Chapter 5
The Screen Before His Eyes
Ethan stood frozen, his chest still heaving from the scuffle, the pain in his ribs pulsing with every breath. Around him, the alley was empty now, only the echo of hurried footsteps fading into the distance. But he barely noticed. His eyes were fixed on the translucent screen hovering before him, glowing faintly against the morning light.
Words shimmered across its surface, sharp and undeniable:
Mission Complete!
Reward:– Free Card Draw [1]– +5 System Points
System Notice: A free draw is now available. Would you like to draw? [Y/N]
Ethan's lips parted, but no words came. His mind spun, searching for explanations.
"This… this isn't real," he whispered. "It can't be."
But the letters remained, steady, clear, impossible to dismiss.
For a long moment, he simply stared, dazed. He didn't even realize the bus had arrived at the stop nearby, people boarding in an orderly line. He didn't notice the hiss of its brakes, the rumble as it pulled away. By the time he blinked and looked up, the bus was already gone, leaving only exhaust in the air.
"Shit," Ethan muttered, running a hand through his hair. His stomach twisted. He had missed it. One more mark against him on a day that already felt cursed.
But even that thought was drowned beneath the glowing screen still waiting patiently in front of him.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears. He raised a trembling hand, reaching out instinctively. His finger hovered for a moment before he forced himself to press against the words:
Claim Reward.
The screen flickered.
And then it shifted.
--- [Money Deck System v1.0] ---
Name: Ethan Ivers
[Status]Balance: $0
System Points: 5Cards Available: 1 (Undrawn)
[Recent Mission]Type: Clubs – EffortRank: [2♣]Objective: Intervene and resolve the injustice.Result: Success!
[Rewards]+1 Free Card Draw+5 System Points
[Next Action]– Draw a new card
Ethan staggered back a step, his vision swimming. The interface hung in the air like a window to another reality, the glowing lines impossibly clean, the details so precise they couldn't have been a trick of his mind.
His mouth went dry.
"Status… balance… cards… missions…" he whispered, reading the sections aloud.
The words felt surreal on his tongue. Yet each one carried weight, as if carved into stone. His name at the top made his skin prickle. There was no denying it now. This was no dream, no hallucination brought on by exams and stress.
The Money Deck System—whatever it was—was real.
His fingers twitched as he scrolled his eyes downward.
Balance: $0. That one stung, though it wasn't surprising. He barely had enough to scrape through each week.
System Points: 5. What did that mean? Some kind of currency?
Cards Available: 1 (Undrawn). His heart gave a strange lurch. A card. The words pulsed faintly, beckoning.
He swallowed hard, his throat dry.
The memory of last night rose unbidden—blood on the deck, glowing cards, whispers at the edge of hearing. He had convinced himself it was madness. But this… this was undeniable.
He pressed his hands to his temples, trying to think. If anyone else saw him right now, what would they see? Was he just standing in the street, staring at empty air like a lunatic?
He risked a glance around. People passed by without giving him so much as a second look. To them, nothing was visible. The screen was his alone.
His pulse quickened.
"Then it's… mine," he whispered.
The last section burned brightest: Next Action – Draw a new card.
A cold shiver ran down his spine. He remembered how the blank cards had once seemed lifeless, only to flare alive with blood. What would happen if he chose to draw now? Would another mission appear? Something more dangerous than the last?
He clenched his fists, torn between fear and curiosity.
On one hand, he was already drowning in exams, humiliation, and pressure. On the other, something in him—something he didn't want to admit—thrilled at the thought.
Because for once, he had not been powerless.
For once, he had stepped in, and the world had shifted around him.
The mission hadn't just tested him. It had rewarded him.
His gaze drifted to the glowing option again.
Draw a new card.
Ethan licked his lips, heart hammering, unable to tear his eyes away.
The system pulsed softly, as though waiting.
And Ethan, bruised and exhausted but unable to deny the weight of destiny pressing against him, drew in a sharp breath.
His finger hovered.
Then, with trembling resolve, he reached forward.