03:00 AM.
The city didn't wake up to a sunrise; it woke up to a scream.
From the comfort of my leather chair in the Cain mansion, I watched a dozen different monitors. The "Heroic Deeds Display" in the Central Plaza was no longer showing Apollo's gleaming smile. Instead, it was a strobe light of cold, hard terror. The grainy footage of the Association's "Rescue Mission"—the one that had ended my parents and grandfather—looped for millions to see.
[System Notification: Fear harvested from 'Central Plaza Crowd.' Fear Tickets +800... +1,200... +3,500!]
The numbers on my interface weren't just ticking; they were exploding.
"GTAS," I whispered, swirling a glass of expensive amber liquid. "How do you explain the Gacha hits? Even for a system, getting two Black-Gold ranks in ten spins is... impossible."
[System Analysis: User possesses a hidden passive trait: [King of Fortune - Rank EX].] [Effect: Luck is naturally skewed in the User's favor. Negative outcomes are suppressed by 90%. Statistically impossible successes are the User's new baseline.]
A slow, dark grin spread across my face. So, I wasn't just a Mastermind; I was a lucky one. In a world of systems and spreadsheets, I was the outlier. I was the house, and the house always wins.
"Master Michael," Leo's voice came through the intercom, sounding strained. "The Hero Association has issued a Level 5 Information Blackout. They've cut power to the Central Plaza, but it's too late. The 'Unseen' is already the top trending topic on every dark-web forum and encrypted chat in the city."
"Good," I replied. "Let them scramble. Fear is like a virus, Leo. Once it's in the bloodstream, you can't just 'turn off the lights' to stop it."
I stood up and walked to the window. In the distance, I could see the red and blue strobes of Hero patrols darting through the streets like panicked ants.
[System Notification: Fear Tickets Total: 5,200]
"Time to see if my luck holds," I thought. "GTAS, ten more spins. High stakes."
The wheel didn't even slow down; it felt like it was vibrating with the sheer weight of my [King of Fortune] trait.
[Spinning... Results:]
[Black-Gold]: The Eye of Sauron (Passive: Absolute perception. Can see through illusions, stealth, and 'Hero' system cloaking within 1km.)
[Black]: Nanite Injection (Enhancement: Grants rapid healing and the ability to interface with any electronic lock.)
[Black]: The King's Presence (Aura: Forcefully humbles those with lower System Ranks, making them unable to meet your eyes.)
...
The rewards were getting more absurd. With the [Eye of Sauron], no Hero could hide from me, even if they had a Rank 10 Stealth system. I was becoming the ultimate predator.
I grabbed my coat and headed for the garage. It was time to witness the fallout in person—not as a ghost this time, but as Michael Cain.
"Leo, take me to the Association's medical wing," I commanded as I stepped into the car. "I heard a few 'Heroes' were injured in the 'panic' at the Plaza. It would be rude of the Cain Clan not to offer its sympathies."
The medical wing was a flurry of activity. News vans were blocked by barricades, and Rank 5 'Guardian' systems were standing watch at the doors. They were looking for a monster, a terrorist, a hacker.
They weren't looking for a handsome, well-dressed billionaire heir with a sympathetic smile.
As I stepped out of the Rolls Royce, the [King's Presence] aura was dialed down to a subtle hum. The guards, who should have stopped me for questioning, found themselves subconsciously stepping aside. Their bodies moved before their minds could even process why.
"Young Master Cain?" a voice called out.
I turned to see a woman in a sharp white suit. Director Sarah Vance. High-ranking official in the Association's PR department. According to my [Villainous Genius] memories, she was the one who had written the fake report about my parents' deaths.
"Director Vance," I said, my voice smooth and comforting. "What a tragedy. To see our city's symbols of hope defaced like that... it breaks my heart."
I used [Psychology King] to read her. Her pupils were constricted. Her heart rate, which I could now hear thanks to the [Super Soldier Serum], was a frantic 110 BPM. She was terrified.
"It's... a cyber-terrorist attack, Michael," she said, trying to regain her composure. "Nothing more. We will find whoever did this."
"I'm sure you will," I said, stepping closer. I let just a sliver of [The Joker's Laugh] bleed into my aura. The temperature around us seemed to drop five degrees. "But you know what they say about secrets, Sarah. They're like bodies buried in shallow graves. Eventually, the rain always washes the dirt away."
She gasped, stumbling back half a step. Her 'Hero' intuition was screaming at her that something was wrong, but looking at my face, all she saw was a concerned young man.
"I'll leave you to your work," I said, tipping an imaginary hat. "I just wanted to see the chaos for myself. It's... refreshing."
As I walked back to the car, the System chimed again.
[System Notification: Major Fear Harvested from 'Director Sarah Vance.' Fear Tickets +500] [Objective Updated: The first 'Hero' must fall. Target identified: Apollo.]
I sat back in the car and looked at my hand. It was steady. For a thirty-five-year-old otaku, I was adapting to the role of a monster quite well.
"Leo," I said. "Find out where Apollo is sleeping tonight. I think it's time the sun had an eclipse."
Apollo was the pinnacle.
Rank 1. The "Sun of the City." His system, [Solar Sovereign], allowed him to manipulate light and heat, making him virtually invincible during the day and a glowing beacon of hope at night. He lived in a penthouse that was essentially a glass fortress, perched atop the Association's tallest spire.
To the public, he was a god. To my [Villainous Genius] mind, he was a giant, golden target.
"Leo, drop me three blocks away," I said, checking the tactical HUD appearing in my vision thanks to the [Eye of Sauron].
"Master Michael, the security around the Spire is Rank 8 or higher. Even the air is monitored for unauthorized mana signatures," Leo warned, his grip white-knuckled on the wheel.
"They're looking for mana, Leo. They aren't looking for a ghost."
I stepped out of the car, the [Stealth Camouflage Suit] activating the moment I hit the shadows. With [Data Ghost] active, I was invisible to every digital sensor in the city. To the world's high-tech security, I simply didn't exist.
I looked up at the Spire. My [Eye of Sauron] didn't just see the building; it saw the veins of power running through it. I saw the heat signatures of the guards, the laser grids, and the pulsing golden core at the top—Apollo himself.
Shadow Blink.
I vanished from the alleyway and reappeared on a structural beam fifty feet up. Shadow Blink. One hundred feet.
The movement was effortless. Each time I landed, the [Nanite Injection] in my blood adjusted my weight and footfall to be silent. I wasn't climbing; I was haunting the building.
I reached the penthouse balcony. The glass was reinforced with a kinetic barrier that would vaporize a normal intruder. I reached out, my fingers vibrating slightly. Using [Nanite Interface], I sent a silent command into the barrier's sub-routine.
Access Granted.
The barrier parted like water, allowing me to step into the sanctuary of the world's greatest hero.
The penthouse was blindingly white, filled with trophies and medals. Apollo was standing by the window, his back to me. Even in his pajamas, he radiated a faint, golden light. He was looking at the city, likely brooding over the "Unseen" broadcast from earlier.
"You shouldn't have come here," Apollo said, his voice like rolling thunder. He didn't turn around, but his light grew brighter. "I can feel the cold you brought with you. You're the one from the Plaza."
I didn't answer. I just walked forward, the [High-Frequency Vibrating Blade] sliding into my hand.
"I am the Sun," Apollo declared, finally turning. His eyes were solid gold, glowing with enough heat to melt steel. "Nothing stays hidden from me."
He raised a hand, and a spear of pure solar energy formed in the air. "Who are you?"
"I'm the debt you forgot to pay," I said, my voice distorted by the system to sound like a thousand whispers.
Apollo fired. The beam of light incinerated the air where I stood, melting the marble floor instantly. But I wasn't there.
[Shadow Blink] placed me directly behind him. I didn't strike yet. I activated [The Joker's Laugh] and [The King's Presence] at maximum output.
The golden light in the room suddenly flickered. Apollo, the man who had never known fear, felt a cold shiver crawl down his spine. His knees buckled—not from a physical blow, but from the sheer weight of my aura. The [King's Presence] forced his Rank 10 system to recognize me as a superior.
"How... why is my system failing?" Apollo gasped, his glow dimming.
"Because your light only exists because the shadows allow it," I whispered in his ear.
I activated [Mind Breaker].
Apollo screamed. In his mind, the golden city he protected was burning. He saw the faces of every person he had failed to save, every lie the Association had told to keep him on his pedestal. The 'Hero' was being dismantled from the inside out.
His solar aura collapsed. He fell to his hands and knees, the "Sun of the City" reduced to a shivering man in a dark room.
I stood over him, the black blade humming near his throat. I could kill him now. But a dead hero is a martyr. A broken, terrified hero who confesses his sins?
That is a masterpiece.
"Tell the world the truth, Apollo," I said, leaning down. "Tell them about the Cain family. Tell them about the faked rescues. Or I will let the [Mind Breaker] keep you in that nightmare forever."
[System Notification: Rank 1 Hero 'Apollo' has entered a state of 'Extreme Terror'.] [Fear Tickets harvested: +15,000!] [Gacha Achievement Unlocked: The Fall of a God.]
I looked at the notifications popping up. 15,000 tickets. The "King of Fortune" was about to have a very busy night.
I left Apollo shivering on his floor, his mind a shattered wreck. I didn't need to kill him. By tomorrow morning, the world would watch their greatest hero cry on national television, begging for forgiveness.
I walked to the balcony and looked out at the city. The 'Apex' wasn't just coming.
I was already here.