Neon City pulsed with light and noise, a chaotic sprawl of holographic billboards and mana-infused skyscrapers. Krent Sakado trudged through its crowded streets, his sneakers scuffing against cracked pavement.
His phone buzzed with another rejection email, "Thank you for applying to NeonMart. Unfortunately, we're prioritizing Awakened candidates."
He groaned, shoving the device into his pocket. Another day, another kick to his broke-ass dreams.
At twenty-two, Krent was just another face in the 90%, the Unawakened, those left powerless when the Mana Apocalypse hit five years ago. The other 10%? They were the rock stars of this new world, slaying monsters in glowing dungeons, streaming their heroics, and bathing in fame and credits.
And Krent? He was stuck rationing instant noodles and dodging his landlord.
He slumped onto a bench outside a ramen shop, the aroma taunting his empty wallet.
Across the street, a massive screen blared a live stream of an S-rank Awakened, her sword cleaving through a wyrm in a dungeon.
Comments flooded the feed:
- QUEEN! MARRY ME!
Krent snorted, scrolling through his own X app. Stream after stream of Awakened flexing their powers, fireballs, telekinesis, even some guy who turned into a bear. Meanwhile, his most exciting post was a blurry pic of his cat, Miso, with three likes.
"Must be nice," he muttered, envying their glowing stats and adoring fans.
He wasn't bitter… okay, maybe a little. Who wouldn't be, watching the world worship people who could bench press a car while he couldn't even afford a coffee?
Krent stood, stretching his lanky frame, and started toward his tiny apartment.
He barely noticed the banana peel on the sidewalk until his foot hit it. Time slowed as he flailed, arms windmilling, before crashing ass-first onto the concrete. Pain shot through his tailbone, and he cursed loud enough to turn heads.
"Great. Just what I needed," he grumbled, rubbing his backside. But then, a sharp Ding struck in his skull, like a notification straight to his brain.
A translucent blue screen flickered into existence before his eyes, glowing with text.
[Supremacy System: Activated. Welcome, Krent Sakado.]
He blinked, heart racing.
"What the actual fuck?"
Was he hallucinating? Had the fall scrambled his brain? The screen didn't waver, displaying a stat window like something out of a VR game.
[Name: Krent Sakado]
[Level: 1]
[Class: Unassigned
[Stats:
- Strength: 8
- Agility: 10
- Intelligence: 12
- Charisma: 15
- Libido: 18]
[Fame Points: 0]
[Skills: None]
[Tutorial Quest: Gain 100 Fame Points through filmed content]
[Reward: Unlock Class Selection]
Krent stared, mouth dry. Charisma 15? Libido 18?
"System, you calling me horny or what?" he muttered, half-expecting an answer. To his shock, a smooth, female voice purred in his mind.
"High Libido indicates… potential, Krent. Fame is your path to supremacy. How you earn it is up to you."
He nearly choked. "Okay, creepy disembodied voice, maybe ease up on the sultry vibes?" This was insane.
A system? Him? The guy who once tripped over his own shoelaces in gym class? He scanned the street, but no one else seemed to notice his glowing screen. Just another day in Neon City, where weird shit was basically Tuesday.
Before he could process further, a scream pierced the air.
Krent's head snapped toward an alley where a girl with pink hair grappled with a snarling goblin. It was small, maybe three feet tall, with jagged claws and a face like a pissed-off pug. She swung a rusty dagger, but the goblin dodged, its claws raking her arm. A drone hovered above her, streaming the fight, but the view counter was a pathetic 12.
Krent's system pinged again.
[Temporary Skill Unlocked: Mana Burst (F-rank). Channel mana for a single enhanced strike]
[Cost: 10 Stamina]
His body moved before his brain caught up.
"Hey, ugly!" he shouted, grabbing a broken bottle from the ground.
The goblin turned, and Krent focused, feeling a warm surge in his chest.
He swung the bottle, and it smashed into the goblin's skull with a crack, sending it sprawling. The girl finished it with a quick stab, panting as green blood oozed onto the pavement.
"Holy shit," Krent wheezed, adrenaline spiking. The system chimed.
[Fame Points +5. Action recorded by external drone.]
The girl wiped her dagger, eyeing him warily. She was maybe nineteen, with a cropped jacket, ripped jeans, and a scowl that could curdle milk.
"Who're you? Some wannabe hero?"
"Krent. Just… passing by." He glanced at her drone, still hovering. "You okay?"
"Lila," she said, brushing pink bangs from her eyes. "F-rank Awakened. And yeah, I'm fine. Didn't need your help, but… thanks." Her tone was grudging, but her cheeks flushed slightly.
Krent noticed the system screen flicker. [Fame Points: 7] The drone's stream had ticked up to 15 viewers.
He smirked. "Your stream's not exactly pulling numbers. Ever think about teaming up?"
Lila snorted. "With you? An Unawakened? No offense, but you're not exactly dungeon material."
"Give me a shot," Krent said, leaning closer, his newfound Charisma stat making his grin more confident than he felt. "I've got… tricks." He tapped his temple, where the system's voice chuckled softly.
"Smooth, Krent. Keep her intrigued."
Lila raised an eyebrow but didn't say no. "Fine. Let's talk over coffee. You're buying."
...
Twenty minutes later, they sat in a dingy café, Lila sipping a latte while Krent nursed a water, his wallet's only survivor. The café buzzed with low chatter, and Neon City's neon glow spilled through the windows. Lila's drone perched on the table, offline but still recording for her archives.
"So," Lila said, leaning back, "you just happened to smash a goblin with a bottle? No training, no powers?"
Krent shrugged, playing it cool. "Lucky swing." He wasn't ready to spill about the system, not yet.
Lila was F-rank, barely scraping by in the Awakened world. Her streams pulled single-digit views, and her gear was thrift-store quality.
Still, her fiery attitude and the way her jacket hugged her curves made his Libido stat feel… relevant.
"Look," he said, "your streams need a boost. I'm good with people. We team up, mix some action with… flair. Get those views up."
Lila smirked. "Flair? You mean flirting for the camera? I'm not that desperate."
"Yet," Krent shot back, earning a laugh. Her guard was lowering, and he felt a spark, not just attraction, but potential. The system had said fame was his path. Maybe Lila was step one.
As they bantered, the system pinged again, its voice teasing.
[Sub-Quest Unlocked: Charm Lila for Bonus Fame Points]
[Reward: 10 Fame Points, Skill Upgrade]
Krent froze mid-sip, eyes flicking to Lila's smirk. Charm her? How far was he supposed to take this? His pulse quickened, not just from the quest but from the glint in her eyes.
This system wasn't just about fighting monsters, it was pushing him toward something wilder. And as Neon City's lights flickered outside, Krent wondered just how deep he'd dive to climb to the top.