It started with a notification.
Not the usual soft chime from my phone — this one was cleaner, colder, and somehow richer.
[System Transaction Complete]
→ Tenfold Return Processed
Investment: $3.50 (Service Worker)
Return: $35.00 (Digital Credit)
Conversion: $35 credited to Main Account
Total Balance: $142.70 → $177.70
I stared at the glowing text in disbelief.
The number wasn't large, but the implication was enormous. The system really did multiply everything — even the smallest act of generosity.
$3.50 turned into $35.
That was a week's worth of coffee.
And suddenly, a thought surfaced that I hadn't dared to entertain before:
If this works for three dollars, what about three hundred? Three thousand?
I closed my notebook and leaned back against the bench outside the lecture hall, a grin tugging at my lips.
The sun was bright that morning, the kind that made the city shimmer like it was plated in gold.
Campus felt smaller today — or maybe I was seeing it differently.
I'd spent years living within my means, planning around every dollar, every small expense. But now, the boundaries felt looser.
Flexible.
I had a system that rewarded giving, but also — indirectly — rewarded taste.
And maybe it was time I learned what that meant.
I took the subway downtown after my last class, half on impulse.
There was a boutique district I'd only ever walked past before — clean glass storefronts, faint music from within, and a distinct lack of students in hoodies.
The kind of place where people didn't look at price tags, only at quality.
I wasn't planning to buy anything. Not yet. Just look.
At least, that's what I told myself.
The store clerk greeted me with a polite smile as I stepped into a minimalist boutique filled with polished wood and warm lighting.
"Good afternoon, sir. Are you looking for anything particular today?"
"Just browsing," I said, trying not to sound like someone who'd never been in a place like this.
Still, her tone didn't change. Professional, kind.
"If you need help, I'll be nearby."
My eyes landed on a glass case near the wall.
Inside, a watch gleamed — sleek, simple, the kind of design that spoke softly but confidently.
The small plaque below it read:
"Eterna Chrono – $310"
I swallowed.
Three hundred.
That was a lot for a student like me. But with the system, maybe it wasn't insane anymore.
And honestly… I wanted it. Not for show. Not even for status.
For the feeling.
The proof that my life was actually changing.
I raised my wrist, imagining the weight of it there. The confidence it might give me.
The system shimmered faintly, reacting before I even reached for my wallet.
[Potential Investment Detected]
Purchase with intent of self-affirmation.
Projected Emotional Return: Stability + Ambition
Projected Financial Return: 5–10x within 24 hours
I froze.
The system was encouraging me to buy it.
That was new.
"Well," I murmured, a small smile forming. "If the universe insists…"
Minutes later, I walked out of the boutique with a paper bag in hand and a weight on my wrist that felt heavier than the metal itself.
The watch wasn't extravagant — not like the high-end ones in magazines — but it was mine. And it marked something.
For the first time, I looked at my reflection in the store window and didn't just see a college freshman anymore.
I saw the start of someone who could belong anywhere — even in a place like this.
The walk home felt different.
Not faster, not slower — just more deliberate.
Each step had a rhythm, a quiet echo of ambition that I hadn't realized was missing.
I didn't even check the system again until I was back at my desk that night.
And when I did…
[Tenfold Return Processed]
Investment: $310 (Luxury Item – Self Purchase)
Return: $3,100 (Deposited via Digital Transfer)
Total Balance: $177.70 → $3,277.70
I froze, breath catching in my throat.
Three thousand.
The system had turned a single indulgence into more than I'd made in months.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
The city outside my window glowed with quiet life, lights stretching into the distance.
For the first time since the system appeared, I didn't feel confusion or disbelief.
Just a calm certainty.
This was real.
And from now on… I wasn't going to live like an ordinary student anymore.