The soft blue glow of the computer screen illuminated Tang Ning's face as she leaned back in her chair, staring at the complex layers of encrypted code on her monitor. The quiet hum of the machine was the only sound in her room, the city below her window a distant blur. She had been waiting for this moment—accessing the dark web was not something she took lightly, but desperate times called for dangerous measures.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, steady and sure. She had done this before, in her past life as a business mogul, when corporate espionage and underground dealings were essential for survival. But this time was different. The stakes were higher, and so were the risks.
She had spent the last several nights here, sifting through anonymous forums, encrypted chatrooms, and black-market listings, all in search of something specific. The usual jobs—hacks for hire, data theft, corporate espionage—were child's play for someone like her.
She navigated through layers of security, bypassing firewalls and using multiple layers of encryption. She wasn't just browsing. No, she was looking for something specific—a mission. A dangerous, high-stakes job that could give her the leverage she needed to provide funding and expand Phoenix Ventures. A move that would make her a player in the game much faster than any traditional method.
**Mission boards.** The underworld of the dark web was full of them, but finding the real ones, the high-paying jobs, required skill. She tapped into one of her old contacts, a forum she frequented under a pseudonym. It didn't take long before a new post caught her eye:
Her heart quickened as the message loaded, pixel by pixel, on her screen. The prize was staggering: **$500 million**. The mission was shrouded in secrecy, but from what she could gather, it involved a high-risk, high-reward data extraction from one of the most secure government systems in the world. It was the kind of job only the best could attempt, and the stakes were beyond dangerous.
Tang Ning's fingers twitched with excitement. This was it. The mission that could change everything. But it wouldn't be that easy.
The job came with a catch: a competition.
She scanned the message again, absorbing every detail. Before the real mission began, a select few hackers from across the globe would face off in a pre-mission competition. Only one would win the contract and gain access to the mission's details. The competition wasn't just about skill; it was about survival. Whoever made it through the first stage would have to outwit, outmaneuver, and outlast the others.
And Tang Ning wasn't the only one with her eyes on the prize.
The encrypted chatroom that hosted the competition was already buzzing with activity. Anonymous usernames filled the screen: **Cipher**, **GhostHand**, **Midnight**, and others she didn't recognize. Each name carried a reputation, whispered about in the deepest corners of the dark web. But none of them mattered to Tang Ning—none, except for one.
**Erebus.**
Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the name. Erebus was a ghost, a hacker as skilled as she was, if not more. They had never crossed paths before, but the whispers about Erebus had grown louder in recent months. Rumor had it he—or she—had taken down entire financial systems without leaving a trace. A worthy adversary.
A chill ran down her spine, but it wasn't fear. It was the thrill of competition. Tang Ning wasn't someone who backed down, no matter the odds.
The challenge began with a timed decryption puzzle. The first to solve it would gain an advantage—an early lead in the main mission. The puzzle was fiendishly complex, layers of encryption upon encryption, each more difficult than the last. The chatroom went silent as everyone focused.
Tang Ning's fingers flew across the keyboard, the rhythmic tapping a steady beat against the silence. Her mind was sharp, years of experience in her past life guiding her through the code. She could almost feel the patterns, like invisible threads she could untangle with the right touch.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, but she ignored it, her focus razor-sharp. The encryption broke, layer by layer, the pieces falling into place as if they were meant for her. Her eyes darted to the corner of the screen, checking the progress bar. She was close.
Suddenly, a notification flashed: **Cipher has completed the first stage.**
A split second later, another message: **Erebus has completed the first stage.**
Tang Ning clenched her jaw, her heart pounding in her chest. She was right behind them. A few more keystrokes and—
**Phoenix has completed the first stage.**
She exhaled sharply, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. She was in the top three. But the real challenge was just beginning.
The second stage was a head-to-head battle: a maze of firewalls and decoys, designed to trap and mislead. The goal was to reach the center, a hidden server that contained the mission's final clue. Each hacker was given a unique entry point, but the paths were intertwined. It wasn't just about speed this time—it was about strategy. Cross paths with another hacker, and you risked sabotage.
The digital landscape unfolded in front of Tang Ning, a swirling vortex of code and traps. She moved swiftly, navigating through false leads and dead ends with the precision of someone who had done this a thousand times before. But every now and then, she felt a flicker—someone was close.
Erebus.
Their presence was like a shadow, lurking just beyond the edge of her path. Each time she made a move, Erebus seemed to anticipate it, blocking her path or rerouting her to a dead end. It was a dance, a deadly game of cat and mouse, and Tang Ning wasn't sure which one of them was the cat.
Her fingers danced across the keys, her breath coming in shallow bursts as the tension mounted. She was close to the server—so close she could almost see the data shimmering in the code—but Erebus was closing in fast. She needed to make a move, and fast.
In a bold gambit, Tang Ning executed a series of rapid commands, setting up a decoy that mimicked her digital signature. She watched as Erebus pounced on the decoy, thinking it was her, and in that split second, she broke through the final firewall.
The hidden server flashed on her screen. She had won.
**Phoenix has reached the center.**
A surge of adrenaline washed over her as the prize unlocked. The real mission details would follow soon, but for now, she had secured her place in the final round.
The chatroom came alive with messages of frustration and begrudging respect. Erebus remained silent, but Tang Ning could feel their eyes on her, watching, waiting. The battle was far from over.
Leaning back in her chair, Tang Ning allowed herself a moment of satisfaction. The prize was within reach—$500 million and the power to change everything. But the mission ahead was dangerous, possibly lethal. It didn't matter. She had come too far to turn back now.
The dark web held its secrets, and she intended to claim them all.
The next stage would come soon, but until then, she was ready for whatever came next.
This was her world, and she was just getting started.