The morning sunlight spilled through my apartment blinds like thin gold threads. I blinked awake, still half-dreaming, until the faint hum of a notification brushed against my mind.
…It really wasn't a dream.
I sat up, rubbing my eyes as the numbers flickered faintly before fading. Even now, I couldn't get over how casual the system was about money. $72 overnight. That was more than what I used to make in a week working part-time.
But the strange thing was—
I hadn't done anything special yesterday. Just… bought coffee for a classmate.
I sighed and got out of bed, stretching.
"Alright, System. Let's see how deep this rabbit hole goes."
✦
By late morning, I was downtown. The city had that soft hum it always did on weekends — cars gliding by, chatter from cafés, the distant rhythm of street music. It felt good to be outside without the pressure of homework or lectures.
I stopped by a little café on Main Street — Café Iris. The same place where I'd first triggered a tenfold return. It was cozy, quiet, and smelled faintly of roasted beans and vanilla.
The barista greeted me with a familiar smile. "Morning, Alex. The usual?"
I smiled back. "Actually, make that two caramel lattes today. One to go."
"Someone special?" she teased.
"Let's call it a… test," I said.
When she handed me the drinks, I paid in cash — just to make sure the system could track it. The moment the bills changed hands, a faint golden flicker appeared in my vision.
There it was again — that satisfying ding that no one else could hear.
I slipped the extra drink onto a nearby table, where a tired-looking woman sat typing on a laptop. She blinked up at me.
"It's on the house," I said with a polite smile. "You look like you could use a break."
Her expression softened. "That's… really kind of you."
I nodded and left before she could ask my name.
✦
A few more tests followed — a tip at a food stall, buying snacks for a street musician, donating to a student fundraiser.
Each time, the system responded instantly, the holographic text flickering in the corner of my vision.
The pattern was consistent — the more genuine the gesture, the higher the return. It wasn't just spending on women. It was intent.
By noon, I was sitting on a park bench, latte in hand, watching sunlight dance on the fountain. The city shimmered around me — clean glass windows, quiet laughter, distant echoes of music.
For the first time, I noticed how beautiful it all looked. Maybe it was the caffeine. Or maybe I was just seeing the world differently now — through the lens of possibility.
✦
That was when another notification blinked in.
I blinked. "Emotional context?"
A faint shimmer formed around a passing couple — a subtle warmth I could almost feel. Their happiness resonated like quiet music in the air.
Then I looked at a man arguing on his phone — his aura flickered gray and restless.
It wasn't just about money anymore.
The system was teaching me to see the value of emotion itself.
✦
Around mid-afternoon, I wandered into a small boutique. The kind of place I'd usually avoid because the price tags made my wallet flinch.
But today… I was curious.
A silver watch caught my eye — elegant, minimal, the kind you'd see in glossy magazines. I wasn't about to buy it yet, but for a moment, I let myself imagine it.
The reflection in the glass surprised me — not because of the watch, but because of how different I already looked. Calm. Focused. More… sure of myself.
Maybe wealth wasn't just about the money. It was about refinement — how you carried it.
The clerk smiled politely. "Would you like to try it on, sir?"
I smiled faintly. "Not today. But someday soon."
As I stepped out, the system flickered again.
I laughed quietly.
"You're rewarding ambition now? You really don't play by normal rules, do you?"
✦
By the time the sun began to set, my wallet was still mostly full — but my mind was buzzing.
Every small test, every observation — it all connected.
The system wasn't some shortcut to greed. It was a mirror, reflecting who I was becoming.
When I got home, I placed my keys on the table and leaned back in my chair.
I stared at the report for a long time.
Measured generosity.
I liked the sound of that.
The glow faded, leaving my room in soft twilight. Outside, the city lights flickered on one by one — small sparks of gold across the skyline.
Someday soon, I thought, I'd stand among them. Not as someone chasing money… but as someone who'd learned how to turn spending into something meaningful.