However, John speculated. Maybe the system had another mission for him, perhaps some good news? His mind wandered through possibilities, but as the blinking materialized prompt formed in front of him, the words resonated, leaving an echo in his mind.

[The Host has to be informed of looming danger ahead. Stay alert.]

"What? Damn! Who is it again?" John muttered to himself, a knot forming in his stomach. His thoughts raced. Could it be some rival business mogul trying to sabotage his plans? Or maybe someone from his past, resurfacing with a vendetta? As he continued to spiral in his thoughts, Laura noticed his unease.

"Are you okay?" Laura asked, her voice soft but filled with concern.

John shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away. "We need to go, Laura. Now. Get into your car," he said, his voice tense, but not explaining the system’s message.

Laura’s face scrunched up in confusion. She wasn’t one to question John’s instincts, but something about the sudden change in atmosphere made her uneasy. The air felt thicker, almost as if danger itself lingered just out of sight. A chill ran down her spine as if the wind carried a hidden message she couldn’t quite understand.

John slipped into his Rolls Royce Phantom, tightening his grip on the steering wheel as he fastened his seatbelt. He glanced over at Laura, who sat beside him in her sleek Mercedes, her hands firmly on the wheel.

Laura revved the engine, signaling she was ready to move, and John fired up his own engine. With a nod, they pulled out onto the busy streets of Greenland City, heading toward their separate destinations.

Laura took the lead, her Benz smoothly cutting through traffic like a sleek panther stalking its prey. John followed closely behind, like a bodyguard keeping an eye on her from a distance.

The streets were busy with the usual city rush—pedestrians hurrying to their destinations, food vendors on the corners, and cyclists weaving between cars. The early evening sun bathed the city in a warm glow, but John could hardly focus on the bustling activity around them.

John’s mind drifted to Grace. His fiancee had been on his mind lately, especially with the strange warnings from the system. He grabbed his phone and quickly dialed her number, hoping to hear her voice and ensure she was safe. After a few rings, Grace picked up, her tone light and playful as usual.

"Hey, you! Are you finally done conquering the world for today?" Grace teased, her laughter ringing in John’s ears.

John smiled despite the tension he felt. "Grace, listen to me," he said, his voice serious but soft. "I need you to stay in your room until I get there, okay? Don’t leave the house, don’t answer any calls from unknown numbers, and turn off your phone’s location services. Just trust me on this."

Grace’s laughter faded, replaced by concern. "What’s going on, dear? Are you in trouble?"

"Nothing I can’t handle, but I need to know you’re safe. Promise me you’ll follow what I said."

There was a pause on the other end before Grace responded, her voice quieter now. "Alright, I promise. But you better come home soon and explain everything. Don’t keep me waiting."

"I will," John assured her. "I love you. Just be safe."

"I love you too. Stay sharp out there," Grace replied, and with that, John ended the call, feeling a small sense of relief.

But that relief was short-lived. As they approached the highway, two black Lamborghini Aventadors screeched to a halt in front of them, blocking their path. Laura slammed on her brakes, her car coming to an abrupt stop. John did the same, his heart pounding in his chest.

Three men, tall and muscular, dressed in all black, stepped out of the Lamborghinis. Their faces were obscured by dark sunglasses and black bandanas, giving them a menacing, faceless appearance. They walked toward Laura’s car with a cold, calculated precision. One of the men signaled for Laura to get out.

Laura, never one to back down, got out of her car and stood tall, her voice sharp and authoritative. "Who the hell do you think you are, blocking my way? What do you want?"

Before she could say another word, one of the men stepped forward and delivered a harsh slap to her face, sending her crashing to the ground.

John’s heart stopped for a moment as he watched Laura fall. His eyes widened with fury, and something deep within him stirred—a dormant power from the system, ready to awaken.

John’s eyes began to glow faintly, the system activating his combat instincts. He wanted to fight, wanted to protect Laura, but an internal voice—one that wasn’t his own—echoed in his mind. "Don’t engage. They have stronger weapons. They are prepared for you."

John clenched his fists, frustrated but understanding the warning. With a heavy sigh, he stepped out of his car and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I’m not fighting. Just leave her alone."

The men grabbed both John and Laura, roughly pushing them into one of the black Lamborghinis. As they were shoved into the backseat, their wrists were bound with thick metal chains that John knew he couldn’t break. They were trapped.

As the car sped off, John and Laura exchanged worried glances. John tried to think of a way out, but every scenario in his mind ended with them in deeper trouble. The situation was spiraling out of his control, and the worst part was that he didn’t know who these men were or what they wanted.

The men placed heavy, non-eye masks over their faces, blocking their vision. The air inside the car was thick with tension. John’s mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening.

In the front seats, the three strangers began talking among themselves. Their voices were deep and rough, like men who had been through hell and back. John listened carefully, trying to pick up on any clues.

"I told you this would be easy," one of them said, his tone cocky. "The boss will be pleased when we deliver them to the lab."

"Yeah, but we’ve got less than 24 hours to get them examined," another voice responded, sounding a bit more nervous. "You know how the boss is about deadlines."

"Relax," the third man chimed in, "we’ll get there in time. I’m more interested in seeing if this guy, John, really has the abilities we’ve heard about."

John’s stomach churned at the mention of his name. They knew who he was, but how? What did they want with him?

"Think about it," the first man continued. "He’s been making waves lately—building his empire, showing up in that tournament with those crazy moves. The boss is convinced he’s part of something bigger, something we need to understand."

Actually, upon John hearing these, knew that’s this people have been closely monitoring his moves secretly. But what the hell?

"Yeah, and if he is, we could use him. Or... dispose of him," the second man added, a dark chuckle escaping his lips.

John’s mind reeled. These men weren’t ordinary thugs. They were part of something bigger—something dangerous. And now, they had him and Laura, chained and blindfolded, on their way to some lab for examination.

As the car sped along, the men continued their conversation, revealing bits and pieces of their twisted agenda.

"You know the boss wants to take control of everything, right? He’s tired of the world’s power structure. He wants to wipe it clean, start fresh. And John here—well, if he’s as powerful as they say, he could be the key to making that happen."

"Or, if not," the third man said with a shrug, "he’ll just be another failed experiment."

Laura, sitting next to John, shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She was tough, but even she couldn’t ignore the gravity of the situation.

John leaned closer to her, whispering through the mask, "We’ll find a way out of this. Stay calm."

Laura nodded slightly, though John could feel the tension radiating off her. Neither of them had any idea how they were going to escape, but they knew they had to try.

The car kept speeding through unknown roads, and John’s mind spun with possibilities, trying to calculate his next move, even as their captors continued talking about him like he was some kind of lab rat.

"We need to be careful," one of the men said. "If John’s ability is extraordinary, things could get messy."

"Don’t worry," the leader replied confidently. "He’s chained up, and we’ve got the boss’s equipment. He won’t stand a chance."

However, John thoughtfully asked the system. ’ System? Kindly do something to get me out of this and look, innocent Laura got into this because of me.’

[Ding! The Host has to know that the system would support him. But the as the system is working on it, the Host is reminded to be vigilant and alert.]

’ System, could you kindly provide me abilities to outshine them. Could you?