Ethan was still standing in front of his locked door, softly knocking the wood in frustration.
[Status update: Ethan Blake, premature scientist… now also premature hobo.]
"Shut up already! I need to think."
He pulled out his phone from his pocket. No other choice. He searched for a locksmith online and dialed the number with a sigh.
"Yeah… I need you to come open my door, I'm locked out and the lock's broken."
"I'll be there in half an hour, kid," a sleepy voice answered on the other end.
Ethan hung up and slumped down against the wall.
[Perfect. Thirty minutes for us to talk about your glorious future. Wanna see the luxury menu?]
"The what?"
[Lux points. Your brand-new cosmic currency. With them you can basically do anything: boost stats, alter your body, buy upgrades…]
"Alter my body?"
[Of course. I could give you abs from a fitness magazine, or… you know, increase the size of your little buddy. Although judging by what just happened, you might be more interested in stamina. That way you wouldn't be a premature genius.]
"Hey!"
[Hey yourself. I'm just stating facts. Want the catalog or prefer to stay a walking meme?]
Ethan ran his hands through his hair, trying to ignore the taunts.
"And… what about money? Does that also come from Lux?"
[Nope. Cash will always come as payment for missions or selling items. Every mission comes with its own reward package. Want an example?]
"Yeah… I guess."
[Perfect, because you just unlocked a new mission.]
A metallic chime rang in his head as glowing letters appeared before his eyes.
[Side Mission Unlocked: "Live Like a Millionaire"]
Objective: Spend the $5,000 earned from the last mission… within the next 30 minutes.
Reward: +10 Lux, 1 Roulette Ticket.
Restrictions: Giving away money without justification is prohibited.
"What?!" Ethan jumped to his feet. "How the hell am I supposed to spend five grand in half an hour?!"
[I don't know, genius. Buy a car, a giant TV, dump it in crypto, rob a jewelry store… Be creative. Although, yeah, your first idea was to hand it all over to the locksmith who's on his way.]
"Stop reading my mind!"
[If it were that easy, anyone could clear missions. You think I'm a charity?]
Ethan grabbed his head in despair just as footsteps echoed down the hallway. The locksmith appeared, lugging a toolbox.
"Good evening, you called?"
Ethan stared at him, heart racing, while the timer glowed in front of his eyes.
[Time remaining: 29:47]
[Game starts now, champ. Ready to blow cash like a broke rockstar?]
The locksmith crouched down at the lock and began fiddling with his tools. Ethan watched, but his mind was elsewhere.
[Time remaining: 27:02]
"Shut up… I'm thinking…" he muttered through clenched teeth.
But before he could organize his thoughts, a shrill voice cut the air.
"Blake!" yelled his landlord, a pot-bellied man with a scruffy mustache. "So you've got money for a locksmith, huh? But when it comes to paying rent you play dumb!"
Ethan stood up, jaw tight.
"Really? Right now…"
[Plot twist unlocked: angry landlord enters stage. Wanna spend the $5,000 on his face? My vote's yes.]
The landlord crossed his arms and glared at him.
"You owe me three months, Blake. What kind of worthless bum do you think you are?"
Ethan took a deep breath, trying to contain the rage.
"You know what? Screw you. Who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like that? My damn boss? You're just a mediocre landlord!"
The mustached man went red as a tomato.
"What did you just say, you useless brat?!"
Ethan stepped toward him, pointing a finger in his face.
"I said screw you. You want your money? Fine! Here it is, asshole!"
He pulled up his banking app and with a couple of furious taps, transferred the $5,000 to the landlord's account.
"There! Money enough to shut you up. And the rest… I already paid to your wife."
The landlord's eyes went wide with fury, not understanding.
"What… what the hell did you just say about my wife?"
At that moment, Cassandra appeared in the hallway, wearing a light robe, startled by the shouting.
Ethan looked at her and his blood froze.
The landlord turned to her, eyes bulging.
"Cassandra… is it true this kid paid you?"
She froze. Seconds dragged like hours until, nervous, she lowered her gaze and nodded weakly.
"Yes… he just gave me a month's rent…"
The landlord grunted, still upset, but calmed down as he checked his phone and saw the transfer notification.
"You'd better make this a habit, Blake," he growled, pocketing the phone. "I want that money every month, you hear me?"
[Congratulations, champ! You just spent the $5,000 on the final boss of the building. Reward unlocked.]
Ethan, still boiling inside, clenched his fists as he watched the landlord walk down the hall. His heart was racing, and Cassandra was staring at him with a mix of shock and fury.
The landlord snorted, checked his phone again, and let out a grunt before turning to the door.
"You'd better keep this up every month, Blake," he muttered before stepping inside and slamming the door behind him.
Ethan let out a heavy sigh, thinking he could finally breathe. But then, a hot breath brushed against his ear.
Cassandra had stepped close, eyes burning with fury.
"How dare you say something like that?" she hissed through clenched teeth. "Are you stupid, or do you want him to kill us both?"
Ethan swallowed hard, raising his hands in apology.
"I'm sorry, Cassandra… it was a mistake in the heat of the moment, I wasn't thinking…"
She glared at him, inches from his face.
"Then start thinking, because next time you open that idiot mouth, there won't be any apologies to save you."
[Ouuuuch. Critical hit on our premature hero: -50 dignity, +10 milf-related fear.]
Ethan dropped his gaze, heart still pounding like crazy, as Cassandra turned away, disappearing behind the door.
[Mission complete! You've spent $5,000 in under 30 minutes. Reward: +10 Lux, +1 Roulette Ticket. Congratulations, Einstein… now you're a broke Einstein with style.]
Ethan exhaled sharply, fury boiling toward the system.
"Damn you… did you really have to set it up like this?"
[Of course. If I didn't complicate your life, what kind of system would I be?]
Ethan shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked to his own door, heart heavy with guilt and frustration.