Nathan finally reached his apartment.
His legs were tired. His brain was more tired.
He threw his bag on the floor, didn't even change clothes, and sat straight on the bed. His body felt heavy, but his mind was burning with curiosity.
"Mystery box, huh?" he mumbled.
He took a deep breath and tapped on the screen.
[Opening Tier II Mystery Box...]
For a moment, the screen glitched. Then—ping!
A single card floated up from the hologram. It spun in the air and landed in front of him like magic. Similar to a game.
[Rare Skill Card – COPY]
Nathan blinked. "Copy...? Copy what?"
He clicked to view the details.
You can copy any ONE skill from any person forever. One-time use.Condition: You must touch the person once.
Nathan just sat there. Staring at it.
"What the hell…" he whispered.
His mouth stayed open for a whole minute. He didn't know what to say. This wasn't just rare. It was insane.
"One skill… forever? Just by touch? Bro…"
He laid back on the bed, both arms spread out like he'd just run a marathon. His brain was too full to think properly. But then slowly, thoughts came back.
"Whose skill should I even copy?" he whispered to himself.
He thought about Evelyn. Maybe her business brain? Or maybe some stock trader? Or maybe… some other useful person?
Before he could go further in his fantasy, he remembered something else.
"Wait… didn't I unlock Tier II system shop too?"
He clicked on the panel and opened the shop.
His jaw dropped again.
There were a bunch of new items.
Some were normal looking—like typing speed boosters, or negotiation tricks.
But then—
[Sex Skills – Beginner Pack]
"WHAT??" Nathan nearly shouted. "Why is this even here??"
He clicked it just out of shock.
Learn kissing styles, bed stamina, seduction voice training, and more...
He shut it down instantly.
"This system is seriously… not safe," he muttered. "What are you trying to make me? Someone who bangs women and becomes rich?"
Ping![System: Exactly]
Nathan - "huhhhh…?"
But then his eyes landed on something interesting.
[Tycoon Package – I] - Cost: 300 Tycoon Points
Includes:–$500,000 (gift card format)– One random business idea card
Nathan clicked on it quickly.
"Five hundred thousand… that's literally what I need."
He smiled, already dreaming of buying it.
But then he saw his balance.
[Tycoon Points: 100]
"...What the f—" he said, slapping his forehead.
He needed 300, but he only had 100. Disappointment hit him like a truck.
"System, do I have any active quests?" he asked quickly.
Ping!
[Active Quest – Complete Project Aurora Proposal]
Reward: +200 Tycoon Points
Nathan's eyes widened. "Right! I forgot about that!"
Evelyn told him to submit it in 3 days.
Today was already gone. Only 2 left now.
He sat up and pulled out his laptop. No time to waste now.
He started working—fixing all the wording she had pointed out, cleaning structure, adjusting the file formats, checking stats, and making it look like a boss made it.
It took him almost the whole next day. He only stopped for food once. Didn't even touch his phone.
Finally, at night, it was ready.
He took a deep breath and sent it to Evelyn.
5 minutes later, his phone buzzed.
[Evelyn: Received. Will review it now.]
Nathan waited.
It felt like waiting for exam results.
20 minutes passed.
Then another message popped up.
[Evelyn: It's done. Good work. Come meet me at 9am in office tomorrow.]
Nathan exhaled like he had been holding his breath the whole time.
Ping![Quest Complete – Project Aurora Proposal]+200 Tycoon Points Earned!
He smiled. "Finally…"
Ping![Relationship Update – Evelyn Moreau]
Affection: 46% (+3%)
Trust: 38% (+4%)
"Okay okay chill," he said to the screen. "I get it. She likes me a bit now."
He opened the shop again.
[Tycoon Points: 300]
He tapped Buy on the Tycoon Package I.
Ding!
A new item appeared in his inventory.
He clicked it, and the screen showed:
[You've received: $500,000 – Gift Card]
A small glowing black card popped out from the screen. It looked like a debit card. But it had a gold line and the words "System Credit" written on it.
Nathan held it in his hand and laughed. "Bro... I have 500k now. Real money."
He looked up at the ceiling.
"Even if that stock crashes tomorrow… I can at least repay her now."
He was smiling like an idiot.
Then another card appeared.
[Business Idea Card – Tap to Reveal]
Nathan tapped it.
Idea: Buy 100 public transport units and give them on rent. Collect 50% of their daily earnings.
Nathan stared at it.
"What… is this?" he asked out loud. "Am I gonna build my own Uber?"
He tried to calculate. 100 vehicles… if each gave like $100 profit daily… that was 10k$ a day. In theory.
"In a few months… this can actually make me rich," he said.
But then he looked at the numbers again.
"But how am I gonna buy 100 vehicles without more money?!" he sighed, falling back on the bed again.
Then a thought popped into his head.
"…Wait."
He sat up again.
"I got 500k now… and I know this stock's gonna rise…"
He pulled open the trading app.
"Evelyn invested 50k… what if I go big?"
He stared at the screen.
His fingers trembled slightly.
He typed $100,000 into the buy box. Double of Evelyn's.
Clicked Buy.
Ping!
[ARX MicroTech – $100,000 Invested @ $1.15]
He dropped the phone on the bed and just stared at the ceiling.
"What a daring man I am," he whispered to himself. "Either I become a millionaire… or a damn fool."
But weirdly… he didn't feel scared.
He felt alive.
He closed his eyes, still holding the glowing black card and thinking of buses, stocks, skills, and future chaos.
Whatever tomorrow brings… he was ready.
Next chapter: The stock market opens… and Nathan's fate is about to flip.