The Next Morning —
It was 8:00 AM.
The cup of tea sat in my hand, warm, but the liquid inside tasted like nothing.
Everything felt… muted.
It was as if my sense of taste was fading away, replaced by a hollow numbness.
Tonight was the deadline. I had to catch the bus for the Army training camp.
I stared at the steam rising from the cup.
"Should I really go?"
There is a Monster sitting inside me.
Can a wolf truly live among a herd of sheep?
Suddenly, the screeching voice of the news anchor on the TV snapped my attention.
[BREAKING NEWS]
[BRUTAL MURDER OF MINISTER'S RESPECTED ASSOCIATES.]
Images flashed across the screen.
The three men I had killed last night.
But these weren't the faces of predators lurking in a dark alley.
These were polished photographs from some party event—hands folded in prayer, fake smiles stretched across their faces.
They looked… respectable. Like model citizens.
The anchor spoke again
"Last night marks a dark chapter for our city. Three close associates of the Honourable Minister, who were reportedly visiting an old office for party-related work, were brutally murdered by an unknown assailant. Police sources describe the nature of the killings as… unnatural."
The scene cut to a DCP (Deputy Commissioner) standing before a microphone.
Reporter:"Sir, what could be the motive? Is this political rivalry?"
The DCP straightened his neck and lied to the camera without blinking.
"these were men from respectable families. Social workers. According to their families, they went to the old office to retrieve some important documents. They likely stayed late… and someone seized the opportunity to commit this cowardly attack."
He paused—just long enough to sound convincing.
"We will apprehend the culprit soon. No one escapes the law."
The anchor returned, nodding gravely.
"A tragic loss indeed. Our prayers are with the families during this difficult time."
THUD!
Beside me, my father slammed his fist on the table.
"Disgusting! What kind of sinner would do such a thing?"
His face burned with righteous fury.
"People like that are a threat to the nation. They should be hanged in public!"
I looked at my father.
He thinks he is a 'Patriot,' yet he is unknowingly mourning the very 'Traitors' he hates.
Irony.
If he knew the truth… if he knew that the 'Sinner' was his own son…
Would he still demand a hanging?
I stared back at the TV screen.
Why aren't they showing the CCTV footage?
There were cameras there.
The police had seen the girl.
They had seen those so-called "social workers" ripping her clothes apart.
But that footage had vanished.
Because if it aired, victims would turn into rapists.
And powerful men cannot afford that.
The System screen flickered in my vision.
[INTEL PROCESSED]
[Quest Update: The truth is being erased. Just like the blood.]
I placed the tea cup down.
"I need to see this myself."
---
Outside the Police Station — 11:30 AM
I stood outside the police station, hidden in the blind spot of a tea stall.
I was wearing my new Shadow Hood. Its effect was phenomenal—people looked in my direction, but their eyes just slid past me. I was nothing more than "Background Noise" to them.
Inside, the station was chaos. It looked less like a precinct and more like a fish market.
Phones rang non-stop.
"Yes, Minister... Yes, sir... We are searching!"
Amidst this noise, a frail shadow entered the room.
An Old Woman.
From her disheveled appearance, it looked like she had been circling this place for hours.
She approached the Reception Desk with trembling steps.
"Sir..." Her voice sounded like broken glass.
The Duty Officer looked up from his file.
"What is it? Can't you see this is an emergency?"
The woman clasped her shaking hands together.
"My daughter... Sir, my daughter Priya... she left for work yesterday evening. She hasn't come home yet. Her phone is switched off. This has never happened before,"
The officer waved his hand in irritation, as if shooing away a fly.
"Don't eat my brain. Three of the Minister's men have been murdered, the whole city is shaken, and you are bothering me about your daughter?"
Tears dripped from the woman's eyes onto the dusty desk.
"Sir, please… she's never late. I'm scared. Just file a report…"
The officer's patience snapped. He slammed his hand on the desk. THUD!
"I told you to come back later! Do you not understand priority?"
He stood up to intimidate her.
"She's a young girl. Probably ran off with some boy. That's what girls do these days—bring shame to their families and then parents come here for drama."
The old woman recoiled. Her words stuck in her throat.
"No, Sir... my daughter isn't like that..."
"Get out! Sit outside!" The officer yelled, already turning back to his phone. "Yes, Sir, the team has been dispatched..."
She turned slowly. Her hope shattered.
As she walked out of the station, she passed right by me.
There were no longer tears in her eyes… only Dead Silence.
I hate the feeling of being unable to do anything. If we can't even fight for ourselves, we'll often be crushed by the powerful.
I looked at the Police Station.
This place wasn't a temple of Law. It was a warehouse of Sin.
And for my System?
This was an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet.
The System Screen flickered in my vision. There was no talk of 'Justice' here. The System only desired Chaos.
================================
HIDDEN QUEST TRIGGERED
================================
QUEST NAME : The Nest of Vermin
DIFFICULTY : B-Rank
LOCATION : City Police Station (Sector-4)
[DESCRIPTION]
A structure built on lies and protected by hypocrisy.
The concentration of 'Sin' here is optimal for harvest.
[OBJECTIVES]
1. [MANDATORY]: Slaughter the corrupt officers (0/15).
2. [OPTIONAL]: Burn the building to the ground.
3. [OPTIONAL]: Retrieve the 'Hidden Files' (High Value Intel).
[REWARDS]
- Level Up (Guaranteed)
- Rare Skill Book: [Shadow Step]
- 2000 Karma Points (KP)
================================
I read the rewards list.
Rare Skill Book?
A cold smile touched my lips.
"So, this woman was just a 'Trigger' for the quest," I thought.
I didn't care about her daughter. I didn't care about that officer.
I just wanted that Skill Book.
I put my hands in my pockets and walked away.
"Soon," I calculated. "The risk is too high during the day. But at night... this place belongs to me."
"But first... I have to end that boring drama called the Army."
---
The Bus Stand —
The afternoon sun was piercing.
The noise of the crowd, the smell of sweat, and the heat of engines—it all combined to create a suffocating atmosphere.
But I felt cold. The 'Void' inside me was absorbing everything.
My father patted my back, his face beaming with middle-class pride.
"Go on, son. Make us proud. Serve the country well."
My mother's eyes were filled with tears. "Take care of yourself. Call us when you reach. Eat on time..."
I stood there, but I wasn't really there.
Their voices sounded distant, like I was hearing them from underwater.
The System interface floated in my vision, overlaying the real world.
[ANALYSIS MODE: ACTIVE]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 2]
[NEXT LEVEL REQ: 450/800 EXP]
I looked at the Joining Letter in my hand. The System instantly calculated the two paths of my life:
PATH A: THE PAWN
1. Routine: Wake up at 4 AM. Enslavement.
2. Authority: Obey seniors (even the incompetent ones).
3. Growth: Extremely Slow. Years for a single promotion.
4. Outcome: Likely death by a random bullet on a border.
> EFFICIENCY: 0.1% (Inefficient)
PATH B: THE PLAYER
1. Routine: Hunt when hungry.
2. Authority: None. I am the System.
3. Growth: Exponential. New power with every kill.
4. Outcome: Absolute Dominion. Or Absolute Void.
> EFFICIENCY: 100% (Optimal)
Suddenly, the traffic on the road halted.
Police sirens began to wail. Wee-woo-wee-woo...
A VIP Convoy was passing through.
Black SUVs. In the center, Guards with guns who had surrounded the car.
Yes, this is the same minister whose men I 'Deleted' last night.
My vision shook as the System Screen turned Blood Red.
================================
HIGH VALUE TARGET DETECTED
================================
NAME : Minister V.K. Singh
TITLE : The Pillar of Corruption
SIN VALUE : EXTREME
[OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS]
Killing this target will generate massive Entropy.
This is not a Human. This is a Treasure Chest of XP.
[ESTIMATED REWARDS]
- Instant Level Up (Lv. 2 ➝ Lv. 10) ⬆
- Unlock Skill: [Time Barrier] 🔓
- Reputation: [Enemy of the State]
================================
My heart pounded against my ribs.
Not from fear... but from Hunger.
I stared at the car. I didn't see a Minister; I only saw Glowing Golden XP.
If I sat on that bus, I would become a servant.
But if I stayed here... I would become Level 10.
And Level 10 meant... Time Barrier.
The power to stop time itself.
"Sunny, the bus is here," my father said, shaking my shoulder.
The conductor stood at the door, shouting. "Come on, brother! Hurry up! The bus won't wait!"
I looked at the bus. Then at the VIP Convoy fading into the distance.
The decision was made.
I took the Joining Letter back from my father's hand.
"Father," I said. My voice was completely cold. No tremor. No emotion.
"Yes, son?"
"I don't want to be anyone's servant."
I activated [Decay Touch].
Concentrated only on my fingertips.
Right before their eyes, the joining letter... that precious government document... began to turn into black ash.
First the edges yellowed, then blackened, and then dissolved into dust, scattering in the wind.
Entropy.
What a beautiful thing. To erase the existence of something completely.
My mother and father's eyes went wide with shock.
The ash fell onto their shoes.
"What... what did you do?" Papa screamed, his face turning red with rage. "Have you lost your mind?! Do you know how hard it was to get this letter?!"
Mother beat her chest in despair. "Oh God! This boy has gone mad!"
I could hear their screaming, but I couldn't comprehend it.
My emotions were locked.
These weren't parents anymore... they were just NPCs making background noise in my path.
"Go home," I said without looking at them. "Sunny is dead."
I turned around and walked in the opposite direction, disappearing into the crowd.
Behind me, my father was shouting my name. My mother was weeping.
People were watching the drama.
But my face held no expression.
I pulled up my Shadow Hood. I began to blur amidst the crowd.
My mind was running only one calculation:
Current Objective: Reach Level 10.
Target: Minister V.K. Singh.
Method: Total Destruction.
It was almost sunset.
Tonight... this city becomes my hunting ground.