The Billionaire System: Only I Know the Currency Has Changed

CHAPTER 6

Lucas was still admiring the balance in his bank account when the system screen changed.

[Host, your first official mission is ready.]

He immediately straightened in bed.

“Finally. I was beginning to think you planned to keep me here admiring my money all day.”

[MISSION ISSUED: THE FIRST STEP TOWARD GREATNESS]

[Objective: Spend $1,000,000 from your original bank account within 24 hours.]

[Time limit: 24 hours.]

[Mission reward: One exclusive luxury mansion and an additional $1,000 in former-value funds.]

Lucas stared at the screen.

Then he read it again.

“Spend one million dollars?”

[Correct.]

“In twenty-four hours?”

[Correct.]

He let out a disbelieving laugh.

“You do realize I woke up in a hospital bed, don't you? I have no house, no business, and no money in my account apart from the reward you just gave me. Where exactly am I supposed to get a million dollars?”

[Your transferred reward has already been converted into the current monetary scale. The mission requires you to spend one million dollars from your ordinary bank account. The system will not waive this requirement.]

Lucas's smile disappeared.

“Wait. Are you saying I have to spend a million dollars in the next twenty-four hours, or I lose the mansion?”

[Affirmative.]

He rubbed his face.

“You could have given me a mission to buy lunch first.”

[Your current needs have been taken into consideration.]

The screen changed, revealing a photograph.

Lucas froze.

The mansion stood on an enormous private estate surrounded by carefully landscaped gardens. Its architecture combined modern glass walls, pale stone, and elegant geometric lines. A private driveway curved past a fountain toward a grand entrance, while the grounds extended toward what appeared to be a private lake.

There were multiple wings, an infinity pool, a rooftop garden, a private cinema, an indoor swimming complex, and a helipad. The property also featured a private security command centre and a fully automated home system designed to manage lighting, climate, energy, and security.

It was not simply a house.

It looked like an entire world built for one person.

Lucas slowly leaned closer to the screen.

“What mansion is that?”

[The Aurelius Estate. It is widely regarded as the most extraordinary private residential property in the country.]

Lucas's eyes widened.

“The Aurelius Estate? The one that was auctioned several years ago?”

[Correct.]

He had heard of the property long before his marriage began falling apart. The estate had been designed by internationally celebrated architects and equipped with technology so advanced that even wealthy developers had struggled to replicate its features.

Its construction and interior furnishings had cost a fortune. The property included rare artwork, custom-made furniture, an underground vehicle gallery, a private medical suite, and facilities that could rival those of a luxury resort.

Despite being offered for sale at an extraordinary price, no qualified buyer had been willing to pay what its owners demanded.

Eventually, the estate became a symbol of unattainable wealth. It was featured in documentaries and luxury property magazines, and some sections had even been opened for carefully controlled private tours.

People could admire it.

Almost nobody believed they could own it.

Lucas stared at the photograph.

“You're offering me that?”

[Affirmative.]

“How? That property isn't even available for ordinary purchase anymore!”

[The system has secured access to the property and can transfer full legal ownership to you upon successful mission completion. All necessary ownership documents and registrations will be handled automatically.]

Lucas's mouth fell open.

“Just like that?”

[Correct.]

He looked at the photograph again, still unable to believe it.

“Why would you give me something like this?”

[The system assigns missions and rewards according to your current needs and long-term development.]

The image of the mansion expanded.

[You currently lack a permanent residence. Providing you with an ordinary house would satisfy your immediate need for shelter, but it would not advance your social standing or establish the presence expected of the system's host.]

Lucas remained silent.

[You should remember my original declaration, Host. My purpose is to make you the wealthiest, most powerful, and most influential man alive. Your residence should reflect the future you are building. When people discover that you live in the Aurelius Estate, they should understand that you are no ordinary man.]

For once, Lucas had no sarcastic reply.

He imagined Victoria hearing the news. He imagined her family learning that the man they had mocked was living in a mansion they could only dream of entering.

He quickly shook his head.

No. He would not allow revenge to become the only reason he moved forward.

But he would be lying if he said the thought did not feel satisfying.

“Fine,” he said. “Suppose I accept. What happens if I fail?”

The screen darkened slightly.

[Mission failure carries a permanent consequence. If you fail to complete a mission, its designated reward will be forfeited forever. It cannot be earned again through a repeat attempt, purchased with your own money, or recovered through any alternative method.]

Lucas's expression hardened.

“Even if I become rich enough to buy the mansion myself?”

[Even then. A forfeited system reward is permanently unavailable to you.]

He looked back at the estate.

The most extraordinary mansion in the country, a property that money alone had failed to place within anyone's reach, was being offered to him. All he had to do was spend a million dollars within twenty-four hours.

There was only one problem.

He had no idea how to accomplish that.

Lucas glanced at the clock on the hospital wall, then back at the countdown that had appeared beneath the mission.

[23:59:59]

His heart began to pound.

He was scheduled to be discharged in a week. He could not even leave the hospital today without medical approval, and the clock was already running.

“One million dollars,” he whispered. “In twenty-four hours.”

The countdown continued.

Lucas clenched his jaw.

“I don't care what it takes. I'm not losing that mansion.”

[Mission timer active.]