"Just sign the damn paper, Victor. We're adults. Let's not make this a whole thing."
Across the desk, the HR manager, King, was digging for gold in his teeth with a toothpick. He'd just stuffed his face with roast pork, and the whole office reeked of grease and garlic. His face was all red and shiny. Disgusting.
I stared at the "Termination Agreement." My knuckles were white, I was gripping the pen so hard.
Mutual agreement to terminate. That's what it said. Translated? Get the hell out.
Ten minutes ago, I was begging. Literally begging. I showed him my attendance record—perfect for two years, by the way. Asked for just two more weeks. And what did he say? "We aren't running a charity for slackers."
Slackers. Right.
Name's Victor. Twenty-seven. My dad named me that because he wanted a winner. Jokes on him. In the real world? The name's a punchline. I'm no Victor. I'm a victim. A total loser stuck with a winner's name.
Jobless. Bank account? Fifty bucks. Debt? Eight grand. That was my life.
I signed it. Hand shook so bad the pen tore right through the paper.
"Great. Go hit up finance. They'll cash you out for the week." King snatched the paper away. Didn't even look at me. Just waved his hand like I was a fly he wanted gone.
Outside, the sun was trying to murder me.
Lunch rush. Suits everywhere. People rushing past, yapping about lunch specials and KPIs.
I looked at them and just felt... tired. And pissed.
It was too loud. All that noise, all that life—it had nothing to do with me. My brain was stuck on a loop: Rent. Credit card bill. Where am I gonna get the money?
Buzz.
Phone.
It was Vivian. "Not coming tonight. Client dinner. You're on your own."
She wasn't even trying to make the lie sound good anymore.
I let out a dry laugh. Thumb hovered over the screen, wanting to type something nasty. But what was the point? I locked the phone and shoved it away.
No job. No money. Even breathing felt like heavy lifting.
I was standing on the curb, debating between buying a stale bun or just starving to save two bucks, when my phone screen lit up on its own.
A pop-up.
Black background. Blue gear spinning.
[Want to change your destiny?] [The "Destiny System (Open Beta)" invites you. Player No. 9527.] [YES / NO]
Normally? I'd swipe this trash away in a heartbeat. But today... maybe I just needed to break something. Or maybe "Change Destiny" actually hit a nerve.
"Change destiny..." I scoffed. "With my luck? Can't get much worse than rock bottom."
"Screw it."
I went to swipe it away. But my hands were sweaty. The screen glitched. Instead of the 'X', my finger slipped. YES.
Rustle.
Something moved in the bushes. A blur of yellow shot out.
A Shiba Inu. Solid looking dog. Golden fur. Clean. Definitely not a stray.
It trotted right into the middle of the road, blocked my path, and sat down. Then it looked up at me.
Maybe I was losing it, but this dog gave me the creeps. No wagging tail. No "good boy" energy. It just narrowed its eyes and stared. Cold. Judging. Like I was garbage.
It was the exact same look King gave me back in the office.
That snapped something inside me. Bullied by my boss, blown off by my girlfriend, and now some random mutt thinks it's better than me?
"Hey! Good dogs don't block the road! Move it!"
I shouted, lunging forward to scare it off. Big mistake. I forgot they dug up the pavement yesterday. Loose tile. My foot landed on the edge, the brick seesawed, and I stumbled forward.
And because the universe hates me? My foot came down right on the Shiba's tail. Crunch.
"AWOOO!!!"
The scream was ear-splitting. This dog was fast. Ninja fast. It didn't run. Mid-scream, it whipped around in the air, twisting like a pretzel.
I saw its eyes. The arrogance was gone. Now? Pure rage. It snapped its jaws—white teeth flashing—and clamped down on my calf.
Puncture.
"GAH!"
Pain. Just blinding pain. Felt like a hot nail being hammered into my leg. I hit the ground hard. Phone went flying. Screen smashed into a million pieces.
Blood soaked my sock instantly. I clutched my leg, sweating, shaking. Fear washed over me. Why did I have to beef with a dog? Perfect. Jobless, and now I need rabies shots I can't afford.
"Let go! You psycho!"
I kicked out. But the dog had already let go. It stood a few feet away, blood—my blood—on its mouth. It watched me. But the look had changed. Shock. Disgust. And... pity?
Suddenly, my smashed phone lit up. Through the cracks, that blue gear was spinning like crazy. A voice—robotic, cold—blasted inside my skull. Not my ears. My brain.
[Blood contact detected...] [Collecting samples...] [WARNING! Dual gene sources! Error...]
Head was spinning. Vision went blurry. I looked at the dog. There was a glowing blue rune on its forehead. Then I felt my own forehead burning. Like a branding iron.
[Error fixed.] [Forced binding: Success.]
The voice spoke again:
[Host: Shadow (Canine)] [Battle Pet: Victor (Human)]
...Excuse me?
I froze. Forgot the pain. The Host is... the dog? And the Battle Pet... is me?
What kind of busted-ass System is this?!
I tried to curse, but my throat locked up. Couldn't move.
[Time rift detected.] [Teleporting... 3... 2... 1...]
I stared at the dog named "Shadow." He seemed to realize something was wrong too. He turned his head and barked at me.
"Woof? (The hell is this?)"
Click. Lights out. Sunlight, street, buildings—gone. My stomach dropped. That feeling when you miss a step on the stairs, but a thousand times worse.
Before I blacked out, one last thought floated through my mind: If this is changing destiny... I want a refund.