The ten million dollars sat in Ethan’s bank account like a nuclear warhead—ready to change everything.
He didn’t sleep that night.
Not because of fear.
Because of possibility.The system hadn’t disappeared after that surreal activation. It hovered in the corner of his vision like a digital interface only he could see—responsive, alive, almost omniscient.
Host Status:
Wealth Level: Tier 1 – New Money Total Funds: $10,000,000 Reputation: Laughingstock Power: 0 Influence: 0 Allies: 0 Enemies: 64 (and counting)💡 Daily Advice: “Wealth is a sword. Use it to cut down those who laughed when you were unarmed.”
Ethan paced his room, mind whirring like an overclocked machine. For the first time in his life, he held power. And he had no intention of wasting it.
His first mission was simple:
Mission #001 – Prove Them Wrong
Target: Bryce Tan Objective: Humiliate him publicly within 72 hours Reward: Company Ownership Token Penalty: None Suggestion: “Destroy what he values most—status.”Bryce. The arrogant trust-fund brat who led the pack of bullies. Captain of the university’s basketball team. Influencer. Sponsored athlete.
He cared about one thing above all: reputation.
Ethan opened his laptop and began typing.
By morning, Ethan had pulled off what no broke student should ever be able to do.
First, he hired a media agency under a pseudonym—“Obsidian Media Holdings.” He paid them $20,000 to craft a PR campaign, complete with fake scandals, doctored screenshots, and anonymous tips.
Next, he contacted a private investigator—real one, discreet. For $5,000, the PI found every dirty secret Bryce tried to hide: an assault cover-up, a paid-for exam paper, and—best of all—evidence that Bryce’s scholarship was fraudulently obtained.
By noon, three major gossip blogs had already scheduled articles exposing Bryce’s lies. Ethan timed the leaks to go live during the university’s biggest weekly event:
Friday Townhall Assembly.
The entire student body would be there.
And so would Bryce.
Friday – 9:00 a.m.
Northern University’s grand auditorium buzzed with life. Hundreds of students shuffled into the seats, excited for the weekly updates, club showcases, and guest speaker lineup.
Bryce Tan stood front and center onstage, flashing his signature smirk as he adjusted his varsity jacket. Cameras were already snapping photos. He was slated to give a short speech on “Discipline and Leadership.”
Ethan slipped into the back row, dressed in a clean button-up shirt and new jeans—nothing flashy, but neat enough to turn a few heads.
He pulled out his phone.
“System,” he whispered. “Ready?”
✅ Confirmed: Countdown initiated.
Executing media strike in 3… 2… 1…9:17 a.m.
Bryce had just started bragging about his “merit-based” scholarship when the first whispers broke out in the crowd.
Then came the gasps.
The phones lighting up. The ripple of digital chaos.On screen after screen:
BREAKING: Northern U Star Bryce Tan Faked Scholarship, Abused Influence to Cover Assault Allegations.
“Exclusive: Anonymous sources claim Bryce Tan paid $20,000 to have his exam scores altered.”
“Video leaked: Bryce Tan verbally abusing female student in locker room.”
The crowd was frozen.
Bryce stuttered mid-sentence. “I… I don’t—this is fake—!”
But it was too late.
University staff scrambled. Campus security arrived. The Dean, pale and tight-lipped, approached the stage.
In under ten minutes, Bryce Tan’s reign was over.
The system pinged softly in Ethan’s mind:
✅ Mission #001 Completed.
Reward: Company Ownership Token (Claimed) Host Status Updated: – Enemies: -1 – Influence: +5 – Confidence: +20🎉 Congratulations. That’s how you prove them wrong.
Ethan leaned back in his chair, a small smile forming on his lips for the first time in years.
It wasn’t just about the money.
It was about control.
After the assembly, news spread like wildfire. Bryce had been suspended pending investigation. His sponsorship deals vanished overnight. His social media imploded under the weight of public outrage.
As for Ethan?
People started whispering about him.
“Hey, wasn’t he the one Bryce used to bully?”
“Yeah… Ethan Reyes, right?”
“He was there during the assembly. He didn’t even look surprised.”
That afternoon, Ethan’s inbox exploded.
A message from a student asking to join his “media team.”
An invitation from the campus business club.
A DM from a girl who used to ignore him, asking if he wanted to “grab coffee sometime.”
He ignored all of them.
He wasn’t here to impress the fakes.
He had a system now—and a mission.
Back in his room, Ethan stared at the new screen in his system interface:
[COMPANY OWNERSHIP TOKEN – UNUSED]
Use this token to claim, build, or acquire a full company. Ownership: 100% Starting budget: Up to $5,000,000 Suggestion: Start your empire.Ethan’s eyes lit up.
He opened his laptop again.
What kind of business would shake the world?
Dropshipping? Too basic.
Stock trading? Already done. Crypto? Risky, loud, unstable.Then it hit him.
A tech company.
Not just software—A.I. automation.
The future.And he had the resources to build it from scratch.
He would name it VIREX—Virtual Intelligence for Real-world Execution.
The goal?
Automate operations for businesses, institutions, even governments. Speed, efficiency, domination.He clicked “Use Token.”
The screen flashed.
✅ Company Created: VIREX Technologies Pte. Ltd.
Budget: $5,000,000 Recruitment Slots: 5 initial staff Office Options: Choose location System Integration: Available⚙️ Next Mission: Build a Team
Objective: Hire at least three key talents to begin operations. Reward: Personal Asset Upgrade + Advanced Tech LicenseEthan grinned.
The storm was over.
But the war was just beginning.
The mansion never slept, not anymore. Where once there had been the rhythm of power—businessmen arriving in the evenings, politicians leaving before dawn, soldiers laughing in the courtyards—now there was only tension. Guards paced in pairs, lieutenants whispered in alcoves, and everywhere, Kane’s shadow stretched long.Marcus could feel it in the walls. The empire was sick, but the disease wasn’t Ethan Cross. It was Kane’s paranoia, spreading faster than any rival could.Kane Calls His CourtThe summons came before dawn. Men shuffled into the war room, boots echoing on marble, rifles slung but unnecessary—nobody dared draw a weapon in Kane’s presence unless ordered.The war room itself felt more like a throne chamber. A long mahogany table stretched toward the far wall where massive windows overlooked the city. The blinds were half-drawn, allowing slits of gray morning light to cut through smoke that hung heavy in the air.Kane stood at the head of the table, sleeves rolled up, eyes
The mansion was awake long past midnight. Lights burned in every corridor, men moved with clipped steps, and the sharp scent of gun oil lingered in the air. The failed raid on the East District courier nest had left Kane furious, and when Kane didn’t sleep, nobody dared rest.Marcus moved through the halls with the squad, his boots echoing against marble that felt colder than usual. He could feel it in the air—like the pressure before a storm. The men whispered less, their eyes darted more. Kane’s wrath was everywhere, even when he wasn’t in the room.Summons to the ThroneThe summons came at dawn.Rourke, shoulders hunched and face pale, appeared in the corridor. “Kane wants you. Now.”Marcus said nothing, just nodded, though his pulse quickened. He followed Rourke into the war room, where the air was thick with smoke. Kane sat at the head of the long table, his chair turned slightly so the morning light fell across his scarred cheek.The table itself was scattered with maps, dossier
The East District was never truly dark. Even at midnight, the streets glowed with the lurid pinks and blues of neon signs advertising noodle stalls, nightclubs, and cheap motels. Steam rose from sewer grates, mixing with the tang of frying oil and exhaust fumes. To most of the city, this was just another restless night. To Gamma Team, it was a test of loyalty, faith, and survival.The Convoy Rolls InFive SUVs rolled through the narrow lanes, tires splashing through shallow puddles. Their matte-black paint drank in the neon light, turning them into moving shadows.Marcus rode shotgun in the lead car, his rifle across his knees, jaw set tight. His reflection stared back at him from the rain-streaked window—a face hardened by years under Kane, yet marked tonight by something more dangerous: doubt.The men in the back seat argued in low voices.“Light envelopes again,” one muttered bitterly. “Three hundred short this time. Don’t tell me that’s an accident.”“Shut up,” his partner hissed.
The city’s pulse was different now. Word of the failed warehouse raid had already leaked into the alleys and bars, and Kane’s men—once unshakable in their loyalty—began to whisper. Ethan’s strategy of choking the payroll was biting harder than bullets.Kane’s Squads: Hungry WolvesIn a cramped tenement in East District, Gamma Team huddled around a scarred wooden table. Empty beer bottles clinked as someone shoved them aside. The envelopes Kane had promised were there, but thinner than ever.“Three hundred short,” one of them muttered, shaking his head. “That’s not a mistake. That’s Kane skimming us.”“Shut your mouth,” another growled, though his eyes flicked nervously toward the door. “You want him to hear you?”But the first man pressed on. “We bleed for him, and this is what we get? Meanwhile, Cross’s people—they say his couriers never miss a payday. Never.”A silence fell. No one dared say it aloud, but the thought hung there like smoke: Maybe Kane wasn’t invincible anymore.Marcu
The rain weakened to a mist by dawn, leaving the docks slick and silver. Sirens never came. No uniforms asked questions. The city pretended not to notice—like it always did when devils and upstarts drew lines in the dark.Kane Veylor noticed.Kane: Raising the Black FlagThe mansion’s war room smelled of damp wool and burnt tobacco, a sour perfume of defeat and defiance. Kane stood at the head of the long table, coat still wet from the night, water ticking from the hem onto the marble. His lieutenants ringed the room, faces pallid with exhaustion and fear.Four stretchers sat against the far wall, men groaning under bloodied bandages. Not dead—embarrassed. Kane preferred humiliation as a prelude to discipline. It allowed fear to marinate.Rourke tried to speak first. “Boss—”“Quiet,” Kane said without looking at him.Silence folded over the room. Kane set his palms on the table and leaned in, knuckles whitening. “He lured us. Me. He cut our lights. He fried our comms. He took my men a
The rain came heavy to the docks that night, drumming on corrugated roofs and trickling in steady streams down rusted gutters. The air was thick with the tang of oil, salt, and electricity from half-dead floodlights flickering over the harbor. The Grayline Warehouse, a squat rectangle of steel and concrete, crouched on the far edge of the yard like a sleeping animal.Inside, Ethan stood in silence, his eyes on the shifting holographic map projected by the System. The outlines of Kane’s convoy were already forming—five black SUVs crawling through the city grid like predators on the hunt.[Warning: Enemy convoy ETA 04:13 minutes. Composition: 5 SUVs, estimated 20–22 armed personnel. Primary target: Kane Veylor present.]The words scrolled across Ethan’s vision, steady and unflinching. He exhaled through his nose. “He’s coming himself,” he murmured.Leah sat at a console behind him, fingers tense on the keys. “That’s not like him, Ethan. He never exposes himself unless—”“Unless he wants