Elias stares at the floating interface for what feels like hours but is probably only minutes. His heart pounds against his ribs like a caged animal. The rain has stopped, but the city's noise continues—cars honking, people shouting, life grinding forward while he stands frozen on a sidewalk having what might be the world's most elaborate mental breakdown.
"Okay," he whispers to himself, glancing around to make sure nobody's watching him talk to thin air. "Let's say this is real. Let's say I'm not completely losing my shit."
He reaches out tentatively and touches the floating message. It responds to his finger like a touchscreen, rippling slightly at the contact. The sensation sends a shiver down his spine—it's cold, electric, but undeniably real.
[Time remaining: 14 hours 23 minutes.]
The countdown ticks down relentlessly. Fourteen hours to turn his measly ten dollars into something more. But how? And what does "multiply" even mean in this context?
"Money Scent," he reads aloud, focusing on the reward description. "What the hell is that supposed to be?"
As if responding to his question, a new window pops up:
[Money Scent (Passive Ability): Allows user to instinctively identify profitable opportunities within a 100-meter radius. Opportunities will appear as golden auras visible only to the user.]
Elias blinks. "Golden auras? Jesus, this sounds like some RPG bullshit."
But then again, his life has been such a shit-show lately that maybe some RPG bullshit is exactly what he needs.
He looks down at his ten-dollar bill, then at the busy street around him. People walk past clutching their phones, their coffee cups, their small daily purchases. Somewhere in this urban maze, there has to be an opportunity. Something he can do with ten dollars that'll prove this system isn't just his brain finally snapping under pressure.
The first idea that comes to mind is gambling. There's a convenience store two blocks down that sells lottery tickets. But that's not multiplying money through intelligence—that's just throwing it away and hoping for a miracle.
"Think, Elias. Think smart."
He starts walking, his sneakers squelching against the wet pavement. The city seems different now, like he's seeing it through new eyes. Every storefront, every person, every transaction happening around him could be a potential goldmine if he just looks at it right.
That's when he sees her.
A woman in an expensive-looking business suit stands outside the metro station, frantically tapping on her phone. She keeps looking at her watch, then at the phone, then back at her watch. Classic body language of someone running late and panicking about it.
"Excuse me," Elias approaches carefully, "you look like you might need help."
The woman looks up, slightly annoyed. She's maybe thirty-five, with the kind of polished appearance that screams 'corporate executive.' Her makeup is perfect despite the earlier rain, and her handbag probably costs more than Elias makes in three months.
"My phone died," she says curtly, "and I'm supposed to be in a meeting across town in twenty minutes. The metro's down due to flooding, and I can't get a cab without my app."
Elias glances around. Sure enough, there are at least a dozen other people in similar predicaments—well-dressed professionals stranded by the combination of bad weather and technology dependence.
An idea starts forming.
"I can help you," he says. "My phone works, and I know this area really well. I can call you a cab and even give you alternate routes to avoid the worst traffic."
She raises an eyebrow. "And what do you want in return?"
"Five dollars per person I help get where they need to go."
It's a fair price—much less than surge pricing on rideshare apps, and way cheaper than the late fees or missed opportunities these people are facing.
The woman considers for a moment, then nods. "Fine. But make it fast."
Elias pulls out his phone and starts working. Within minutes, he's got her a cab and provided three different route options to her destination. As she slides into the backseat, she hands him a crisp five-dollar bill.
"That was actually quite helpful," she admits. "Thank you."
One down.
Elias looks around at the other stranded commuters and raises his voice slightly. "Anyone else need help getting a ride or directions? Five dollars, and I'll get you where you need to go faster than you can figure it out yourself."
Within the next hour, he's helped eight more people. Some need cabs, others need directions to alternate transit routes, one guy even needs him to call his assistant because his phone is completely dead. Each transaction is quick, efficient, and leaves the customer grateful rather than gouged.
By the time the immediate crowd thins out, Elias has forty-five dollars in his pocket.
From ten to forty-five in one hour. Not bad.
But something strange happens as he counts the money. The bills seem to shimmer slightly in his hands, and when he looks up, he sees it—a faint golden glow around a hot dog cart across the street.
"Holy shit," he breathes. "The golden aura thing is real."
The system interface materializes again:
[First Challenge Progress: Intelligent profit generation detected.]
[Multiplier Applied: 1.5x base earnings.]
[Current Status: $67.50 earned through strategic thinking.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Street Entrepreneur.]
Elias stares at the numbers. Sixty-seven fifty? He counts his physical money again—definitely forty-five dollars. But according to the system, he's earned more than that.
"Where's the rest?" he wonders aloud.
[Accumulated multiplier bonuses are held in System Bank until first challenge completion. Successful completion releases all earned bonuses.]
A system bank. Of course. It's like experience points in a video game—you don't get the reward until you complete the quest.
The golden aura around the hot dog cart pulses more brightly, almost demanding his attention. Elias crosses the street, dodging a taxi that honks aggressively at him.
The cart is run by a middle-aged Latino man who looks like he's been selling hot dogs on this corner for twenty years. Business seems slow—probably because of the earlier rain and the metro situation keeping foot traffic low.
"How's business today?" Elias asks casually.
The man shrugs. "Slow. All my regular customers are stuck somewhere else because of the flooding. Probably gonna be a loss day."
Elias studies the setup. Good location, decent cart, food smells fresh. The problem isn't quality—it's customer awareness and accessibility.
"What if I told you I could double your sales in the next two hours?" Elias says.
The man laughs. "Kid, I've been doing this longer than you've been alive. You can't just magic up customers."
"No, but I can redirect them." Elias pulls out his phone. "See all those people I was helping with transportation? They're hungry, frustrated, and willing to pay for convenience. What if I start including your cart in my service? When I help someone get where they're going, I also offer to grab them food for the road. You give me a small commission—say, a dollar per customer I bring—and we both make money."
The hot dog vendor considers this. "You really think you can bring me customers?"
"I know I can. Look."
Elias spots another well-dressed woman struggling with her phone near the bus stop. He approaches her with his now-practiced pitch, but this time, he adds: "And if you're hungry, there's an amazing hot dog cart right over there. I can grab you something while we wait for your ride."
Ten minutes later, the woman is in her cab with directions to three alternate routes and a delicious hot dog, and Elias is five dollars richer with a one-dollar commission from the vendor.
The pattern repeats. Help with transportation, offer food service, collect money from both ends. It's not exploitation—everyone gets exactly what they need, and Elias just facilitates the transactions that were waiting to happen anyway.
By mid-afternoon, he's helped over twenty people, the hot dog vendor has had his best Tuesday in months, and Elias's pocket is heavy with cash.
But more importantly, he's started to understand how the system works. It's not about getting something for nothing—it's about seeing connections that others miss, creating value where none existed before, and being rewarded for genuine intelligence and hustle.
The system interface updates again:
[First Challenge Status: COMPLETE.]
[Total Earnings: $127.50 (including multiplier bonuses).]
[Passive Ability "Money Scent" has been unlocked.]
[New Challenge Available: Reach $500 within 48 hours.]
[Warning: Challenge difficulty increases with each level.]
As the notification fades, Elias feels something shift in his perception. The world suddenly looks different—not dramatically, but noticeably. He can sense opportunity the way a predator senses prey. The golden auras become clearer, and he can almost feel the flow of money through the city like a living thing.
Standing on that corner with over a hundred dollars in his pocket for the first time in months, Elias Ramirez grins.