The dust from the bunker's collapse settled, leaving a suffocating silence in the dark alley. Jin sat on a rusted crate, his breathing heavy, staring at the 'Glitch Dagger'. The blade was vibrating, making a sound like a distorted cello string. It had just consumed the mana-core of a Rank-S puppet, and the evolution was starting.
[Absorption Complete: Rank-S Mana Core][New Passive Skill Unlocked: Phase Shift (Rank A)][Effect: For 3 seconds, the user can turn into a 'Glitch' state, becoming immune to physical attacks and passing through solid objects.]
Jin felt a cold current of energy flowing into his veins. For a split second, his hand flickered and turned into transparent red pixels before returning to normal. He wasn't just using the Glitch anymore—he was becoming part of it.
"The Association has declared a 'System Alert'," Zero-Day said, his holographic mask glitching. "Every Hunter in the city is coming for your head. But look at this."
Zero-Day pointed to the 'Auditor's Command Key', which was now 100% decrypted. A massive blue holographic window expanded in the air—old, and full of handwritten notes.
[File Opened: Parent_Directory.exe] [Author: K. Jin-Ho]
Jin's heart skipped a beat. His father's name. A 'Memory Trace' played, showing his father in a lab ten years ago, looking pale with fear.
"Jin... if you're seeing this, it means you've awakened the 'Analyze' skill. I'm sorry. I tried to hide the code in your DNA... The world we live in is a simulation. I've found a way to the Source, but they're coming for me. Find the 'Desert Monolith' in the Moroccan Sahara. It's the only place where the Code is raw and unprotected. Find me there..."
The message ended abruptly with a red 'DELETED' stamp. Jin's eyes hardened. His father wasn't dead; he was trapped in the system's core, and the key was in Morocco.
"We leave for the Maghreb tonight," Jin said, his voice echoing with the resonance of a King. "I'm tired of running. It's time to find the truth."