Chapter 2 – "Unauthorized Entry"
Alex's computer screen went black.
A sharp pop, then a flicker. The entire apartment dimmed for half a second.
He yanked off his headphones, breath caught in his chest. Darkness swallowed the room, except for the faint glow of the streetlight through the window.
Everything outside looked… normal.
> "Power surge?" he muttered. "No… this was different."
His eyes returned to the screen.
Then — without him touching a thing — a pale blue light flickered to life.
Strange characters danced across it. Somewhere between Korean, machine code, and madness.
Then a single word burned itself into the screen:
> 무림
The symbol pulsed like a heartbeat, vibrating through his bones.
A chill crawled up his spine.
This wasn't a glitch.
This was someone — or something — responding.
Then, a message flashed:
> "Unauthorized access. Cross-connection detected. Observation engaged."
Alex pushed back in his chair.
He'd hacked into government servers before — just for the challenge.
But this? This wasn't a server.
This didn't feel human.
His phone vibrated.
Unknown number. No name. Just a text.
An address.
And one line:
> "Wanna understand? Come alone. Tonight. 11 PM."
He stared.
His heart said run.
His gut said don't be stupid.
But his brain?
His brain said:
> This is the rabbit hole. Jump.
---
🌃 Later that night — Harlem.
Alex moved through the quiet streets, hood up, light bag over his shoulder.
The address led him to an old laundromat. Closed for years.
Tag-covered windows. Dust on the door. He pushed it open without a sound.
Inside: a flickering halogen light above an open hatch.
A trapdoor.
He climbed down.
A long concrete tunnel swallowed him.
Silent. Heavy. Real.
At the end: a rectangular room.
Empty — except for one man.
Plain jacket. Arms folded.
His face calm. But his eyes?
They scanned Alex like an x-ray.
> "You're fast," the man said. "Too fast for a regular guy."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
> "Who are you? What is this place?"
The man stepped forward, hands in his pockets.
> "This is a fracture. An access point. You didn't find a file. You touched an ancient network — not digital… spiritual."
Alex blinked.
> "...Come again?"
The man extended a hand.
A hum filled the air.
Pressure rose.
Blue light — just like what Alex saw earlier — gathered around his fingers.
It moved. Lived. Breathed.
> "This is ki. You felt it. That moment on your screen? It wasn't an error. It was a response. You didn't search for it. It found you."
Alex froze.
No new-age nonsense.
He saw it.
Felt it.
> "Why me?" he asked quietly.
> "Because you broke the barrier. The Murim accepted you. Now you decide: go back upstairs... or dive deeper."
Silence.
Then Alex stepped forward.
His voice was low, but sure.
> "I dive."
---
The man smiled.
> "Then welcome to the Murim, Alex Anderson. The Era of Silence just cracked."
Behind him, a hidden wall slid open, revealing a massive underground dojo.
Blue energy pulsed through the walls like glowing veins.
People moved inside. Focused. Silent.
Training.
No legends. No fiction.
Murim was real.
And Alex had just crossed its threshold