Alex slumped into the worn-out chair in his tiny apartment, tossing his backpack onto the floor. The room was small, barely wide enough for a desk, a bed, and a mini-fridge. A half-finished cup of instant noodles sat on the desk beside his open laptop, which hummed quietly.
"Another day, another lecture," Alex muttered, stretching his arms. His back cracked. "Seriously, why do professors love giving assignments on Fridays? Don't they have lives?"
He pulled out his phone to check his messages. A couple of texts from his mom, reminding him to eat properly. A meme from his best friend back home. Nothing exciting. Just the usual rhythm of his college life: classes, assignments, cheap meals, and the occasional night gaming online.
It wasn't glamorous, but it was his life. Normal. Predictable.
And then it happened.
[Ding!]
A notification popped up on his phone. But the sound was strange—like a mix between a cash register and a bell. He frowned. He hadn't installed any new apps lately.
[Congratulations, Alex! You have been selected as the exclusive host of the Sugar Daddy System!]
Alex blinked. "...The what system?"
The screen glowed unnaturally bright, and the message appeared again, this time in bold, golden letters.
[The Sugar Daddy System has been bound to your soul.]
[Your mission is simple: Spend lavishly. Spoil others. The more you give, the more you gain.]
He rubbed his eyes. "Okay, clearly I'm hallucinating. Too much caffeine, not enough sleep."
But the words didn't disappear. In fact, another line appeared.
[Starter Pack Delivered. Check your account balance.]
Alex snorted. "Sure, why not. Maybe I'll suddenly find a billion dollars waiting for me."
Still, curiosity won. He opened his banking app.
His jaw dropped.
Balance: ₵10,000,000
Alex shot up so fast his chair toppled backward. "WHAT?! Ten million credits?! Where the hell did this come from?!"
He refreshed the page. Same number. He closed the app, opened it again. Still the same. Ten million.
"Okay… okay, calm down." He paced the tiny room, running both hands through his hair. "There has to be some mistake. Maybe the bank glitched? Maybe someone transferred money to the wrong account?"
[Ding!]
Another notification appeared.
[This is not a mistake. The Sugar Daddy System has granted you starter funds. Please complete your first task.]
Alex swallowed hard. His mouth was suddenly dry. "…This can't be real."
[Task : Purchase a gift worth at least ₵1,000 for someone within 24 hours. Reward: +₵100,000.]
Alex stared at the glowing text. "A… a gift? For someone? With my money?!"
[Correction: With your system's money. Spend generously. Rewards will multiply.]
He sat back down slowly, staring at his phone as though it had grown fangs.
"This… this is insane." He looked around the shabby room, at the stack of instant noodle cups and the cheap lamp flickering on his desk. "I mean… if this is real, then… I could literally never worry about money again."
His heart pounded in his chest. "But… sugar daddy? Seriously? What kind of cursed name is that?"
[Ding!]
[Reminder: Time is ticking. Find someone to spoil.]
Alex groaned. "Great. I finally get a system like those protagonists in web novel, and it has to be this one."
---
The next morning, Alex walked across campus, still dazed. The sunlight seemed sharper, the chatter of students louder, and every shop window felt like it was calling to him. His phone buzzed every few minutes with reminders.
[23 hours remaining.]
[22 hours remaining.]
Finally, at the campus bookstore, he paused. A girl stood at the counter, holding a textbook with a pained expression. She sighed, pulled out her wallet, and frowned.
"Sorry," she murmured to the clerk. "I guess I'll have to come back later."
She set the book down reluctantly and turned to leave.
Before Alex could think twice, the words tumbled out of his mouth. "Wait—uh, excuse me!"
The girl blinked at him. She had short brown hair and glasses, dressed simply in jeans and a hoodie. "Yes?"
Alex's palms were sweaty. His brain screamed *what are you doing?!* But his phone buzzed in his pocket like an impatient devil.
"I… uh… I'll buy that book for you."
The girl frowned. "What?"
"I mean—it's fine, right? You need it for class, don't you? Consider it… a gift."
She stared at him like he'd just confessed to being an alien. "Are you… serious?"
Alex nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah. Don't worry about it."
The clerk looked between them, shrugged, and rang it up. "That'll be ₵1,200."
Alex handed over his card, his stomach in knots.
Ding!
[Task Complete! Reward: +₵100,000 credited to your account.]
Alex flinched. He quickly shoved his phone back into his pocket before anyone noticed the glowing screen.
The girl held the book to her chest, clearly unsure what to say. Finally, she muttered, "Um… thanks, I guess. That's… really generous of you."
She hurried off before he could reply.
Alex exhaled, his knees weak. He checked his banking app again. Balance: ₵10,099,000.
He nearly laughed out loud. It was real. It was actually real.
"This… is going to change everything."