The sound of rushing footsteps and hushed murmurs filled the hospital room as Doctors and nurses surrounded Damien's bed, staring at him as if he had risen from the grave.
In a way, he had.
Gerald walked in stopping at the door as his sharp eyes swept the scene before him. "What in the world is going on here?" he asked walking into the room.
One of the nurses gazed at him, her expression still with shock. "We... we don't know," she admitted, turning back to Damien. "One moment, he was in critical condition, but now. he's completely healed. All the bruises he had have all disappeared. It's like he was never hurt in the first place."
Gerald's eyes narrowed as he turned to Damien, who was still laying on the hospital bed, extending his fingers as if testing it. He was fine. No—better than fine.
And that instead of calming Gerald, made him more angrier. The son of a bitch had been beaten to a pulp not too long ago. How the hell did he get better so fast? And if the damage was not so bad, why did he have him to go through all this cost to bring him here?
Gerald's jaw tightened, his gaze boring into Damien's as if it would pull the truth from him. But before he could ask him anything, the doctor cleared his throat.
"Well, since you are much better, Mr. Carter, there's no reason to keep you here," the doctor stated, still staring at Damien with an air of disbelief. "You're, uh, officially discharged."
Damien nodded quickly as he turned and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He needed to get out of here before more questions came up--questions he wasn't ready to answer.
Before he could stand though, Gerald immediately grabbed his arm, his grip firm on him. "I'll pay the bill," he muttered.
Damien blinked in surprise as he tried writhing his hands out of Gerald's grip. "You don't really have to--"
"I said I'll pay it," Gerald snapped as he pulled him out of the room. "You're already broke, thanks to that woman. Let's just go."
******************
The drive home was silent.
Gerald gripped the steering wheel had, his eyes on the road. Damien sat beside him with his arms crossed. The silence was so heavy and it made him uncomfortable.
They had been driving for about ten minutes when Gerald finally spoke up, his voice slicing through the heavy shroud that had enveloped them. "How the hell did you heal so fast?" he snarled turning to Damien.
Damien sighed. He had been expecting the question. "I don't know," he shrugged. "It was a miracle, I guess."
"Bullshit," Gerald grunted, shaking his head.
"Believe what you like," Damien muttered with a another shrug.
There was silence between them again.
And then—
"What did you tell me back at the hospital?" Gerald asked, his voice calmer this time.
Damien glanced at him. "What?"
"You said you saw something before you fainted," Gerald continued, glancing him. "Something about seeing an interface."
Damien clenched his teeth. He had hoped Gerald had forgotten that.
"I was dreaming, I'm sure," Damien lied with ease. "Probably hallucinated the whole thing."
Gerald remained still for some moments before sighing. He grunted, leaning back against his chair. "Fine," he said, placing his hand behind his head. "If you don't feel like talking about it, I won't push."
Relief washed over Damien-but it was short-lived as he suddenly recalled something l.
Taking a deep breath, he paused before he asked, "Gerald. may I borrow $2,500?"
Gerald turned his head sharply, his brows folding. His mouth opened to say something, but he only let out a sigh and turned back, gazing out the window.
Damien knew his reply.
********************
Damien laid on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, the gentle glow of the bedside lamp casting shadows on the walls as he tried to process everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. He had been beaten to a pulp by his ex's new boyfriend, hospitalized with wounds that would have taken weeks to heal, and then, miraculously, he had healed in a few hours.
His fists clenched in the blankets as he exhaled a loudly. He'd read comics and watched movies about people gaining powers—systems imprinted into their mind—but that was fiction. None of that could happen in the real world.
And yet, something had healed him.
Damien sat up, rubbing his hands together and inhaling deeply. Maybe he was struck too hard his mind had begun to play tricks on him. That did not, however, explain his healing.
He folded his hands together, taking in air through clenched teeth "System?" he called, hesitantly.
Silence.
Frowning, he tried again. "System, open."
Nothing again.
"System activate."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, with a soft chime, a glowing blue interface materialized before him, hovering in mid-air like a hologram. The phrase "System Activated" floated on the translucent screen.
Damien's breath hitched as he jumped back at the suddenness of it. "Holy shit."
The interface shifted a moment later, displaying a line of text:
[Welcome, Damien Carter. Your journey to becoming the best version of yourself begins now.]
His heart pounded. "What... are you?" he whispered.
The system answered quickly.
[I am your system, here to help you, guide you, and offer possibilities for your growth. Your destiny is in the hands of the choices you make and the missions you complete. The rewards will help you create your destiny.]
"Missions?" Damien mumbled with a frown.
The interface shifted again, displaying a new set of information.
[You gain points and rewards through the completion of various missions. These range from small, routine tasks to more important endeavors. Completing missions will reward you with cash, resources, and system points (SP), which you can use to purchase new skills and powers. Whenever you receive a mission, the list to gain the points change accordingly to accommodate the mission.]
Damien's mind spun as he thought of it all. He could win real money while working himself into becoming more.
Suddenly, he thought back on one specific manga in which the protagonist lost a limb for not finishing a mission.
"What do I do if I fail a mission?" he asked carefully.
[Failure incurs delay or loss of points and money. You can try again, but constant failure can close some doors and make you lose opportunities. Be wise.]
"So, no death or magical punishment?" he asked, exhaling.
[No. This is not about destruction, but development.]
That was better.
The interface shifted again, a new mission on top.
[First Mission: Earn $1,500]
Objective: Earn $1,500 within 24 hours.
Reward: Bonus $1,000 and 30 SP (System Points).
Damien blinked twice as he read the wordings. "Wait. that's exactly what I need for the loan..."
[Correct. Completing this mission will give you the money you require.]
A strange mix of excitement and nervousness coursed through him. This was real. This was happening. And if he played his cards right, he could really start up his business.
But how?
Suddenly, a large list appeared:
MISSIONS (Quick Cash - $100 to $500)
Street Writer ($100, 10 SP) – Sell and write short poems or essays on the street.
Editing Hustle ($200, 15 SP) – Proofread and edit a client's book or article.
Book Reviewer ($300, 20 SP) – Write five detailed book reviews online.
Viral Article ($400, 25 SP) – Publish an article that has 1,000+ shares.
Coffee Shop Investment ($500, 30 SP) – Make a wager on which new coffee shop will take off and invest early.
Damien glanced over the list of missions, his eyes widening. The easiest were writing-related, which was to be expected considering his former work. He knew could handle that. Writing a viral article was going to be hard and but writing and selling something on the street would earn him little. Editing a book for someone? Not enough.
His gaze fell upon Book Reviewer ($300, 30 SP). If he completed five of those in one day, he'd reach his quota.
Damien clenched his fists. "Fine," he breathed. "Let's do this."
A small beep resonated inside his head.
[Mission Accepted.]
Taking a deep breath, Damien grabbed his laptop from the bedside table. It was time to get started.