The air in General Harding's office was heavy and tense, thick with the smell of old coffee and a barely contained authoritarian fury. Lieutenant Leo stood ramrod straight before the large mahogany desk, his posture perfect, his mind miles away. His thoughts were consumed by the vibrant, high-stakes combat found only in the worlds of fantasy games and action anime.
"Leo," General Harding said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that suggested a lifetime of shouting orders. He didn't look up from the file until he finished signing a document with a flourish. When he did, his glare, amplified by a harsh desk lamp, was direct and unforgiving.
"Sir, Lieutenant Leo, reporting as ordered," Leo replied, the words clipped and automatic.
"Are you still playing those games all night, Lieutenant? I hear the chatter, Leo. You are a soldier, not a gamer. How many times do I have to say this? Don't play too many games, otherwise, you will start thinking the battlefield is a game."
Leo's jaw tightened a bit. The General had no idea how right he was. The only reason Leo survived real battles was because he treated them like games. He saw threats as enemy mob spawns, objectives as quest markers, and his team as a finely tuned raid party. "Sorry, sir."
Harding slammed the file shut, making the heavy desk jump. "Good. Because this isn't a game. It's a cleanup job, and it's critical. A specialized unit of the Obsidian Syndicate stole the classified power device. We've tracked their activity to a derelict transit hub near the old Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York."
The General leaned forward, his bald head glistening slightly under the harsh light. "You will be assigned the Alpha-3 tactical team. Your mission is recovery only. This thing is highly volatile and unstable. If the Syndicate initiates the self-destruct sequence, we lose the device and half of Manhattan loses power. You are to secure the device and retreat immediately. Do not engage in prolonged combat. This is a very dangerous situation."
"Yes, sir," Leo responded, snapping a sharp salute. He pivoted on his heel, his highly trained body moving with economical speed, and exited the office, the General's angry warnings fading behind him.
Once the heavy door clicked shut, the disciplined mask Leo wore for his superior officers finally dissolved. He scowled, rubbing the back of his neck and muttering under his breath, a mixture of true anger and playful contempt. "What does this old guy know about games or anime? He wouldn't know a critical hit if it came with a massive 'CRIT!' floating text." He sighed, the sound heavy with the weight of expectation. "I never wanted to be a military officer; it was pure pressure from my parents. They wanted a steady career, discipline, 'real life.' Otherwise, I would have wanted to be a streamer, a pro gamer, something that actually matters in my world. Sigh. Let's finish this job and then finally binge the new season of Titan Hunter and play Ghost of Tsushima."
He moved fast, walking toward the armory to meet his team. He was already running through their combat plan, mentally assigning roles, and imagining the perfect sword fight from his favorite anime. The mission was a necessary hurdle, standing between him and the digital fields of honor he truly cared about.
He found his team, Alpha-3, in the back of a utility vehicle preparing their gear.
First was Kat, the tech and support specialist. She was small, quiet, and wore thick glasses, but her focus was absolute. She was the only one who seemed to tolerate Leo's constant gaming talk, often comparing their real-world equipment to game skill trees and ability boosts.
"Loadout check, Kat. You got the thermal scanner and the EMP grenades?" Leo asked, dropping into the seat across from her.
Kat adjusted her glasses, not looking up from her tablet. "Affirmative, Lieutenant. Thermal is fully charged, and the four EMPs are ready. Think of it as disabling the enemy's buffs before we engage. Plus, I brought the 'Heal Potion' supply—three high-grade trauma kits."
Next was Jax, the heavy gunner and demolition expert. Jax was massive, all muscle and skepticism, rarely smiling. He treated everything with intense seriousness.
"Jax," Leo said. "Remember, objective is recovery. We are not clearing the dungeon. Maximum non-lethal application until we have the core."
Jax grunted, tightening the strap on his heavy machine gun, which he lovingly called 'The Raid Boss Deterrent.' "Understood. Suppressive fire, rubber rounds, and plenty of flashbangs. No need to go full Berserker Mode unless they make me."
The last member was Rook, the dedicated scout and close-quarters combat specialist. Rook was sharp, fast, and often kept his helmet visor down.
"Rook, you're on flanking and perimeter patrol," Leo commanded. "Keep a lookout for unexpected ambush points. We move silently. Total stealth run, like an S-Rank mission."
"Got it, Lieutenant. Eyes and ears open. No one gets past the outer wall," Rook confirmed, his voice slightly muffled.
The journey to Brooklyn was long and silent. They traveled in an unmarked military van, the city lights of New York rushing past the tinted windows. Leo found himself staring out, the bright neon signs and towering buildings momentarily distracting him. It felt like passing through the high-level zones of a sprawling, open-world RPG—dangerous, yet full of hidden loot and quests.
As they crossed the bridge into Brooklyn, the environment changed. The clean, brightly lit streets gave way to old warehouses and neglected industrial zones. The transit hub was an enormous, dark skeleton of rusted metal and broken concrete, looming in the pre-dawn gloom.
"Alright, we're approaching the dungeon entrance," Leo muttered, more to himself than the team, though Kat gave a small, knowing cough.
"Intel suggests four guards on the exterior perimeter, maybe a dozen inside, all lightly armored. Syndicate standard grunts," Jax whispered, checking his primary weapon one last time.
Leo nodded, pulling on his own tactical helmet. The world, which had been a mundane, frustrating reality moments ago, suddenly snapped into sharp focus, overlaid with his personalized mental UI.
He saw Jax's status bar: Role: Tank/Crowd Control. Equipment: High Damage Output, High Defense.
He saw Kat's: Role: Support/Tech. Equipment: Utility, Area-of-Effect Debuffs.
He saw Rook's: Role: Rogue/Scout. Equipment: Stealth Boost, Critical Hit Potential.
And himself: Role: Commander/DPS. Equipment: Precision Firearm, Tactical Evasion Skill.
This mental layer was his secret—a cognitive filter that allowed him to process complex, high-stress situations with the cold, statistical logic of a video game. It was the only way he could function effectively when lives were on the line.
"The objective is inside the central control room, deep in the building," Leo reminded them. "We stick to the walls, use shadows, and move fast. No unnecessary engagements. This is a Speed Run challenge."
They pulled the van into the cover of an abandoned shipping container yard about a block from the target area. The silence of the derelict hub was heavy, broken only by the distant hum of city traffic and the occasional metallic clang of loose sheet metal in the wind—sounds that Leo instantly categorized as "ambient noise," not threats.
They exited the vehicle, four shadows merging with the darkness. The air smelled of salt and rust. Leo moved to the head of the formation, his rifle held high. He looked at the massive, decaying structure that held the stolen classified power device. He saw not a real-world threat, but a complex, multi-stage level with a ticking clock.
Objective: Recover the Classified Power Device.
Difficulty: High (Volatile Device).
Time Remaining: Unknown
He took a deep breath, the cold air stinging his lungs. The General told him to stop playing games. But right now, his whole life, his entire training, was just one massive Tutorial Level leading up to this moment. And Leo intended to get the highest score.
"Alpha-3, move out. Engage Stealth Mode," Leo ordered, his voice barely a whisper into the team comms. He kicked off the wall and melted into the shadows of the old building, his mind already calculating the shortest path to the final boss. The game was on.