Jackson Bill's fingers flew across the cheap keyboard of his standard laptop, its weak fan whining under the pressure of his code editor, debugger, and packet sniffer running simultaneously. The screen flickered once, reminding him the hinges were loose, but Jackson didn't have time to care.
He adjusted his thin glasses, eyes locked on the scrolling lines of C++ and assembly code as he typed out the last function of his new program.
> "BugHunter V1.0: Running Scan…"
Jackson watched as the script crawled through a client's outdated medical software, hunting for hidden vulnerabilities. The program paused, then spat out a neat list:
> Critical Vulnerabilities: 3
Major Vulnerabilities: 9
Minor Vulnerabilities: 17
Jackson leaned back, letting out a breath as a tired grin spread across his face. "Done."
---
At twenty, Jackson's life was a quiet rhythm of morning lectures, evening part-time jobs for tuition, and nights spent inside lines of code that felt more alive to him than the crowded streets outside his small rental room. His parents, government workers with stable but limited income, had done their best to support him, but Jackson had long decided he would not burden them.
That was why, late at night, he logged onto underground hacker forums, taking jobs from businesses too small—or too shady—to hire proper security consultants. Bug-finding, patch development, script optimization, even data recovery. Anything legal enough to keep him from crossing the line.
The money was slow, but it was building up in a hidden savings account, waiting for the day he could buy himself a top-tier laptop capable of handling his ambitions. His current machine couldn't even open two virtual machines without wheezing.
---
Jackson glanced at the clock: 3:12 AM.
His phone vibrated. A message from John Deere, his childhood friend:
> "Bro, sleep. Mid-year exams in two weeks."
Jackson smiled softly, replying with a thumbs-up emoji before returning to the screen.
---
The next day, Jackson's thin frame blended in among the sea of students pouring into Professor Mason's Programming Systems class. The room smelled of instant coffee, old whiteboard markers, and restless ambition.
Professor Mason, a silver-haired man with sharp eyes, tapped the board with a marker.
"Today's topic: Kernel-level security and vulnerability exploitation. Understand this, and you'll understand the structure of digital warfare."
Jackson's eyes locked onto the diagrams, absorbing every detail. Beside him, he noticed Salena Gate flipping her notebook open with cold precision. She was calm, her movements quiet, but her eyes were sharp as she tracked Professor Mason's explanations.
Salena was only nineteen but was the talk of the department, known for her high IQ and perfect scores. She came from the Gate family, Level 8 wealth in a society that measured influence on a ten-level scale. Rumor said her family owned banks, tech firms, and energy networks.
She glanced at Jackson briefly before returning to her notes, her expression unreadable.
---
In the back, Alex, a smug grin on his face, whispered jokes to his cronies. His family was Level 1 rich, enough to let him treat everyone else like ants, but not enough to command true power. Jackson felt Alex's occasional glare, a reminder that the boy loved to pick on those who couldn't fight back.
---
After class, Jackson headed to the computer lab, his laptop in his bag, hoping to catch stable power to run final tests on his new antivirus system.
The lab was empty, fans whirring in old PCs, the scent of metal and dust oddly comforting.
Jackson plugged in his laptop and took a deep breath.
> "Initiate Final Test."
The screen filled with logs as the antivirus program crawled through layers of test malware, catching hidden trojans and memory injection scripts Jackson himself had planted for testing.
The code felt clean. Fast. Efficient. Ready.
Jackson sat back, his mind buzzing with satisfaction.
---
Then, the screen flickered.
Black.
Blue.
Not the Blue Screen of Death, but a clear, luminous translucent blue panel hovering over his desktop.
Jackson's breath caught as he leaned in.
> [Ding! "Ultimate Creation System" Activated.]
[Welcome, Jackson Bill.]
[You have been chosen to receive Ultimate IQ and Master Knowledge Access for the purpose of building what you desire.]
[Body Evolution Phase: Level 1 Initiating.]
[Progress: 50% → 100% (Estimated Time: 1 Month)]
[Next Evolution: 6 months after completion.]
[Master Knowledge Unlocked: Code Engineering, Security Systems, Algorithm Optimization, Advanced Hacking Structures, Self-Defense Techniques.]
Jackson's mind felt like it cracked open.
Suddenly, he knew.
Complex encryption algorithms unfolded before his eyes, structures of deep system vulnerabilities, advanced penetration testing techniques, and the architecture of zero-day exploits. He could see potential weaknesses in any system he imagined.
Then came self-defense knowledge—nerve points, grappling techniques, balance control, efficient movement, and reaction training drills, all entering his mind in organized folders as if installed into a system.
---
> [Stat Panel Unlocked.]
A new panel appeared in his vision, floating like an AR interface:
> [Jackson Bill - Evolution Status]
Level: 1
Progress: 50.1%
Attributes:
Intelligence: 300% (Normal Baseline: 100%)
Reflex: 110%
Strength: 100%
Stamina: 100%
Learning Speed: 500%
Combat Instinct: Basic
Jackson's hands trembled, but it wasn't fear.
It was excitement.
---
He immediately opened his antivirus program code, and what once took him hours to debug, he now saw at a glance. Inefficiencies, redundant loops, and memory leaks practically screamed at him.
His fingers moved faster than ever, rewriting entire segments, streamlining processes, and adding advanced heuristic scanning algorithms that could learn and adapt.
The antivirus evolved from a simple scanner into a smart, adaptive shield capable of learning new attack patterns in real time.
---
Jackson closed the laptop, breathing heavily.
It was real.
He had a system now.
And with it, he could build anything.
---
That night, Jackson logged onto the hacker forum under his anonymous handle and uploaded a demo of his antivirus, watching as messages flooded in:
> "How did you build this?"
"This is the cleanest code I've seen in years."
"Name your price."
Jackson smiled.
---
The days passed, Jackson refining his skills, pushing himself physically with self-defense drills downloaded directly into his mind. He noticed he could dodge small objects thrown at him, anticipate slight movements, and his reaction speed was subtly improving each day.
His progress bar ticked up slowly: 50.1% → 51% → 52%...
He kept his head down at school, studying diligently in Professor Mason's class, noting the occasional curious glances from Salena Gate as she noticed Jackson finishing lab assignments faster, cleaner, and more efficiently than before.
---
Mid-year exams were coming.
Jackson sat under a tree on campus, laptop in his lap, code running on the screen, the breeze carrying the distant laughter of students.
"Are you ready for the exams, Jackson?"
Jackson looked up, seeing John Deere approach with a grin, two bottled drinks in hand.
Jackson smiled, accepting one. "I've never felt more ready."
---
Far across the field, Salena Gate closed her notebook, eyes lingering on Jackson for a moment before turning away, her mind calculating, analyzing, as she prepared for the coming exams.
And in the shadows, Alex watched, jealousy flaring in his eyes as he noticed how Jackson seemed to grow sharper, calmer, and more confident each day.
---
Jackson closed his eyes, letting the wind brush against his skin.
His journey had begun.
And with the Ultimate Creation System, he would rise, one step at a time.
---
[End of Chapter 1]