The next morning, Manila woke up to rumors.
"Tondo safehouse hit. Whole gang wiped out."
"Drugs gone. Money gone. No bodies recovered."
"Police say they weren't involved. So who was it?"
In the chaos of Manila gossip, the story spread fast. Some said it was a rival gang, others swore it was a vigilante group. No one had seen the attackers clearly — they moved too quickly, too efficiently.
Miguel listened from his office desk, head bent over paperwork, pretending to be just another government clerk. Inside, though, he felt the weight of his secret.
The world had seen his soldiers. They didn't know who commanded them. And that was exactly how it had to stay.
That night, he summoned the Humvee for the first time.
It appeared in the alley behind his house, its engine quiet, its body painted in matte black. Not the standard desert tan he remembered seeing in news footage — the System seemed to adapt to the environment.
Miguel circled it slowly, heart pounding. Here, in a cramped Manila barangay, stood an armored beast that could take on an army.
Alpha Squad stood at attention.
"Commander," Echo One reported, "vehicle systems are online. Fully armed. Awaiting your orders."
Miguel ran his hand along the side of the Humvee. It felt unreal — like a war had dropped into his backyard. But this wasn't for parades or intimidation. This was for protection.
"We use it only when necessary," he said firmly. "We stay in the shadows."
"Yes, Commander."
Over the next weeks, Miguel built a rhythm. By day, he lived his normal life — paperwork, deadlines, small talk with coworkers. By night, he became someone else entirely: the ghost commander of a private war.
The System fed him missions. Some were simple:
Break up a drug drop in Pasay.
Rescue kidnapped workers in Cavite.
Ambush a gunrunning convoy in Quezon City.
Each time, Miguel sent Alpha Squad. Each time, they struck fast, precise, leaving no trace but terrified survivors and empty criminal dens.
The media began whispering about "The Ghost Force." Social media buzzed with grainy photos of men in black, armored shapes in the night, distant gunfire with no police reports to match.
But no one knew who led them.
And Miguel intended to keep it that way.
One night, after a successful raid on a Pasig drug lab, Miguel stood with his squad on a rooftop overlooking the city. Manila sprawled out in lights and shadows, its streets restless even after midnight.
Echo One approached. "Commander. The men… they're asking something."
Miguel turned. "What is it?"
"They want to know why. Why you fight. Why this city. Why us."
Miguel hesitated. These soldiers were loyal to him without question. But loyalty without purpose could fade. He had to give them something more than orders.
He looked at them — ten faceless warriors waiting in silence, their rifles gleaming under the moon.
"Because this city has been bleeding for too long," Miguel said quietly. "Because people live in fear, and no one stops it. Because every night, someone loses a son, a mother, a brother — and the world just shrugs. We won't shrug. Not us. We'll fight for them, even if they never know our names."
The rooftop was silent. Then, as one, the squad saluted.
"Understood, Commander," Echo One said.
And in that moment, Miguel knew: anonymity was his greatest shield. As long as he remained a ghost, he could keep building, keep striking, until the gangs, cartels, and corrupt officials had nowhere left to hide.
Later that night, his phone buzzed.
[Command Points: 200+]
[New Unlock Available: Forward Operating Base (FOB).]
Miguel's eyes widened. A base. A place to grow stronger, to store weapons, to train more troops.
The System was giving him more than just soldiers — it was giving him the infrastructure of a private army.
He closed his eyes, breathing deeply.
For now, Manila only knew The Ghost Force. But in the shadows, Miguel Ramos was building something far greater.
Something that could one day shake the entire Philippines.