It was Monday morning.
Damien pulled his hoodie tighter as he walked down the sidewalk. The city was slightly foggy and the sun had just risen. A buzz from his phone broke the quiet. He glanced down.
A new notice?
He scrolled down. Then his stomach dropped.
[Monthly Evaluation Information—New Announcement]
Just a month ago, he'd failed to rank in the top ten—and the punishment that followed still hadn't ended. Not to mention the endless drills, physical exhaustion, and the crushing sense of vulnerability he felt in the past month. He wasn't about to go through that again.
"Never again..." He muttered under his breath.
There were seven days until the evaluation. His punishment would end in four. That gave him just three days with his full stats restored. And three days to adjust.
...
By the time he arrived at the company building and made it to the second floor, the atmosphere was tense. Trainees milled about the hallway, their expressions tight, distracted.
They must've seen the announcement too, Damien thought, noting the way no one made eye contact.
He pushed open the door to the practice room, ready to stretch and settle in.
Ding.
A sharp notification cut through the ambient noise.
[Emergency Alert: Internal Investigation Progress Halted Indefinitely]
His breath caught.
What?
Heart pounding, Damien scanned the room quickly, trying not to draw attention. He couldn't afford to look off. Wordless, he dropped his bag beside the wall and sat down, pretending to scroll through his phone.
System. Details. Now.
The system appeared in the corner of his view and hovered around him.
System: [The progression of the internal investigation has been halted.]
Halted? Why? What happened?
Just last week, with the system's help, he was able to deliver the evidence to the CEO—the proof of Hajoon's sabotage. He had been on pins and needles waiting for the results. And now the system was telling him it had all ground to a stop?
System: [The files you submitted have been erased. Not only were the documents removed from the CEO's desk, but all digital copies on his computer were wiped clean.]
Damien's hands curled into fists.
Who could have done that? Hajoon? The top floor of the company was only accessible to a handful of executives. Even IT specialists would need special clearance to access the top floor, let alone access the CEO's office and computer.
System: [It's unknown, host. The intrusion left no trace I could track.]
Hearing the system's answer sent chills through him. The system could hack security cameras and bypass locks with ease—yet it had been outmaneuvered. If someone powerful enough to scrub files from the CEO's personal system was involved, what did that mean for him?
Does the CEO know? Surely he noticed the missing files.
System: [He is aware that the files were tampered with and removed. However, another urgent internal matter is occupying him, host. Specifically, a set of confidential company data was leaked to a rival corporation. It's a serious breach, and the CEO is currently focused on containing that crisis.]
Damien blinked and nearly scoffed.
A data leak to a rival—now?
The timing was too perfect to be coincidence. His fingers curled against the floor as realization set in.
They manufactured a distraction.
"Of course they did..."
The very week after he handed over damning evidence of Hajoon's misconduct, a high-profile security scandal erupted—forcing the upper management to drop everything else. It was like someone had set a fire in another room just to draw the guard dog away from his tail.
This leak... Do you know who's behind it?
The system shook its cubed body.
System: [Sadly, no. According to internal reports, an anonymous source provided proof of the leaks to the media. It's chaos at the executive level right now.]
He let out a deep breath. Tapping his fingers on the cold wooden floor, he tried to piece everything together.
Hajoon alone couldn't orchestrate something like this—he had to have a protector. Hajoon had been sloppy and arrogant... maybe because he knew someone powerful would sweep his dirt under the rug. He wasn't working alone. He had backing, maybe an executive high up in the company.
His real enemy wasn't just Hajoon; it was someone far above him, someone with eyes everywhere and the power to pull strings. They could delete files and create chaos—who knew what else they controlled?
Heck, maybe he was being watched right now.
Damien's mouth went dry. He glanced up at the security camera in the corner of the ceiling. Its black dome stared back impassively, and he couldn't shake the feeling that someone on the other side was watching him. The thought struck him that this entire leak scandal might serve a dual purpose—not just to distract the CEO, but to flush out whoever had tried to expose them. If he reacted recklessly now, he might be giving himself away. A prickle of paranoia crawled over his skin.
Good thing the system had placed an internal marker on the files... Hopefully, it's enough to bait whoever was behind the cover-up into searching among the company staff—rather than looking outward.
Forcing himself to look away, he turned his attention back to the system hovering by his shoulder.
Do you have any idea who this 'powerful figure' might be?
System: [I'm sorry, host. I found no clues. They likely used high-level credentials and covered their tracks thoroughly. If I dig deeper without a lead, I risk exposing my presence on the network.]
He exhaled slowly. It made sense—even the system had limits if it needed to stay hidden. Still, it was maddening to be left with only a ghost of an enemy.
The CEO definitely knew the evidence he'd given him was gone, and he was probably furious. But with a major leak to handle, he'd put the issue on the back burner while fighting the bigger fire.
The investigation into Hajoon's misconduct would be delayed indefinitely.
Damien raked a hand through his hair. It wasn't fair. Hajoon should have been facing the consequences of his actions by now, maybe even getting escorted out. Instead, he was likely carrying on as usual.
But, at least he gained some information from this.
He now knew Hajoon was just a pawn.
The puppeteer pulling his strings had shown the lengths they'd go to stay safe—erasing evidence and throwing the entire company into chaos as a smokescreen.
He paused and suddenly felt a creeping sense of vulnerability. If they suspected him, what would they do? He imagined being quietly removed from the company—or suffering some "accident" again when no one was looking. He had to assume he was dealing with someone who wouldn't hesitate to ruin a life to protect their own.
Damien took a deep breath, willing his racing heart to slow. Panic wouldn't help. He needed to stay sharp.
What's the probability that Hajoon or his backer will take action?
System: [Currently, the probability is low. Rough estimate, under ten percent for the next few weeks.]
If they suspect someone handed over those files, wouldn't they be hunting the source right now?
System: [They likely are. But, consider their position, host. For now, they've achieved their goal. The incriminating files are gone, and the CEO is occupied with another crisis. Acting too hastily could draw attention while tensions are still high. It's safer for them to lie low.]
Damien nodded slowly.
System: [Also, this system is roughly ninety-five percent sure that the figure doesn't know who leaked the information. Without a clear suspect, making a move is risky. For now, they're most likely observing quietly.]
I see...
That meant Hajoon had probably been told to keep quiet—if his backer was as cunning as he Damien suspected.
Then, for now, I should focus on avoiding the punishment this time around. I'll make it to top ten.
With that renewed resolve, Damien sat up and began getting ready for the morning class.