Chapter 2: Into the Simulation
[Night – Adam's Bethesda House – Day 01]
The moon was a silver coin in the sky, casting long, stark shadows through the blinds of Adam's bedroom. The clutter on his desk—the cold coffee mugs, the discarded snack wrappers—was a testament to the long, sleepless hours he'd spent since his transmigration. He had to get back into the simulation. He had to find out what the Cabal was planning.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, ignoring the discomfort. He mentally selected Resumed Simulation 001.
[SYSTEM: GREEN SIMULATION LOADING… 99.99%… 100%.] [TALENT: OBSERVATION (GREEN).] [SIMULATION INITIATED: USER ACTION—INVESTIGATE REDDINGTON CONTINGENCY.]
Your hand instinctively went to the glock at your belt, the steel cold and solid against your skin. A strange calm settled over you, a familiar numbness that came with the territory. This was not the real world; this was a game, and you were the player. You took a deep breath, the scent of cigar smoke filling your lungs, and let yourself fall into the simulation, the world around you dissolving into a swirl of blue light and ghostly whispers.
"Observation, huh? Let's find what's real," he muttered to the empty room, a small, grim smile on his face. He was ready. Ready to die, ready to fail, ready to try again.
The world wavered, the mundane reality of his bedroom dissolving into a haze of digital static. The air grew thick with the smell of old cigar smoke and expensive, polished mahogany. He was in a dimly lit room, the walls lined with rich wood paneling, a large, ornate rug covering the floor. The sound of muffled chatter came from a nearby room.
He was a ghost again, a silent observer in a world of secrets. This time, the System had put him in a much more advantageous position. He was in a safehouse, a hub of Cabal activity, and he was posing as a low-level tech assistant. No one noticed him. He was a piece of the furniture.
His eyes scanned the room, his focus sharpened by the Observation Skill he had just acquired. He had a task: find the "Reddington contingency" they had spoken of. He wasn't looking for a plan or a bomb. He was looking for something specific. Something they wouldn't expect him to find.
He saw it on a small, marble-topped table in the corner. A small, black leather ledger. It was covered in strange, flowing symbols and cryptic letters. It was a code.
He mentally moved his Observation Skill to his active slot. "System, lock that ledger. Red's ticket's here," he whispered, his voice a low rumble in the silent room.
[SYSTEM: Observation Skill active. Host must now use mental command to engage.]
He focused on the ledger, mentally engaging the skill.
[SYSTEM: Observation Skill applied. Target: Coded Ledger. Initiating data extraction.]
He felt the familiar thrum as his mind absorbed the information, the code, the very essence of the ledger. He mentally willed it into his vault.
[SYSTEM: Vault Storage: Coded Ledger (0.1 kg). Capacity: 499.82 kg.]
The ledger vanished from the table. Just like the pin, no one reacted. He was a phantom, and it was a ghost ledger.
A sudden, sharp movement caught his eye. A guard, a massive, block-headed man with a scar running down his cheek, was looking directly at his corner. The guard's gaze narrowed. Adam's heart hammered against his ribs. He ducked into the shadows, a trickle of cold sweat beading on his forehead. The cigar smoke stung his eyes, a very real, very unpleasant sensation.
He saw me. This isn't just a simple observation. I have a physical presence, even in here.
He heard the operatives in the next room. "Reddington's heist frame's set. Cabal's untouchable," one said. "He won't even know we hit him."
Adam's mind raced. They weren't just plotting. They were executing. They were framing Reddington for a heist. That's what the ledger was for. Financial sabotage.
"Ledger's mine. Red's too slick," he muttered, a sarcastic grin spreading across his face despite the tension.
[SYSTEM: Warning: Mental Fatigue at 50%. Rest advised.]
The room began to fade, the rich mahogany and cigar smoke replaced by the familiar clutter of his bedroom. He was back. The ledger was in his inventory. He had to figure out how to crack the code.
[Morning – D.C. Café – Day 02]
The Investigation Schematic was in full swing. He had the clue—the ledger. Now he needed a way to use it. The D.C. café was the perfect setting. The air was thick with the scent of espresso and warm pastries. The jazz music, a smooth, languid melody, provided a sharp contrast to the high-stakes game he was playing.
Lucky was already there, her leather jacket slung over a chair, a half-empty mug of coffee in front of her. Her eyes, mischievous and sharp, glinted in the sunlight.
"Ledgers? Nerdy Bond, Adam," she said, her voice teasing. "You're in deep, aren't you?"
He slid into the booth across from her, a weary sigh escaping his lips. "Just scratching the surface," he said, pushing a coffee-stained napkin across the table. "Got any bar leads? People who know things?"
He mentally moved his Persuasion Skill to his active slot. He needed to gain her trust.
[SYSTEM: Persuasion Skill moved to active slot. Host must now use mental command to engage.]
He mentally engaged the skill.
[SYSTEM: Persuasion Skill Engaged: Target (Lucky Brook) Trust Metrics Updated.]
He'd gained her trust. She was in.
"I know a few," she said, her grin daring. "What's the ledger for?"
"Heist. Cabal's trying to hit a bank, frame Red," he said, his voice low.
She leaned in, her eyes wide. "Cabal? The secret society?"
He just nodded. The Investigation Schematic was working. He'd given her a piece of the puzzle, and her own curiosity and connections were a part of the solution.
He mentally moved his Observation Skill to his active slot again. He needed to get another clue. He focused on her coffee-stained napkin, and mentally willed it into his vault.
[SYSTEM: Observation Skill active. Host must now engage.]
[SYSTEM: Vault Storage: Napkin (0.01 kg). Capacity: 499.81 kg.]
The napkin vanished from the table. She didn't notice. He winced, a phantom headache brewing. The System was a tool, but it came with a price.
"I'll dig," she said, a new seriousness in her voice. "Keep spilling. I'll see what I can find."
He had given her a mission, and she'd taken it without question. She was a natural.
[Afternoon – Bethesda Library – Day 02]
The library was a quiet, hallowed space, the scent of old paper and ink a soothing balm after the frantic tension of the café. Liz Keen was at a table in a quiet corner, surrounded by stacks of files, her husky napping at her feet.
Adam approached cautiously. He couldn't be too obvious. She was a professional. She would see right through his act. He had to use the System's skills.
He mentally moved his Persuasion Skill to his active slot again.
[SYSTEM: Persuasion Skill active. Host must now engage.]
He slid into a chair across from her, a friendly, non-threatening smile on his face. "Liz," he said. "Got a minute?"
She looked up, her gaze instantly skeptical. "Coded threats? You're no librarian, Adam."
He mentally engaged the skill.
[SYSTEM: Persuasion Skill Engaged: Target (Liz Keen) Cooperation Probability: 70%.]
"Open ears," he said, leaning in. "I heard about a coded ledger, tied to a financial heist. Cabal's in on it. They're setting someone up."
Her eyes narrowed. She had a pen in her hand, a simple, black FBI-issued one.
He mentally moved his Observation Skill to his active slot again. He needed to get a clue.
[SYSTEM: Observation Skill active. Host must now engage.]
He mentally engaged the skill, his gaze landing on a man in a corner booth, hunched over a laptop, his eyes darting around the room. He had to be a Cabal operative.
[SYSTEM: Observation Skill Engaged: Target (Suspicious Man) analyzed.]
He mentally willed Liz's pen into his vault.
[SYSTEM: Vault Storage: Pen (0.03 kg). Capacity: 499.78 kg.]
The pen vanished from her hand. She didn't notice. The strain on his mind was almost overwhelming now. His vision blurred at the edges, and the familiar blue System screen flickered.
"Watch yourself, Liz. That guy's shady. I'll keep an eye on things."
She glanced at him, then at the man he'd pointed out. The flicker of suspicion was there, but it was overshadowed by curiosity.
"I'll check," she said, her voice low. "Watch yourself. You're playing with fire."
Adam's hints are too sharp. He's no bystander, but I need his intel.
He had planted the seed. The Investigation Blueprint had worked perfectly. He had found the clue, a coded ledger, and he had set his allies, Lucky and Liz, on the trail. The ledger was now in his inventory, a tangible link to the Cabal's plans. He had to figure out what it meant.