No one cared...until I changed

chapter three

Darkness.

That was all Kael saw. It wasn’t just unconsciousness—it was a void. No light. No noise. No feeling. Just a bottomless pit of nothingness pulling at his soul like a predator that had finally found its prey.

His body ached with pain as he tried to see where he was. He tried to remember the last thing that happend and when he did. Tears tugged at the corner of his eyes.

He had thought Henry was going to be different. Fight for him but he was wrong. Even the tiniest money can make a man change his alliance.

But then Kael heard another quiet sound.

[ Ding ! ]

[SYSTEM: REBOOTING…]

A flicker of light shot across the darkness. Then another. Like stars being born in a void.

[PHYSICAL INTEGRITY: 21%…]

[CRITICAL DAMAGE DETECTED.]

[NEURAL SYNCHRONIZATION: INCOMPLETE.]

[EXECUTING EMERGENCY STABILIZATION PROTOCOL...]

Then came pain.

So much pain it ripped Kael out of the void and into his own body again, like a soul being forcefully slammed back into broken flesh.

“Ahh!” Kael gasped, choking on air and blood as he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry. Everything was spinning. The ceiling above him was familiar—chipped, damp, and covered with cobwebs.

The old boiler room.

They’d dumped him here.

Left for dead again.

Kael tried to sit up but the sharp stab of agony in his ribs made him cry out. He could feel every part of him broken.

[SYSTEM: MOBILITY RESTRICTED.]

[SUGGESTED ACTION: REMAIN STILL. Initiating passive healing boost…]

He collapsed back down, panting. The metal floor was cold beneath his bruised body.

He could still hear faint voices outside. Laughter. Someone was dragging metal tools. Probably cleaning up the factory. No one cared that a boy was dying here.

Kael’s fingers twitched. He clenched them slowly.

That punch. That one punch he had thrown at Mr. Muggles—he still felt the ting of power in it.

It hadn’t been normal.

He was sure of that.

He pulled up the faint blue screen in front of him, eyes adjusting to the text that hovered like a hologram.

[STATUS: CRITICAL]

[LEVEL: 1]

[SKILLS: PAIN TOLERANCE (L1), ENDURANCE (L1), UNCONTROLLED STRIKE (Locked)]

[AVAILABLE ENERGY: 12%]

[MISSION: Spend Seven Millionaires in Seven Days — 6 Days, 20 Hours Remaining]

Kael’s eyebrows furrowed. “Spend… Seven Millionaires?” he murmured weakly. “Is this a joke?”

He tried to look around and the thought that he had spent a day inside the boiler room made his face go pale. He looked at his clothes and he could see that they were cold and filled with blood.

His own blood.

But even as he mocked the system, a sudden ding filled his ears again.

[Daily System Bonus Activated]

[YOU HAVE BEEN CREDITED WITH: 1 MILLIONAIRE TOKEN]

[Balance: 1/7]

“What… the hell is a millionaire token?” Kael muttered, but another screen opened beneath it.

[Millionaire Token: Equivalent to 1 Million Dollars]

[Note: Must be spent to fulfill system objective. Failure to spend within the given timeframe will result in TERMINATION.]

[Suggested Use: Begin Ascendancy Path. Forge Foundation for Power, Wealth, and Influence.]

“Termination?” Kael asked aloud, suddenly fully awake despite the pain. “You mean, I die?”

[Affirmative.]

[The system only supports those who RISE. You fall again… you stay down forever.]

Kael forced himself to sit up this time, teeth gritted as fire shot up his spine. He placed his back against the rusted boiler tank and stared at his bloody fingers.

“I don’t have a choice, do I?”

[Choice is an illusion. Action is survival.]

Kael’s eyes narrowed. "Then let’s start surviving."

He stood up—barely—but he did. He grabbed a rusted pipe from the floor and used it as support. His left leg was numb, but he pushed forward, limping toward the metal door that led to the back alley.

The factory floor was still noisy. No one would notice him leaving.

He slipped out quietly into the alleyway, rain still drizzling from the sky like a mourning whisper. The world outside felt new. Dangerous. But… full of promise.

No one saw him and he didn't care about anyone. Kael was going to have his revenge but first, he needed to do what the system was asking of him.

He pulled his hoodie over his head and stepped into the street. Everything hurt—but his mind had never been clearer.

[SYSTEM: OBJECTIVE TRACKING ENABLED]

[Find a “Millionaire Channel” – Targets who possess vast financial influence. Use any means necessary to spend their wealth in your name.]

Kael didn’t even know what that meant, but something inside him stirred.

A vision flashed briefly—a penthouse… a black credit card… a man in a suit kneeling before him, trembling.

And then it disappeared.

“What the hell are you showing me?”

[A possible future. Choose your path wisely.]

Kael moved through the street slowly. His first goal was to find a place to rest—or maybe somewhere to hide. He needed answers. A plan. He couldn’t just storm into rich circles and demand money.

But then he spotted it. A glowing red sign:

"Heights Casino & Lounge"

It was one of the shadiest spots in the city. Known for laundering money and hosting underground bets that went well into the millions.

Kael paused.

Was this fate?

Or suicide?

He limped closer. The bouncer at the front—a tall man with tattoos and a scar on his jaw—looked him up and down.

“No kids,” he said.

Kael didn’t flinch. “I’m here for business.”

The bouncer snorted. “You’re bleeding. You don’t even look like you have a dollar to your name.”

Kael reached into his hoodie and pulled out the faint glow of a Millionaire Token Card, a shimmering gold rectangle that looked unreal in the rainy night.

“I’ve got a million to spend.”

The bouncer’s eyes widened.

Another voice came from the shadows. A well-dressed man in a burgundy coat and glasses stepped forward. “Let the boy in.”

Kael walked past, head held high, even as blood trickled down his cheek.

Inside, the casino glowed with sin and money. Cards shuffled, dice rolled, glasses clinked. But Kael didn’t care about gambling.

He approached a sleek, velvet-lined booth and sat across from a man with silver hair and snake eyes.

The man smiled. “You don’t belong here.”

Kael met his gaze. “Neither does my money. I’m looking to spend it. Fast.”

The man leaned forward, suddenly interested. “And what would you like in return?”

Kael thought for a moment.

Then he smiled.

“Power.”

[SYSTEM: ALIGNMENT DETECTED – FIRST SPENDING PHASE COMMENCING]

[Objective: Acquire first skill upgrade – 1,000,000 required]

Kael’s eyes glowed faintly.

The game had just begun.