The city looked normal.
Cars moved through the streets. People walked to work. Street vendors shouted their morning deals.
But Ethan Vale knew the truth now.
Something else lived in the shadows.
And somehow… he had become part of it.
---
Ethan returned to his apartment just before noon. His clothes were damp with sweat, but his body felt stronger than ever.
He closed the door and leaned against it.
"Status."
The system responded instantly.
---
GODLY SYSTEM
Host: Ethan Vale
Level: 4
Strength: 10
Agility: 16
Vitality: 6
Intelligence: 5
Spirit: 2
Skills: • Shadow Dash (Basic)
XP: 90 / 500
---
Ethan nodded slowly.
"Not bad."
He walked to the mirror and stared at himself.
He didn't look much different—but he could feel it.
His body had changed.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Faster.
But the system suddenly chimed again.
---
NEW SYSTEM ALERT
Unknown energy detected nearby.
Scanning…
Scanning…
---
Ethan frowned.
"Nearby?"
Before he could ask anything else, the alert turned red.
---
WARNING
You are being observed.
---
A chill ran down Ethan's spine.
He immediately looked around the apartment.
Nothing.
Just the same old furniture.
The same cracked walls.
But the feeling remained.
Someone was watching him.
---
Across the city.
Inside a dark control room filled with glowing monitors…
A man stared at a screen displaying Ethan's system energy signature.
He was tall, dressed in a black uniform with a silver emblem on the chest.
Behind him stood several agents.
One of them spoke nervously.
"Commander… the signal just spiked again."
The man crossed his arms.
"I can see that."
His voice was calm, cold, calculating.
On the screen, Ethan's energy reading pulsed with faint golden light.
The commander narrowed his eyes.
"Human… but carrying divine-level energy."
Another agent asked quietly,
"Is it a god relic?"
The commander shook his head.
"No."
He leaned closer to the monitor.
"It's a system host."
The room went silent.
One of the agents whispered,
"That's impossible… systems disappeared centuries ago."
The commander spoke one name.
"Ascendant Order protocol."
All the agents straightened.
"Capture the host."
---
Back in Ethan's apartment.
The system chimed again.
---
NEW QUEST DETECTED
Quest: Shadow Investigation
Objective: Investigate the abandoned subway station nearby.
Difficulty: Unknown
Reward: Skill Unlock
Bonus Reward: Hidden System Information
Failure: System Opportunity Lost
---
Ethan blinked.
"Abandoned subway?"
He thought about it.
Then he shrugged.
"Well… it beats sitting here waiting for monsters."
He grabbed his jacket and headed out.
---
The abandoned subway station sat beneath an old part of the city.
Most people avoided it.
Rumors said strange noises came from the tunnels at night.
Ethan stepped down the cracked stairs.
The deeper he went, the darker it became.
Dust covered the floor.
Broken lights flickered overhead.
The air felt… heavy.
The system suddenly activated.
---
WARNING
Hostile entities detected.
Threat Level: Medium
Estimated number: 3
---
Ethan swallowed.
"Three?"
Before he could prepare himself…
Something moved in the darkness.
Then another.
And another.
Three shadow creatures emerged from the tunnel.
Their glowing red eyes locked onto him.
Ethan clenched his fists.
His heart pounded.
But he didn't run.
Not this time.
Instead, he smiled slightly.
"Alright…"
He activated Shadow Dash.
His body vanished into darkness.
Reappearing directly behind the first creature.
CRASH.
His punch shattered it instantly.
The second creature lunged at him.
Ethan dodged, sliding across the floor.
He kicked upward with all his strength.
The creature slammed into the tunnel wall.
The third monster rushed him.
But Ethan was faster now.
Stronger.
He dashed forward and struck with everything he had.
The creature dissolved into black smoke.
The tunnel fell silent.
The system chimed loudly.
---
MULTIPLE ENEMIES ELIMINATED
XP Gained: 420
---
A golden notification appeared.
---
LEVEL UP
Level 4 → Level 6
Attribute Points Available: 8
New Skill Available
---
Ethan stared in shock.
"Two levels?!"
The screen shifted again.
---
SKILL UNLOCKED
Skill: Divine Sight
Description: Allows the host to detect hidden energy, enemies, and system anomalies.
Tier: Advanced
---
Before Ethan could celebrate…
Divine Sight activated automatically.
His vision changed.
Suddenly he could see glowing energy traces in the tunnel.
And one of them was very different.
A bright golden trail.
But it wasn't from the monsters.
It was from something else.
Something powerful.
Then the system spoke again.
---
CRITICAL ALERT
Multiple high-level signatures approaching.
Estimated arrival: 2 minutes
---
Ethan frowned.
"High-level signatures?"
Above ground…
Black vehicles were already surrounding the subway entrance.
Armed agents stepped out.
Their uniforms bore a silver emblem.
The symbol of the Ascendant Order.
And their commander smiled slightly.
"Found you."
-