After the brief interrogation with his parents, Evan stepped out into the quiet warmth of the morning.
It was that specific hour when the city had stretched its limbs but hadn't fully woken up yet. The air carried the early summer stillness, broken only by the distant hum of traffic on the highway and the occasional bark of a dog.
Evan adjusted his backpack strap. It felt lighter today. Not because the contents had changed, but because the crushing weight of the world—the gravity of poverty—had been lifted.
He let the heavy metal door of the apartment block close behind him. Clang.
The sun sat higher now, bright but not harsh, casting long, steady shadows across the cracked pavement of Edgewater. A gentle breeze stirred the few dying trees that lined the street.
"It's going to be a good day," Evan murmured, taking a deep breath.
The air wasn't exactly alpine fresh—Edgewater was the city's armpit, smelling faintly of ozone and wet cardboard—but today, it tasted like fresh oxygen.
People were already shuffling toward the bus stop, heads down, shoulders slumped, moving toward the glittering center of New Orelis to chase paychecks that were spent before they were earned.
Evan joined the flow, but his destination wasn't a factory or a corporate tower. It was the small, dusty bookstore tucked between Edgewater and the suburbs.
He walked, but his mind wasn't on shelving books.
He walked with a pace that forced him to slow down so he wouldn't overtake everyone. His legs wanted to run.
Wait… I haven't even looked at the Emperor System yet.
All morning, his brain had been stuck on one variable: the money. That billion-dollar safety net. Because of the shock, and then the rush to help his parents, he hadn't even checked what else this thing could do.
He stopped in a quiet alleyway, shielded from the main street by a dumpster. It was private enough.
He pulled out his phone.
The gold crown icon was pulsing gently in the corner of his screen.
"The Emperor System," he whispered.
That's when it happened.
Flash.
The interface didn't open on the phone. It jumped off the screen.
"Whoa," Evan breathed, stepping back.
A glowing blue panel hovered in mid-air, translucent and sharp, as real as the brick wall behind it. It was a hologram, but there was no projector. It was light suspended in oxygen.
He glanced around nervously. A woman walked past the alley entrance. She didn't look at the glowing screen. She didn't scream.
Okay. Just me then. Retinal projection? Or direct neural interface?
He stepped deeper into the shadow.
=====
[ Emperor System ]
[1] Status Panel
[2] Mission Panel
[3] Skills Panel
[4] Shop Panel
[5] Inventory
=====
It's literally a video game menu, Evan thought. Minimalist UI. Clean fonts. No ads.
He reached out to touch Status Panel.
Before his finger made contact, the menu shifted. It opened instantly.
Thought-controlled. Reaction time: 0.01 seconds. Faster than touch.
But the floating hologram was a problem. Talking to himself was socially acceptable in Edgewater; staring at invisible screens while walking made him look like a junkie.
Can I put this back on the phone? he thought. Minimize projection.
Zip.
The hologram vanished from the air and reappeared neatly on his smartphone screen, looking just like a normal app.
"Much better," he muttered. "Less 'crazy person' vibes. More 'guy scrolling social media' vibes."
He focused on the first tab.
=====
[ Status Panel ]
Name: Evan Kyros
Level: 1 EXP: 0 / 1000
Ascension Points (AP): 0
Wealth: Unlimited (Tier 1)
Physical Attributes
Strength: 18 (Average Adult Male: 10)
Speed: 16 (Average Adult Male: 10)
Endurance: 25 (Average Adult Male: 10)
Mental Attributes
Intelligence: 35 (Average Adult Male: 10)
Charisma: 12 (Average Adult Male: 10)
Free Attribute Points: 0
Skills: [None Unlocked]
=====
Evan stared at the numbers.
His eyes widened.
Average is 10.
He looked at his hand. He flexed his fingers.
Strength: 18. Nearly double the average human. Endurance: 25. Two and a half times the limit.
That explains it, he realized. The smoke creature in the void. I crushed its skull like it was made of styrofoam. And this energy… this reactor in my chest. I'm not normal after all.
Then, his eyes drifted to the Intelligence stat.
35.
He let out a short, sharp breath.
He had always been smart. He was the kid who fixed the teacher's computer, the student who solved equations before the chalk hit the board. But this?
35 was off the charts. It explained why he could analyze things in split second. It explained why the world seemed to be moving in slow motion around him.
And now, my hardware was upgraded, Evan thought, tapping the screen. But the processor… the processor is a supercomputer.
His eyes drifted to the top. Level 1.
If this was Level 1, what was Level 100?
He tapped the second tab.
[ Mission Panel ]
The screen flickered. A golden banner unfurled across the top.
[ Path: The Aurum ]
[ System Note: The Candidate has chosen the Path of Aurum. Adjustment: Mission Parameters rewritten. ]
Evan read the text closely.
It adjusted?
He realized what that meant. If he had chosen The Apex, his first mission would probably be "Beat up three thugs" or "Survive a fight." If he had chosen The Nexus, it would be "Meditate for Mana."
But he chose The Aurum.
The text shifted.
=====
[ Main Mission 1: The Foundation ]
Description: A King does not fight in the mud. A King builds the stage. Capital without influence is merely a target. You have the money; now acquire the standing.
Objective: Improve your social status.
Rewards: 1,500 EXP, 10 Ascension Points.
Status: In Progress.
=====
Evan stared at the text.
"Improve your social status. That was it?"
He frowned. "That's incredibly vague."
Usually, missions were specific. Kill ten rats. Deliver this package. Defeat the boss.
But this? This was a puzzle.
What did the System mean by "status"?
Did it mean wealth? He already had a billion dollars, but nobody knew about it.
Did he need to flash the cash?
Buy a Lamborghini and drive it through New Orelis?
Or did it mean reputation? Did he need to become famous?
Or maybe it meant rank? Did he need to get a better job?
It's a test, Evan realized. The System isn't giving me a tutorial. It's giving me a destination without a map.
It wanted his Intelligence stat of 35 to figure it out.
"Cryptic," he muttered. "But I'm up for the challenge."
He scrolled down. There was another section.
=====
[ Daily Mission: Physical Training - Basic ]
System Note: Even a Golden King requires a functional body. Do not neglect the hardware.
[+] Push-ups: 0/100
[+] Sit-ups: 0/100
[+] Squats: 0/100
[+] Run: 0/10 km
Rewards: +50 EXP, +1 to all Physical Attributes.
Penalties: -50 EXP, -1 to all Physical Attributes.
Time Remaining: 15:15:00
=====
Evan raised an eyebrow.
100 reps. 10 kilometers.
It felt… doable. Like a warm-up.
But the Penalty caught his eye.
-1 to all Physical Attributes.
His blood ran cold.
He was strong now, yes. But the System gave, and the System took. If he got lazy, if he stopped grinding, the power would be stripped away.
It's not a gift, he realized. It's a loan. I have to pay interest in sweat.
He checked the Shop Panel quickly, just to see the economy.
=====
[ Shop Panel ]
[+] Lower Grade Strength Potion — 1 Ascension Point (Stock: 1/1)
[+] Lower Grade Speed Potion — 1 Ascension Point (Stock: 1/1)
[+] Lower Grade Endurance Potion — 1 Ascension Point (Stock: 1/1)
[+] Lower Grade Intelligence Potion — 1 Ascension Point (Stock: 1/1)
[+] Lower Grade Charisma Potion — 1 Ascension Point (Stock: 1/1)
[ Locked Items – Level 5 Required ]
=====
Evan analyzed the currency. Ascension Points (AP).
Potions. Literal stat boosters.
He realized the economy of the System. Money is for the world. Ascension Points are for the System.
Unlimited money could buy houses, cars, and influence. But it couldn't buy Strength. It couldn't buy Intelligence. Only Missions gave AP.
The grind is real, he thought. If I want to hit Level 2, I have to do the work.
A soft chime rang in his head. Ding.
[ New Mission Alert ]
A text box unfolded over the Shop Panel.
=====
[ Mission 2: Expand Your Network ]
Description: Wealth attracts parasites, but power attracts allies.
Objective: Build a connection with influential figures in New Orelis. Establish a network to protect your capital.
Progress: Connections (0/3)
Rewards: 2,500 EXP, 10 Ascension Points.
Failure Penalty: None.
=====
Another one. He hadn't start the first mission but was already given the second mission.
Evan could see the pattern of the mission. It was still tailored specifically to the "Aurum" logic as how the System mentioned.
Expand my network? Influential figures?
He thought about his contacts.
Jordan? Nothing special.
Jordan's parents? A small company, barely a ripple in the pond.
Mr. Parker at the bookstore? Owned a barely surviving shop.
Mr. Greg? A slumlord.
None of them fit the bill.
Why does the System care who I know?
It felt deliberate. But Evan believed the System was steering him toward power. It wanted him to have influence, leverage, and allies to safeguard the money he now had.
Two influential figures, he mused. Does a Professor count? Or do I need a CEO?
He checked the time. 8:45 A.M.
He was going to be late for work.
Evan minimized the System. He shoved the phone into his pocket.
He adjusted his backpack as the familiar sign of The Last Page came into view.
The faded awning. The dusty window display.
It looked small now. Insignificant.
Yesterday, this job was his lifeline. It was the only thing keeping him able to help his family.
Today, it was a disguise.
One thing was clear: his life wasn't his own anymore. The System had a plan, and he was just a variable in its code.