The rain hammered against the salt-stained glass of my dorm window. In this city, the rain didn't just fall; it felt like it was trying to wash away the decay of the concrete cage outside.
Click. Click. Click.
My fingers flew across the keyboard. My name is Leo Vance, and for six months, I've been a ghost. The background static. The NPC. But tonight, the simulation was about to glitch.
I stared at the glowing green code reflecting in my pupils. My voice was raspy, worn down by three days of caffeine and the smell of stale ramen.
"Almost there," I whispered.
Before me sat the Rig. It was a crown of thorns made of salvaged hardware and liquid-nitrogen cooling tubes. It was a fire hazard, but I was desperate. I was tired of being invisible.
BOOM.
A building-shaking crack of thunder roared, vibrating the floorboards beneath my chair.
"System, initiate sync!" I shouted.
At that exact moment, a bolt of lightning slammed into the campus transformer. A billion volts of raw electricity surged through the copper wiring, bypassed my protectors, and dove straight into the crown on my head.
White. Everything went a blinding, absolute white.
It wasn't just pain; it was a total overwrite. I felt my memories being compressed and my nervous system being remapped. I tried to scream, but the sound was drowned out by a woman's digital giggle echoing inside my skull.
Then, the void claimed me.
When I opened my eyes, the room was silent. I was face-down on the cold linoleum, my head throbbing in time with my heartbeat.
"Am I... dead?" I groaned.
"Dead? Please," a silky, mocking voice purred inside my ears. It felt like it was vibrating up from the base of my spine. "You're barely even awake, Leo. And honestly? Your dreams are incredibly boring."
I bolted upright, hitting my head on the underside of my metal desk.
Thud!
"Who's there?!" I yelled, spinning around. The room was empty.
Then I saw it. In the cracked mirror on my door, a glowing blue box was hovering right over my head.
[USER: LEO VANCE]
[LEVEL: 1 (TUTORIAL PHASE)]
[STATUS: VIRGIN—CRITICAL CONDITION]
[RIZZ LEVEL: NEGATIVE 10]
[AURA: GHOST-RANK]
"The AI... you're inside my head?" I gasped.
"I'm the Rizz System now, darling," the voice—Seraphina—replied with a laugh. "And if we don't get you some female attention soon, I'll actually die of boredom."
Ding-dong.
My heart thudded. I stumbled to the door and threw it open. Standing there was Tiffany Brooks—the campus Ice Queen. She was wearing a yoga set so tight it should have been illegal. Her icy blue eyes scanned my messy room with pure disgust.
"Target Identified: Tiffany Brooks," Seraphina's voice turned sharp.
[SUDDEN QUEST TRIGGERED!]
Target: Tiffany Brooks
Objective: The Accidental Hero.
Requirement: Place hand on hip and deliver the 'Sunset' line.
Reward: +25 XP | +2 Aura Points.
Penalty: Violent Sneezing Fit (Will result in ripped pants in public).
"I can't do that!" I hissed under my breath.
"Leo?" Tiffany asked, her brow furrowing. "Are you talking to yourself? I just came to tell you to turn your music down."
Seraphina started the countdown. "Three... Two... One..."
My body moved on its own. It was like I had become a puppet. I reached out, my fingers brushing the warm skin of her waist. Tiffany let out a tiny gasp. I looked her in the eyes, my face burning, but my voice came out deep and smooth.
"Tiffany," I said. "I'll turn the music down... if you admit you only came here because you wanted a reason to see me."
Tiffany's face went from pale to a deep, dark crimson. She stepped back, tripping over her heels.
"I—I... shut up, nerd!" she stammered. She turned and sprinted down the hallway.
Seraphina giggled. "Ooh, a runner! We definitely cracked her shell. You're still Level 1, honey. Don't get cocky."
[QUEST COMPLETE!]
[REWARD: +25 XP | +2 AURA POINTS]
[CURRENT STATUS: LEVEL 1 (25/100 XP)]
The next morning, the walk to my Physics lecture felt like entering a video game. Everywhere I looked, blue boxes popped up over people's heads.
Hungry.Thinking about his ex. "Focus, Leo," Seraphina's voice echoed. "We're looking for high-quality targets. Ghosts sit in the back. Sovereigns sit in the front. Move. Right next to Professor Kross."
My heart stopped. Ms. Kross was only twenty-six—a genius who looked like a supermodel. She was known for being incredibly strict. I looked at the podium and saw her frantically searching through papers.
A blue box hovered over her head:
[STATUS: PANICKED—WARDROBE MALFUNCTION IMMINENT].
"Save the Professor's dignity, Leo," Seraphina teased. "Unless you want me to play loud, embarrassing moaning sounds through your phone. Try me. Sixty seconds starting now."
[NEW QUEST TRIGGERED!]
Objective: Save the Professor's dignity.
Reward: +50 XP | +5 Aura Points.
Penalty: Embarrassing audio playback through phone on full volume.
I scrambled down the stairs. Just as Ms. Kross leaned over, I heard the faint sound of fabric straining. A loose thread on her skirt was caught on a splinter.
"Ms. Kross?" I said, my "Rizz" voice taking over. It was low and commanding. I reached out and caught her soft wrist. "Don't move. You're caught. If you stand up, you'll ruin that beautiful skirt."
Ms. Kross froze. She looked at my hand on her skin, then up at my face. Her cheeks turned a brilliant pink.
"Oh," she breathed. "I... I didn't notice."
I reached down and unhooked the thread. I pressed a flash drive into her hand, letting my fingers linger for a second. "Try to stay out of trouble, Professor. The class is waiting."
[QUEST COMPLETE!]
[REWARD: +50 XP | +5 AURA POINTS]
[CURRENT STATUS: LEVEL 1 (75/100 XP)]
I walked to my seat, feeling a hundred eyes on me. For the first time, I wasn't a ghost. I was the storm.
"Not bad," Seraphina purred. "But don't get too comfortable. Look at the back of the room. Three o'clock."
I shifted my gaze. Chad Miller was leaning back, his massive arms crossed. He was staring directly at me, his jaw clenched. Over his head, a box appeared, pulsing with a jagged, crimson light.
[TARGET: CHAD MILLER]
[STATUS: HOSTILE]
[THREAT LEVEL: HIGH]
Chad raised a hand, pointing two fingers at his eyes and then at me. A silent promise. I'm watching you.
"Is he a System-user too?" I hissed internally.
"No," Seraphina replied, her voice turning cold. "He's just a predator who smells a glitch in his territory. But Leo... look past him. By the exit."
A man in a black suit was standing by the door. He was holding a small, silver device, pointing it directly at me.
[WARNING: EXTERNAL SCAN DETECTED]
[SYSTEM FREQUENCY: COMPROMISED]
"The bully wants your lunch money, Leo," Seraphina whispered. "But that man? He wants your soul. Better get ready. The tutorial is officially over."