The Campus Loser’s Billionaire System

Chapter 3

“This… Is this money really mine? Is it actually real?” Dean muttered aloud, looking around the empty, rain-drenched overpass.

An undeniable thrill began to surge through his chest, a feeling he had never experienced in his life. He had never seen this much money, let alone owned it.

【All funds belong entirely to the Host. However, every dollar must be spent. Failure to expend the funds will prevent the Host from completing System tasks, resulting in mandatory penalties.】

The thought of being punished made Dean uneasy, but he needed more answers, and standing out in the freezing downpour wasn’t helping.

He ducked under the concrete overhang of a nearby closed storefront to shelter from the rain before asking in his mind, “What kind of punishment are we talking about if I fail?”

Ten million dollars was an astronomical sum. Having lived hand-to-mouth his entire life, the concept of spending that much money so quickly felt foreign, and the threat of an unknown penalty made him deeply uncomfortable.

【Ding! System detected doubt from the Host. Initiating minor penalty protocol: One-minute heartburn simulation.】

Before Dean could even open his mouth to protest, a searing, white-hot pain exploded inside his chest. He groaned aloud, doubling over and clutching his jacket tightly as his face contorted in agony.

“Argh… damn it, it hurts…!”

He gasped for air, his body trembling under the intensity of the burning sensation.

Then, precisely sixty seconds later, the pain vanished as abruptly as it had started, leaving him breathing heavily.

Dean slowly straightened up, wiping cold sweat from his forehead, thoroughly shaken.

【As long as the Host fulfills all System objectives, penalties will remain inactive, and the Passive Income Generation module will unlock.】

“Passive… income generation?” Dean muttered, his interest piqued despite the lingering ache in his chest. “I like the sound of that.”

【Upon successful completion of your first task, the Host will unlock the Passive Income Generation reward. Currently, the Host’s passive income rate is $0/hour. Upon task completion, the rate will upgrade to $1,000 per hour.】

Dean’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you serious? A thousand dollars every single hour?”

He quickly ran the numbers in his head. A thousand dollars an hour meant twenty-four thousand dollars a day, a completely passive income of over seven hundred thousand dollars a month for doing absolutely nothing.

Could this kind of insane fortune really be happening to him?

【Ding! Task deadline: Tomorrow. The Host is advised to complete the objective as quickly as possible. Continued delay will trigger escalating System penalties significantly more severe than a simple burn.】

Dean instinctively clamped a hand over his chest at the warning. The agony he had felt moments ago was all too real, unmistakable proof that he wasn’t dreaming.

And if the system could make his heart burn, then it could stop his heart too.

Realizing he had no alternative, Dean knew he had to act fast the moment morning came.

Ten million dollars was a massive amount of cash, but in a metropolis like Sky City, there were a few places where he could burn through it quickly, like the high-end luxury car dealerships, or the elite real estate sales at Mapleland.

After a moment’s thought, Dean decided that real estate was the smartest starting point.

Packing into a cramped, noisy university dorm every night had always been miserable so buying a luxury home of his own wasn’t just a fast way to spend the money, it was a dream come true.

With a clear target in mind, Dean turned his collar up against the damp wind and made his way back toward campus.