Chapter 2: The First Harvest
The sun didn't shine in Sector 4; it merely turned the smog a sickly shade of yellow. Inside the tenement, Leo watched the numbers on his Data-Slate climb with the relentless speed of an avalanche.
[Revenue: $5,240]
[Target Reached.]
The notification wasn't just on the screen; it felt like a bell ringing in the back of his mind.
[叮! Mission "The First Spark" Complete.]
[Initiating Physique Optimization V.1...]
Suddenly, Leo's heart gave a massive, painful thud. A sensation like liquid fire poured through his veins. It wasn't the slow growth of a workout; it was a biological restructuring. His spine cracked and lengthened, his slumped posture correcting itself into a military-straight line. The dull, greyish tint of his skin—a hallmark of slum-dwellers—faded, replaced by a healthy, vibrant tone.
He gripped the edge of his desk as his muscles tightened and became dense. He wasn't becoming a bodybuilder, but the "frail" status was being purged. He felt... sharp.
"Leo? Are you okay? I heard a noise."
The door slid open. Sarah stepped in, wiping her hands on her apron. She stopped mid-step, her eyes widening as they landed on her son.
"Leo?" she whispered. "You... you look different. Did the light change?"
Leo stood up. He was now nearly three inches taller, looking his mother directly in the eye. The "Aura of the Creator" was subtle, but it made him feel like a mountain she could finally lean on.
"I just feel better, Mom," Leo said, his voice now a calm, steady baritone. "Sit down. I have something to show you."
He handed her the Slate. Sarah looked at the bank balance and gasped, the device nearly slipping from her fingers. "Five thousand dollars? Leo, what did you do? Did you... did you get involved with the 'Data-Scrapers'?"
"I made a game, Mom. A simple one. People liked it."
"Five thousand for a game?" Sarah's voice was trembling. "That's... that's three months of factory shifts. We can pay the interest. We can keep the apartment!"
Before Leo could answer, a heavy, metallic thud echoed from the front door. The sound of a magnetic ram.
"Debt Collection!" a synthesized voice boomed. "Open the seal or face physical asset seizure!"
Sarah's face went white. "They're early. Elena said we had until Friday!"
Leo's eyes turned cold. He walked past his mother, his new stride long and confident. He reached the door and pulled the manual override.
Three men stood in the hallway. Two were "Enforcers"—dull-eyed men with cheap, bulky cybernetic arms and industrial vests. In the center was a thin man in a cheap grey suit, holding a scanner. Vance, the local collector.
"Leo Thorne," Vance sneered, not looking up from his scanner. "You're delinquent on the Sector 4 Common Fund. We're here for the appliances and your mother's work-comm. Step aside."
"The debt is $4,800 including interest," Leo said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.
Vance paused, looking up. He blinked, confused by the tall, imposing teenager standing where a scrawny kid should be. "Yeah? And? You got it under the mattress, kid?"
Leo tapped his Slate. A "Direct Transfer" notification pinged on Vance's scanner.
[Transfer Complete: $4,800.00]
The hallway went silent. The Enforcers shifted uncomfortably, their hydraulic arms hissing. Vance stared at the screen, his mouth hanging open. "This... this is a 'Verified Merchant' account. Where did a slum-rat get merchant credits?"
"That's none of your business," Leo said, stepping forward. He was now towering over the thin collector. The [Physique Optimization] gave him an intimidating presence that made Vance instinctively take a step back. "The debt is settled. Get off our floor."
Vance scowled, his ego bruised. "Think you're big now? One lucky break doesn't change what you are. See you next month, Thorne."
As the collectors retreated, Sarah collapsed into a chair, her eyes wet with relief. Maya appeared in the kitchen doorway, her headset around her neck, having witnessed the whole thing. She looked at the closed door, then at her brother.
"You actually paid them," Maya whispered, her voice filled with a mix of shock and newfound respect. "How did you know how to talk to them like that? You sounded like... a boss."
"I'm tired of being hunted, Maya," Leo said, turning to her. "From now on, we're the ones doing the hunting."
[SYSTEM STATUS UPDATE]
Attribute New Value Change
Physique 1.2 (Fit) +0.4
Current Capital $440 Spent $4,800
Fame Local (Sector 4) Trending
[New Mission: Building the Ghost]
Objective: Establish a "Private Developer Identity" to hide your tracks from corporate trackers.
Task: Reach $50,000 in total revenue.
Reward: [Advanced Coding Interface] + [Identity Masking Layer].
Leo sat back down at his desk. Flappy Neon was just a spark. To reach $50,000, he needed a fire.
He didn't look at mobile games this time. He looked at the VR-Net.
In this world, VR was used for virtual shopping and corporate meetings. It was boring. It was "Safe." Leo began to draft the blueprints for something that Earth called a "Physics-Based Horror" game.
"Mom," Leo called out. Sarah looked up, her face finally losing that pinched look of terror. "Tell Aunt Elena I need a meeting. I need her to register a company name for me. Something that doesn't lead back to this address."
"What name?" Sarah asked.
Leo looked at the neon lights of the city flickering outside his window.
"Monopoly Gaming."