2026-03-30 07:04:39The next morning, Leo woke earlier than usual. For a moment, he lay still on the bed, staring at the stained ceiling of his small apartment. Then, everything came rushing back—Sarah, Marcus, the humiliation in class, and the strange System.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a faint glow appeared before his eyes. A translucent interface quietly unfolded in his vision. [TIME LEFT: 17:16:43] Leo rubbed his temples. “So, it’s real…” The countdown continued ticking down silently. Every second reminded him that Marcus Whitmore still stood far above him socially. If Leo wanted to humiliate him publicly, he would need the right stage and the right moment. He swung his legs off the bed. “Guess I’d better get moving.” Eastgate University was unusually lively that morning. Students gathered near the Media Building, many holding their phones in the air as excited whispers floated through the courtyard. “She’s filming again.” “I heard it’s for the gala promotion video.” Leo slowed his steps slightly and, curious, followed the crowd. A small filming setup had been arranged near the building entrance—cameras, lighting stands, and a laptop placed on a folding table. Standing in the center of it all was Lena Hart, the most famous student influencer on campus. Her long black hair flowed down her shoulders as she spoke to the cameraman. Leo had seen her before in passing, but today she looked frustrated. “This projection model is wrong,” Lena said, staring at her laptop screen. “If the engagement prediction fails, the whole proposal collapses.” The cameraman scratched his head helplessly. “But the marketing team already checked the numbers.” “That’s the problem,” Lena replied. “They checked them wrong.” Leo paused nearby. He caught a glimpse of the screen—numbers, graphs, and projection curves. Something about it looked vaguely familiar, but before he could analyze it further, the System appeared again. [SITUATIONAL OPPORTUNITY DETECTED] [SKILL AVAILABLE: ADVANCED BUSINESS ANALYTICS] [RENTAL COST: 1 SUPREMACY POINT] [DURATION: 10 MINUTES] Leo blinked. “Skill… rental?” [ACTIVATE?] Leo looked at Lena’s frustrated expression, then back at the ticking timer. [TIME LEFT: 17:05:18] If the System was offering him a tool, maybe this was exactly the kind of opportunity he needed. He exhaled slowly. “Activate.” The moment he said it, a strange sensation rushed through his mind. It felt like someone had suddenly poured an entire library of knowledge into his brain—charts, forecast models, marketing projections, and consumer behavior algorithms. Leo’s eyes widened slightly. The messy graph on Lena’s laptop suddenly looked painfully obvious. The mistake wasn’t small; it was fundamental. Leo stepped forward. “Your growth multiplier is inverted.” The filming crew turned toward him in surprise. Lena frowned. “And you are?” Leo pointed at the laptop screen. “You’re applying the engagement multiplier before stabilizing the baseline variable.” Lena blinked. Leo continued calmly, “That creates exponential distortion.” Before she could respond, Leo leaned over and typed a few quick corrections. The graph instantly recalculated. The unstable curve smoothed out, and the engagement prediction aligned perfectly with the campaign data. Lena stared at the screen. “…Wait.” She refreshed the model again. The numbers remained consistent. Her expression slowly changed from frustration to disbelief. “That… fixed it.” The cameraman leaned closer. “Seriously?” Leo stepped back quietly. Inside his vision, the System countdown for the skill ticked down. Skill duration remaining: 08:42 Lena turned toward him. “You solved that in seconds.” Leo shrugged slightly. “It wasn’t complicated.” Around them, students began whispering. “Who is that guy?” “Isn’t he from the business department?” Lena closed her laptop slowly. “Well,” she said, “you just saved my entire presentation.” Leo nodded. “Glad to help.” He turned to leave, but Lena stopped him. “Wait.” Leo paused. Lena crossed her arms thoughtfully. “How should I repay you?” Leo hesitated. The System timer flashed again in his vision. [TIME LEFT: 16:57:03] Marcus Whitmore. Public humiliation. Suddenly, an idea formed. Leo looked back at her. “There is something you could help me with.” Lena raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” “There’s a university gala tonight.” Leo kept his tone calm. “I need a partner.” The nearby students gasped. Lena Hart was one of the most sought-after girls on campus; most guys wouldn’t dare ask her out directly. But Leo’s expression remained completely steady. For a moment, Lena studied him carefully. He didn’t look nervous. He didn’t look desperate. Finally, she smiled. “Well,” she said, “that’s definitely a unique request.” Leo waited silently. Lena thought for a few seconds, then she nodded. “Alright.” The crowd erupted into whispers. “Did she just say yes?” “No way…” Leo blinked. “You mean—” “I’ll go with you,” Lena said. “But only because you saved my project.” Leo smiled faintly. “Fair enough.” Lena picked up her phone. “Text me the time.” She then turned back toward her filming crew. Leo walked away calmly, but inside, his heart was pounding. The stage had been set. [TIME LEFT: 16:51:12] Leo slipped his hands into his pockets. Marcus Whitmore would definitely attend the gala tonight, and when Marcus saw him arrive with Lena Hart… A faint smile appeared on Leo’s face. For the first time, the System had given him a real advantage. Things were only getting started. Everything depended on tonight.
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Chapter 12: The Demonstration
The atmosphere inside the grand hall shifted. What had once been a relaxed evening of music and conversation had turned into something else entirely a stage, a test, a battlefield without fists.Students gathered in a loose circle, whispers spreading like wildfire. Phones were raised, and eyes locked onto the center. Leo Carter. Marcus Whitmore. Two names that, until recently, had never belonged in the same sentence. And yet, here they were, facing each other.Professor Daniels stepped forward slowly, adjusting his glasses. “If we’re doing this,” he said, “then it will be done properly.”The room quieted. He turned toward one of the assistants. “Bring the laptop.”A student quickly hurried forward and placed a laptop on the table at the center. The screen lit up: rows of data, charts, and numbers. Marcus glanced at it briefly, then smirked.“This should be interesting.” He turned toward Leo. “Let’s keep it simple.” His tone was calm, but there was a sharp edge underneath. “You f
Chapter 11: The First Move
The gala slowly returned to its rhythmic pulse. Music resumed, and conversations picked up again, but the atmosphere had shifted fundamentally. Even as laughter echoed across the grand hall, one thing was clear—Leo Carter was no longer invisible.Students glanced at him from the corners of their eyes. Some whispered behind champagne glasses, while others offered a respectful nod as they passed. It wasn’t an overwhelming roar of approval, but it was a quiet, steady acknowledgment.Marcus Whitmore noticed every single bit of it.Marcus stood near the edge of the hall, his expression dark and clouded. One of his friends leaned closer, shifting uncomfortably. “Bro… that was kinda rough.”Marcus didn’t respond. His eyes were fixed across the room on Leo and Lena, watching the quiet attention they were receiving.“That shouldn’t be happening,” Marcus muttered, his fingers tightening around his glass.His friend frowned. “What do you mean?”“That guy is a nobody,” Marcus said, his vo
Chapter 10: The Next Task
The applause inside the grand hall slowly faded, leaving behind a thick, buzzing silence that felt heavier than the noise itself. Students returned to their conversations in clusters, but the atmosphere had shifted fundamentally. The air, once filled with the mindless chatter of the elite, was now thick with the friction of a broken status quo. Many people were still whispering, and those whispers acted like a current, all flowing toward one person: Leo Carter. Leo stood near one of the floor-to-ceiling balcony doors, the cool night air drifting in from the campus grounds. It carried the faint scent of rain and cut through the stifling perfume of the ballroom. Beside him, Lena Hart sipped her drink, her silhouette sharp against the city lights. Across the hall, Marcus Whitmore stood near the refreshment table, his posture rigid. He was gripping his crystal glass so tightly that his knuckles had turned a ghostly, bloodless white. For years, Marcus had been the sun around which Eas
Chapter 9: Cracks in the Crown
The music inside the grand hall continued to play softly, but around Marcus Whitmore, the atmosphere had suddenly grown awkward. Several students nearby were whispering; some stared openly at Leo, while others glanced between Lena and Marcus with intense curiosity.Marcus forced a laugh, trying to maintain control of the situation. “Smarter than most people here?” he repeated, looking at Lena. His tone carried obvious disbelief. “You must be joking.”Sarah crossed her arms beside him, her expression cold. “Marcus, let’s just ignore them,” she said quietly.But Marcus’s pride had already been scratched. He stepped closer to Leo. “So tell me something, delivery boy,” Marcus said loudly enough for others to hear. “How exactly did you convince Lena Hart to come here with you?”His friends nearby chuckled. Clearly, they expected Leo to fumble an answer. Instead, Leo calmly picked up a glass of water from a nearby table. He took a small sip before answering.“I didn’t convince her.”
Chapter 8 The Gala Night
The sun was already setting when Leo returned to his small apartment. Golden light streamed through the window, stretching across the worn wooden floor. For a moment, he simply stood there, staring at the garment bag hanging from the door. Inside was the suit he had bought earlier that day. Leo took a slow breath. Tonight was the university gala, and tonight was also the deadline for the System’s task. Suddenly, a faint glow appeared in front of his eyes. A translucent blue interface slowly materialized in the air, hovering just inches away from his face. The screen floated quietly, its letters shining softly like light made of glass. No one else could see it, but to Leo, it was perfectly clear. [TIME REMAINING: 06:12:36] Leo stared at the floating screen for a moment before letting out a small breath. “So, it’s finally time.” The screen faded slowly until it disappeared from his vision. Leo grabbed the garment bag and unzipped it carefully. The dark suit inside looked
Chapter 7: The Café Encounter
Leo left the Media Building with a calm expression, but inside, his mind was racing. Lena Hart. The most famous girl on campus had just agreed to go to the university gala with him. If someone had told Leo that would happen two days ago, he would have laughed. But now, it was real. As he walked across the campus courtyard, the black System interface appeared instantly. [TIME LIMIT: 16:03:11] Leo stared at the screen for a moment. The countdown continued ticking; everything was slowly leading toward the gala. He slipped the phone back into his pocket. “If I’m going to that gala,” he muttered, “I can’t show up looking like this.” His current clothes were simple: a plain shirt and worn jeans. Nothing impressive. If he walked into a luxury event dressed like that, Marcus would mock him before the humiliation even started. Leo needed something better. As he continued walking, the System suddenly appeared again. [STARTER REWARD ISSUED] [HOST FUNDS: $2,000] Leo sto
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