He had died once in the rain.Now, the one who awakened was someone else entirely.
The early morning city looked freshly washed.Rainwater gathered in puddles along the roadside, reflecting glowing billboards that pulsed with harsh white light.Ethan sat at the entrance of a convenience store, hands wrapped around the cheapest instant coffee he could buy.The bitterness was metallic—harsh—but he drank it slowly, sip by sip.
Last night's task was complete.A thousand dollars earned. A new skill awakened.Yet, he still had no home.
The wind swept around the corner, carrying with it the mixed scent of fried oil and humidity.People hurried past him, eyes fixed on their screens, unaware of the man in the worn delivery jacket sitting quietly in the shadow of the morning.
"I made money," he murmured, "but nothing changed."A pause."Except—I'm never going back."
He looked up. The light screen appeared before his eyes automatically.
[Current Balance: $1,004][Mission 002: Establish a Business Entity][Progress: 0%]
Ethan stared at the floating text and ran a finger across the air.At once, several glowing options unfolded before him:
[Recommended Option ①: Virtual Purchasing Platform][Recommended Option ②: Delivery Transfer Hub][Recommended Option ③: Risk Model – AI Dispatch Network (Difficulty: S)]
He was silent for a long moment, eyes reflecting the flicker of the holographic interface.Then, he made his choice.
"If I'm going to do this," he said softly, "I'll do what no one else dares to."
The screen shimmered.
[Plan confirmed. Initializing business model analysis...][Task Progress: 5%]
By afternoon, Ethan was still out delivering orders.The post-rain air was crisp. Streets gleamed like mirrors.The city looked cleaner—but emptier too, as if everything beautiful about it was only surface-deep.
Meanwhile, the System was quietly collecting data—traffic speed, weather patterns, delivery density, customer habits.Inside Ethan's mind, every piece of information began to weave together.His enhanced memory was no longer just recall; it had become calculation.
He was mapping the city's heartbeat.
That evening, Ethan returned to his cramped rented room.The wallpaper peeled from the corners, and the constant noise of traffic pressed in through the window.He opened his old laptop and began typing.Lines of code and streams of data scrolled down the screen in rapid succession.His eyes burned red with exhaustion, but his hands didn't stop.
"System," he muttered, "if I can finish this algorithm, I'll gain access to the city's existing delivery data, right?"
[Affirmative. Estimated efficiency boost: +312%.]
Ethan exhaled slowly."Then I'll be first—no dependence, no weakness."
Late at night.Laughter from couples drifted in through the thin walls.He looked out the window, gaze distant, thoughts spiraling.
Unbidden, a memory surfaced—Lena, sitting across from him in that café, her eyes clear and decisive, voice cutting clean through the noise.
He smiled bitterly."So… you already knew I'd end up like this."
The light screen flickered.A soft chime followed.
[Emotional fluctuation detected.][Warning: Negative sentiment may reduce cognitive efficiency.]
Ethan froze—then laughed, low and sharp.
"You even want to control my emotions now? What am I—still human?"
The System said nothing.Only the faint blue light reflected in his eyes remained, cold and unwavering.
3:00 a.m.
The code finally compiled.A surge of blue light spread across his room as the holographic city map came to life.Streets, restaurants, delivery routes, and data nodes pulsed like a living organism.
[AI Dispatch Network: Beta Version Activated][Mission Progress: 72%]
Ethan stared at the digital city before him.He could see its underlying structure—the traffic flowing like blood, the data pulsing like nerves.And he… was the rhythm keeping it alive.
But then, the interface shuddered.
[Warning: Unauthorized signal detected.][Source: Unknown. Distance: 1.3 km.]
Ethan's eyes narrowed.A red waveform flickered on the display, another frequency resonating with his own system.
"…There are others?"
Wind slipped through the cracks of the window, cool against his skin.He stood, eyes fixed on the distant skyline.Neon lights blinked faintly in that direction—almost as if they were answering him.
[System Note: New Variable Detected — Ω_03][Recommendation: Observe before engagement.]
Ethan's gaze hardened.
"Observe?" he said, voice low and cold."No.""I want to know who she is."