Nathan sat at the edge of his old bed, staring at the cracked wall like it was trying to say something. That crack had been there since forever, even though he never touched it. Still looked new. Like life had a habit of breaking things, even when you did nothing.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. His brain was tired, like it had been running a marathon nonstop.
Then it happened again.
That soft glow just appeared—like magic. No sound, no warning. A bright screen floated in front of him, glowing gently in the air. But it was only visible to him. Like it lived in his eyes.
[TYCOON SYSTEM ONLINE]
Tycoon Points: 350
New Quest: Project: Aurora Hotel – Deliver a Working Proposal in 14 Days
Reward: +200 Points | Skill: Project Management I
Nathan blinked slowly. It was real. Still there.
"So I'm not going crazy," he muttered. This wasn't some fever dream or burnout delusion. The system was in his mind. Not on a phone or screen. Just floating there like a ghost screen. Responding to his thoughts.
He waved his hand slightly and the screen followed. It even moved with his eyes.
"Okay… that's kinda cool."
Then a new icon popped up.
[Tycoon Shop – Tier 1]
He focused on it and the shop opened.
Spectral Specs – See secrets. (200 Points)
Project Management I – (Unlocks after Aurora Quest complete)
Negotiator's Pulse – Better talking skill. +10% chance. (150 Points)
Charisma Surge (Trial) – Get more charming for 3 mins. (50 Points)
Proposal Drafting AI Assistant – 100 Points
Team Dynamics I – Understand teams better. (80 Points)
Nathan scratched his head. Everything looked useful. But he didn't want to waste his points. He needed to think smart.
He picked Negotiator's Pulse first.
[200 Points left][Skill Unlocked: Negotiator's Pulse]
He thought for a second more, then spent 80 more points on Team Dynamics I.
[120 Points left]
He had a feeling he'd be working with messed up or lazy people again. It'll help.
A warm feeling spread in his chest. Like butterflies. But not scary ones. Just sharp, focused ones.
"Alright. Let's get started."
He left his apartment and walked down to the café near the street corner. It wasn't fancy or quiet, but they let people sit for hours with just one cheap coffee. That's what he needed right now.
He opened his dusty laptop and began searching.
Aurora Hotel.
News articles. Complaints. Angry guests shouting online. Workers quitting. Delayed construction. Bad reviews everywhere.
Evelyn wasn't kidding. The project was a straight-up mess.
"Perfect," Nathan said with a tired grin.
Suddenly the system gave a little ding.
[PROJECT PROGRESS – 20%]
Weird. He didn't do much yet. But still, the bar moved. Maybe the system was tracking his effort or focus?
He kept going. Wrote some notes. Fixes. Checked supplier names that flopped. Noticed how the timelines were messed up. Made a simple color-coded budget too—he hadn't done that in years.
By the time the sun started going down and the café lights turned orange-yellow, a new notification came.
[PROJECT PROGRESS – 42%][+50 Tycoon Points Earned]
Nathan leaned back and popped his knuckles.
"Still got it."
Then another screen popped up.
[RELATIONSHIP THREAD – Evelyn Moreau]
Status: Curious
Affection: 17%
Trust: 10%
He stared.
So… she was watching.
Maybe not full-on impressed yet, but she was curious. She wanted to see if he was real about this. If he could deliver something. Anything.
Nathan smiled. Just a little.
"Didn't expect the fool to build something this fast, huh?"
Next morning, he sat cross-legged on the floor of his apartment. His chair had finally died, so the floor it was. Not comfy, but worked fine.
Another screen popped up.
[System Suggestion – Combo Skills Active]
Tip: Use "Negotiator's Pulse" with "Project Management I" for faster results.
He nodded. "Yeah, that adds up, But I cannot activate Project Management I."
It's locked till I finish the quest. Damn it...
His heart thumped faster, but in a good way. His brain started connecting things faster. Stuff felt clearer. Like someone just cleaned the fog out.
Then he thought again.
He still had some points left.
Should he use more?
He opened the shop again. His eyes stopped on the Proposal Drafting AI Assistant.
He needed to build a proper proposal anyway.
He had 170 Points left. This costed 100.
Not too bad.
"Let's do it," he said.
[-100 Points Spent][AI Proposal Draft Assistant Activated]
[70 Points left]
Right away, his mind felt lighter. Like someone handed him a toolbox full of useful stuff. Words, formats, layouts. It was like cheating, but in a legal way.
"Now we're talking."
He started drafting the proposal.
[PROJECT PROGRESS – 55%]
He wrote plans, ideas, quick solutions for staff shortage, cost savings. Even added a rebranding section to help clean their PR image. Timelines were there. Visuals. Notes. All neat and sharp.
It started to look like something real. Like something professional.
He checked Evelyn's thread again.
Still no major change. But the way that trust bar just sat there… it felt like it was waiting. Watching. Like she wanted to believe but wasn't ready yet.
But she would.
He just had to keep going.
Later that evening, Nathan stepped out for a short walk. Not for fun. Just to clear his head and stop his legs from getting numb.
The streets were alive. Horns, footsteps, people laughing, bikes zooming past. But in Nathan's mind, only one thing was real right now.
The screen.
Still glowing in his vision.
[Mission Progress – 70%][Deadline: 12 Days Left]
Almost there.
He grinned.
For the first time in years, he wasn't just crawling through life. He was actually… doing something again.
He wasn't winning with charm. Not with money.
But with the system?
Yeah. This thing was his second chance.
Not a cheat code. Not a magic wand. Just… help. Enough to fight back with.
He looked up at the stars.
"Game's on," he whispered. "This time, I won't mess it up."