Leon Daniel Vas woke up before sunrise. The Los Angeles sky was still dark, with only a faint orange glow hinting at the coming day. His new home—quiet, secure, and freshly cleaned—felt like a fresh start.
He didn't waste time.
The moment the system's gentle tone echoed in his ear, he was already at his computer. This wasn't gaming. This was work.
SYSTEM: U.S. Region Integration — 67% Complete
Digital Footprint Protection: ACTIVE
Tactica Player Growth: +13.6% Daily
Estimated Time to Afford Athena Project: 3 Days (±1)
Leon opened the early draft of the Athena Protocol. Right now, it was just a concept—a framework for an advanced learning software that could adjust itself to how different people think and learn. But once completed, it would be a game changer.
Most learning apps just gave quizzes and adjusted the difficulty. Athena would go further. It would learn from the student, figure out what teaching style worked best, and adjust in real-time.
Instead of teaching facts, it would teach people how to learn.
That difference was everything.
He minimized the draft and opened a protected development window. There, he started building Athena's foundation.
SYSTEM: Computer Power Too Low for Full Build
Suggested Upgrade: Quantum Emulator Node
Cost: 130,000 SP
Leon frowned slightly. He didn't need that upgrade just yet—it could wait until the project scaled.
For now, he focused on testing Athena's idea using fake student profiles from all over the world: teenagers in India, dropout students from Ghana, struggling high schoolers from America, rural learners from China.
The results were shocking.
Where other systems hit limits, Athena kept getting better. It didn't just respond to students—it predicted what they needed.
SYSTEM: Early Test Results
Memory Improvement: +39.2%
Critical Thinking Skills: +24.5%
Long-Term Learning Retention: +31.8%
It wasn't magic.
It was just better tech.
Leon leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind his head.
This wasn't just a good app. It could reshape the entire education system without anyone realizing what had happened. No votes, no debates—just real results that people would adopt because they worked.
Next, Leon needed to give the project a public face. He created a fake nonprofit organization: The Athena Learning Initiative. A small, simple NGO "focused on closing education gaps through smarter learning tools."
SYSTEM: Fake Company Created — Athena Learning Initiative
Type: Nonprofit, Los Angeles
Status: Website and Downloads Pending
Finally, he had to release it—but not in a way that drew attention.
Instead of emailing officials or using family contacts, Leon used a more subtle method. He posted anonymous links in hidden online forums for teachers and tech users. He uploaded the files to piracy websites, making it look like someone had leaked the software illegally.
Buried in the code was a single message:
"No strings. Just students. Use it if it works."
There was no way to trace it back to him. It looked like a strange passion project from an unknown genius.
And that was perfect.
The people who needed Athena would find it. The results would speak for themselves.
No big launch.
No media spotlight.
Just a quiet ripple that would soon turn into a wave.