Upgrade
Zephany—or rather, Eclipse—placed the small black case on the counter and flipped it open. The diamond's glint was undeniable, even under the dim light.
The shopkeeper barely glanced at it before picking it up with gloved hands, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he turned to a machine behind the counter, pressed a few keys on a compact keyboard, and carefully placed the diamond inside a secure chamber.
Reaching under the counter, he pulled out a sleek black device, roughly the size of a tablet. The screen flickered to life, displaying a faintly glowing handprint.
Eclipse knew the drill. She pulled off her gloves, feeling the cool air against her skin, then took the device and positioned her right hand over the imprint. As soon as her palm made contact, the screen shifted, and a virtual interface appeared, hovering in midair.
Her eyes scanned the data.
---
Code Name: Eclipse (Level 5)
Total Null Points: 49,550
Alliance: Partnered with Obscura – Team Bacon
Mission Accepted: Null12kd
Mission: Retrieve the diamond—a national treasure stolen by the fourth-ranked criminal gang in the underworld. Replace it with a counterfeit and eliminate their leader without causing a disturbance.
Level 5: Extreme-Risk Mission
Mission Type: Secret Operation
Point Rewards: 1,000 Points
Monetary Reward: $5 million
---
She glanced up as the shopkeeper finished typing. The machine let out a low beep, and the screen before her flickered.
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Mission Null12kd Completed
Team Bacon Succeeded
A total of 1,000 points and $5 million have been successfully transferred to the respective accounts.
---
Eclipse wasted no time. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and swiftly navigated to a hidden menu. A black ace inside an open book appeared on her screen—the icon for The Archive.
She tapped it, entered her credentials, and waited.
A notification popped up immediately:
"Congratulations on successfully completing Mission Null12kd. You have received 500 points and $2.5 million. The other half of the reward has been allocated to your ally, Obscura."
Eclipse exhaled, closing the prompt before checking her profile.
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Code Name: Eclipse (Level 5)
Total Null Points: 50,050
Alliance: Partnered with Obscura – Team Bacon
Status: No current mission
Level Upgrade: You have accumulated 50,000 points. You are now eligible for Level 6.
Beneath the message, two buttons flickered:
[YES] [NO]
Eclipse's hands trembled. This was it. Seven years of relentless work as a Null—one of The Archive's covert operatives. She had fought, stolen, deceived, and infiltrated, all for this moment.
Reaching Level 6 meant she would finally have access to classified information—the kind that could rewrite everything she thought she knew.
Her heart pounded.
She hovered her finger over the screen, then pressed YES.
A new message appeared:
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"Congratulations! You are now Level 6. You have unlocked access to: Higher-Level Information (Hidden Connections, Secret Events, Secret Histories, Important Individuals)."
---
Eclipse stared at the words.
Excitement? Fear? Relief?
She wasn't sure.
Twelve years. That's how long she had been chasing the truth. And now, after all the sacrifices, she finally had the key.
She inhaled sharply, willing her hands to stop shaking.
Calm down.
Taking a deep breath, she forced her emotions back under control. Now wasn't the time to get overwhelmed.
Closing the app, she slid her phone back into her pocket.
The shopkeeper, who had been silently watching, gave a small nod. Without a word, he led her back through the elevator to the main floor.
Eclipse stepped through the antique store, moving toward the back exit. Reaching a plain section of the wall, she pressed a hidden panel. A soft click echoed through the quiet space, and a concealed stairway appeared, leading underground.
She descended swiftly.
The room below was stocked with an assortment of disguises—wigs, outfits, and accessories meticulously arranged. Along one wall, shelves held various vials and bottles. She recognized them instantly.
The hallucination spray she had used earlier.
And the pills—two kinds. One could destroy a person's mind, reducing them to the mental state of a six-year-old. The other induced instant death, mimicking a natural heart attack with no traces left behind.
Her gaze lingered on the pill bottles.
Earlier that day, she had used the first pill on the man everyone feared—the leader of the fourth most powerful criminal gang in the underworld.
She had expected a fierce battle, a high-stakes fight. Instead, it ended in an instant. Just one tiny pill, and his mind had shattered.
Disappointing.
She let out a sigh, picturing him now—likely sitting in a dark room somewhere, babbling nonsense like a lost child.
A man who had once stolen government treasures, mocked law enforcement, and ruled with an iron fist… now reduced to nothing.
And yet, no one could take credit for it. Not The Archive, not the government, not even the criminal world.
It had to be this way. The balance had to be maintained. If people knew who had taken him down, chaos would follow.
She shook her head, tearing her gaze away from the pills.
These things were terrifying.
No wonder they were tightly controlled—only issued by the shopkeeper when missions required them.
Eclipse exhaled and began removing her disguise. She shed the dark clothing, tucking it away, then changed back into her usual outfit.
Further inside, she pressed another hidden panel. The ground beneath her shifted, rising slowly.
Moments later, she stepped onto the main floor again.
Before her stood another door. She pushed it open, and the scent of spices and sizzling food greeted her.
A kitchen.
Three men were busy cooking, barely sparing her a glance before returning to their work.
She walked straight through, stepping into the dining area of a small restaurant. Servers moved between tables, customers chatted over meals, and the air was thick with warmth and conversation.
A normal, bustling eatery—completely unremarkable.
And yet, it sat right beside Air Media, the very company where she worked as Zephany, a celebrity journalist.
She had eaten here countless times. Her coworkers dined here regularly, oblivious to the hidden world beneath their feet.
Zephany stepped out onto the street.
The glow of the city lights reflected off her fiery red hair, freshly dyed just days ago. It stood out against the darkness—bold and unmistakable.
She had one destination in mind.
Home.
She couldn't wait to open her laptop and finally, finally uncover the truth.
Twelve years.
That's how long she had waited for this moment—to finally learn what had really happened back then.