Finally—
100%.
The words shifted.
[The Transcendent Technological System Assimilation Complete.]
Congratulations, Host. You have been bound to the Almighty Technological System.
(Though that was not the limit of its power and ability. Had the system been conscious, it might have said so—but it wasn't. And so, the rest would be for Anthony to discover in time.)
Then—
Knock. Knock.
A sound at his door pulled him from sleep.
Anthony blinked his half-closed eyes and slowly sat up, rubbing them, still a little groggy.
Looking at the clock, which already showed 7, he was a bit stunned.
So I really slept… and had that dream once again, he thought.
A dream that wasn't real. After all, it was just a dream. Everything there was only his imagination, like the ones he always had.
Was he disappointed?
He didn't know.
But if someone were to ask him, Do you want that dream to become reality? he would definitely nod and say, of course I do. Yet there was no one that mighty who could fulfill such a wish of his.
Shaking his head, he muttered bitterly, "Oh God, what am I even thinking?"
Another knock came at the door.
He pushed those thoughts aside, not noticing the subtle change in his thought process. He had just analyzed everything within a second, far faster than he normally would. He didn't realize that something within him had already shifted.
Nor did he realize that his dreams might no longer be so far from reality… or rather, that he might now hold the foundation to build his own empire in the real world.
He was unaware.
But not for long.
Soon, something would remind him that his life had changed. His fate and destiny had taken a turn—one that would be controlled only by him, provided he was ready to work hard toward the future he had always dreamed of… and more.
Meanwhile, as he walked toward his bedroom door, a mocking thought crossed his mind.
Cars.
Oh, he did have them—in reality too. Plenty of them, in fact.
The only problem was that they weren't real.
They were toy cars, lined neatly on his shelves, part of a collection he had built since childhood. Some of them were even rare pieces.
Houses? He had those too—but not properties with his name on them. Only digital ones inside a game he played almost every day. He even owned skyscrapers there. He had built an entire city. But it was just a game. A desperate attempt to mimic his dream world. Knowing his own abilities wouldn't let him have what he truly wanted, he settled for what he thought he could manage.
Intelligent? Talented? Gifted? No. None of those belonged to him.
In reality, he was average. That was all.
And money? Yes, he had trillions—just like in his dream world. But once again, it existed only inside a game. And not even the official version—a hacked one. The numbers looked impressive, but they held no real value. It would have been a different story if it were like those VR games in novels, where in-game currency could be exchanged for real money. But forget that. While VR existed, it wasn't even close to what those novels described. It was just AR devices, not true immersive virtual worlds.
He didn't have a wife in reality. First of all, he was only sixteen—far too young for marriage.
As for a girlfriend… he did have one. He had already mentioned her in his dreams. She had left him a few months ago, just before the university entrance exams. He didn't blame her.
The real reason for the breakup was never clearly stated, but he had his guesses. It wasn't something petty like, "You're nothing," or, "You can't give me what I want." Even though, in truth, he felt like he was nothing. And though his parents had saved money for him, he was never someone who liked spending it—especially knowing how hard they had worked for it.
No, it wasn't because she was a gold-digger or anything like that. It was more likely because he wasn't capable enough. He didn't have strong prospects for the future.
And sadly, that was the truth.
That was why she left.
That was why she moved on.
Or at least, that was what he believed.
Despite being only sixteen, his ex had been very realistic. It's not like they were little kids—but still, at that age, shouldn't thoughts be simpler? Or maybe it was him who was too simple. Anthony paused at that thought, then shook his head. Maybe he really was. But anyway…
The breakup became his wake-up call. Or at least, it was for now.
He realized that if things stayed the same—if he stayed the same, unbothered and unchanged—his future might turn bleak and uncertain. Not because he would become a burden to his parents. He knew they would never see him that way. But whether they accepted it or not wasn't the point. What mattered was that he didn't want that kind of life for himself.
Right now, he had his parents. But a time would come when they wouldn't be around. If he remained the same, wouldn't he struggle just to survive? Wouldn't that cause them pain, even if they were watching from somewhere above? Would they have to keep worrying about him at an age when they should be resting?
Those thoughts forced him to face reality.
So he tried to push himself to change—to focus on himself and improve in whatever way he could. It was hard. It still was.
Suddenly shifting from his usual lazy habits to serious study wasn't easy for anyone, and especially not for him.
Like many others, he had always found studying boring—so boring that the moment he opened a book and read a few lines, he would feel drowsy. But he held himself up as best he could, forcing his wandering mind to stay on the words in front of him and focus on the content.