The next day, Eli woke up around 6am. After getting out of bed, he washed his face, brushed his teeth, and took a shower. While eating breakfast, he realized it was time to sign in. Without delay, he opened the familiar holographic system panel that appeared right in front of his face. Instinctively, he tapped the Sign In button.
A moment later, another panel appeared with a message: Sign-in completed.
Not long after, his phone buzzed with a notification from his bank—10,000 yuan had been deposited into his account. Eli stared at the screen, amazed by the system once again. But beneath the excitement, a lingering fear crept into his heart.
His mind raced with questions: "What if this isn't real?" "Why was I chosen?" "Am I the only one with a system?"
Determined to uncover the truth, Eli began exploring the system panels for answers. After some searching, he noticed a button labeled About the System. Without hesitation, he pressed it. Another panel unfolded before his eyes, filled with lines of information.
Eli started reading.
The more he read, the deeper his curiosity grew. After a while, he paused to digest everything he had just learned.
The system, as it turns out, was not a product of the modern world. It originated over 40,000 years ago, created by a king from an ancient empire. The king had been consumed by grief and a thirst for vengeance after his family was taken from him. Driven by his unrelenting desire for power, he developed the system as a tool to one day destroy the empire that had wronged him.
Eli was stunned to discover that he was part of the king's bloodline. Since the king's death, no one from his lineage had ever activated the system—until now.
Why now? Because Eli's overwhelming desire for wealth had triggered it. The system had sensed his deep longing and responded. It would remain with him until that desire was fulfilled.
There was only one system ever created. And Eli was the sole person in the world to possess it.
Eli sat in silence, the glow from the system panel reflecting in his wide eyes. His heart pounded—not just from excitement, but from the weight of what he had learned.
"I'm part of a royal bloodline... and the only one with this system?"
It sounded like something straight out of a fantasy novel, yet here it was—real, undeniable, and now a part of his life. The system wasn't just a tool; it was a legacy, not just any legacy it was his family's legacy.
After dressing in a simple but neat outfit, Eli grabbed his bag and headed to work. The day passed like most others—long, exhausting, and filled with the endless demands of his underpaid job. By the time his shift ended, the sky had already darkened into hues of deep blue and purple, with streetlights flickering on one by one.
Tired but determined, Eli made his way toward the nearest ATM. He needed to withdraw money to pay off the loan shark who had been hounding him for weeks. The streets buzzed with the chatter of evening commuters, and the distant sound of traffic hummed steadily through the air.
As he approached the ATM kiosk nestled between a small grocery shop and a pharmacy, he noticed a woman already standing in front of the machine. Her shoulders were hunched slightly forward, and her body language gave away her frustration.
Eli stepped into line behind her and waited patiently. Minutes ticked by. She kept inserting her card, tapping buttons, sighing, and trying again. The screen flashed error messages in red, and her hands trembled slightly each time she gripped the machine.
Just as Eli was about to step forward and check if she needed help, a translucent system panel appeared before his eyes:
Task: Help the lady
Reward: 5,000yuan
Penalty for failure: -2,000yuan
Eli's heart skipped a beat. The glowing panel dissolved as quickly as it had appeared, but it left him with an extra sense of urgency. Wasting no time, he stepped forward and gently cleared his throat.
"Excuse me, miss," he said, his voice calm but concerned. "Are you having trouble with the ATM?"
The woman turned toward him, clearly startled. She looked to be in her early forties, her eyes tired and rimmed red as if she'd been crying. She wore a faded blue coat, and her fingers clutched a worn leather wallet.
"Yes… I am," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "My card isn't working properly, and… I just don't have enough money in my account."
She hesitated before continuing, her eyes lowering. "My daughter is very sick. The doctor gave me a prescription, but I can't afford the medicine right now." Her voice cracked slightly. "I only needed 2,000yuan. But… I guess I'll have to come back another day."
Eli felt a pang in his chest. Without hesitation, he offered a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry," he said. "I think I can help. You said you need 2,000yuan right?"
The woman looked at him, eyes wide in disbelief. "Y-Yes, but—why would you—?"
He held up a hand. "It's okay. I just need to make a quick withdrawal."
Stepping up to the ATM, Eli inserted his card and typed in his PIN. A few moments later, he withdrew 30,000yuan leaving only 5,000yuan in his account. He folded 2,000yuan in crisp notes and handed it to the woman without a second thought.
She stared at the money in stunned silence before her eyes filled with tears. "Thank you. Thank you so much," she said, clasping his hands. "You don't know how much this means to me."
"It's alright," Eli replied softly. "I hope your daughter gets better soon."
Just then, the system panel reappeared:
Task Complete!
Reward: 5,000 yuan
Progress to Level 2: 60%
Almost immediately, his phone buzzed with a notification from the bank confirming the new deposit. Eli glanced at the screen, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips.
As he walked away into the night, the cold wind brushing past his face, a strange warmth bloomed in his chest. He had helped someone in need—and the system had rewarded him for it.
But more importantly, for the first time in a long while, he felt like he'd done something that truly mattered.