A young teenager was absorbed in a movie, mindlessly munching on popcorn.
Suddenly, the screen flickered, and a stark blue window of light materialized, hovering directly in front of him.
He froze, his eyes widening in stunned disbelief.
[Money System Activated]
[Everything can be bought with enough money.]
[Please make money.]
[Current Funds: 0/100]
A faint, almost relieved smile touched his lips.
"Finally, the system. I won't have to be afraid anymore."
He read the core rule.
"The Money System… that means I need to make money. And fast."
His name was Lucifer Morningstar, a resilient teenager orphaned and living alone in the heart of Gotham City, where the crime rate was notoriously sky-high.
His survival was a testament to his resourcefulness, earned through a succession of odd jobs that most people wouldn't touch.
His specialty? Delivery—the highly dangerous, low-reward kind.
Lucifer wasn't just some street kid; he was an engineering student in his past life before he died and was reincarnated into this terrifying new world, a dangerous fusion of the Marvel and DC Universes.
He had been lying low, playing the part of an ordinary survivor for eighteen long years, waiting.
And now, the system he'd always known would come had finally appeared.
He quickly muted the TV, swept his snacks into a worn cabinet, and pulled out an ancient, battered flip phone.
He scrolled through his contacts, his finger hovering over a specific number.
"Hey, I need a rush job. Anything for 100 bucks,"
He said, his voice low and urgent.
A gravelly voice crackled back through the speaker.
"A hundred, huh? Hold on… yeah, we just got a ticket. High-priority delivery to the Wayne Mansion. Standard risk—don't let the street gangs lift it."
Lucifer accepted without hesitation.
Delivering packages to the notorious mansion of Gotham's wealthiest family was a job he'd done before. It paid well enough to keep him fed.
He hopped into his ancient, beat-up sedan—a vehicle held together by sheer stubbornness—and drove to the designated warehouse.
He was handed a small, lead-lined box, heavier than it looked.
As his fingers closed around the package, the blue system screen flared again, displaying new, alarming information.
[Item: Kryptonite Package]
[Worth: 5,000,000,000 (Five Billion Credits)]
[Danger Level: Batman Level]
Lucifer's jaw dropped.
"Shit…"
His breath hitched as he processed the information.
"I can see an item's value and its danger level now?"
Five billion—the number was staggering, enough to set him up for life a thousand times over.
But then he saw the danger rating.
The highest he'd ever passively observed.
He slammed the box back onto the passenger seat.
"Five billion and the immediate risk of having Batman on my ass? Absolutely not. I won't steal it even in my dream."
His survival instincts screamed at him to back off.
A five-billion-credit item with Batman-level danger.
He wasn't ready to face the Dark Knight—or the thing the package was meant to counter—just yet.
The drive was tense, his old car shuddering with every bump, the package sitting ominously beside him.
When he finally reached the towering wrought-iron gates of Wayne Manor, a stern-faced, impeccably dressed elderly man emerged from the shadows near the entrance.
It was Alfred Pennyworth, the formidable butler.
As Lucifer approached the butler, the blue system screen flared again, providing an immediate, unsolicited assessment of the individual before him.
[Target: Alfred Pennyworth]
[Status: Butler/Veteran Medic/Covert Security]
[Threat Level: C-25 (Hidden Potential: A-60)]
[Remark: Do not underestimate the old gentleman.]
Lucifer blinked. A 'C' level threat for a butler? But the hidden potential of 'A-60' was nearly as high as the Kryptonite Package's base danger.
He wisely suppressed his instinct to make a wisecrack.
"Mr. Morningstar, I presume?"
Alfred's voice was crisp, carrying a profound sense of restrained authority.
He didn't wait for an answer, merely nodded toward the package.
"Excellent. I trust you did not encounter any undue difficulties?"
Lucifer handed over the heavy box, his hands steady.
"Just the usual Gotham traffic, sir. Nothing more."
Alfred took the package, his movements practiced and efficient.
He didn't look at the package's label, yet his expression conveyed absolute awareness of its sensitive nature.
He produced a crisp hundred-dollar bill and handed it to Lucifer.
"One hundred dollars for the package,"
Alfred said, then paused, his keen eyes scrutinizing the young man.
"And a further one thousand dollars for the sheer expediency of your arrival. A swift delivery in this city, Mr. Morningstar, is a service worth rewarding handsomely. A word of advice for a young man in your line of work: A smart delivery person is one who is never seen, and is always early."
Lucifer stared, first at the extra thousand dollars, and then at the butler.
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate the tip and the advice."
As the thousand dollars exchanged hands, the blue screen above Lucifer's head glowed brilliantly, transforming into a burst of golden light.
[Current Funds: 1,100/100]
[Initial Goal Achieved! System Upgrade Initiated!]
[New Function: Store System Unlocked!]
[New Function: Free First Purchase!]
A second, more complex window replaced the first.
[The Cosmic Everything Store]
[Welcome to the pinnacle of acquisition. Everything has a price.]
* Skill: Authority of the King - Price: $1,000,000,000,000,000
* Item: Mjolnir - Price: $500,000,000,000
* Item: Single-use Personal Force Field - Price: $1,000
* Resource: Potion of Instant Healing - Price: $10,000,000
* [Search for more products...]
Lucifer whistled softly, tucking the money away.
"Talk about a markup. Five billion for a block of Kryptonite is a bargain compared to Mjolnir."
He focused on the only available immediate option: the Free First Purchase.
He scrolled down, ignoring the high-tier, universe-breaking items.
The Free Purchase list was, predictably, full of low-value, mostly joke-level items.
* Lesser Lockpicking Kit (Duct Tape & Paperclip)
* Instant Noodle Recipe (Ultimate Edition)
* Tier 0 Force Field Generator (Shield)
His eyes fixed on the final option. A portable shield. Even if it was weak, protection was what he needed most in this dangerous city.
He tapped it.
[Tier 0 Force Field Generator (Shield) Selected for Free Purchase.]
[Activation: Voice command "Shield Up!"]
[Initial Specifications:]
* Duration: 1 minute
* Cooldown: 10 minutes
* Sturdiness: Tier 0 (Can shield the user from heavy rain. Sturdy as a plastic bag.)
* Perk: Adaptive Upgrade: The more the ability is used, the more its level raises, reducing the cooldown and increasing its sturdiness.
"Tier 0? Sturdy as a plastic bag?"
Lucifer muttered, half-disappointed and half-amused.
Still, a plastic bag was better than nothing, and the Adaptive Upgrade perk was the key. He had a path to protection.
"I need to get out of this city as soon as possible,"
He thought, gripping the wheel of his sedan.
He had his starting fund, his system, and a ridiculously weak shield.
"Time to put in some overtime."