Noah Carter didn't mean to break reality. It just sort of... happened.
On a random, ordinary, dull day. The broke, software developer had spent three years trying to create an algorithm.
If this algorithm worked, his tiny startup might finally attract serious investors.
More importantly, he could pay off his mountain of medical debt from his father's hospitalisation.
"Come on, you stubborn piece of garbage," Noah muttered, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he debugged his algorithm's latest version.
The table he was coding on was by no means tidy, let alone professional. It was filled with energy cans and piles of ramen cups.
Outside, rain lashed against the windows of his cluttered apartment-slash-office, the kind of place real estate agents optimistically called "cozy" when they meant "barely larger than a storage unit."
Lightning cracked uncomfortably close, making his old power strip flicker ominously.
"No, no, no!" He lunged for the backup switch, but…it was too late.
The lights blinked out.
For one heart-stopping moment, darkness took over. Then his monitors flickered back on, displaying not his code but a single blue message:
[System Anomaly Detected]
Noah squinted at the screen.
"What kind of virus is this?" He reached for his keyboard, but his fingers froze as new text appeared.
[Analysis Complete. Compatibility: 98.7%.]
A strange pressure built inside Noah's head, like someone was gently inflating a balloon behind his eyes.
It wasn't painful, just... weird.
"Great," he mumbled.
"I'm having hallucinations from energy drinks and sleep deprivation. I should head to sleep."
[System Integration Complete. Idle Tycoon System v1.00 Activated.]
"Eh? Huh?"
A translucent blue interface materialised in front of him, hovering like a hologram from every sci-fi movie he'd ever loved:
IDLE TYCOON SYSTEM
Host: Noah Carter
Age: 28
Shops: None
Daily Revenue: $0
Current Assets: $ 1300.56
Shop Points: 0
Attributes: Strength: 4, Vitality: 3, Intelligence: 6, Agility: 3
Skills: Programming (Level 2), Finance (Level 1), Surviving on Ramen (Level 3)
Noah snorted at the last skill.
"At least my hallucination has a sense of humour."
He cautiously poked the floating display. His finger passed through it like mist, sending ripples across the interface.
'Is this actually real?'
[Host has accidentally created quantum entanglement between his algorithm and the Universe's fabric. Congratulations on your accidental breakthrough! You have unlocked this mighty system!]
"Uh-huh." Noah leaned back in his chair, which protested against his weight with a creak. "So I broke physics with buggy code and an electrical surge? Sounds real."
[The Host's mental faculties are functioning normally. This is real. Would you like to see your commercial opportunities?]
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Commercial opportunities?"
[The Idle Tycoon System allows Hosts to establish businesses across the universe, generating passive income streams that transfer to your origin reality. Like having a franchise in every world!]
"Right." Noah rubbed his temples.
"So I'm not just hallucinating—I'm hallucinating an interdimensional get-rich-quick scheme."
But despite his disbelief, his curiosity was winning.
If this was a mental breakdown, at least it was an entertaining one.
"Why not? Show me the shop," he said, spinning once in his chair.
[Shop Type Selection in Progress... Analysing Host Skills...]
The screen in front of him began to shimmer and ripple. Reality folded inward, creating what looked like a doorway.
Through this impossible doorway, Noah could make out what appeared to be a small shop.
"Wait…This is actually real."
He rubbed his eyes a few times, thinking the sight before him would vanish, ending his hallucination...but it didn't.
...
[First Target World Classification - Medieval Magic World. World Level: 2]
[Host will be immortal within Shop boundaries only. Death outside Shop boundaries will result in immediate return to Origin World with a 24-hour System lockout.]
"Medieval Magic World?" Noah echoed, taking an involuntary step back. "Like knights and wizards and dragons?"
[Yes, host.]
"Can I pick somewhere else?"
[The shop will relocate every ten days unless the location is locked by the Host. Each locked location requires 1000 Shop Points.]
Noah swallowed hard, his throat somewhat dry.
"Can you explain the world-level part?"
[The world level is the ranking of the world. The Medieval Magic World is slightly more developed than Earth, but the civilisation isn't that much ahead of level 1 worlds, like yours. Therefore, it's granted level 2.]
"And what exactly am I supposed to sell in this... Medieval Magic World?" he asked, taking a cautious step toward the portal.
[Bread]
"Bread? Really?"
[Yes.]
"I don't know how to bake bread," Noah pointed out.
[Host. You are worrying too much… you keep asking questions nonstop. Are you a pussilanamous?]
"And if I sell this bread... what happens?" Noah asked shamelessly, ignoring the system's jab.
[Upon the first successful transaction, the System will establish an Idle Income stream. The host will receive the exact equivalent of the transaction value every 24 hours without additional effort. Multiple sales of the same product will not stack, but will replace the previous value if higher.]
[For example. If the Host sells one loaf of bread for 1 gold coin, the Host will receive 1 gold coin every 24 hours automatically. If Host later sells one loaf for 2 gold coins, the daily reward increases to 2 gold coins.]
[Additional products may be added to the Shop inventory as the Host progresses. Each unique product creates its own independent Idle Income stream.]
Noah ran his fingers through his hair, his mind racing.
If this was real—a big if—it was essentially a cheat code for life.
Sell one expensive loaf of bread, and he'd have a daily income forever?
It sounded too good to be true.
But then again, he had read about such things numerous times in his teenage days.
"What's the catch?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at the floating screen.
[No catch.]
"So there is no mysterious entity inside you trying to control me and take over the world. Or something along those lines?"
[None at all. What do you take me for host? A Chinese novel system?]
"So I could actually die out there?"
[Correct. Death is possible but not permanent for the Host. Host consciousness will return to Origin World upon death, but with a temporary System lockout. Physical pain will be experienced at 300% the normal rate.]
"Wait. wait…wait! What does 300% of the normal rate mean?"
[It means that the pain you experience will be 300% more painful than normal…It's quite obvious, host.]
Noah rolled his eyes. Of course, he understood what it meant.