The message didn't disappear.
It stayed there, hovering in front of Minh Truong's eyes like a quiet threat.
[Lifespan Remaining: 72 years, 184 days]
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Nothing changed.
Minh Truong closed the app, locked the phone, even restarted it. When the screen lit up again, the number returned—calm, precise, merciless.
He wasn't dreaming.
At school, the world continued as usual. Students laughed, teachers lectured, time moved forward like it always had. Yet Minh Truong felt detached, as if he were watching everything from behind a layer of glass.
He started noticing things.
The way people wasted time.
The way they argued over meaningless things.
The way they acted as if tomorrow was guaranteed.
During lunch break, he tested the system.
He skipped a meal and worked out instead.
The number changed.
[Lifespan Remaining: +3 days]
Minh Truong froze.
It was real.
Not fate.
Not luck.
But data.
That night, he pushed further.
He helped an old man cross the street.
Returned a lost wallet without checking the money inside.
Finished his homework instead of gaming until midnight.
The result wasn't dramatic—but it was consistent.
Small actions.
Small gains.
Then curiosity turned dangerous.
What happens if he does something bad?
He didn't want to hurt anyone.
But temptation whispered quietly.
He lied.
Just a simple lie to avoid trouble.
The system reacted instantly.
[Lifespan Remaining: −6 months]
Minh Truong's heart pounded.
So this was the rule.
Good actions increased lifespan.
Bad actions shortened it.
No morality lectures.
No divine judgment.
Just cold calculation.
For the first time, fear truly settled in his chest.
Seventy-two years suddenly felt… fragile.
"What if it can reach zero?" he whispered.
The screen answered without emotion.
[Warning: Lifespan depletion results in irreversible termination.]
Minh Truong sat on his bed, staring into the darkness.
If life could be measured, traded, and lost…
Then staying alive was no longer a right.
It was a skill.
And from this moment on, he understood one thing clearly:
He was no longer living normally.
He was surviving—day by day, second by second.