: Elite Cloak Tier 1 – Prevents 98% of digital tracking and traces
Passive Bonus: "Vanishing Point" – System will alert when identity breach is near
Loyalty Status: 65% – Trust growing
By the time Leo returned to his dorm, the sky was already turning purple.
His phone buzzed with a system notification:
[Threat Level Reduced: Board PI Trace Disrupted]
Current Risk Level: Low
All data trails rerouted
Salonga now tracking a fake identity: "Leoncio Rivera – freelance editor from Cebu"
Leo chuckled.
Nyx worked fast.
Meanwhile, in a luxury office at the top of a high-rise in BGC, Manuel Salonga slammed his glass of whiskey against his desk.
"This can't be right!" he barked. "I've been chasing a ghost from Cebu?!"
His investigator nodded, sweating. "Sir… I think we've been misdirected. All leads led to Leoncio Rivera, but new data suggests that might've been planted."
Salonga clenched his jaw. "So the heir is still out there?"
"Yes, sir. And… they're not just hiding. They're playing with us."
Salonga stared out the window, heart thudding.
"This is war now."
Back at Ground Zero, Monday morning.
The space was alive with energy. Martin and Aria were arguing over layout design, Dreigh was testing sensors on a drone prototype, and Zari was buried in code.
Leo walked in, mask off, hoodie still on. Tired but satisfied.
Zari looked up from her laptop. "You look like you fought a dragon last night."
"More like fed one," Leo replied.
Martin handed him a cup of iced coffee. "Big night?"
Leo sipped. "You could say that."
Zari rolled her eyes. "You're the most cryptic broke guy I've ever met."
Leo just smiled.
Broke?
If only they knew.
[Main Story Update: Legacy Ascension Progress – 42%]
Board Unrest: Active
Core Circle Loyalty: Strengthened
Hidden Identity Status: Protected
New Strategic Option: Begin Influence Seeding in Key Sectors (Education, Logistics, Media)
Next Step: Expand silently before striking again
Leo looked around at his team.
They were brilliant. They were loyal. And soon, they would be powerful.
The world would never see it coming.
Not until it was already his.