2025-06-21 09:17:42The room was quiet again, save for the low humming of machines and the slow drip of an IV beside Dustin’s hospital bed. He stared blankly at the ceiling, his heart pounding like a war drum. The words echoed again in his head:
// "System pairing with Host is successful. Full performance, host dependent. Awaiting Host full authorization."
A wave of cold washed over him, and he tightened his jaw. Was this some delusion from the trauma? Or had something irreversible just happened to him?
Suddenly, a soft blue interface blinked into view, right in front of his eyes—not on any device, but hovering midair like augmented reality. The letters danced before him:
[Do you authorize full system access? Y/N]
"What the hell is this?" he whispered.
The interface remained, patient and unblinking.
[Awaiting Host input…]
He swallowed. His body was still in pain, but a strange heat pulsed through his veins, like adrenaline mixed with electricity. He raised a shaking finger toward the screen and whispered, "Yes."
The moment he spoke the word, a surge of light exploded before his eyes. His vision went white for a second, then dark. And then—
BING!
// Authorization confirmed. Welcome, Dustin Ryan. You are now the sole host of the Whopping Tycoon System.
// Daily Objectives Unlocked. System Inventory Activated. Beginner Mission Initiated.
Dustin's eyes widened as a list of functions unfolded before him:
Mission Log
Inventory
Skill Tree
Business Generator
Asset Tracker
System Shop
It felt like he had just been dropped into a video game—except this was real. And the pain in his ribs told him this reality had no reset button.
> Beginner Mission: Earn your first $10,000 within 24 hours. Reward: Skill Upgrade Token + Passive Income Starter Pack. Penalty for failure: System Suspension for 7 days.
Dustin blinked at the mission prompt. "Ten thousand dollars? Are you insane? I can't even sit up properly."
> System Tip: Utilize your unique starter skill - [Underdog's Leverage]
> [Underdog's Leverage]: The more desperate your situation, the more potential for exponential profit. Effects increase with social disadvantage, physical weakness, or public humiliation.
Dustin laughed bitterly. "So being beaten to a pulp is actually an investment now?"
But the gears in his mind started turning. He knew he had no job, no savings, and barely any family support. The university letter in his back pocket was soaked in blood. His life was a mess. And now, somehow, the universe—or whatever this system was—had handed him a weapon.
A knock came at the door.
Before he could answer, a man in a black coat entered with two hospital security officers. The man had slicked-back silver hair and a face too familiar to forget.
"Mr. Ryan," the man said coldly, "I’m afraid your stay here is over."
Dustin frowned. "Who the hell are you?"
"My name is Roland Wynne. You know my father, Daniel Wynne, very well. He's the one your father failed, and it's time to clear the trash out of our family's doorstep. You are not welcome here, not in this city."
Dustin sat up, blood draining from his face.
"You’re kicking me out of the hospital?"
Roland gave a cruel smile. "We pulled a few strings. You were declared dead. This room is needed for someone... more useful."
> System Alert: Host is being publicly humiliated. Underdog's Leverage bonus increased by 30%.
"You can’t just throw me out. I was nearly murdered," Dustin snapped, forcing himself to his feet.
"Exactly. Nearly. Pity it didn’t finish the job," Roland sneered.
The security officers advanced.
> System Notification: Mission update triggered. New Opportunity: Disgraced Victim Media Campaign. Reward: $15,000. Status: Pending User Action.
Dustin stared at the pop-up, breathing heavily.
He clenched his fists. "Get out of my face. You want to humiliate me? Fine. But I’ll make sure everyone in this city sees what the Wynnes did."
Roland's eyes narrowed. "Watch yourself, boy. You wouldn’t want to end up like your father."
"I’d rather end up worse than crawl behind your family again."
The guards grabbed him roughly and dragged him out into the corridor, tossing him into a wheelchair and rolling him outside. The cold air bit into his skin. He was dumped like garbage near the back gate of the hospital.
> Disgraced Victim Media Campaign: Success condition - Viral exposure. Options available: Open System Shop > Communication Tools
Gritting his teeth, Dustin tapped on the System Shop mentally.
A sleek digital interface appeared:
--COMMUNICATION TOOLS--
Starter Smartphone (1 Credit)
Anonymous Viral Campaign Package (3 Credits)
Video Editor Pro Suite (1 Credit)
Emergency Media Press Kit (FREE - First Time Use)
He chose the last option. Within seconds, a small cardboard box shimmered into existence beside him. He tore it open. Inside was a pre-configured smartphone with editing tools, a portable hotspot, and a ready-to-use interview script.
Dustin began filming himself, using the pain in his face and the bruises still fresh to speak directly into the lens.
"My name is Dustin Ryan. I was beaten and left for dead by men connected to the Wynne family. The same family that enslaved my father and destroyed my future. This is not a suicide story. This is a survival story. And it’s only just beginning."
He posted the video across every social platform the system allowed.
> System Alert: Video uploaded. Network boost engaged. Viral Algorithm Activated.
> Status: Views (400)... (1000)... (7500)... (25,000)...
An hour later, as he hobbled into a nearby train station shelter, his phone buzzed.
> Congratulations! Mission Complete: $10,000 transferred to Temporary Digital Wallet.
> Reward: Skill Upgrade Token + Passive Income Starter Pack acquired.
> New Mission Unlocked: Revenge Ledger — Expose and Dismantle the Wynne Empire (Stage 1).
Dustin looked up into the darkness of the city night.
He might be alone. He might be broken. But he had something now he never did before:
Power.
The screen flashed one final message:
> System Notice: Unknown entity has detected your awakening. Tracking signal initiated. Prepare for first confrontation.
Dustin’s breath caught in his throat.
"They're coming for me again..."
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Echoes in the Code
The air was still. Too still.Dustin Ryan sat motionless in the backseat of the armored SUV, eyes scanning the silent horizon through tinted windows. His heartbeat thudded in his ears, amplified by the System’s subtle background hum inside his mind.[System Alert: Terrain analysis complete. Area clear — 87% certainty. Remaining 13% indicates potential cloaked threats. Proceed with caution.]He flexed his fingers, the electric sensation still buzzing through them after the last System upgrade. Beside him, the encrypted tablet shimmered with blue glyphs and a newly unlocked interface — the "Asset Control" tab. Across from him sat Carla Quinn, a rogue hacker from the eastern sector with a data bounty of over 2 million crypton credits on her head. He had saved her life in the skirmish at WynneCorp’s smuggling bay last night. Now she owed him.“You sure this route is safe?” she asked, glancing nervously at the rearview cam feed. “Rumors say the Syndicate has started deploying ghost drones.
System Fall
The night wind howled across the abandoned cityscape as Dustin stood at the rooftop's edge, drenched in sweat and blood, his eyes glowing faintly blue under the moonlight. Below, the Wynne Corporation’s private security units scoured the streets in tactical gear, their rifles sweeping across alleys and open lots like clockwork predators.[System Alert: Host's adrenaline levels peaked. Combat reflexes enhanced temporarily. Neural interface unlocked: TIER 1.]Dustin’s breath slowed. The pain in his side dulled, not because he healed—but because the system muted his sensory thresholds.“Scan all rooftop access points,” one of the guards shouted from below.[Warning: Host's location compromised. Enemy drones approaching.]With no time to hesitate, Dustin activated his first unlocked combat sequence.[Skill Unlocked: Phantom Leap. Description: Enhanced vertical and horizontal movement.]He bolted forward, launching himself off the building. For a second, time seemed to pause mid-air. The c
The Betrayer’s Code
Location: Rebel Ridge – Interior Command CoreZyra’s image glitched once.Then stabilized.Her voice came through the console like silk through a razor.// “Dustin. You always were so slow. Still chasing ghosts in systems that want you dead?”Dustin couldn’t speak. His breath caught in his throat. Beside him, Kael and Riven watched, weapons half-drawn but useless. This wasn’t a trap.It was a confession.“Zyra?” His voice cracked. “You’re alive?”She tilted her head, like she was analyzing him for weakness. “Alive. Enhanced. And beyond your pathetic rebellion.”“I saw you die.”“You saw what you were meant to see,” she replied. “A burning city. A false corpse. And your own guilt eating you alive. It made you soft, Dustin. Predictable.”Kael stepped forward. “Why broadcast now?”Zyra smiled.“Because I want you to know before it happens.”“What?” Dustin growled.Zyra raised her palm—and in the flicker of holo-code across her skin, he saw the symbol of the Omega Ascendant.She wasn’t ju
The Ghost in the Flame
Location: Ruins of Bastion Delta – West ExpanseThe rain fell black.Soot and ash still lingered in the clouds, drifting like ghost-smoke over the wreckage of the Leviathan. What was once the most feared warship of the Syndicate now lay in fragments across the plains—a graveyard of fire and steel.Dustin stirred beneath the collapsed wing of a cruiser.His ribs throbbed with every breath. His vision flickered between static and shadow.Lira was unconscious beside him, pale as frost.“Lira…”He dragged himself toward her, ignoring the pain screeching through his limbs. Her skin was cold, but a faint flicker pulsed beneath the curve of her collarbone—soft gold code lines, barely visible.Alive. But different.She wasn’t just connected to the Omega Core anymore. Something had merged. Something… ancient.“Dustin, do you copy?” Kael’s voice crackled through the comm.He tapped his wrist. “Alive. Barely.”“Hold position. We’re en route with a medical evac drone.”“No drones. Too easy to tra
System Collapse
Location: Syndicate Leviathan – Core Chamber Time shattered.Silver light spiraled through the chamber, distorting space itself as Lira opened her eyes for the first time in years. But this wasn’t just awakening—it was resurrection.The Echo Knights froze in mid-motion.Dustin staggered back, shielding his eyes from the sudden storm of data and psionic force rippling through the room.Lira floated inches above the ground, wires snapping off her body one by one. Her skin pulsed with ghost-code veins, glowing faintly beneath her flesh. Her voice carried the resonance of hundreds of stored memories, like a choir speaking through a single mouth.“Dustin…”He reached out. “Lira, don’t move. You’re—”But she raised a trembling hand.And the world around them began to bend. The Leviathan groaned. Walls cracked. Sparks rained from the ceiling.[System Warning: Core Integrity Unstable – Quantum Collapse Imminent]Dustin’s HUD flashed red as the Echo Knights rebooted midair, surrounding them a
Dream Kill Protocol
Location: Northern Sky Grid – Approaching Syndicate Leviathan WarshipThe sky was bleeding.Red lights flared across the clouds as the Syndicate Leviathan, a floating fortress over seven miles long, drifted silently above the ruins of Echo City. Covered in angular plating and protected by quantum cloaking, it pulsed like a sleeping god.Inside, thousands of Syndicate operatives, AI proxies, and internal weapon systems rotated in rhythm—waiting, learning, adapting.And now, it had a visitor.A shadow broke through the cloud cover.Kael’s stolen Raven-9 dropship, silent, cloaked, gliding straight toward the Leviathan’s underbelly.Riven glanced at Dustin, who stood at the rear bay doors. He hadn’t blinked in three minutes.“You sure you’re ready for this?” she asked.“No,” Dustin said. “But I’m going anyway.”Kael's voice crackled through the cockpit. “We’ve got one window. You drop in, find Lira’s chamber, and plug into the core. Once you’re inside, I’ll trigger a system spike to delay
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