CHAPTER 34: PRS 34

That night, Isabella Clark was working hard in her quiet office. A small desk lamp cast a soft light on her face, focused on the computer screen. In front of her, rows of codes and complex security systems lined up, waiting to be cracked.

Besides the Rose Evil organization, it turned out there was another powerful entity behind this major case involving the Xander family. Isabella tilted her head, her lips murmuring softly.

"Who exactly is this Xander family...? Why do they seem so tightly protected? What big secret are they hiding? This doesn’t make sense, even for an international organization."

The deeper she delved, the more secrets she uncovered—layered, dark secrets. It made her blood boil. She felt challenged, as if she were facing a great, unseen enemy.

The security here was five times higher than that of the Rose Evil mafia. There were numerous hidden traps that could permanently trap anyone within the network.

"One wrong move and it’s over. There’s no room for error. They even installed a triple firewall with multiple layers of encryption. Who built a system this powerful?" she hissed.

Because of this, Isabella worked with extreme care. Her fingers danced across the keyboard, filled with precision and concentration. Every keystroke had meaning, every command could determine success or failure.

Time passed imperceptibly. Outside, the sky had darkened completely. But inside the room, Isabella was still engaged in a silent cyber battle.

Sure enough, the enemy had apparently noticed her intrusion. A battle between hackers ensued. Codes attacked, firewalls changed shape, and data collided.

But Isabella was no ordinary hacker. Since gaining the Phoenix System’s abilities, she had developed incredibly quickly. Although this was only her third attempt, the system’s capabilities were no joke. Her opponent was clearly overwhelmed by her attacks.

"Come on... just a little longer. Don’t let them detect my location. I’m too deep into their system to retreat now," she whispered softly as she typed quickly.

A few minutes later, a series of notifications appeared on the screen. All the important data she needed had been secured. Without hesitation, Isabella launched her own destructive virus. In an instant, the enemy’s defense system was completely paralyzed.

"Game over," she said with a satisfied smile. "You’re nothing compared to the Phoenix System’s capabilities. It’s too easy for an organization of your stature."

All the enemy servers were in disarray. Their data was completely wiped, and it would take at least three days to recover. Long enough to send the underground world into a panic—and enough time for Isabella to move undetected.

"It’s finally over," she muttered, straightening up and stretching her arms. "I never imagined the Phoenix System’s capabilities would be this powerful. Truly incredible. Even professional hackers with decades of experience probably couldn’t do what I just did."

Suddenly—

[DING!!!]

The distinctive notification sound echoed through the room, making Isabella nearly fall backward. Thankfully, her reflexes were quick; she immediately stood up and grabbed her chair.

"Phoenix System!" she exclaimed, her eyes gleaming. "You’re back! Finally! I’ve been waiting for you since the last upgrade! It feels like ages since I last heard your voice!"

[Good evening, Host. The Phoenix System has been reactivated after the upgrade process was successfully completed. The system has undergone significant improvements in various aspects. Would you like to check in today?]

"Of course I do!" Isabella replied quickly and enthusiastically. "I’d like to see what’s new in the system after yesterday’s upgrade. There must have been a lot of changes, right? I’m really curious about the new features!"

[Congratulations! Host has earned 25 points from daily check-ins. Points have been added to the system. Please check the status panel to see the complete system changes.]

The screen displays her new status panel:

Status Panel

Name: Isabella Clark

Age: 22

Beauty: 100/100

Intelligence: 100/100

Strength: 100/100

Health: 100/100

Charm: 100/100

Mentality: 100/100

Speed: 0/100

Dexterity: 0/100

Intuition: 0/100

Special Abilities:

– Black belt-level martial arts skills

– Advanced hacker skills

– Advanced lobbying skills

Assets:

– Building worth 131 billion Rupiah

– 9,000 hectares of land (3 locations)

– Entertainment company MIO Entertainment

– 10% stake in MGS Group

– A set of luxury jewelry worth 3 billion

Item box: Points: 0

Wealth: 15.13 trillion

Market: 2 items (sold)

Isabella smiled faintly as she carefully examined the panel. "Amazing. But... there are two new things here—the Item Box and the Market? Are these new features that appeared after the upgrade? I’ve never seen these features before."

[Yes, Host. These two features are the result of the completed system upgrade. These features are specifically designed to help the Host complete missions more efficiently.]

[The Item Box is a reward box that appears every time the Host completes a mission of a certain difficulty. It can contain potions to temporarily boost abilities, high-quality weapons, or other rare and valuable items. This box also functions as a storage space with unlimited capacity, so the Host can store anything without worrying about running out of space.]

[The Market, meanwhile, is where the Host can buy or sell items using the points they have accumulated. The Market offers a variety of goods, from simple items like food and clothing to highly valuable rare items like special weapons, luxury vehicles, and even real estate. The price of each item is determined by its rarity and usefulness.]

"Very interesting," Isabella said, staring at the screen with interest. "Then... can I sell items in the real world too? I mean, the items I have here? And then get points to buy other items I need more?"

[Of course, Host. The system can convert any item into points according to its value and rarity. The rarer and more valuable an item is, the more points you’ll earn. Would you like to try this feature now? The system is ready to process transactions at any time.]

"Of course," Isabella replied quickly, reaching for the rose vase on her desk. "Try selling this. I want to see how it works. I’m curious about the conversion process."

As soon as she said that, the vase glowed a beautiful blue light and vanished as if swallowed by another dimension. A few seconds later, the Market screen displayed her new item with full details.

"Only five points? Seriously? This is an antique vase I bought for millions of rupiah! I thought I’d get at least 50 points," she said disappointedly, crossing her arms across her chest.

[Yes, Host. Ordinary items are worth little in the points system, even though they’re expensive in the real world. The rarer the item and the harder it is to obtain, the higher the price the Phoenix System will offer. Real-world value doesn’t always equate to system value. The system values based on universal rarity, not market price.]

"Then... how about this?" He took off a brand-name watch worth over fifteen million and sold it to the system with high hopes. "It’s a limited edition. There are only one hundred pieces in the entire world. It should be worth more, right?"

[Transaction successfully processed. Host gains an additional 30 points. Brand-name items with collector’s value and high rarity are indeed worth more in the system. Host’s total points are now 60.]

"At least this makes more sense," he muttered, nodding in satisfaction. "It’s a total of 60 points now, huh? Not bad. I can upgrade some abilities with these points."

[The Status Panel has been updated automatically. Host’s current points: 60. Host can use these points to upgrade abilities or purchase items in the Market.]

Points: 60

Speed: 0

Dexterity: 0

Intuition: 0

Isabella stared at the screen with a steady and determined gaze. "Phoenix System, upgrade my three basic abilities—speed, agility, intuition. 20 points each. I need these abilities to move more efficiently. I feel they are crucial for future missions."

[Command received and being processed. Upgrade in progress... Please prepare to experience the sensation of changes in your body. This process may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but it will soon improve.]

She closed her eyes briefly. Her body felt as light as a feather, her mind sharper than ever, and her senses seemed to be able to read every subtle change around her with pinpoint accuracy.

[Upgrade completed successfully. All abilities have been upgraded as requested by the Host. Host now has 20% greater speed, agility, and intuition than a normal human.]

Speed: 20/100

Agility: 20/100

Intuition: 20/100

Isabella smiled with satisfaction as she moved her hands. "This is... amazing. I feel like a superhuman now. The sensation is completely different from before. I feel lighter, faster, and more aware of my surroundings. Amazing!"

[The Host is indeed special and possesses extraordinary potential. With its ever-expanding abilities, the Host will become stronger over time. The system will continue to support the Host’s development.]

"Stop teasing," he said with a chuckle. "Now, let’s get back to work. I have to organize all the data before handing it over to Alesio. He must have been waiting for my results for a while. I don’t want to keep him waiting too long."

He reopened the hacked files. One by one, he carefully sorted them, clearly labeled them, and then neatly arranged them for Alesio Xander—his colleague responsible for analyzing the compromised data—to easily understand.

"Phoenix, send the final results via automated email. Add high-level encryption as usual. Make sure no one can track or open this file except Alesio. The security of this data is paramount, so use your best encryption system."

[Command received and is being executed. The email has been encrypted with the highest level of security using quantum encryption algorithms. The delivery was successful. Alesio Xander will receive the email in 3 seconds. No third party can access or track this email.]

Done. Isabella took a deep breath and took a sip of the cold coffee on the table. "Finally, I can take a shower and get some sleep before campus orientation begins. Tomorrow will definitely be very tiring. I have to prepare myself well."

She got up from the chair and headed to the bathroom. Meanwhile, elsewhere, Alesio Xander received an incoming message on his laptop.

He opened the email from Isabella and then stared at the file. A few minutes later, his eyes widened, his jaw clenched.

"Impossible... This can’t be true. There must be a mistake," he whispered softly. His fists clenched, his teeth chattering with emotion. "So my own grandfather... was involved in an event of this magnitude? I didn’t know anything all this time? How could I not have noticed?"

The laptop screen displayed names that shouldn’t have been on the file—including several high-ranking officials at TTM Corporation, a major mining company that seemed to be the hidden mastermind behind all the chaos.

Alesio stared intently at the screen. "If this is true, then everything we’ve known so far is just the surface. There’s a vast conspiracy going on behind all of this. A conspiracy that involves those closest to me." He stood, staring at the photo of his grandfather on the wall. "And Isabella... that girl has just opened the gates to a great storm. A storm that will destroy everything we’ve believed in."