The late afternoon sun cast a golden hue over the university campus. Classes were done for the day, and students poured out in groups, laughing, chatting, making weekend plans.
Leo walked alone, his hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the crowd—not looking for enemies, but for someone who stood apart.
The system had given him a new task:
Task Active: Build Your Circle (3/3)
Recruit one more trustworthy individual who aligns with your values and vision.
Current Members:
Martin Cruz – Academic Genius with Leadership Potential
Aria De Vera – Creative Architect with Global Recognition Path
Reward: Network Mastery Tier 1 – Influence multiplier and passive loyalty buff.
Leo's thoughts wandered as he passed the engineering building.
That's when he heard the shouting.
"Wala ka na ngang pambayad sa project, tapos gusto mo pang sumabay sa thesis defense namin?!"
Leo turned and saw a tall, muscular guy—Donny, if he remembered right—pushing another student against the wall.
The smaller student's glasses were cracked, his shirt wrinkled, and his backpack half open, papers spilling out.
"I said I'll pay next week, bro," the student stammered. "Just let me present with the group. I did my part—"
"You're dead weight!" Donny snarled. "Do you even know how much the materials cost? Do you think we're a charity?!"
Leo's fists clenched. He'd seen this kind of bullying before—too often. People with just a little money acting like they owned the world.
He stepped forward.
"Is there a problem here?" he asked coolly.
Donny turned, his sneer faltering slightly when he saw Leo's calm face.
"Who asked you, new guy?"
Leo didn't flinch. "He's your teammate, right? So act like one. If he did his part, let him present."
Donny scoffed. "You some kind of savior now?"
"No," Leo said, stepping closer. "Just someone who doesn't like bullies pretending to be leaders."
The smaller student looked at Leo with wide, grateful eyes.
Donny looked like he wanted to say something more, but several other students had started watching. After a beat, he scoffed and stormed off.
Leo crouched to help the student gather his papers.
"Thanks, man," the guy said, adjusting his cracked glasses. "Name's Dreigh Mendoza. Everyone just calls me Dre."
"Leo," he replied. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Used to this. Grew up in Tondo. I know what it's like to be pushed around by people with louder voices."
Leo offered a small smile. "You into robotics?"
Dre nodded shyly. "Yeah. I build stuff from scraps. Motors, old phones, even washing machine parts. I'm working on a low-cost prosthetic limb design."
Leo's interest was instantly piqued.
The system buzzed in his pocket.
Target Identified: Dreigh Mendoza – Inventor Potential / Tech Path
Status: Aligned
Skill Unlock: Network Mastery Tier 1
Leo offered a hand. "You ever think about turning that into a real business someday?"
Dre looked confused. "I mean… yeah, but who'd fund a broke kid's dream?"
Leo grinned. "Maybe someone who believes in underdogs."
That evening, Leo sat alone at the rooftop of their apartment building, the city lights glowing below. His phone vibrated softly in his hand.
[Circle Established]
Network Mastery Tier 1 Unlocked
Your influence within your private circle now passively increases. Loyalty, skill synergy, and reputation growth within the group will improve.
Group Bonuses Activated:
– Trust Link: Shared benefits among members
– Talent Sync: Collaborative tasks now yield better results
– Hidden Wealth: Your identity as the benefactor remains protected
Leo scrolled through their profiles in the app:
Martin – already showing initiative in student leadership forums
Aria – just received an email that she had been shortlisted for the international design internship
Dre – uploaded a video of his prosthetic design prototype; it already had 3,000 views
Things were moving. Quietly. Slowly.
Exactly the way he wanted it.
Meanwhile, across campus, Belle was scrolling through her phone. Her feed was unusually quiet. Leo hadn't posted anything. No new photos. No quotes. No rants.
Just... silence.
But somehow, his silence felt louder than any update.
She tapped on a photo she was tagged in from earlier: her with Miggy, smiling, holding branded shopping bags.
Comments were mixed.
"Slaying, girl 💅"
"Power couple!"
"Didn't you dump Leo for this guy? Kinda heartless…"
That last one made her pause.
She opened Leo's profile again. It was unchanged. Private. Still looked like a broke college guy.
But he had changed. His eyes. His presence. Even the way he walked now.
Belle bit her lip.
What had she really walked away from?
Back on the rooftop, Leo stood and stretched. The wind blew gently through his hair.
Three people.
One purpose.
This was just the beginning.
He didn't need the world to know who he was yet.
Let them keep guessing.
Because soon, when he moved...
He wouldn't just be rich.
He'd be untouchable.