Monday, September 9, 2024

"Man, another boring day."

I was sprawled out on my bed, my phone sitting lazily on my stomach, and I couldn't even be bothered to reach for it. The air was heavy with that sticky heat that made me feel like a melted candle, and I just didn't have the energy to do anything about it.

Everything just felt so… meh.

It wasn't the first time I'd felt like this, either. There'd been plenty of moments where life seemed to drag on, like a dull gray cloud just hanging over me, making everything feel pointless. I'd even had some dark thoughts about ending it all once or twice. But then, there was my mom.

The thought of her reaction kept me grounded. I could picture the look on her face, the hurt, the guilt she'd carry if I ever did something like that. I couldn't do that to her. She didn't deserve to live with that pain, even if my life felt empty.

It wasn't like I was broke or unloved. No, money wasn't the issue, and I wasn't lonely either. It was just that life felt…boring. A heavy, suffocating boredom that seemed impossible to shake.

"Maybe I should see a psychologist," I muttered to myself. It was one of those ideas that sounded good in theory, but honestly, it felt like too much effort to follow through on.

Then, out of nowhere, something shifted. I heard this strange noise in my head, like a ping. Before I could even react, a projection of some kind appeared right in front of me, like a pop-up window from a video game.

[Congratulations on activating the Life Simulation System. Do you wish to bind the system?]

I blinked, staring at it. I mean, what the heck was this? Was I tripping? My first thought was that maybe this was some kind of joke, but honestly? I didn't care. My life was so dull that I was open to literally anything to break the monotony.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. I'll accept the binding," I said aloud, not even bothering to question if this was real or not. What did I have to lose?

[1%]

[7%]

[15%]

[99%]

[Congratulations on successfully binding the Life Simulation System.]

The message quickly shifted:

[Life Simulation System: You will get to simulate your life every month. Before each simulation, you'll be given a random talent.]

[Talents are divided into five levels, from Bronze as the lowest level to Purple as the strongest.]

[Note: A bronze-level talent means that the person can at least become a representative in the field and even make a mark on humanity's history, so the host shouldn't underestimate low-level talent.]

[Note that currently, after each simulation, you will retain all the memory and experience of the simulation of the simulation.]

I chuckled to myself. "Yo, this is wild."

I'd watched enough anime and read enough light novels to know what a system was. I'd fantasized more than once about how dope it would be to have one of my own. Maybe I'd go on some wild adventure, or get isekai'd into another world, live a full life, and then return here without a second even passing.

Alright, maybe this system wasn't going to send me to another world, but it could at least let me see into the future or teach me some insane knowledge. That alone was enough to get my blood pumping, all that laziness evaporating in an instant. The possibilities were endless.

"System, when do I get my first simulation?"

[The host can start the simulation anytime he wishes. After that, he must wait 31 days for the next chance.]

I nodded, hyped by the potential of what this could mean. Then something hit me, and I quickly grabbed my headphones, throwing on the song Monkeys on Acid to set the mood.

"Alright, let's do this. Start it up."

[Congratulations! You have won the Silver Level Talent: The Phantom Creator.]

[The Phantom Creator: Your creativity has reached the peak of humanity's potential.]

[Simulation begins.]

[You wake up in your small apartment at age 23, feeling something different. Your mind has been unlocked, now overflowing with endless ideas and creativity. It's like a dam has broken, and the flood of thoughts feels natural. You wonder what triggered this sudden change.]

Whoa. I barely had time to process the talent I'd been given, and the simulation had already kicked off. It was like reading the story of another version of me—one that had unlocked some next-level creativity. And damn, I was jealous. The simulation me would be living his best life while I sat here, stuck in neutral.

[Year 1 - Age 23:]

[You spent most of the year diving deep into creative projects. AMVs had always been your thing, but now your mind worked differently. You started producing content with a unique flair that had people buzzing.]

[In the first month of the first year, you first adapted to the new change concerning your mind with new ideas about anything popping here and there in your mind.]

[By the second month, fans were hounding you, demanding new AMVs on your YouTube channel. You hadn't posted in a while, and they were starting to lose patience.]

[When you finally uploaded a new video, it was unlike anything anyone had ever seen. The transitions, the pacing, the storytelling—it was all so next-level that people were calling you a genius in the comments. Your subscriber count shot through the roof.]

[By the fourth month, you had gone viral. Your work wasn't just blowing up on YouTube, but also on TikTok and Instagram. Clips of your videos were everywhere, and people were calling your projects 'mind-blowing.' You were becoming a sensation.]

This version of me was living the dream. My YouTube channel was blowing up, I was going viral on social media, and my creativity was through the roof. Reading this made me feel a deep pang of jealousy. If only real life could be this exciting. If I could make this kind of money and be this successful, my mom could finally stop working. I could take her on trips to all her favorite spots, no matter the cost.

[Year 2 - Age 24:]

[Your creativity continued to skyrocket. You started collaborating with small content creators and indie filmmakers like King Chris, Dave Ardito, etc... helping them level up their production quality. Word of your talent spread quickly.]

[But what really set you apart was your ability to fuse music, video editing, and digital effects in ways that moved people. It wasn't just about going viral anymore. You were a visionary, a 'Phantom Creator.']

Damn, reading that hit differently. People were calling me a visionary. I was on top of the world, making art that actually mattered, leaving my mark.

[By the end of the year, you had enough financial backing to start your own production studio. It wasn't huge, but it was yours—a place where your imagination had no limits.]

I couldn't believe it. The simulation me was killing it. He was out here building his empire while I was just stuck. But I couldn't lie—the simulation gave me hope. Maybe there was something out there for me after all.

[Year 3 - Age 25:]