The Algorithm Of Deceit

Chapter Five

Which explained why she couldn't trace them.

Whoever they were, they didn't want to be found.

But Ji-hyun wasn't about to back down.

Her fingers moved swiftly over the keyboard again, this time rerouting her hacking methods through military databases. If she couldn't trace the number, maybe she could find a pattern.

Numbers didn't exist in a vacuum. They had origins. Histories.

If she could just get a clue—a **name, a location, anything—**she could start piecing this together.

Lines of code scrolled across her screen as she dug deeper, pulling whatever fragments of information she could.

And then—

A flicker of something.

A restricted file.

Ji-hyun narrowed her eyes. It was buried under layers of security clearance, but the header was enough to make her breath hitch.

Operation Iron Fang.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.

What the hell was Iron Fang?

She quickly searched for any public records of the name. Nothing.

Not a single mention anywhere.

That meant it was completely classified.

A sinking feeling settled in her gut.

This wasn't just about Soo-ah's disappearance. This was bigger.

The military wasn't just hiding her sister's death. They were covering up something more.

Ji-hyun inhaled sharply, staring at the pendant in her hand.

Soo-ah had known something. Something dangerous.

And someone—**someone inside the military—**was trying to tell Ji-hyun the truth.

Her hands trembled as she reached for her phone, her thumb hovering over the unknown number.

Should she call back?

Would they even answer?

Before she could decide, her phone screen lit up again.

Another message.
Ji-hyun's hands trembled as she stared at the message.

"Stop digging if you want to stay alive."

This time, it wasn't a cryptic hint or a silent call. It was a threat.

And she had been careless.

Her stomach twisted as realization hit her. She hadn't covered her tracks.

In her rush to dig into the military databases, she had left a trail—one that someone had found. Someone who was watching.

She sucked in a sharp breath, forcing herself to stay calm.

This wasn't the first time she had hacked into restricted systems. But this was different. This wasn't just any database. This was the military.

Whoever had sent that message wasn't just warning her. They were telling her to back off—or face the consequences.

Ji-hyun's fingers flew across the keyboard as she worked to clear her tracks, erasing every trace of her intrusion.

She wiped the logs. Scrubbed her IP. Terminated the VPN session.

It wasn't perfect. If someone truly wanted to trace her, they still could. But at least she had bought herself some time.

With a deep exhale, she shut her laptop and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples.

She couldn't stop now.

If anything, this only proved she was onto something.

But she also knew one thing for sure—she wasn't ready.

She was just a data engineer, someone who spent more time behind a screen than out in the real world.

Who was she kidding?

She had no combat skills. No weapons. Nothing to protect herself.

If she was going to dig deeper—if she was truly going to uncover what happened to Soo-ah—then she needed to prepare.

And she knew exactly where to start.
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The air outside was crisp, carrying the scent of spring, but Ji-hyun barely noticed as she walked with purpose, her heart pounding against her ribs.

This was crazy. Insane.

A week ago, she was just another quiet worker at a tech company. Now, she was walking toward a gun training arena.

She had never set foot in one before. Never even considered it.

But if she was going to do this, she couldn't afford to be weak.

She needed to learn how to fight. How to defend herself.

And most importantly—how to shoot.

She stopped outside the entrance, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag.

The place was intimidating. The sound of gunfire echoed from inside, sharp and precise.

Through the glass doors, she could see men and women inside, some in casual clothes, others in tactical gear, all holding weapons like it was second nature to them.

Her breath hitched.

Could she really do this?

Her fingers twitched by her side.

No. She couldn't hesitate now.

She squared her shoulders, inhaled deeply, and pushed open the doors.