The Forward Operating Base was quiet after the Quezon City raid. Outside, the Black Hawks rested like silent guardians. Inside, Miguel sat alone in the dimly lit command center. His men were resting, his maps glowing faint red.
Then, the System spoke.
[Special Task Generated.]
[Objective: Eliminate a high-value cartel lieutenant in Cebu City.]
[Target: Raul Escueta, arms trafficker and political fixer.]
[Time Limit: 48 hours.]
[Reward: Enhanced Body Upgrade + Military Experience Upload.]
Miguel leaned forward, heart thudding. This was different. Rewards had always been weapons, vehicles, and troops. But this… this was personal.
"Enhanced body upgrade," he murmured. "And… military experience upload?"
The System confirmed with a soft chime.
[Affirmative. Upon success, host's physical attributes will be elevated to peak human condition. Military doctrines, combat drills, and tactical experience will be integrated into the host's mind.]
Miguel exhaled slowly. For weeks, he had been the strategist, the commander who directed shadows. But he was still a man — vulnerable, mortal. Now the System offered to make him more.
"Raul Escueta," Miguel whispered. "Let's see what makes you worth this prize."
Escueta was a monster in a tailored suit — a cartel middleman who flooded the islands with illegal arms and bought protection from politicians. He was untouchable, shielded by bodyguards and money. But intelligence gathered by the System revealed his weakness: a mistress in Cebu. He visited her every Thursday night at a luxury condominium, slipping away from his usual fortress.
It was the opening Miguel needed.
Two nights later, the Black Hawks cut silently over the Visayas Sea. Miguel sat with Alpha Squad, mask covering his face, rifle cradled in his arms. But this time was different. For the first time, he wasn't sending them alone. He was going in.
"Commander," Echo One said over comms, "this is a high-risk insertion. We can handle the strike without you."
Miguel shook his head. His voice was calm, final. "The System gave me this task. It has to be me."
Alpha Squad fell silent. Orders were orders.
The Black Hawk hovered over the condo rooftop. Ropes uncoiled, boots hit steel. Miguel led the descent, his body tense, adrenaline flooding.
Inside, the corridor was dim. Two guards patrolled outside the penthouse. Miguel raised his suppressed rifle. Two breaths. Two shots. The guards dropped without a sound.
Alpha held the corridor while Miguel pushed through the door.
Escueta was inside, pouring whiskey, his mistress in silk draped across the sofa. He spun in shock as Miguel appeared, rifle leveled.
"Who—" Escueta began, but the words never finished. Miguel squeezed the trigger. One shot to the chest, one to the head.
The arms trafficker collapsed. His empire had ended with two flashes of light.
Miguel turned to the mistress, who froze in terror. He pointed to the door. "Leave. Forget tonight. Forget him."
She fled barefoot, sobbing.
By the time the Black Hawks lifted off, the body was already cooling. Cebu police would wake to chaos, the cartel to fury.
But Miguel… Miguel felt something else.
The System's voice resonated within him:
[Target Eliminated. Task Complete.]
[Reward Granted: Enhanced Body + Military Experience.]
Pain lanced through every nerve. Miguel staggered, clutching his chest as the upgrade surged into him. His muscles tightened, bones hardened, reflexes sharpened. His lungs burned, then expanded with power. Every beat of his heart thundered like an engine.
Knowledge flooded his mind — combat drills, years of training compressed into seconds. He saw himself running obstacle courses, firing rifles, leading assaults. Experience from countless battles seared into his brain.
When it ended, Miguel knelt on the Black Hawk's floor, gasping for air. Echo One rushed forward. "Commander!"
Miguel raised a hand. Slowly, he stood, taller, stronger, steady as stone. His eyes burned with clarity.
"I'm fine," he said, voice steady. "More than fine."
Back in Manila, Miguel tested his new body. Push-ups felt effortless, pull-ups like child's play. His hands moved faster, his aim sharper, his reaction time near instant. He was no longer just a man directing soldiers. He was a soldier himself — peak of human capability, mind and body forged into a weapon.
The System whispered one final line into his mind:
[You are no longer only a commander. You are a warrior.]
Miguel smiled grimly. From now on, the Ghost Army's enemies wouldn't just fear his squads.
They would fear him.