Chapter 2 — Testing the Impossible.
Thorian didn't sleep that night.
He tried—he really did. He lay there in his small apartment, staring at the cracked paint on the ceiling while the system's faint hum settled in his mind like a second heartbeat.
$1 per second.
$60 per minute.
$3,600 per hour.
His balance climbed steadily no matter what he did.
At 3:12 AM, he gave up on sleep and sat up.
"Okay," he muttered, rubbing his face. "If this is real… then I need to test it."
He opened his banking app.
+ $10,800.
Just from lying in bed.
His chest tightened. That number was more than he made in three months. Maybe four. And sometimes 5.
He stared at it, overwhelmed.
"…I'm not dreaming."
His stomach growled loudly, reminding him he hadn't eaten properly in nearly a day.
That settled it.
He threw on a hoodie and headed outside. The cold morning air slapped him awake as he walked to the 24-hour convenience store down the street.
He grabbed a sandwich,a bottle of juice,Instant ramen a pack of gum...And, for once… a chocolate bar he liked but never let himself buy.
At the counter, the cashier mumbled, "$14.83."
Thorian hesitated for only a second.
"Debit," he said finally, almost scared the system might stop him.
Approved.
Nothing exploded. No alarms went off. No weird voices lectured him.
He paid. Just like that.
As he stepped outside, he tore open the sandwich and took a huge bite.
Warm, soft bread. Real meat. Not the cheap microwave food he usually lived on.
It tasted… incredible. Or maybe it just tasted like freedom.
"Okay," he said between bites, "so I can spend money on myself."
Another chime echoed faintly in his head.
[Purchase Approved.]
[Host well-being improved by 12%.]
Thorian nearly choked.
"There are… percentages?"
But before he could ask for details, the system went quiet again.
"Figures."
Still, he wasn't complaining.
Each second brought more money.
Each second brought a little more hope.
And for the first time in a long time… things didn't feel impossible.
Back home, he opened the landlord's message forcing "rent no later than Friday."
Thorian usually avoided replying—what was the point? He didn't have the money.
But now?
He typed:
'I'll drop it off tomorrow morning."
He hovered over Send.
He didn't want to seem suspicious. He didn't want attention.
But… paying rent early wasn't illegal.
He hit Send.
For a moment, he just stared at the message, heart pounding as if he'd just confessed a crime.
Thorian sat on the edge of his bed, a half-finished bowl of ramen on the desk beside him. His apartment was quiet, the kind of heavy silence that pressed against the walls.
He exhaled slowly.
"System," he said aloud, feeling only slightly ridiculous. "Can you… hear me?"
A soft chime responded inside his mind.
[Acknowledged. The host may issue commands verbally or mentally.]
Thorian nodded to himself.
"So I'm not crazy. Or at least, not hallucinating alone."
He leaned back, folding his arms.
"Okay then. Explain yourself. What exactly are you?"
A brief pause—as if the system was choosing its words.
[Designation: Per Second System.]
[Purpose: To facilitate the host's personal and environmental improvement through resource generation.]
Thorian blinked. "That… sounds like a fancy way of saying you give me money."
[Primary Function: Monetary Generation. +$1 per second.]
"Right, that part I get. But why? And what else can you do?"
Another pause.
[Host Request Recognized: System Overview.]
A series of faint, translucent screens appeared in his mind—simple, clean, organized like a minimal UI.
" SYSTEM OVERVIEW "
Name: Per Second System
Host: Thorian Stormborne
Core Function: Resource Generation
Rate: +$1 / second
" SYSTEM PERMISSIONS "
Funds can be used for:
- Host welfare
- Essential living needs
- Self-improvement
- Assisting others
- Emergency purchases
- Long-term investments
Funds cannot be used for:
- Acts deemed excessively reckless
- Purchases that intentionally create large-scale harm
- Attempts to forcibly manipulate others
- Acquiring items the host cannot physically or legally control
" SYSTEM FEATURES "
1. Monetary Accumulation
Funds increase continuously—no limit, no cooldown, no pause.
2. Integrity Points
Earned by taking actions that align with personal growth or helping others.
(Used for future system upgrades.)
3. Contextual Guidance
System may provide short suggestions during emergencies.
4. Privacy Protocol
System cannot be detected by external technology or individuals.
The screens faded gently.
Thorian stared into the empty room.
"…Okay. That's… a lot."
He rubbed his temples. "So I'm basically earning money just by existing."
[Affirmative.]
"And you don't stop? Not if I sleep, shower, study—nothing interrupts it?"
[ Correct. Resource generation is constant.]
"And I can spend it on myself."
[Permitted.]
Thorian let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
His rent. His tuition. Food. Clothes. A phone that didn't crack when he breathed near it.
Things normal people didn't think twice about.
He swallowed.
"Alright. What about these… 'Integrity Points'?"
[Integrity Points measure the host's alignment with constructive action.]
[Accumulated points may unlock higher system levels, additional features, or enhanced permissions.]
"So helping people levels you up."
[Simplified explanation: Yes.]
"…And hurting people?"
Another pause.
[Negative actions may incur penalties.]
[Penalties may include temporary loss of resource generation or downgrade of system functions.]
Thorian went quiet.
This wasn't just free money.
It had… direction. Purpose.
"System," he said softly. "Why me?"
For a long moment, there was no answer.
Then—
[Insufficient clearance to access that information.]
Thorian muttered, "Figures."
He pushed a hand through his hair and let out a small laugh—half overwhelmed, half relieved.
"So… what you're saying is:
I have unlimited money, as long as I don't become a terrible person."
[Affirmative.]
Thorian stood, stretching.
"Well," he whispered with a small smile, "that's the easiest deal I've ever taken."
The system hummed quietly, almost like approval.
And for the first time in his life, Thorian felt like the world wasn't closing in—
It was opening.