Zero to Trillionaire: The Scholar’s God-Tier System

Who is the Genius?

I stood there for a second, looking at the man in the SUV. His eyes were like a shark's—empty and cold. But before he could open the door to come after me, a loud shout came from the direction of the lecture hall.

"Ethan! Get back here!"

It was Bryan. He had come running out of the building, his face a mess of red and white blotches. He didn't even notice the scary black SUV. He was too busy being humiliated. Behind him, Professor Sarah and the rest of the class were pouring out of the doors, watching the drama unfold.

Bryan was pointing his phone at me like it was a weapon. "I knew it! I just checked the school’s Wi-Fi logs. There was a massive spike in data right when you were at the board. You cheated, Ethan! You used a hidden transmitter to get the answers from someone outside!"

The students started muttering. Bryan was desperate, and he was trying to drag my name through the mud to save his own pride.

Professor Sarah walked up, her eyebrows knitted together. "Bryan, that’s a serious accusation. The Wi-Fi spike could have been anything."

"It was him!" Bryan screamed. He looked at me, his lip curling. "Look at him! One day he’s a beggar, the next he’s a genius in a fancy jacket? He’s a fraud. He’s mocking you, Professor. He’s mocking this whole school."

He walked closer to me, trying to look tough in front of Chloe and the other students. "Empty your pockets, Ethan. Give me the device. If you don't, I’ll have security strip search you right here."

I looked at the SUV, then back at Bryan. The man with the scar in the car just watched us, a bored look on his face. He wanted to see how I handled this.

"I don't have a device, Bryan," I said. My voice was calm, which only made him crazier. "I told you in class the textbook was wrong. If you were half as smart as you think you are, you would have seen it too."

"You trash!" Bryan roared. He lost the last bit of his mind. He threw his expensive phone onto the grass and lunged at me. He was a big guy, and he’d spent years bullying people smaller than him. He thought this would be easy.

Suddenly, the world went quiet. A blue screen flickered in my eyes.

[Ding! Mission: Subjugate the Bully.]

[Objective: Neutralize Bryan Montgomery in front of the witnesses.]

[Reward: God-Level Fighting Skills.]

Accept, I thought.

Immediately, my brain started working differently. I wasn't just seeing a guy running at me. I was seeing his balance, his weak points, and exactly where he was going to swing. He was moving in slow motion.

Bryan swung a wild, heavy punch at my face. "I’ll kill you!"

I didn't even take my hands out of my pockets. I just tilted my head an inch to the right. Bryan’s fist whistled past my ear. He was moving with so much force that when he missed, he stumbled forward, looking like a total idiot.

"You missed," I said.

The students started to giggle. Bryan’s face went from red to purple. He turned around and tried to tackle me to the ground.

I moved like a shadow. I stepped to the side, caught his wrist, and gave it a small, sharp twist. It wasn't enough to break it, but it was enough to make him scream like a girl. I used his own weight to shove him toward a nearby trash can.

Crash!

Bryan slammed into the metal bin and fell over, landing in a pile of empty soda cans and old food.

The silence in the courtyard was total. Chloe’s jaw was hanging open. Professor Sarah looked like she couldn't believe her eyes. I had just taken down the school’s biggest bully without even breaking a sweat.

[Ding! Mission Complete: Subjugate the Bully.]

[Reward: God-Level Fighting Skills unlocked! Your body is now a master-tier weapon.]

Suddenly, a wave of heat rushed through my arms and legs. My muscles felt tighter, stronger. I felt like I could punch through a brick wall if I wanted to. My eyes sharpened. I could see the tiny pulse in the neck of the man in the SUV.

Bryan scrambled out of the trash, his expensive clothes covered in juice and dirt. He looked pathetic. He grabbed a heavy rock from the garden and ran at me again. This wasn’t a fight anymore. This was desperation. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

"Bryan, stop!" Sarah yelled, but she was too far away.

Bryan swung the rock at my head. I didn't move until the last second. I reached out and caught his wrist. My grip was like a vice made of iron.

"Listen to me," I said. My voice was low, and it carried a weight that made Bryan’s knees shake. "You’ve spent your whole life thinking you can step on people because of your name. But from now on, If you come near me again, if you even look at me the wrong way, I’ll make sure you never walk again. Do you understand?"

Bryan’s eyes were wide with terror. He tried to pull away, but I didn't let go. I squeezed just a little harder, and he let out a whimper.

"Do you understand?" I repeated.

"Yes! Yes! Let go!" he gasped.

I tossed his arm away like it was garbage. He fell back onto the grass, shaking.

I looked at the crowd. Every single student was staring at me with a mix of fear and respect. Chloe was looking at me with a weird, hungry expression. Not admiration but realization. She realized she had traded a tiger for a wet dog. She stepped forward, her voice soft and sweet.

"Ethan... I didn't know you could fight like that. Maybe we can talk?"

I didn't even give her a second look. I walked right past her toward the black SUV. The man with the scar was smiling now. It wasn't a nice smile.

"Impressive," the man said as I reached the car. "But beating up a college kid isn't the same as fighting the Thorne family. Our boss is waiting. Get in."

I looked at the car, then back at the school. I had the money. I had the brain. And now, I had the power to break anyone who stood in my way.

"I told you," I said to the man, my voice cold and steady. "If your boss wants to see me, he can wait in line."

The man’s smile vanished. "You’re making a big mistake, kid."

I've been making mistakes my whole life," I said, stepping toward my own car. "But today, I’m finally starting to get things right."

As I drove away, my phone buzzed. It was a text from an unknown number.

“Nice fight. But the cafeteria is where the real trap is waiting for you tomorrow. Don't be late. -S.”

I looked in the rearview mirror. Bryan was still on the grass, Chloe was watching me drive away, and the black SUV was following me from a distance.

The System made a soft sound in my mind.

[New Mission: Survival of the Fittest. Target: The Cafeteria Trap.]

I gripped the steering wheel and smiled. Let them come.