"Welcome to the Order."

Stepping closer, he placed a firm hand on my shoulder.

The intensity in his eyes was still visible, even behind the aviator glasses he stubbornly refused to remove indoors.

I had the weirdest feeling—like if he ever took them off, some overpowered ability would activate. Maybe red laser beams shooting out.

"Here, we're like family. No need to bow your head too low. Just show some respect, that's enough."

"Thank you, Master Tang." My voice came out more casual, on purpose. equal wisdom.

"No need to thank me. You're part of the Order now, but we don't control you. We'll offer missions—it's up to you whether to take them. Still…" He gave a sly smile. "The rewards might be too tempting to resist."

Listening to him, I realized this "Order" wasn't just about honor or ideals. It was mercenaries in tailored robes pretending otherwise.

Freedom, danger, and money—all wrapped up under one word: "Family."

Still, it's better than getting pushed around by the other factions. If I have to act friendly and fake some smiles, then so be it.

"I'm sure you'll accomplish great things here," Tang remarked, and for a second, I couldn't tell if it was encouragement or a test.

"Oh, I'm sure I will." My lips twitched into a grin, but I forced it back—didn't want to give away my real plan.

Little did he know, I was the worst ally he could've chosen. People with mind control abilities always end up corrupting those around them—and I'm no exception. If anything, I'm the benchmark for how fast things can spiral into depravity.

My record? Under ten seconds. Nine of them were me wondering how I could handle so many p*ssy with such an ability.

"You mentioned missions and rewards—does that mean the Order uses some kind of ranking system too? And how do I even get these missions?"

With a flick of his hand, he pulled a phone from his pocket and showed me a screen displaying a QR code.

"Just download this app,"

"That's it? Isn't that a little… unsecure?"

I mean, the last thing I expected from a secret organization was for them to just use an app. Where's the "secret" part in that?

He probably noticed my look, because suddenly he was in full defensive mode—like a door-to-door sales man cornered by a skeptic.

"Don't worry." His calm smile didn't waver as he explained, "This app was built with top-tier encryption by one of our allied tech companies—Linox."

"Even if someone managed to steal it, they will hit a wall of security layers:, fingerprint scan, password, and a backup PIN. No one's getting in."

Sounds good on paper, but there were plenty of ways an app like this could go wrong.

"And if I get kidnapped and someone holds a gun to my head—what then? Just swipe my face?"

"Ha! Ha! Ha! You've got quite the sense of humor," he remarked, eyes glinting behind the aviators.

"But don't worry, we've already thought of that. The app can detect micro-vibrations from your fingers—if you're nervous or under stress, it automatically sends a distress signal to our main servers. "

I was still skeptical, but hey—anyone who's lasted this long has to be doing something right.

"Fine. I'll install it—just not on my main phone."

"Already covered that." From under the table, he produced a palm-sized box.

Inside sat a sealed phone. No charger, obviously. Whoever built this must've wanted to see me suffer. Master Tang had to lend his.

I set everything up first, then finally downloaded the app

Once it was ready, I hesitated for a moment, thumb hovering over the unassuming icon that looked like a regular game, before tapping it.

click!

A familiar logo appeared on the screen. (A snake biting its own tail. )

"What's next?" I turned to him for guidance.

"Just treat it like any other app. The UI's pretty straightforward."

"I know that," I sighed. "I was asking if you had an invite code… you know, to earn points."

"Points?" He frowned. "Why would I…?" He shook his head, completely missing the joke.

Once it verified me, I was officially linked to the application and ready to explore its features.

Inside, a simple gray interface greeted me. The mission board was mostly filled with general information. Nothing specific to prevent leaks.

(Material Gathering)

(Guard duty)

(Rescue mission,)

(Assassination.)

And so on.

Next, I explored the digital marketplace. It was packed with everything—items, information, and even custom jobs, each one waiting for someone bold enough to take it on.

The more I checked it, the more I felt it borrowed way too much from RPG-style games. But then again, this world was strange by normal standards, so I supposed coincidences like that were bound to happen.

"Oh…" I trailed off as I checked my account. It showed my alias, MF, a name inspired by my own experiences.

Just below that was my balance—zero—and my rank, Novice. A progress bar sat underneath, waiting to fill up as I completed missions.

"What do you think of our setup?" he questioned, noticing how focused I was on the screen.

"It's solid," I tapped another icon. "Portable, and it reduces the need for a physical base. But we have one, right?"

"We do, but you'll need to rise in rank first if you want access."

"I see. No wonder you're so confident I'll take missions, even if I already have the money."

Instead of answering, he just sat there, probably enjoying the sound of my thoughts tumbling around.

"Is Alexa there?"

He brushed his beard again . "She's there, yes. But if you want to pursue her, you'll need to be stronger than you are now. After all, one of our most talented and powerful members has been courting her for years."

"Why did you assume that I'm after her?"

"Kid, I've lived far too long. I know a womanizer when I see one. And she even told me how you started flirting with her in the middle of a fight. I don't know whether to call you a genius or an idiot. Either way, she vouched for your strength."

"She said that?" I scratched my head, pretending to be caught off guard.

Damn it—who would've thought that acting like a degenerate could actually make negative rumors spread?

Now I was starting to think about changing my alias from MF to just AC, since I'm usually cool headed… and not horny most of the time.

"Don't worry, kid. Even though I call her my granddaughter, we're not actually related by blood," he flashed me a grin. "So relax—I'm not gonna kill you for what you did."

His words were like music to my ears for many reasons.

"Master Tang," I muttered lowly, trying to sound more respectful, "can you tell me more about Alexa? Like… what she likes and dislikes?"

"But didn't you just say you're not into her like that?" he touched his chin, his tone half teasing, half suspicious. "Then why are you so eager to know more about her?"

"Would you believe it if I said I just wanted to be her friend?

He shook his head too fast, I wondered if his neck was fine.

"Kid, I'm old, but I'm not senile. Yet."

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