Leaving Sterling Tower felt different. Nova Point looked the same, but my mind saw it differently now.
It wasn't just a city. It was a hunting ground. Money, opportunity, overlooked chances everywhere. Elias Vance's instincts hummed inside me. I was a hunter.
My apartment was far, small, and old. The old me would have gone home defeated. But the new me paused only to analyze. My enhanced brain calculated possibilities.
A million dollars in seven days. Only $117.34. Impossible? Not if I played smart.
I scanned the streets for overlooked opportunities. That's when I noticed a crumpled backpack leaning against a trash bin outside a closed café. Slightly scuffed, obviously abandoned. My instincts tingled.
[Mini Quest Issued: First Arbitrage]
Description: A lost smartphone lies abandoned nearby. Retrieve and resell for profit.
Reward: 0.2 LP, $150–$200 expected gain
Penalty: None
I crouched, checked the bag carefully, inspected the smartphone. Condition: lightly used, functional, easily resellable. Market value: about $180. Risk: negligible. Perfect first move. I weighed my options: sell immediately, or wait for a higher bid? Immediate gain was safest. I pulled it out carefully, tucking it under my arm.
[Legacy Action Detected: System-Assisted Arbitrage. +0.2 LP earned.]
A small reward, but validation. The System was watching. Step one: done. A tiny ping reminded me of potential: the first of many actions that would compound into something massive.
I continued through the old district. Narrow streets, brick buildings, dusty shops. Antique stores, pawn brokers, forgotten auctions. Everything was potential value. My mind ran calculations: cost, demand, resale potential, LP gains, efficiency of effort versus return.
I stopped at one shop: "Old Man Hemlock's Curios & Pawn." Dust, old paper, metal polish, faded signs. The owner barely looked at me.
A corner shelf caught my eye. Forgotten, hidden. My instincts hummed.
[Mini Quest Issued: Hidden Value]
Description: Discover valuable overlooked items. Identify and secure the stock certificate for Northern Pacific Railway.
Reward: 0.1 LP, potential future cash reward
Penalty: Risk of missing opportunity if ignored
A small leather book, stuffed with old stock papers. Most worthless, but one jumped out: Northern Pacific Railway Company, 100 shares, 1901. Unclaimed. Possibly worth a fortune.
I kept calm, held up the book, and asked casually:
"How much for this old book?"
"Five dollars," the old man said.
I paid.
[Legacy Action Detected: Value Identification. +0.1 LP earned.]
Tiny, but tangible. My first clever investment with the System. My mind raced: check ownership, claim value, turn it into cash. Every detail mattered...the serial numbers, historical mergers, potential resale markets. Each calculation fed the System interface, silently tallying my progress and reminding me that strategy would always be rewarded.
The streets were quiet, but my mind buzzed with analysis. Every pedestrian, shop, and alley became data points: missed opportunities, undervalued items, ways to convert minimal capital into growth.
Fear was still there....the threat of failure, the death sentence looming....but beneath it, a new feeling emerged: hope.
I was just getting started. Every small step, every mini quest completed, was a spark. And with the System watching, each spark could ignite into a blaze.
The game had begun.