Getting A System In A Modern World

"Daniel, you're insane," Elizabeth whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of disgust and disbelief.

"Insane? Maybe," Daniel replied, his smile growing more wicked. "But it doesn't matter. Silas ruined my family. He took everything from me. Now, I'll return the favor."

Elizabeth's hands clenched into fists at her sides. Part of her wanted to punch some sense into Daniel, to knock him out before he did something irreversible. But she knew it wouldn't matter. He was beyond reasoning now.

"Bastard! From what I heard, your father started it first. Why do you make it sound like you are the victim here? You think this will make you stronger? You think this will bring you peace?" she asked, her voice growing cold again, though now it was laced with a dangerous edge. "Going after someone's family—innocents—it won't make you a hero.

It won't even make you victorious. You'll be a villain, and you'll lose everything."

Daniel sneered. "I don't care what you or anyone else thinks. This isn't about being right or wrong. It's not about who's the victim. It's also not about being a hero, Elizabeth. It's about revenge, pure and simple.

It's about making sure Silas feels the same pain I did."

He turned away from her, throwing his bag over his shoulder as he continued boarding the aircraft. Elizabeth stood there, frozen for a moment, trying to decide whether to stop him or let him walk to his doom.

"Elizabeth," a familiar voice called from behind her. It was David. His expression was grim, his eyes dark with understanding. "You know how this ends. Daniel won't listen to anyone. Not even you."

She sighed, finally tearing her gaze away from Daniel's retreating back. "I know," she muttered. "But I'm not sure I can just stand by and watch this happen. He's not just going to get himself killed—he's going to drag us all down with him."

David walked up beside her, his hands resting casually on his hips. "I'm not saying we stand by. We go with him. But we don't let him go too far."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "You think we can stop him?"

David shrugged. "We won't know until we try. But we can't let him face Silas alone. If we're there, maybe we can manage the damage."

Elizabeth rubbed her temple, frustration building inside her. "This was supposed to be a simple mission, but now it's become personal. Daniel's blinded by his hatred, and he's about to set off a chain of events that none of us can control."

David nodded, his expression thoughtful. "We can't stop him from going after Silas, but we can make sure he doesn't destroy innocent lives along the way. I'm not doing this for him—I'm doing it for the people who might get caught in the crossfire."

Elizabeth glanced at the aircraft, watching as the other Phenomenals climbed aboard. She nodded slowly. "Fine. But if he tries anything against Silas's family, I'm stopping him. I don't care if he hates me for it."

David smiled slightly, a rare flicker of approval in his eyes. "Glad to hear it. We'll need all the help we can get."

Elizabeth boarded the plane behind him, her mind racing with possibilities. She knew that when they arrived in San Francisco, things were going to get messy. Daniel had already made up his mind. There was no turning back for him.

And the worst part? She feared Silas wasn't going to be as lenient this time around.

****

Back in his office, Silas had just finished another round of interviews with the beta testers. Each candidate seemed more eager than the last to be part of Terraris Online. But his mind was already drifting to other matters. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Luna, how's everything looking for the launch of the expanded beta test?" he asked.

{All preparations are on track, master. The server capacity has been increased to accommodate the additional testers, and the in-game economy has been fine-tuned based on feedback from the initial beta testing phase. Additionally, the marketing team has already begun coordinating with our new streaming partner, Tritch, to start promoting the next phase. Everything is proceeding smoothly.}

"Good," Silas replied. "We need this to be flawless. The eyes of the world are on us now, and I don't want a single hiccup."

{Understood.} Luna paused for a moment before continuing. {However, master, I've detected some unusual activity. It seems the Bureau is mobilizing some of their top Phenomenals and heading toward San Francisco.}

Silas's eyes narrowed. "The Bureau? What are they up to now?"

{It's unclear at the moment, but I've intercepted several communications between high-ranking officials. They're talking Daniel.}

Silas's expression darkened. The name was all too familiar.

"Is it the same Daniel that we know?" He asked feeling exasperated.

{Correct. He's heading towards San Francisco aboard a plane with a team of other Phenomenals. Elizabeth and David are also aboard.}

A low growl rumbled in Silas's throat. Daniel. Of course. The arrogant bastard who had tormented him during his early years. And now he wanted to come after him again? Silas couldn't help but smile at the irony.

"Well, well," Silas muttered to himself. "It looks like old grudges die hard. Let him come. Since he doesn't want to give up, then I will do my best to entertain him."

{Do you want me to take any preventive measures?}

Silas considered it for a moment. Daniel was a fool, and if he thought he could come here and get revenge, he was in for a rude awakening. But then again, Daniel was a pawn, not the real threat.

No, Silas had to think bigger. If the Bureau was involved, there was more at play here than just one man's personal vendetta.

"Yes," Silas said finally. "No matter what happens, make sure that no harm comes to my family. Let Daniel and his circus come. I want to see what they're planning. And if they're foolish enough to try something, they'll learn the hard way that I'm not the same person I was back then. This time I won't be mercifu."

{Very well. I'll make more arrangements for your family and continue monitoring their movements and notify you of any significant developments.}

"Good. Keep me posted, Luna."

As the day wore on, Silas's mind continued to churn. He knew that the Bureau was planning something. And Daniel… well, he was walking into a trap of his own making.

But Silas wasn't concerned. He had come too far to be taken down by the likes of them. He wasn't going to back down for anybody or let anyone stand in his way.

And he means no one, not even the Bureau, was going to stand in his way.