By afternoon, she sat alone in the hospital cafeteria, staring at untouched food.
The spoon lay still in her hand.
Her stomach hurt—not from hunger, but from worry.
Money.
Every path led back to the same wall.
Her fingers tightened around her phone.
There was one person. Someone her father had trusted.
Someone who had borrowed money when times were hard.
Uncle John.
Her heart beat faster as she dialed the number.
It rang twice.
Then— "Hello?"
his voice came, casual, almost cheerful.
"Uncle," Leena said, trying to stay calm.
"It's me." "Oh… Leena," he replied. "I heard about the accident. Very sad."
She didn't respond to the sympathy.
"Uncle," she said carefully, "you borrowed money from Appa last year.
We need it now. For my mother's treatment." There was a pause.
Then he said, too quickly, "I already returned that money to your father."
Leena froze.
"You didn't," she said. "He never told us."
"I did," he insisted. "Maybe he forgot." Her grip tightened.
"My father never forgot money matters," she said quietly.
"Please don't lie to me." His tone changed.
"Don't accuse me," he snapped.
"I gave it back
. End of story." Anger flared. "We are in the hospital," Leena said, her voice shaking.
"We lost everything. You know the truth."
Silence. Then— Beep. The call ended. Leena stared at the screen.
Her hands trembled. She knew. He was lying.
But she also knew something worse.
There was no proof.
No documents.
No witnesses.
That money was gone.
Forever.
She leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes.
She felt empty.
Completely lost.
Then— Ding
. The sound returned.
"Mission issued." Leena opened her eyes slowly. "What now?"
she whispered.
"Objective: Recover the money owed to you."
She let out a short, bitter laugh. "Are you serious?"
she asked. "He denied it. He hung up.
There's nothing I can do." Silence.
Then the system replied calmly.
"You have not yet received your opening package."
Leena frowned slightly.
"Opening package?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"
"As a newly activated host," the system said, "you are eligible to receive a welcome package."
The air in front of her eyes shimmered.
A faint light appeared, forming lines and shapes.
Leena's breath caught.
A transparent screen unfolded in front of her—floating, glowing softly.
No one else in the cafeteria reacted.
People walked past.
Talked.
Ate.
They couldn't see it.
Only her.
On the screen, words appeared clearly.
HOST PROFILE
Name: LeenaAge: 18
She stared at it silently.
Strength: 3(Average adult: 5)
Her gaze dropped to her arms.
Weak.
Untrained.
Assets: 823 rupees
Her chest tightened.
The screen shifted.
MISSION SECTION
• Recover the money owed to you• Mission Status: Active
Reward:D-Level Reward Box
Another section appeared below, faded and locked.
SYSTEM SHOP
Locked
A new line appeared on the screen.
REMINDER:Open your welcome package
Leena took a slow breath.
"…Open it," she said quietly.
A small glowing box formed at the center of the screen.
It pulsed once.
Then—
Unlocked.
Light spilled outward.
Leena's eyes widened.
The glowing box hovered in front of Leena's eyes.
Slowly, it opened.
Light spread outward, then settled.
Three items appeared on the screen.
Leena stared, her breath shallow.
WELCOME PACKAGE CONTENTS
• S-Level Hacking Skill Card• Two New Identity Change Cards• Beginner-Level Close Combat Fighting Card
Her eyes widened.
The first item caught her attention.
S-Level Hacking Skill Card.
Before she could even think, her eyes lit up.
Ideas began forming in her mind.
Clear.
Sharp.
Bank records.
Transaction trails.
Hidden accounts.
Uncle John…
Her heart beat faster.
This could help her get the money back.
Her eyes moved to the next item.
Two New Identity Change Cards.
The description appeared below it.
Change your identity completely.Create a new legal existence.No one can trace it back to you.
Leena swallowed hard.
A new life.
A way to disappear if needed.
She didn't touch it.
Not yet.
Her eyes moved to the final item.
Beginner-Level Close Combat Fighting Card.
For self-defense.
Simple.
Direct.
Necessary.
She nodded slightly.
Then she asked silently,
How do I receive them?
The system replied at once.
"Host only needs to give an order."
Leena took a deep breath.
"…Give me the S-Level hacking card."
"Confirmed."
The moment the words left her mind—
Information flooded in.
Massive.
Fast.
Overwhelming.
Her head spun.
Her vision blurred.
She grabbed the edge of the table, steadying herself.
Lines of code.
Security systems.
Firewalls.
Weak points.
It felt endless.
Five minutes passed.
Then—
"It is complete."
Leena straightened slowly.
The dizziness faded.
Clarity remained.
She knew it.
She understood it.
She was no longer a beginner.
She was a master-level hacker.
Her breathing steadied.
"Next," she said quietly. "Give me the fighting skill."
"Confirmed."
A warm sensation flowed from her back, spreading through her body.
Muscle memory formed.
Timing.
Balance.
Defense.
Counterattacks.
It lasted only a few seconds.
Then it stopped.
New instincts settled into place.
She knew how to protect herself.
Her eyes returned to the final item.
The identity cards.
She stared at them for a long moment.
Then she shook her head slightly.
"Not now," she whispered.
The cards faded, stored away.
Leena leaned back in her chair.
The cafeteria was still the same.
But she was not.
Somewhere deep inside her,
the first real step toward power had been taken.
At the same time, on the other side of the city—
High above the streets, in the top floor of a glass-covered building, a man stood by the window.
Below him, the city was alive.
Thousands of people.
Thousands of lives.
He watched them without interest.
His name was Zak Miller.
President of Shep Corporation.
Behind him stood a woman in her twenties.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Her tight-fitting formal dress sharp and professional.
His secretary.
Lara.
She stood straight, hands folded, waiting.
Without turning around, Zak spoke.
"Is everything finished?"
"Yes, sir," Lara replied calmly. "The hard disk has been recovered."
"No traces?" he asked.
"None," she said. "Everything has been erased."
Zak nodded slightly.
"And the family?" he asked.
"The car accident was successful," Lara continued."The father and the son did not survive."
She paused for a second.
"The mother survived, but she is paralyzed.""And the daughter… she escaped with only minor injuries."
Zak's eyes narrowed just a little.
Surprise flickered for a moment.
Then it vanished.
His face returned to its usual calm indifference.
"What do you want to do with them?" Lara asked.
Zak stared out at the city again.
"Monitor them," he said quietly."For now."
"Yes, sir."
Lara turned and left the office silently.
Zak remained by the window.
The city continued to move below.
Unaware.
And somewhere in that city,
a girl had just taken her first step onto a path
that could one day reach even him.