System X: The Villain Rise

Workers of Interest (WOI) would go to any lengths, driven by desperation to save their families or repay crushing debts. Each successful mission reduced their sentence or debt, making them willing to risk everything. On the other hand, the secret agents were simply doing their duty, focused on safeguarding lives in peril, creating a tense dynamic between necessity and obligation.

As the Sulan men began scaling the fences, the secret agents were already stationed, ready to neutralize the threat and protect their target. A skirmish erupted between the two groups, with Sulan's men signaling each other to commence their operation. However, much of their progress was thwarted by the agents, who were determined to ensure no harm came to their objective.

The agents of the WOI operated with ruthless precision, knowing failure was not an option. For them, a botched mission carried dire consequences: if a mistake cost them the mission, either they or a member of their family would pay the ultimate price.

The intense battle raged on.

Amidst the chaos, Sulan slipped into a secluded room, awaiting the arrival of the man he had summoned earlier. Moments later, the door creaked open, and the man stepped inside.

"Plug this into the receptionist's system," Sulan ordered, handing over a small device. The gadget would grant him access to the hospital's database, allowing him to view the registered list of patients, their movements, and their assigned wards.

The nurse nodded and left immediately to carry out the task. Sulan, however, didn't wait for the nurse's return. Time was against him. He stepped out of the room, moving briskly.

He couldn't afford to linger any longer in the hospital. Every second increased the risk of detection, and he knew it was only a matter of time before someone realized he didn't belong there.

Sulan was prepared to take the risk, going from ward to ward if necessary, no matter how long it would take. He was determined to find the information he needed, regardless of the challenges ahead.

Meanwhile, Kaiza lay on the bed in his ward, his mind racing with thoughts about the elusive truth the world seemed so desperate to conceal. What could it be? he wondered.

He was eager for the day to end, his anticipation building. Once night fell, he planned to read at least two more chapters, hoping they would reveal deeper insights into the history of this world—and unlock more secrets about the foundations of his system.

As Kaiza waited eagerly, a faint notification sound echoed from nowhere, drawing his attention. Moments later, the interface materialized before him, displaying something strange—something unfamiliar.

[Alert]

Kaiza stared at the message, puzzled. Despite the time he had spent reading the system-provided book, he had never encountered this term before. It wasn't part of the system's terminology, at least not from what he had learned so far.

What does this mean? The question lingered in his thoughts as he sat upright, his curiosity and apprehension growing. He leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the interface, waiting impatiently for more clarity.

Before he could think further, a new message floated onto the screen.

[Malicious Intent Detected]

"Malicious intent?" Kaiza muttered, his eyes widening in disbelief. He had known his life was in danger—today's news had made that clear—but he hadn't expected his pursuers to act so quickly, especially not within the confines of a hospital.

His heart raced as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, ready to defend himself. Though his combat skills were rudimentary at best, he was determined to protect his life, even if it meant fighting until he could call for help.

Just as he was about to rise, his attention was drawn back to the interface. More messages began to appear, floating in beneath the initial warning, their urgency pulling him into the screen.

[Survival Mode Activation]

[Survival Mode Activation Complete]

"What now?" Kaiza muttered, his confusion deepening as he stared at the interface.

A brief pause was followed by two options appearing on the screen:

[Hide] or [Fight]

"Hide?" he read aloud, his mind racing. Was the system offering to shield him from the approaching danger? Or did it mean hiding himself somehow—and if so, where?

The alternative, [Fight], seemed equally daunting. Kaiza knew he lacked the combat skills to confront a potential enemy, especially one whose abilities and numbers were unknown. Despite his fears, he considered the [Hide] option.

Before he could make a decision, the system chose for him. The [Hide] option clicked itself, and the interface abruptly disappeared without any further instructions or changes.

Kaiza remained seated on the bed, unchanged. His initial fear gave way to frustration.

"I knew nothing was going to happen," he muttered under his breath.

Determined, he thought about reopening the system. If nothing else, he could try selecting [Fight]. After all, if he was to become a hero someday, protecting lives would mean confronting threats head-on, even if it meant facing danger sooner than expected.

The system reopened, displaying the Training Mode page. The alert notification was gone, leaving no trace or way to retrieve it. Frustrated, Kaiza navigated through the system, trying to locate the alert, but his efforts were in vain. His fingers swiped across the screen, but nothing responded.

Then he remembered the system's mental command feature. Concentrating, he managed to open the notification page—but it was empty. There were no records or clues about the earlier warning. Defeated, he closed the system and began brainstorming ways to handle the looming threat.

----

Meanwhile, Sulan's operation was progressing. His men had successfully extracted information from the receptionist's system. They now had a lead on Kaiza's location, but it wasn't as specific as they had hoped. The data only indicated the type of ward Kaiza was assigned to, leaving Sulan's team to narrow it down further.

The hospital was divided into three types of wards:

Regular Wards: Standard hospital rooms for the general public.

VIP Wards: Reserved for celebrities and high-profile individuals requiring privacy.

Premium Wards: Designed for individuals whose lives were in danger but who were deemed valuable to the state. These wards were heavily guarded by armed personnel, a measure implemented after a series of kidnappings and murders of such patients.

Kaiza was in a Premium Ward. While this information helped Sulan's men identify the ward type, it presented a significant challenge. The armed security around the Premium Ward was formidable, making access nearly impossible without raising alarms.

Despite the obstacles, Sulan was determined to reach his target. His mind raced with plans to infiltrate the heavily guarded ward, knowing time was of the essence.

Sulan's men cautioned him to back off. The floor was heavily guarded, with armed men equipped not only with advanced tech but also abilities that made them a formidable threat. Sulan had originally planned to slip in through the window, but to his surprise, the ward rooms had no windows—only doors. And only registered doctors and nurses were permitted to enter.

This posed a significant challenge for Sulan, especially considering how desperate he was to level up his position within the WOI and impress his master, Zorin. But rather than deterring him, the obstacle only fueled his determination.

Sulan refused to be held back. He quickly devised a solo plan in his mind. He was going in, no matter what. His theory began to take shape: If these men really had abilities, why were they carrying guns? He knew that people with abilities usually carried fewer weapons—things like knives, gauntlets, or daggers. Guns and heavy armor were rare among them. This led him to believe that the guards might not have any abilities at all.

If they didn't have abilities, then he could use his own against them when they inevitably discovered his mission. All that was left for him to do was acquire a doctor's outfit and a registered doctor's ID.

Sulan met the nurse again, his plan now in motion.

Sulan changed into casual attire and made his way toward the Premium Ward. With the permit provided by the nurse, he was able to gain access to the highly restricted area. As the nurse had described, he navigated through the ward with relative ease. The environment was complex, yet its aspects were somewhat familiar. The place was magnificent in its design, but there was a palpable sense of fear hanging in the air.

Military personnel marched in pairs, patrolling the corridors of the ward. Two more pairs stood guard at the entrance of each room and office, their presence imposing. Despite the heavy security, Sulan wasn't intimidated. His thoughts were entirely focused on how he could gain access to the doctor assigned to Kaiza's ward.

He moved swiftly down the corridor, his steps deliberate. After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the end of the hall and stopped in front of a door labeled Doctor's Office. Sulan stepped inside, only to find himself in a new hallway, seemingly leading to other rooms.

Thanks to the limited information the nurse had managed to gather from an insider, Sulan knew exactly where to find the doctor.

Sulan reached the doctor's office and knocked twice, waiting for a response. After only a brief moment, the door swung open, revealing a military personnel stationed to guard the doctor. Sulan stepped into a small passage, where he was briefly searched before being allowed to enter the office. He took a deep breath as he walked inside.

The office was far from what Sulan had expected. There were no awards or framed photos of the doctor like he had imagined a typical doctor's office would have. Instead, the walls were plain white, much like the rest of the Premium Ward. The doctor sat at his desk, focused on the screen of his computer.

Sulan didn't waste time observing the bare room. There was nothing of interest. He got straight to the point.

"I need your ID," he said, his voice calm but firm.

The doctor paused, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. He slowly raised his head, but before he could fully comprehend who had spoken, Sulan was already gone.

A strange presence behind him made the doctor freeze.

"Hand it over," Sulan's voice came, smooth yet with an edge of quiet menace.

Despite the tension in the air, the doctor remained unfazed, sitting calmly without a hint of nervousness. There was something about his demeanor that caught Sulan's attention—this was no ordinary doctor.

Why was he so calm?

It dawned on Sulan: the doctor wasn't just a medical professional—he was a man with abilities.