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Chapter 9 - Chapter 8 — Quiet Decisions

Kyler ended his shift at 5 A.M., the office floor still buzzing under white lights.

Agents stretched, yawned, rubbed their eyes — exhausted after another twelve-hour grind.

But Kyler?

He felt fine.

Thanks to Everrest, fatigue never touched him. His body didn't ache. His mind stayed sharp.

Still, he walked with the same slow, tired steps as everyone else, yawning for show.

He'd learned long ago that staying lowkey wasn't just about hiding power — it was about blending perfectly into the tired rhythm of normal life.

Outside, the streets were still dark. The air smelled of coffee and asphalt.

He slipped into a jeepney, phone in hand, opening his trading dashboard just to check.

₱10,246,380.45.

Ten million pesos.

Earned quietly, without anyone knowing, without risk, without loss.

And yet… here he was, pretending to be tired like everyone else.

---

That afternoon, the entire floor went silent when the message came through their team chat.

> [NEWS] Jerome from Team 2 passed away. Hold-up near Pasig bridge. Stab wound. Confirmed.

The office froze.

Even through the screen, Kyler could feel the collective shock — people typing, deleting, typing again.

Jerome was quiet, always polite. He worked the same shift, rode the same route home.

Kyler leaned back in his chair.

He didn't feel fear — not exactly. Just realization.

He'd seen the pattern before. The same dark streets. The same waiting shadows.

All it took was one wrong turn, one unlucky night.

He glanced at the glowing ₱10 million figure again and felt a tightness in his chest.

He didn't need to be here anymore.

He didn't need to gamble his life just to earn what he already surpassed a hundred times over.

But quitting suddenly would draw attention — to him, to his finances, to everything he'd built under the radar.

No, not yet.

He'd move carefully, like he always did.

---

That night, after putting Hazel and Nicko to bed, Kyler sat beside Ashley on the couch.

The TV flickered with local news — another story about late-night robberies, another set of grieving families.

Ashley leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. "You okay? You've been quiet lately."

"Someone from our floor didn't make it home," Kyler said softly. "Hold-up after shift. Jerome."

Ashley turned quickly. "Oh my God… that's awful."

He nodded. "Yeah. Same route I take sometimes. Makes me think."

Her voice softened. "You're not thinking of quitting, are you?"

"Not yet," he said, choosing his words carefully. "But I'm thinking about what's next. The job's fine, but the hours, the risk… maybe it's time to build something from home."

Ashley smiled faintly, relieved. "Like what?"

"Trading," he said simply. "Online work. I've been studying for a while. It's starting to look good. Maybe two, three hours a day. The rest, I can help you with the kids."

Her eyes brightened. "You serious?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm thinking long-term now."

Ashley smiled, her expression soft and tired. "Just don't push yourself too hard, okay? You already barely sleep as it is."

Kyler chuckled quietly.

If only she knew.

"I'll be fine," he said. "Promise."

---

Later that night, when the apartment went still, Kyler sat alone at the kitchen table, the soft hum of the refrigerator filling the silence.

His laptop glowed softly — the trading dashboard steady, clean, and utterly under his control.

Ten million pesos.

And no one suspected a thing.

Not Ashley.

Not his company.

Not even the market itself.

He leaned back, thinking.

He wasn't going to quit right away — not until everything was untraceable, safe, and quiet.

The Phantom Trace skill had already proven itself. Even the trading platform couldn't track him properly.

Now, all he needed was time.

He opened a notepad and typed slowly:

> "Goal: Transition to home. Maintain normal life. Keep earnings invisible. Family first."

He saved the file under a random name, closed his laptop, and looked toward the dark bedroom.

Hazel was curled up beside her stuffed bear. Nicko snored softly. Ashley slept with one hand across the blanket, peaceful and unaware.

Kyler smiled faintly.

He didn't need to conquer the world — he just needed to protect this.

As he turned off the lights, the System displayed one silent message in his vision:

> Next Skill Creation Available: 1:17 A.M.

He closed his eyes and whispered,

"I'll use it when the time comes. Not for power. For them."

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