The moment I accepted, the blue screen dissolved into a cascade of light.
Not blinding, but cool and analytical....like diving into an ocean of pure data.
Information surged into my mind, not as words but as instinct. And with it came a vision.
A sepia world. Steel and smoke. A man with a magnificent mustache stood tall, his eyes burning with ambition.
**Elias Vance.**
A titan of industry who built an empire from nothing. Betrayed by his own board. Cast aside. His name erased from history, his fortune stolen. I felt his rage. His humiliation. His hunger for vengeance. And then....I felt his mind slot into mine. Sharp. Relentless. Unforgiving.
The vision shattered. I gasped, clutching the sink. But everything had changed.
I no longer saw a grimy bathroom. I saw numbers. The cost of every tile. The inflated price of the soap dispenser contract. The inefficiency of single-ply toilet paper. My reflection in the mirror became data: shirt collar, $22.99, 45% markup from Pakistan. Suit, $300, poor cost-to-longevity ratio.
Data. Everywhere.
A panel opened before me:
[STATUS]
Name: Alex Thorne
System Level: 1
Active Legacy: The Forsaken Entrepreneur (Tier 1)
Mastery: 0.01%
Legacy Points (LP): 0
Host Vitals: Optimal
Attributes:
Strength: 9
Agility: 10
Stamina: 8
Cognition: 14 → 18 (+4)
Presence: 7 → 9 (+2)
[LOCKED]: ???
(*Note: 10 = average adult baseline. Each point above represents exponential improvement.*)
My despair was gone, replaced by a razor edge of clarity. Betrayal wasn't a weight anymore. It was fuel.
Another prompt blinked:
[Main Quest Issued: A Titan's Rise]
Description: They stole your work, your love, your dignity. Rebuild what was taken. Forge an empire that will cast a shadow over theirs and grind the Sterling Corporation to dust.
Reward: 10,000 LP, Unlock next Tier 1 Legacy, System Level Up.
Failure: Legacy stripped. Host terminated.
My blood chilled. This wasn't a dream. This was survival.
Another ping:
[Side Quest Issued: First Foundation]
Description: An empire cannot be built on crumbs. Current balance: $117.34. Unacceptable. Earn your first $1,000,000 within 7 days.
Reward: 100 LP, Skill: Advanced Negotiation.
Failure: Loss of 50% of current assets.
I almost laughed. A million in a week? Impossible.
But Elias's mind crushed the doubt. Impossible? No. Just difficult. A puzzle. My thoughts sifted: stock trading? Too slow. Gambling? Too unstable.
The answer was in the system itself.
A tab blinked alive:
[LEGACY SHOP]
[Item: Stamina Potion (Low Grade)] – 25 LP
[Item: Clarity Pill] – 50 LP
[Knowledge: Local Market Opportunities Report (24 hrs)] – 10 LP
All beyond my reach. Zero LP. I couldn't buy a nail to build my empire.
I splashed cold water on my face. The reflection staring back wasn't the same man who collapsed in that boardroom. His eyes burned with Elias's fire.
Clara once called me gentle. Marcus called me scum. They were right. That Alex Thorne was dead.
Straightening my tie, I stepped out of the bathroom.
The office was nearly empty, but I saw them—Clara and Marcus—laughing by the elevators. Her hand rested on his arm. His smirk radiated ownership.
I felt no rage. Only calculation.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
A soft chime echoed in my mind.
[Detected: Underpriced Asset. IT storeroom contains abandoned laptop. Current market resale value: $400.]
My lips curved into a cold smile.
117 dollars and 34 cents. A death sentence hanging over me. And a ghost's ambition burning in my soul.
But now?
Now I had my first move.
The game had begun.