A Rat-Dragon System

THROWN OUT OF THE HOUSE

For a brief moment, I stood frozen, my eyes locked on the little rat in front of me—except it wasn’t little anymore.

It had grown.

Not just slightly… but noticeably.

My breath caught in my throat as my fingers twitched at my sides. A strange warmth surged through my chest, spreading downward into my stomach like fire.

Joy.

Raw, overwhelming joy.

A grin slowly pulled at my lips, my eyes widening as I stared at it in disbelief.

Then a blue screen flickered into existence before me.

[ System Rat Fully Initiated ]

[ Pay more for your next level of upgrade ]

I blinked once.

Then twice.

My brows furrowed, the excitement on my face faltering slightly as confusion crept in.

“What do you mean… pay more?” I muttered under my breath, my voice low, cautious.

The screen glitched.

[ System Rewiring… ]

[ New Rules: To further upgrade your system pet, you need to either unlock with money or fight for upgrade level ]

For a second—

Silence.

Then my lips parted again, this time curling into something sharper… something eager. A quiet laugh escaped me.

So that was it?

Money… or strength.

My eyes gleamed with joy.

If upgrading my pet was this simple, then money was nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

I was the son of the richest pet system user in the city. Money is not a problem.

I clenched my fist tightly, my shoulders straightening as confidence surged through me.

“I’ll level you up,” I whispered, crouching slightly as I looked at the rat. “I’ll make you stronger… and when I get home…”

My jaw tightened.

“…I’ll show him.”

My father.

The man who believed I was nothing more than a stain on the Mu Xiang family name.

“This time…” I muttered, my gaze hardening. “You’ll have no choice but to believe me.”

The blue screen flickered again.

[ System New Task ]

My eyes snapped toward it immediately, sharp and focused.

[ System Task: Upgrade your pet within the next twenty-four hours ]

[ System Reward: Pet upgraded to the next level stage with divine abilities ]

[ System Failure: Pet’s strength depleted ]

My expression shifted. The confidence… wavered. Just slightly.

A frown formed on my face as my brows drew together.

“Twenty-four hours…?” I whispered.

Before I could think further the glowing light flooded my eyes yet again.

[ System Time Starts Now ]

A faint glow suddenly appeared on my wrist. I flinched, instinctively raising my hand. I could see a timer counting down.

My heartbeat quickened.

For the first time… I could feel it. The system wasn’t just something I saw anymore. It was real. Attached to me.

I swallowed hard.

“The first upgrade is easy…” I muttered, forcing calm into my voice.

I still had money.

Not much—but enough.

My gaming account was always stashed with some cash to play my online games.

Without wasting another second, I pulled out my phone, my fingers moving quickly as I tried to access it.

The screen loaded.

Then a warning sign appeared.

My hand froze mid-motion.

A strange, cold feeling crept into my chest. That wasn’t normal.

Then a message appeared:

[ Unlock with Visual Aid ]

My heartbeat skipped.

“What…?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

My fingers tightened around the phone.

I had never for once needed any “visual aid” to access my account.

My jaw clenched.

Something wasn’t right.

Still, I proceeded.

The screen flickered. A message in the red light slowly popped up.

[ ACCOUNT SUSPENDED ]

Everything inside me… dropped.

It felt like something slammed into my chest.

My grip on the phone loosened slightly as my arm fell to my side.

“No…” I breathed.

My vision blurred for a second.

A sharp ache spread through my chest, tightening, suffocating.

My father’s voice echoed in my head.

“You are a disgrace.”

My fingers trembled.

“Is this… punishment?” I whispered, my lips barely moving.

My throat felt dry.

Was this planned?

Was this his doing?

Or was it just… bad luck?

No.

No, this wasn’t a coincidence.

This was deliberate.

My jaw tightened, my teeth grinding slightly.

I bent down, grabbing my pet—which had now shrunk back drastically—and slipped it carefully into my front pocket.

My movements were stiff.

But my eyes…My eyes burned. “We need to go,” I said quietly.

The street stretched endlessly before me.

The sun was already dipping and the weather was a bit windy.

No transport.

No money.

Just distance.

I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder, pulling it tighter as sweat trickled down my face.

My breathing grew unevenly, but I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t.

Begging?

I scoffed bitterly, shaking my head. Everyone knew who I was.

Or rather… who my father was.

To beg on the street?

That wasn’t just shameful.

That was unforgivable. I lowered my gaze, my expression hardening.

“I’d rather crawl,” I muttered.

And so—I walked.

By the time night fell, my body felt like it was no longer mine.

Every step hurts.

My legs trembled slightly beneath me.

My clothes clung to my skin, damp with sweat.

And yet… When I finally lifted my head—There it was.The Mu Xiang residence.

Tall.

Grand.

Untouchable.

It looked less like a house… and more like a palace.

For a moment—Hope flickered in my eyes.

I walked up to the gate, my steps slowing as I raised my hand.

My fingers hovered over the button.

Then pressed.

A soft mechanical sound followed.

Then—[ ACCESS DENIED ]

Everything inside me… shattered. My hand slowly dropped. My shoulders sank.

I was not given the chance to explain I was just simply cut off.

My lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

I tilted my head back, staring up at the dark sky as distant thunder rumbled.

Rain was coming.

A weak, humorless smile touched my lips.

“Of course…” I whispered.

My knees gave in.

I sank slowly to the ground, my hands resting limply on my thighs as I closed my eyes.

For a moment… I hoped. That he was watching. That he would change his mind. That he would call me back.

But then, I heard footsteps.I opened my eyes to see a woman approached.

My gaze sharpened slightly as I forced myself to stand.

The moment I saw the bag in her hands—

My chest tightened.

My belongings.

Her expression was soft, almost apologetic.

“Your father asked me to give this to you,” she said gently, her voice careful.

Each word felt like a dagger to my heart.

“And… to tell you to leave the premises.”

“I’m sorry, young master,” she added, lowering her gaze slightly.

I said nothing. My face remained still. But my fingers slowly curled into fists at my sides.

“There’s nothing I can do…” she continued softly.

Then, after a pause, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a key.

She placed it in my hand.

“My house is downtown,” she said. “You can stay there for now.”

I stared at the key.

My vision blurred again—but I blinked it away quickly.

A man shouldn’t cry.

That’s what I was taught.

My jaw tightened.

“…Thank you,” I said quietly, forcing a weak smile.

At that moment, my pet peeked out.

She laughed softly.

“You’ll be a strong pet master one day,” she said, patting my shoulder. “Just like your father.”

The moment she left—The sky broke.

Rain poured down heavily, soaking me within seconds.

I stood there, unmoving.

Like a stray. Like something abandoned.

But slowly my fingers tightened around the key.

My gaze lifted. And something inside me… hardened.

“My life won’t be easy,” I muttered. “But I’ll prove him wrong.”

I turned and started my journey back to the main street.

By the time I reached the house, I was exhausted beyond words.

I stepped inside slowly, my eyes scanning the space.

Then I collapsed onto the bed without care.

It creaked under the weight of my body.

My stomach growled. My pet shifted weakly.

We were both drenched by the rain and also we were hungry.

I closed my eyes.

Maybe… Just maybe…This was all a dream.

But then my phone beeped.

I opened one eye slowly and picked it up.

A message.

From Selena.

My heart tightened as I opened it.

[ I don’t think I want to be your girl anymore. Stay away from me. ]

I stared at the message unsure of how I was suppose to react.

Then I let out a quiet breath. “…I see.”

My grip on the phone loosened. It slipped from my hand onto the bed.

And finally my body gave in. I fell into a deep sleep.