The forest was eerily silent as Ling and his team made their way back to the World Union's outpost. The encounter with the Shadow Syndicate operatives had left everyone on edge. Though they had emerged victorious, the ominous warning from the defeated operative echoed in Ling's mind: "This is only the beginning."
Ling glanced at his holographic interface as they walked, hoping to find some reassurance in the data displayed before him.
[Ling Chen]
Strength: 14
Agility: 15
Intelligence: 18
Potential: Infinite
Skills:
Light Burst – Level 3
New Skill Unlocked: Radiant Pulse – Level 1
Absorption Log: Shadow Energy Residue (Syndicate Operative – Minor), Lesser Void Beast Traits (Agility +1)
The new skill caught his attention. Radiant Pulse? he thought, tapping on the skill tab for more details.
[Radiant Pulse – Level 1]
Description: Releases a short-range shockwave of light energy that stuns nearby enemies for 3 seconds. Effective against multiple targets in close combat.
Cooldown: 10 seconds.
Energy Cost: Moderate.
Ling felt a flicker of excitement at unlocking a new ability but quickly pushed it aside. Now wasn't the time to celebrate. The encounter with the Shadow Syndicate had left him uneasy, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.
"Ling, are you okay?" Mei Lin asked, walking beside him. Her voice was soft but filled with concern.
"I'm fine," Ling replied, though his voice lacked conviction. "I just can't stop thinking about what that guy said. 'This is only the beginning.' What did he mean by that?"
Mei Lin frowned, her brow furrowed in thought. "I don't know, but it sounded like a threat. We need to report this to Professor Armitage as soon as we get back."
Ling nodded, but his mind was already racing with possibilities. The Shadow Syndicate was clearly more organized and dangerous than they had anticipated. What if this was just a small part of a much larger plan?
As they approached the outpost, Kai broke the tense silence with his usual bravado. "Well, that wasn't so bad! We took down those Syndicate creeps and came out on top. I'd say we're doing pretty well."
Rina shot him a look. "You do realize they almost overwhelmed us, right? If Ling hadn't used that last attack when he did, things could've gone very differently."
Kai shrugged, brushing off her comment. "Yeah, but we won. That's what matters."
Ling stayed quiet as they entered the outpost gates. The others' bickering barely registered in his mind—he was too preoccupied with an unsettling feeling that had been growing since their mission began.
The Shadow of Doubt
Inside the outpost's command center, Professor Armitage listened intently as Ling and his team recounted their encounter with the Shadow Syndicate operatives. His expression grew darker with every detail they shared.
"This is troubling," Armitage said finally, pacing back and forth across the room. "The Shadow Syndicate has been quiet for months. If they're becoming active again, it means they're planning something significant."
"What should we do?" Mei Lin asked, her voice steady despite the tension in the room.
"For now, we'll increase security around our operations," Armitage replied. "And I'll need you all to stay vigilant during your missions. The Syndicate is dangerous—they'll exploit any weakness they can find."
As Armitage continued outlining precautions, Ling noticed something strange out of the corner of his eye—a figure lingering near one of the doorways leading into the command center.
It was Zara.
Zara was one of Armitage's trusted operatives—an experienced fighter who often worked on high-level missions for the World Union. She had always been aloof and distant during their interactions, but tonight something about her presence felt… off.
Ling activated his holographic interface discreetly to scan her profile.
[Zara – World Union Operative]
Threat Level: Unknown
Status: Observing
Why would her threat level be marked as "Unknown"? Ling wondered uneasily.
Before he could dwell on it further, Zara turned and walked away without saying a word.
A Rift Among Friends
Later that evening, Ling sat alone in one of the outpost's common areas, reviewing his interface data and trying to make sense of everything that had happened during their mission.
As he scrolled through his Absorption Log, he noticed something unusual: one of the entries from their battle with the Syndicate operatives was marked with a red flag.
[Absorption Log – Alert]
Shadow Energy Residue (Syndicate Operative – Minor)
Warning: Residual energy contains traces of corruption. Use with caution.
Ling's heart sank as he read the warning. Corruption? What does that mean? He tapped on the alert for more details but found only vague descriptions about potential risks associated with absorbing unstable energy sources.
"Hey," Kai's voice interrupted his thoughts as he walked into the room and plopped down beside him. "You've been quiet since we got back. What's going on?"
Ling hesitated for a moment before showing Kai the alert on his interface. "I absorbed some energy from one of those Syndicate guys… but look at this."
Kai frowned as he read the warning message. "Corruption? That doesn't sound good."
"I don't know what it means yet," Ling admitted, frustration creeping into his voice. "But if it affects my abilities—or worse—my judgment…"
"You'll figure it out," Kai said confidently, clapping him on the back. "You always do."
Before Ling could respond, Mei Lin entered the room with a worried expression on her face.
"We have a problem," she said urgently.
"What is it?" Ling asked, standing up immediately.
"It's Zara," Mei Lin replied grimly. "I overheard her talking to someone outside—someone who mentioned the Syndicate."
Ling felt his blood run cold at her words. Zara? Working with the Syndicate?
"We need to tell Armitage," Kai said firmly.
"No," Ling said quickly, shaking his head. "Not yet. We don't have enough proof."
"Then what do we do?" Mei Lin asked anxiously.
"We watch her," Ling replied after a moment of thought. "If she really is working with them… we'll find out soon enough."
Betrayal Revealed
Late that night, Ling followed Zara through the darkened corridors of the outpost, keeping his distance as she moved toward an isolated storage area near its edge.
His holographic interface flickered to life automatically as he tracked her movements:
[Target Detected: Zara]
Status: Suspicious Activity Logged
Ling's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Zara meet with a hooded figure in one of the storage rooms—a figure whose presence sent chills down his spine.
"It's only a matter of time before they suspect something," Zara said quietly to her companion.
"Then we move faster," the figure replied in a low voice. "The World Union won't know what hit them."
Ling clenched his fists tightly as he listened from behind a stack of crates nearby—his worst fears confirmed.
Zara is working with them.