[Ding!]
---
Tutorial Mission: Earning $100,000 in one week using the system's ability.
Reward: Permanent bond to the system, 1,000 MC, 1 lottery draw
Penalty: Removal of the system from the host body forever.
---
"Shit…"
"Hundred fucking grand in a week? Really? You try to fuck me up, shitty system!"
That freaking sum of money was the amount of annual salary for a manager in big company in Dragon Country!
As a small part-time worker in a local pawn shop, he needed to work his ass of for more than ten years to be that rich, yet he only had a week to achieve that?
Crazy!
[...]
[Do you want to forfeit the quest?]
The system didn't seem to give a shit to Richard's misgiving and cooly gave him another question as the reply.
"Ah I can forfeit too?" Richard asked knowingly, but still trying to test his luck.
[Yes. But it also means that the host failed to clear the tutorial quest and will be deemed unfit for the system.]
Unfortunately, the system gave him a resounding "No shit, dude" in a characteristically indifferent tone.
"Jeez... why so serious?"
[...]
Having been ignored by the system, Richard didn't continue the pointless argument between them and started musing about what he should do to finish the quest.
The first thing that crossed his mind was gemstone betting. His boss, the owner of the small pawnshop in Dawn City and a legit gem enthusiast had once brought him to one of a popular venue for gem betting in the south part of Dawn City, the most famous tourist area in the city called Fortune district. Casino, night clubs, auction houses. It was basically a one-stop entertainment spot for the high-pace and bustling lifestyle of the resident of the Dawn City.
Richard remembered vividly how the crowd there looked like when they were preparing to bet on gems. Some of them were just gambling their money away while others were doing it with real passion. There were even some who would buy them to resell later at a profit.
He remembered being amazed by such extravagantness of the whole event. For an uneducated man like himself, it seemed way too out of his league. He could only imagine how much wealth these people possessed.
There were also some people who bet right and got rich over night while most people there lost all their fortune in a single night.
It was a crazy world that Richard never understood until now.
But if he wanted to earn that much money in a week, then he should have no choice but to join the betting pool. The idea of getting rich by luck was tempting. But with high return, there would be a high risk attached to it as well. An ordinary person would think twice to take the gamble.
But Richard was an ordinary person no more. With the system's help, he was practically guaranteed to make a big fortune. Finding the right stone to bet was akin to taking a candy from a baby's hand.
The only problem was he needed an invitation to join the betting. And it was nearly impossible for him, who has no credential or named for himself, to get such invitation.
'Should I ask the boss? But what should I say to him?'
As he engrossed in his thoughts, suddenly a loud commotion between two people, who he assumed to be two women from their voices, outside his ward interrupted his thoughts.
"Hey, miss nurse. I'm really telling you the truth. I has no idea who he was, I was just happened to spot him lying on the side of the road covered with blood when I was on the way back home, so I didn't have any heart to just left him there to die. Can I go back now? I still have a lot thing to do."
"I really understand your situation, young lady, but unfortunately, according to our regulation, I still need you to stay here until the young man regains consciousness as his guarantor. Please cooperate with us."
Richard had his interest piqued by the conversation between the two women. He slowly got up from his bed and took a peek through the gap between the ward's curtain and saw a middle-aged lady in a nurse outfit holding a paper holder in her hand having a stand off with the woman who supposed to be his benefactor.
Witnessing her gorgeous appearance, Richard almost forgot to breath for a second there. She was the most enchanting woman he had ever seen. Before her beauty, Stella, who was once known as a campus belle, was basically no different than common girl on the street.
On the contrary, this woman standing before him was like an ethereal being with her lustrous blonde hair flowing freely over her shoulder, her captivating sapphire eyes drawing him into their mesmerizing charm, her body that was slender but full of allurements, her burgundy night dress that perfectly accentuated her perfect figure, her voluptuous bust, long legs, slim waist, and hourglass shape that seemed like she was carved by a sculptor from the purest of white marble.
Her gait exuding elegance matched her stunning looks; everything combined made sense of perfection.
Richard was certain that no man on this planet could have resisted her charms for long.
However, the nurse lady didn't seem to be one who fell for the woman's spell easily.
"If I can just sign a paper for you to let me go back, could you do me that favor? I swear I will come back here to check on him as soon as I can." The lady in red persuaded, a hint of helplessness painted on her face.
"This..." The nurse hesitated, seemingly also not knowing what to do. It was rare to find a good charlatan who was willing to help a stranger in this age, but she also had her responsibility to follow the rule. In the end, she shook her head with troubled expression. "I'm sorry, Miss. That's the rule."
Richard knew that he should step forward to fix this situation.
With a firm step, he approached them and said, "There's no need miss nurse. I'm already fine you can let the lady go."
The two women were startled by Richard's voice, their heads snapped toward his direction almost at the same time, their expression filled with incredulity.
"Oh my, he's awake." The nurse exclaimed and immediately started checking his vitals with the electronic medical equipment on her hand.
The lady in red still stood in daze looking at the man who had fainted earlier seemed to be just fine.
Letting the nurse do her job, Richard gave the lady a small bow to expressed his gratitude. "Thank you for saving me and sending me to the hospital, Miss." He showed the cracked phone in his hand, wearing a helpless expression on his face, "Can you leave me a number, and when I buy a new mobile phone, I will transfer the advanced medical expenses to you."
"There's no need. I just do what I should do." The lady came to her sense and waved her hand in dismissal. Then, she quietly observed him and asked in worried tone, "Are you really fine? I mean you condition look grave earlier."
Richard's heart suddenly filled with warmth when such a beautiful girl showed a concern to him, who was basically a stranger to her. He flashed a bright smile, "Thank you for your concern, miss. But, I'm really fine." He raised his arm, rolling the sleeve upward and show his thin biceps, pretending to be a body builder showing off his muscle. "Look, I'm as fit as a bear."
"Is it so?" The lady giggled softly but quickly covered her face with her hand in ladylike manner, looking at him with intrigue. "How curious."
Her gaze didn't linger too long. The lady gave him a small nod before bidding him farewell. "Well, I still have something urgent to do, so I'm leaving first, you remember to take care of yourself, see you again if we're fated."
"Wait a minute," Richard hurriedly stretched his hand. "I'm Richard. It's quite rude not to know my benefactor's name. How should I addresses you, miss?"