Chapter 5: The Phantom Hunt
The holographic displays in the Sim-Room flickered with lines of red code. Leo's eyes moved with predatory speed, tracking the digital footprints trying to breach his "Identity Masking Layer."
"They're persistent," Leo muttered.
[叮! Threat Analysis: Zenith Dynamics (Sector 1 Conglomerate)]
Trace Status: Blocked (98%)
System Warning: The 'Ghost' server is being pinged by a military-grade AI-searcher.
The door hissed open, and Elena stepped in. She didn't look like a data-entry clerk today. She wore a sharp, charcoal-grey suit she'd bought with her first "Monopoly" commission, her hair pulled back into a lethal, low bun. She looked like the lawyer who used to make CEOs tremble.
"We have a problem," Elena said, her voice tight. She walked over to Leo's desk and threw a physical data-drive onto the table. "I intercepted a back-door query at the Registry Office. Someone didn't just look for 'Monopoly Gaming.' They looked for me."
Leo leaned back, his fingers interlaced. "Zenith Dynamics?"
"The biggest shark in the ocean," Elena nodded. "They own 40% of the entertainment infrastructure in this city. They've noticed that their 'Logic-Sim' revenue dropped by 5% in the sectors where The Silent Ward is being played. They want to buy the source code—or bury the developer."
"Let them search," Leo said, his calm demeanor unsettling her. "By the time they find a path to this apartment, I'll own the servers they're using to track me."
"Leo, you're playing a dangerous game," Elena stepped closer, her professional veneer cracking. She looked at his new physique, the way he filled the chair with an effortless, masculine authority. "You're seventeen. If they find out you're the one behind this, they won't offer you a contract. They'll offer you a 'Mandatory Internship'—which is just a fancy word for prison labor."
"I'm not a child, Elena," Leo stood up. He was now taller than her, his presence forcing her to look up. "And you're not just a clerk anymore. Stop thinking like a victim. We are the ones holding the cards."
Elena felt her breath hitch. The "Aura of the Creator" was acting on her too. She felt a surge of adrenaline, a desire to follow him into the fire. "Fine. What's the move?"
"Launch the Sector Zero Alpha," Leo said. "But not on the public net. We'll use the 'Viral Invitation' method. Give the first 1,000 keys to the most influential 'Logic-Pro' streamers. Tell them it's an 'Experimental Reflex Stimulator'."
The First Drop
While Elena handled the digital distribution, Maya was already deep in the "Link."
Leo turned his attention to the second monitor. Maya's avatar stood in the middle of a ruined city street. The textures were hyper-realistic—rust on the abandoned cars, the way the wind kicked up digital dust, the distant sound of a crow.
"Target spotted," Maya's voice came through the comms. She was crouched on a rooftop, a rusted sniper rifle in her hands.
In the game, a "Phantom" bot was moving through a courtyard. On this world, "combat" meant standing in a grid and selecting "Attack." Maya, however, was doing something no one else did: she was lead-aiming, accounting for the 0.2-second bullet travel time Leo had coded.
CRACK.
The bot's head-armor shattered.
"Direct hit," Maya whispered. Her heart rate on the monitor was climbing.
[叮! Neuro-Adrenaline Sync: 12%]
System Note: The Host's sister is displaying a 94% compatibility with 'High-Stakes' gaming.
Leo watched her vitals. She was becoming addicted to the "Kill-High." This was the true product he was selling—not a game, but a feeling of absolute triumph in a world that usually felt like a grey machine.
The Shadow in the Hallway
The testing lasted until midnight. Maya was sweating, her breathing heavy as she finally pulled the headset off. Her eyes were glazed with a manic sort of joy.
"It's... it's better than anything," Maya panted, her hands trembling. She looked at Leo, her pupils dilated. "When I won that last match... I felt like I could fly. Leo, people are going to go crazy for this."
"Go get some rest, General," Leo said, his voice soft.
As Maya walked past him toward her bedroom, she stopped. The hallway was dim. She looked at her brother—this man who had dragged them from the slums to the clouds in a matter of weeks. She suddenly leaned in, kissing his cheek. It wasn't the quick kiss of a sister; it was lingering, her hand resting on his bicep.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion, before disappearing into her room.
[叮! Favorability Update: Maya Thorne - 48/100]
Leo stayed in the Sim-Room. He felt a presence in the doorway. Sarah was standing there, wearing a thin silk nightgown. She looked like a ghost in the moonlight.
"Leo? Why is Maya so excited?" she asked, her voice hushed. She walked closer, the scent of her floral soap filling the small room.
"She's just helping me with work, Mom," Leo said.
Sarah looked at the holographic screens—the images of the ruined city, the weapons, the violence. She shivered, but she didn't look away. "It looks... scary. But the way she looks at you... the way Elena looks at you... it's different now."
She reached out, her cool hand touching Leo's cheek where Maya's kiss had been. "You're our everything now, Leo. Please... don't let this world break you."
Leo took her hand in his. Her fingers were small and delicate compared to his now-hardened grip. "I'm the one who breaks the world, Mom. Not the other way around."
Sarah looked into his eyes, and for a moment, the "Mother" role felt like a lie. She felt small, protected, and strangely breathless.
[叮! Favorability Update: Sarah Thorne - 55/100]
Outside the window, a black drone with no lights hovered a kilometer away, its high-power lens focused on the Azure Heights complex. The sharks were circling, but Leo was already sharpening his teeth.