Seconds To Zero
In Neo-Veridia, time isn’t money. It’s life.
Nineteen-year-old Evan is an anomaly. In a city addicted to the dopamine rush of The Exchange—where a roll of the dice can win you a decade or kill you instantly—Evan never gambles. He works. He saves. He survives. He is the only person in the slums with a serious face and a "clean" wrist.
But the House always finds a way to break you.
When his father is struck down by a rare, fatal glitch in his Life-Clock, Evan is handed a death sentence in the form of a bill: 50 Years. Due in twelve hours.
With no collateral and time ticking down, Evan is forced to break his one rule. He enters the neon-soaked underworld of high-stakes gambling. But as he sits at the table, surrounded by desperation and sharks, Evan realizes something terrifying.
He isn't just lucky. When he looks at the spinning wheels and shifting cards, he doesn't see chance. He sees math. He sees trajectories. He sees the future.
Evan is about to play the most dangerous game in history. He isn't just playing for his father’s life anymore; he’s playing to bankrupt the system that enslaved humanity.
The odds are one in a million. Evan likes those odds.
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Chapter: Chapter 249The rich man in the purple suit laughed loudly from his table. "Look at her! She knows her place! Take it from her, guard! She is nothing!"Maria heard the rich man’s laugh. She looked at her glowing green watch. Then, she thought of her daughter. She thought of her daughter crying from hunger yesterday morning. She thought of her daughter’s thin, pale face. If she gave this time back, her daughter would die in the slums. The fear in Maria’s stomach suddenly stopped. It did not go away. It changed. The fear turned into something hot. It turned into a burning, explosive fire. It turned into pure, blinding anger. Why should she bow? Why should she surrender? She was a human being. The Bank had stolen her life, her husband, and her happiness. And now, when a miracle had finally given it all back, this faceless monster in a silver suit wanted to take it away again. "Hold out your arm, worker!" the Captain yelled, raising the stick higher. Maria looked the Enforcer Captain right in t
Last Updated: 2026-07-11
Chapter: Chapter 248The Grand Lobby of the High Spire was a sea of solid gold. Millions of heavy, shiny time-tokens covered the beautiful white marble floor. They were piled up against the golden pillars. They were stacked on top of the broken card tables. The air smelled of sweet ozone, sweat, and the sharp scent of metal. For the people of the South District, this room had always been a nightmare. It was the place where they came to lose their lives. It was the place where the Bank stole their hours, their days, and their years. But right now, the nightmare was dead. The people stood in the gold. They looked at their wrists. The heavy, black steel bio-watches were no longer blinking with angry red numbers. They were glowing with a bright, beautiful, warm green light. Ping. Ping. Ping. The sound of the watches was like a gentle heartbeat. Every single poor person in the room had millions of years in their account. They were immortal. They were rich. They were free. Silas, the old dealer with gray
Last Updated: 2026-07-11
Chapter: Chapter 247Evan gritted his teeth. He let out a loud, raw roar of pure pain. He wrapped his bleeding fingers completely around the thick metal of the Master Gear. He squeezed as hard as he could. At the exact same time, Evan felt a massive, terrifying pain explode inside his own physical chest. His real heart skipped a beat. It felt like a giant, cold hand had reached inside his ribs and squeezed his heart muscle tightly. Thump. Evan fell to his knees. He kept his grip on the gear in the machine. He pulled back with all of his remaining strength. His vision went dark around the edges. He could not breathe. His heart was stopping. Thump... "Break!" Evan screamed with his last breath of air. He twisted his bloody hand. CRACK. A loud, sharp sound echoed through the server room. The purple Master Gear snapped in half. The roaring sound of the vacuum instantly died. The spinning stopped. The purple light flared brilliantly, blindingly bright, and then exploded outward in a shower of dark s
Last Updated: 2026-07-10
Chapter: Chapter 246"It... it is perfectly shielded!" Glitch cried. "I cannot hack it from here! The code is a closed loop! The only way to stop it is to physically destroy the gear!"Evan struggled against the foot on his neck. "Then I will smash it!""You cannot smash it!" Glitch screamed. Tears were streaming down his dirty face. "Evan, look closely at the gear! Look at the shape of the code around it!"Evan forced his head to turn. He looked at the glowing purple gear spinning in the server slot. He squinted through the bright light and the flying dust. The gear was glowing purple. But it was not just a solid piece of metal. There were tiny, almost invisible threads of black energy wrapping around it. The threads looked like dark smoke. They looked like the Void. "That gear is not just a copy, Evan," Glitch sobbed. "It is the Master Gear. The Architect built it using the data from your own body when you were Subject 04! It is quantum-linked to you!"The Architect laughed. It was a beautiful, terri
Last Updated: 2026-07-10
Chapter: Chapter 245Evan was thrown backward. His feet left the floor. He flew through the air and crashed into a pile of broken concrete that had fallen from the ceiling. He gasped, rolling onto his side. He coughed up a speck of blood. "You are surprised," the Architect said smoothly. He dusted off his white sleeve. "You think because I wear a nice suit, I do not know how to fight. Evan, I am over four hundred years old. I have bought the best combat training from every era of history. I do not need a cyborg body. I have perfected the human form using pure time."The Architect turned back to the server tower. "Now," the Architect said. "Let us reset the game."The Architect pushed the glowing purple gear into the square slot on the server tower. CLICK. The sound was sharp and heavy. It echoed through the massive cavern of Level 99. Instantly, the entire room changed. The golden light that was glowing on all the server screens suddenly vanished. The room plunged into deep, scary shadows. Then, a t
Last Updated: 2026-07-09
Chapter: Chapter 244The rich man in the purple suit stood up. He held two fistfuls of golden chips. "Guards!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Scorpions! Arrest these thieves! Shoot them! They are stealing our property!"Fifty Elite Scorpion guards stood around the edges of the lobby. They held their heavy kinetic rifles. The lead guard looked at the rich man. Then, the lead guard looked at his own wrist. Ping. The guard’s watch was also glowing green. The guard had two million years of life. He did not need to work for the Bank anymore. He did not need to take orders from cruel, angry rich people. He was completely free. The lead Scorpion guard smiled. He reached up and pulled off his heavy black helmet. He threw the helmet onto the floor. It rolled away, hitting a pile of chips. "I quit," the guard said loudly. He lowered his rifle. He dropped it on the floor. All around the lobby, the other Scorpion guards saw their leader. They looked at their green watches. One by one, they took off thei
Last Updated: 2026-07-09
Chapter: CHAPTER TEN“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Kaidon said, with a laugh of anxiety preceding his statement. He watched as Ophelia fumbled with something in her purse.“This is your phone. You had a call few hours ago, from someone who claims that you are owing them. He says he is going to reveal your identity.” Ophelia pulled out her other phone. “I decided to check your track record with Mr. Richard and there is no connection as well. This makes me wonder how you got his number”At this revelation, Kaidon knew there was no lie he could come up with. Ophelia had all the evidence needed to hold against him. He was totally clueless as to what to say.“What have I ever done to you Kaidon? I always thought you are one of the good persons out there. Turns out that every devil is usually once angels.” Ophelia stared one last time at Kaidon with disgust and turned around to leave, despite the plea from him.When Ophelia arrived at Gideon’s mansion, she goes over to Gideon who is well seated in
Last Updated: 2025-11-10
Chapter: CHAPTER NINE The restroom door was opened and she noticed Gideon coming from afar towards the restroom and knew a perfect plan. She turned to Ophelia, saying. “While you call me a whore, I will have you remember that you are the one with a child, whose father is unknown and right now, it is clear you are planning to pin it on Gideon, by forging a fake DNA test result for him.” Valerie said those words aloud,, knowing that Gideon could be listening.Meanwhile, Gideon had been curious to know where Ophelia had gone to and followed her tracks. When he was about checking the restroom, he had heard a familiar voice being Valerie speak some shocking facts. He entered the restroom and gave Ophelia a hard stare.“You are coming with me this minute!” He declared after acknowledging the presence of Valerie. Gideon had also seen Valerie come to the party, and upon enquiry he realized that the Mayor had begged that Valerie accompany him to the party innocently. When Ophelia got to the car with Gideon, she d
Last Updated: 2025-11-10
Chapter: CHAPTER EIGHTWhen Kaidon appeared at the club later that night he was highly observant about the place. He knew not to trust anyone in such a dangerous place.Upon entering the club, he walked to the VIP session and find William seated and waiting anxiously.“I am sorry for what happened the last time we met” William apologized the moment he laid eye on Kaidon. “Where is the document?”Kaidon asked, ignoring the question. After it is handed over to him, Kaidon looked at the details of the document and realized the fifty fifty clause. Well satisfied, he signed the deeds afterwards.“Mr. Richard will be taking charge of your assets and that includes your hotels, shopping malls. He is going to own fifty percentage in share.” “Is he dumb?” Kaidon looked up at Williams after his comment.“I acquired these properties and you must understand that we only agreed to the company clauses.” He protested.“You have to accept his position. He is going to be the director of your company and you know what that
Last Updated: 2025-11-10
Chapter: CHAPTER SEVENWhen Kaidon arrived at the coffee shop, he met Richard by the counter speaking with another middle aged man.“I am really sorry for the actions of my soldiers” He apologized the moment he laid eye on Kaidon.“I am going to deal with those miserable beings when I am done” Kaidon warned as he is offered a sit. “This is Alion, one of the largest Oil business mogul in the world. He is also fascinated by the presence of Agent 43 system program in your body” Richard explained.“It is the single most powerful program known to man and I am happy to be standing next to someone who possess it” Alion mentioned with excitement on his face.“Thank you very much,” He turned to Richard. “About what you were saying last night” “Why did you not signed the deal to buy the stock of William Armstrong?” Richard asked, deviating away from the question.“He was being rude and I have to walk away from such mannerism” Kaidon replied. Richard heaved a sigh and run his hand over his hair. “How do I explain t
Last Updated: 2025-11-10
Chapter: CHAPTER SIX When he arrived at the VIP room, an old aged man walked sat down with a document on the table. “And who are you?” Kiadon already knew the man was Mr. Williams and it was no surprise that he looks down on him with a look of disdain.“Is that how you talk to your investor?” He asked, taking his sit right next to William whose face showed shock.“You are the investor?” He asked.“Are we going to get down to business or should I close up the deal?” Kaidon asked, already getting impatient with the man’s insufferable behavior.“Fine, show me a proof that this is not some sort of scam” Williams insisted.Kaidon was about to pull out his credit card, when Ophelia and Gideon walked inside the room. They both froze seeing Kaidon with Mr. Williams.“Father what are you doing with this poor and wretched individual?” She asked taking her sit beside her father.“He says he is the one that wants to buy off my company” There is a brief silence in the room and it is followed up by a heavy laughter
Last Updated: 2025-11-10
Chapter: CHAPTER FIVEOphelia walked around Gideon’s room panicking after receiving the news about her father going bankrupt.“You need to relax babe. Everything will be fine.” Gideon assured her and walked over to her side, placing his hand on her shoulder.“Everything cannot be alright. My father going bankrupt means that we are going to live in the slums” “No,” He said, holding her shoulder and staring deep into her eyes. “You are not going to be living in the slum.” He paused for a moment as an idea came to his mind.“Tell you what, I think we could find an investor to finance your father’s company and get it back to the way it used to be” He suggested.“But how are we going to make that possible?” Ophelia asked.“Well, my father is out of the country at the moment. I will tell his personal assistant to find an investor” He assured.Ophelia embraced him in a warm hug and they remained in that position for a long period of time. They broke away from the hug as Ophelia’s phone vibrated in her pocket.“O
Last Updated: 2025-11-10
Chapter: Chapter Fifty-Two: Sleeping with the EnemyAdrian Cole did not go to school on Tuesday morning. He put on his sharpest, darkest suit. He walked away from his poor, crumbling neighborhood and headed straight toward the richest part of the city.He stopped on the busy sidewalk and looked up. The Blake Industries headquarters was a massive skyscraper. It looked like a giant sword made of shining glass and black steel, pointing directly into the clouds. This was the fortress of the Ice Queen.Adrian pushed through the heavy revolving glass doors.The lobby was massive. It had white marble floors and giant, expensive modern art on the walls. At the front desk, three serious security guards in sharp gray suits watched everyone who walked in.Adrian did not hesitate. He focused his mind and called upon his magic.[Skill Active: Insight (Lvl 1)]A warm, electric tingle washed over his eyes. Glowing blue boxes appeared in his vision. He looked at the main security guard. The System highlighted a small, digital schedule on the guard’s c
Last Updated: 2026-07-02
Chapter: Chapter Fifty-One: The Stroke of a PenIt was Monday morning. The weekend felt like a long, terrible fever dream.Adrian Cole sat at the small, scratched wooden table in his kitchen. He held a cold cup of coffee in his hands. His dark eyes stared at the cheap television screen glowing against the wall.He expected to see chaos. He expected the news to talk about the massive gunfight at the high school. He expected reporters to ask questions about the mysterious boy who dodged bullets and broke weapons with his bare hands.Instead, the news anchor smiled a bright, happy smile."In local news," the anchor said smoothly, "a minor gang altercation was safely resolved on Friday night near the high school. Thanks to the brave and quick actions of Vance Enterprises private security, no students were harmed. The police have thanked Mr. Victor Vance for his incredible support."Adrian’s jaw dropped. He squeezed the coffee cup so hard the cheap ceramic almost cracked.The news showed a quick video clip. It showed Victor Vance wearin
Last Updated: 2026-07-02
Chapter: Chapter Fifty: The Architect and the GodBefore the police officers could fully secure the dusty AV room, Adrian Cole slipped backward into the dark shadows. He moved like a ghost, climbing a hidden maintenance ladder that led straight to the roof. He left the broken gun, the wiped computer, and the crying bully behind. He had to get to the gymnasium.Adrian crawled across the high metal catwalk hanging directly over the gym floor. He looked down through the metal grates, and his blood turned to pure ice.The situation had completely escalated. The Cobra mercenary commander had realized the stealth mission was a total failure. Desperate and angry, he had ordered his remaining men to breach the main floor.They had smashed through the barricades. Now, five heavily armed mercenaries stood in the center of the gymnasium. They had dragged dozens of screaming students into a tight circle, using them as living shields. The gym doors were barricaded from the inside with heavy bleachers, keeping the police out.Right in the middle
Last Updated: 2026-07-02
Chapter: Chapter Forty-Nine: The Calling CardThe tiny, dusty Audio/Visual room was completely silent for a few seconds. The only sound was Jason Reed’s quiet, broken breathing as he rocked back and forth on the cracked wooden floor.Then, the silence was ripped apart.WEE-OOO-WEE-OOO!Loud, screaming police sirens suddenly flooded the night air outside the school. The bright, flashing red and blue lights cut through the dark windows, painting the hallway walls in chaotic, spinning colors. The real world was finally rushing in to stop the nightmare.Lily Carter jumped out of her broken chair. Her laptop screen was shattered, but the main school computer monitor on the metal desk was still glowing brightly."The security cameras!" Lily gasped. Her voice shook, but her hands moved with fast, desperate purpose.She leaned over the main keyboard. Her fingers began to type furiously. Click-clack-tap!"Adrian, the cameras in the hallway caught everything," Lily said quickly, her eyes wide with panic. "They recorded you moving faster th
Last Updated: 2026-06-28
Chapter: Chapter Forty-Eight: The Ghost and the GunLily Carter sat completely still in the dark, dusty Audio/Visual room. The only light came from her glowing silver laptop screen. Her hands flew across the black keyboard, desperately trying to reconnect the security cameras.She kept tapping her hidden earpiece. "Adrian? Marcus? Can anyone hear me?" she whispered, her voice shaking with fear. But the tiny radio only gave her dead, empty static. She was totally alone.Suddenly, a massive, violent noise shattered the quiet room.BANG!The heavy wooden door of the AV room exploded inward. Sharp wood splinters flew through the air like tiny knives. The door crashed hard against the wall, breaking the hinges completely.Jason Reed stepped into the room.He did not look like a high school basketball captain. He looked like a walking corpse. His face was pale and covered in sick, cold sweat. His eyes were wide, red, and completely hollow. His right arm was still strapped tightly to his chest in a medical sling, held together by surgical ste
Last Updated: 2026-06-28
Chapter: Chapter Forty-Seven: Unlikely AlliesInside the gymnasium, the happy Homecoming dance had turned into a complete nightmare.The heavy, thumping music was dead. The beautiful spinning disco balls were completely dark. Hundreds of teenagers pushed against each other in the pitch-black room. They were crying, shouting, and holding onto their friends. They were completely trapped.Suddenly, a loud, terrifying sound echoed from the very back of the gym.BANG! BANG! BANG!Heavy metal rattled. Someone was hitting the rear fire doors from the outside. Four remaining Cobra mercenaries were trying to break into the gym. They wanted to take the screaming teenagers hostage."They are getting in!" a boy yelled, pointing at the shaking metal doors.The students screamed louder and backed away in pure terror.But right in the middle of the crying, panicked crowd, one person was not afraid at all. Sophia Blake stood perfectly still. Her beautiful, icy blue dress seemed to glow faintly in the dark. She did not cry. She did not shake. The
Last Updated: 2026-06-28
