Michael woke up in his tiny apartment. Sunlight came through his broken blinds. For a moment, he forgot what happened yesterday. Then he saw the pile of money on his desk. Three hundred and forty-seven dollars. It was real.
[Good morning, host! Ready for your first official quest?]
The blue screen appeared in front of his face. Michael sat up quickly.
"A quest?"
[The System has analyzed your current situation. You have great talents now, but you're still living like a loser. Time to change that!]
A new window opened on the screen.
DAILY QUEST: RISE FROM THE BOTTOM
Objective 1: Return to Granite University and show your new abilitiesObjective 2: Gain recognition from at least 50 students
Objective 3: Make the Musical Club president regret rejecting you
Rewards:
200 Talent Points New System Feature Unlocked Special Skill: Confidence Boost
Failure Penalty:
Lose 50 TP System goes inactive for 24 hours
Time Limit: Before sunset today
"What happens if the system goes inactive?"
[You lose access to me and all system features. Your talents stay, but you can't improve them or unlock new ones.]
Michael's stomach dropped. He couldn't lose this chance. Not when he finally had something good in his life.
"Fine. I'll do it."
[Excellent! But first, you should spend some of your Talent Points. You earned 156 yesterday. Check the shop!]
The screen changed to show the Talent Shop.
TALENT SHOPCurrent TP: 156
Available Purchases:
Enhanced Vocal Range (50 TP) - Sing higher and lower notes perfectly Stage Presence Boost (75 TP) - Command attention when performing Instrument Mastery Upgrade (100 TP) - Play any instrument like a master Charisma Enhancement (125 TP) - People naturally like you more Perfect Memory for Lyrics (25 TP) - Never forget words to any song Confidence Boost (50 TP) - Never feel nervous or scared
Michael thought about it. Yesterday, he was nervous when he started singing. The Confidence Boost would help. And the Enhanced Vocal Range could make his performances even better.
"I'll take Confidence Boost and Enhanced Vocal Range."
[Smart choices! Purchasing now...]
Michael felt a warm feeling spread through his chest. Suddenly, he felt ready to face anything. The nervous boy from yesterday was gone. In his place stood someone who knew he could handle whatever came next.
His throat also felt different. Like his voice could reach notes he never dreamed of before.
[Purchases complete! Remaining TP: 56. Now get ready and head to university. Show them the new Michael Smith!]
Michael looked at his reflection in his cracked bathroom mirror. He still looked the same. Short, messy hair, plain face, cheap clothes. But something in his eyes was different. He looked confident now. Strong.
He showered and put on his best clothes. They were still cheap, but they were clean. He grabbed his backpack and the money from his desk. Today was going to change everything.
The walk to Granite University felt different. Before, Michael always kept his head down and tried to hide. Today, he walked with his shoulders straight. He looked people in the eye. Some students from school saw him and whispered, but he didn't care.
"Is that Michael Smith?"
"He looks different somehow."
"Didn't his family kick him out?"
Michael walked past them with a smile. Let them talk. Soon they would be talking about something else entirely.
He entered the main building and walked through the hallways. Students filled the space between classes. The noise was loud, but Michael felt calm. Ready.
[Target acquired! Musical Club president Jessica Chen, 12 o'clock!]
Michael looked ahead. Jessica Chen stood by her locker with two friends. She was pretty, popular, and rich. Yesterday, she had rejected him without even listening to him sing. She didn't even look at him when she said no.
Michael walked straight toward her.
"Excuse me, Jessica."
She turned around, looking annoyed. "Oh. It's you again. I told you yesterday, you don't qualify for the club."
"I know what you said. But I think you made a mistake."
Jessica's friends giggled. One of them was Emma Rodriguez, the most popular girl in his economics class. The other was Sarah Kim, who came from one of the richest families in the city.
"A mistake?" Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Look, Michael, I know you're desperate, but the Musical Club has standards. We can't just let anyone in."
"What if I could prove you wrong right now?"
"Prove me wrong how?"
More students started gathering around them. Word spread quickly when drama happened in the hallways. Michael could see people pulling out their phones.
"Let me sing for you. Right here, right now. If you think I'm good enough, you let me in the club. If not, I'll never bother you again."
Jessica looked at her friends. They were all smirking like this was the funniest thing they'd ever heard.
"Fine," Jessica said. "But when you embarrass yourself, don't blame me. Everyone's going to see this."
The crowd grew larger. Students pressed in from all sides. Michael could see at least sixty people now, with more arriving every minute. Someone had probably posted about it on social media already.
[Perfect! This is exactly what we need. Show them what real talent looks like!]
Michael stepped into the center of the circle. The hallway went quiet. Everyone wanted to hear what would happen next.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he felt completely calm. No nerves. No fear. Just confidence.
He started singing.
The first note rang out clear and powerful. It echoed off the walls and filled the entire hallway. Students who were talking in other parts of the building stopped to listen.
Michael sang a song about rising up from failure. About proving wrong everyone who doubted you. His voice was even better than yesterday. The Enhanced Vocal Range let him hit notes that gave people chills. His tone was perfect. His emotion was real.
The hallway was completely silent except for his voice.
He looked directly at Jessica as he sang. Her smirk disappeared. Her mouth fell open. She stared at him like she was seeing a ghost.
Other students had the same expression. Emma Rodriguez looked shocked. Sarah Kim had tears in her eyes. Boys who used to push Michael around now watched him with respect.
When he finished, the silence lasted for several seconds. Then someone started clapping. Others joined in. Soon the entire crowd was applauding and cheering.
"Holy shit!" someone yelled. "That was incredible!"
"Michael, where did you learn to sing like that?"
"That was better than most professionals!"
Jessica stood frozen. Her friends were clapping, but she couldn't move. She knew she had just made a terrible mistake.
"So," Michael said, looking directly at her. "Do I qualify now?"
The crowd turned to look at Jessica. She was trapped. Everyone had heard Michael sing. Everyone knew he was amazing. If she said no now, she would look stupid and jealous.
"I... yes. You qualify. Welcome to the Musical Club."
The crowd cheered even louder. Students came up to Michael to shake his hand and congratulate him. Girls who never looked at him before were suddenly very interested.
[Objective 1 complete! Objective 2 complete! You gained recognition from 73 students! Objective 3 complete! Jessica definitely regrets rejecting you now!]
[QUEST COMPLETE! Rewards granted!]
Michael felt another warm feeling spread through his body. He felt even more confident than before. Like he could take on the world.
[New System Feature Unlocked: MISSION BOARD! You can now take on multiple quests and earn bigger rewards!]
[Special Skill Unlocked: Confidence Boost Level 2! You now inspire confidence in others too!]
[200 Talent Points awarded! Current TP: 256!]
The crowd was still gathered around Michael. More students kept arriving as videos of his performance spread online. He could see the numbers getting bigger and bigger.
"Michael!" Jessica pushed through the crowd. "We need to talk. About the club. About... everything."
"What's to talk about? You said I qualify. I'm in."
"Yes, but... look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't know you could sing like that. No one knew."
Michael looked at her carefully. Yesterday, she wouldn't even look at him. Now she was apologizing and trying to get his attention. The power shift was obvious.
"The first club meeting is tonight at seven," Jessica continued. "We're in the music room on the third floor. Please come. We... we need someone like you."
"I'll think about it."
Michael started walking away, but Emma Rodriguez stepped in front of him.
"Michael, wait. I wanted to apologize too. We all did. We didn't give you a fair chance."
Sarah Kim nodded. "You're really talented. I feel bad about how we treated you before."
Other students were agreeing. The same people who laughed at him yesterday were now trying to get on his good side. It felt good, but also strange.
[This is how the world works, host. People only respect strength. Yesterday you were weak. Today you are strong. Now they want to be your friend.]
Michael understood. These people didn't suddenly become nicer. They just realized he wasn't someone they could look down on anymore.
"Thanks," Michael said to Emma and Sarah. "Maybe we can talk later."
He walked away, leaving the crowd behind. But he could hear them still talking about his performance. Videos were already spreading on social media. By tonight, everyone at the university would know what happened.
[Excellent work! But this is just the beginning. Check your Mission Board!]
A new screen appeared.
MISSION BOARD
Available Missions:
WEEKLY MISSION: SOCIAL MEDIA STARGet 10,000 views on a performance videoReward: 500 TP + Fame System Unlocked
DAILY MISSION: TALENT SHOW DOMINATIONWin the upcoming university talent showReward: 300 TP + Mystery Skill
SPECIAL MISSION: REVENGE OF THE REJECTEDMake your father regret kicking you outReward: 1000 TP + Family Recognition + Special Item
Michael's eyes stopped at the last mission. His father. The man who threw him out of the house and called him worthless. The idea of making him regret it was very appealing.
"Tell me more about the Special Mission."
[This is a high-level mission with great rewards. But it's also dangerous. Failure could result in permanent talent reduction.]
"What do I need to do?"
[Become so successful and famous that your father has no choice but to admit he was wrong. The system will track your progress and provide guidance.]
"How long do I have?"
[No time limit, but the longer you take, the harder it gets. Your father might forget about you completely if you wait too long.]
Michael thought about it. His father was a successful businessman who owned several companies. He had kicked Michael out because he was embarrassed to have a "useless" son. To get his attention, Michael would need to become very famous and successful.
"I'll take it. And the talent show mission too."
[Excellent choices! Both missions are now active. But first, you should attend that Musical Club meeting tonight. It could be very useful.]
Michael spent the rest of the day thinking about his plan. He went to his afternoon classes, but he couldn't focus. Students kept staring at him and whispering. Videos of his hallway performance were going viral on campus social media. He was already becoming famous.
At seven PM, Michael went to the music room on the third floor. He could hear voices inside. When he opened the door, the entire room went quiet.
The Musical Club had about twenty members. They all turned to look at him when he entered. Jessica was at the front of the room with a guitar in her hands.
"Michael! You came!" she said with a big smile. "Everyone, this is our new member, Michael Smith."
The room broke into applause. These were the same students who wouldn't even talk to him a week ago. Now they were clapping for him like he was a celebrity.
"Welcome to the Musical Club," said David Park, the vice president. "We've all seen the videos from today. You're incredibly talented."
Michael nodded and found an empty seat. The meeting continued with Jessica talking about upcoming events and performances. But Michael could tell everyone was more interested in him than what she was saying.
"Our biggest event this semester is the university talent show next month," Jessica said. "It's a huge competition with a ten thousand dollar prize. Students from all the best universities participate."
Michael perked up. Ten thousand dollars would solve a lot of his problems. And winning would definitely help with his missions.
"I want to enter," Michael said.
Jessica smiled. "That's great! With your voice, we could actually win for the first time."
"We?" Michael asked.
"Well, the Musical Club always enters as a group. We perform together and split any prizes."
[Warning! This could interfere with your missions. The system detected that Jessica wants to use your talent to benefit herself and the club.]
Michael realized what was happening. Jessica and the club wanted to ride on his talent. They would take credit for his success and share the rewards that should be his alone.
"Actually, I think I'll enter individually."
The room got uncomfortable. Jessica looked surprised and a little angry.
"But Michael, we're a team now. The Musical Club has a tradition of performing together."
"And how many times has the club won?"
Jessica's face turned red. "That's not the point. We support each other here."
"Like you supported me yesterday when you rejected me without even giving me a chance?"
The room was silent. Everyone remembered what happened. Jessica had no good answer.
Michael stood up. "I appreciate being accepted into the club. But I'm entering the talent show on my own. Good luck with your group performance."
He walked toward the door.
"Michael, wait!" Jessica called out. "You can't just leave!"
"Actually, I can. I'm in the club now, like you said. But that doesn't mean I have to do everything your way."
[Perfect response! You're learning how to use your new power correctly!]
Michael left the music room and walked down the empty hallway. He could hear the club members arguing behind him. Jessica was probably panicking. Without his voice, their chances of winning the talent show had just dropped to zero.
His phone buzzed with notifications. The videos from today had spread beyond the university. People from all over the city were sharing them and asking who he was. He was getting friend requests from strangers and messages from local music producers.
One message caught his attention. It was from Marcus Webb, owner of Webb Entertainment, one of the biggest talent agencies in the country.
"Michael, I saw your performance videos online. Your voice is exactly what I've been looking for. I'd like to meet with you tomorrow to discuss representation. This could be the beginning of something big."
Michael's heart raced. A real talent agent wanted to meet with him. This was happening faster than he ever imagined.
[Incredible progress! Your fame is spreading rapidly. This Marcus Webb could be very useful for your missions.]
"Should I meet with him?"
[Absolutely. But be careful. Don't sign anything without reading it first. These industry people will try to take advantage of new talent.]
Michael walked back to his apartment, thinking about everything that had happened. This morning he was still the loser everyone ignored. Tonight he was getting calls from talent agents and winning talent competitions.
His phone rang. It was an unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Is this Michael Smith? The singer from the university videos?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"My name is Reporter Linda Chang from Channel 7 News. We'd like to do a story about you. The college student who became an overnight sensation. Are you available for an interview tomorrow?"
Michael almost dropped his phone. Channel 7 was the biggest news station in the city. His father watched it every morning.
"Yes, I'm available."
"Great! We'll meet at the university at noon. This is going to be a wonderful story."
After she hung up, Michael sat on his bed and stared at his phone. A news interview. His father would definitely see that.
[Mission progress update: Special Mission - Revenge of the Rejected: 15% complete. You're moving faster than expected!]
Michael smiled. His father had always said he would never amount to anything. Soon, he would see his "worthless" son on the evening news. The man who kicked him out would realize he had made a terrible mistake.
The System had given Michael a second chance at life. Now he was going to use it to show everyone who had ever doubted him that they were wrong. Starting with his father.
[Rest well tonight, host. Tomorrow will be even bigger than today.]
As Michael fell asleep, he could hear his phone still buzzing with notifications. Videos, messages, interview requests. His new life was just beginning.
But he had no idea how much his world was about to change.