The office was dead. Outside, the cityscape was a blanket of neon and deep blue twilight, but inside, the only light was the harsh, isolating glow of my dual monitors.
For two glorious hours, I was untouchable. My fingers danced across the keys, fueled by the tiny, constant drain of my [Spacebar Shield].
[Telekinetic Hold (E)] on Spacebar: Active (Cost: 0.2 Stamina/min)
[Mental Strain] Debuff: Suspended
Project Phoenix Progress: 15% (+15$ XP/min)
The System was essentially functioning as an internal game engine, providing real-time feedback on my productivity. I was debugging code four times faster than my usual unmotivated pace.
If I can maintain this rhythm for three more nights, I'll hit Level 3 and potentially complete this hellish quest early.
I lifted my hand to swipe a piece of lint from my screen, briefly relaxing the constant pressure on my core.
Ping.
[Stamina] Current: 2/10
The drain was working. I had just enough margin to keep the shield up. I was so engrossed in optimizing a function for error handling that I didn't notice the shadows moving beyond the cubicle farm.
A low, gentle clack echoed from the entrance to the department floor.
I froze.
The System reacted faster than I did.
System Alert: Threat Detected!
Threat Level: Low (NPC). Source: [Night Security Guard, Rank D].
Action Required: Immediate activation of [Social Camouflage] or [Invisibility] (Unavailable).
A security guard. Mr. Sato, probably. A gentle old man whose main job was making sure the air conditioning didn't freeze the servers. A low-level threat, but one that could easily interrupt my flow, or worse, question why a junior programmer was still there at 10 PM.
The sound of his heavy, rubber-soled shoes grew louder as he approached, rhythmically checking the cubicle rows. He was two aisles away.
I have to drop the shield. Maintaining the [Telekinetic Hold] while activating [Social Camouflage] would instantly deplete my remaining Stamina and risk a full system crash.
I reluctantly cut the link.
Flick.
The spacebar was released.
Instantly, the full, blinding agony of the [Mental Strain] debuff slammed back into my head. The code on my screen dissolved into a garbled mess of characters. My concentration evaporated like water on a hot stone. I involuntarily winced, clutching my temples.
[Mental Strain] Debuff: Re-Activated.[Coding Efficiency] →-50%.
I needed to look calm, professional, and completely non-psychic. I shoved my hands beneath the desk and forced my expression into one of weary diligence.
Action: [Activate Social Camouflage (F)] Cost: 1 [Stamina Point] Current Stamina: 1/10
The skill activated, and the agonizing tension around my facial muscles eased. I felt my posture relax slightly, adopting the look of someone simply working late, not someone recovering from a psychic vending machine fight.
Mr. Sato rounded the corner. He was indeed Mr. Sato, carrying a thermos and a tired expression.
"Minami-kun," he murmured, his voice soft. "Working awfully late, aren't we? Project Phoenix, is it?"
I nodded slowly, letting the [Social Camouflage] guide my tone. "Yes, Sato-san. Just trying to iron out a few persistent bugs in the legacy code. It's... a beast."
My internal monologue, however, was in utter chaos.
He's too close! My [Social Camouflage] is Rank F! He's going to notice the residual sweat from the fire stairs and the intense red in my eyes!
I risked a glance at the System.
Sato [Suspicion] Level: 10% (Low. Primarily concerned with building security.)
"You programmers," Sato chuckled, shaking his head. "Always wrestling with the ghost in the machine. Don't forget to eat something, Minami-kun. I'm just doing my rounds."
He started to walk away, his footsteps receding slowly.
Sato [Suspicion] Level: 5% → 0%
Phew. Passed the check.
I waited until the faint clack of his shoes vanished down the corridor. As soon as I was absolutely certain he was gone, I slammed my hand back onto the spacebar.
Flick.
[Telekinetic Hold (E)] on Spacebar: Re-Activated.
[Mental Strain] Debuff: Suspended.
The clarity rushed back instantly, followed by a rewarding flash.
[Social Camouflage (F)]: 15% Progress to Level 2.
[Willpower] Gained!
[Willpower] → 2/3 (Sustained focus under duress.)
I had lost ten minutes of precious coding time and a point of Stamina, but I had leveled up my [Willpower] and [Social Camouflage]. This was critical. Surviving the corporate environment was as important as writing the code.
I looked back at the screen, the legacy code now sharp and organized.
New objective: I needed to find a way to make the [Spacebar Shield] fully passive, or automate the Stamina recovery. Running up and down the stairs for another six days was not a sustainable long-term strategy.
My eyes landed on a simple, unassuming plastic water bottle sitting next to my monitor. It was cold, condensation dripping down its sides.
Water… hydration.
Function: [Analyze Consumables]
Target: [Standard Bottled Water, Grade: E]
Result: Minor [Stamina] recovery. Clears [Mild Fatigue]. No significant boost.
But there was a small symbol on the label. A tiny, complex sigil that was part of the System's overlay.
Item Found: [Purified Water (Source: Corporate Desalination Plant)] Hidden Property: Grants a temporary [Clarity] buff when consumed while [Coding] is active.
A hidden exploit in the water bottle! I picked it up, feeling a surge of excitement. This was better than a coffee quest. This was real optimization.
Day one is almost over. Time to plan Day two.