A staggering sum. Enough to set him up for life. But as quickly as the excitement rose, cold reality settled in. He couldn't choose that option—he couldn't afford to.
The sudden injection of such a massive fortune would draw too much attention, too many questions.
No matter how tempting the figure, there was no way he could safely explain away that amount of money. It would raise red flags with authorities, with banks, and possibly even with those in positions of power. Martin knew better than to take that risk.
The second reward, 10% Prime Shares, didn't seem as daunting. But it came with its own mystery—which company's shares would he receive? The system hadn't specified, and Martin could only hope that the result wouldn't complicate things further. Yet, when compared to the consequences of the first option, it seemed the safer path. He took a breath and made his choice.
Reward 2: 10% Prime Shares.
The moment he selected it, a wave of dizziness washed over him. The room swayed, and Martin gripped the edge of the table for support as his vision blurred for a second. When he came back to his senses, something felt different. He blinked and turned to the screen in front of him, where his trading account was still open.
His breath caught in his throat.
The $20,000 he had initially invested was gone, manipulated by an unseen force. His account history was a blur of transactions—purchases and sales happening at a pace far beyond human comprehension. It was as if the system itself had taken control, rapidly buying and dumping shares in the ten companies he had targeted. Martin could only watch in stunned silence as the miracle unfolded before his eyes.
Within seconds, the trading history finalized, and there, in the results, was confirmation of the impossible. He now owned 10% prime shares in all ten companies.
Every single one. Without exception.
Martin stared at the screen, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. He knew enough about stocks to understand that acquiring 10% of a company's shares was no small feat. In many cases, such a share would grant him a seat at the table of major shareholders—an influential position in the company's decision-making processes. And now, somehow, he had that power in ten companies, all at once.
It didn't make any sense. The market didn't move like this. Shares didn't just shift ownership in a matter of seconds, especially not in companies spread across different industries and sectors. But here it was, displayed right before him in black and white.
Martin sat back in his chair, his heart still racing. The system had once again delivered, but this time it had gone far beyond what he'd imagined possible. He was no longer a simple investor testing the waters—he was now a major shareholder in ten companies, each with the potential to shape entire industries.
The weight of that realization pressed down on him, but so did a feeling of awe. He had just witnessed something extraordinary, something beyond the reach of ordinary people. And for the first time in a while, Martin felt the full gravity of what the system could offer.
But with that power came the creeping knowledge that nothing this extraordinary could come without cost. For now, though, Martin could only sit, staring at his laptop, stunned at the reality that had just been reshaped around him.
What have I gotten myself into? he thought, though the answer remained elusive.
After the shock of watching his stock portfolio transform before his eyes, Martin felt a rush of inspiration, his mind buzzing with the possibilities and the unsettling truths about the system's powers. He quickly grabbed his notepad and pen, the tools that had become his way of grounding the chaos swirling around him.
The blank page in front of him wouldn't remain empty for long. With a flurry of motion, he began writing down everything he'd just experienced, desperate to make sense of the system's ever-growing complexity.
His handwriting was rapid and jagged, reflecting the urgency in his thoughts. He started by recounting the events leading up to this moment—the acquisition of the villa, the revitalization of his body, the cash rebate after buying the phone, and now, the monumental stock acquisition.
Each instance, though extraordinary, had given him a slightly different insight into how the system operated. And now, after today's experience, he was beginning to see a pattern.
The key points took shape as he scribbled them down, his pen racing to capture the fleeting thoughts before they slipped away.
1. Cause and Effect:
This was the most crucial insight so far. Each time Martin used the system—whether it was during the midday rebate or the midnight wish—the outcome, or the desired effect, was always achieved. But the system worked in reverse, generating a cause to make that effect happen. It manipulated reality in subtle ways, taking the most efficient route to deliver results.
The villa, for example, had been his reward's desired effect, but the system had worked behind the scenes, weaving through the complexities of real estate laws, ownership transfers, and bureaucratic processes to make it happen. With the stocks, it had somehow manipulated the market at a near-impossible speed, acquiring 10% shares in ten companies in a matter of seconds.
The effect was clear, but the system's method—its cause—remained a mystery.
2. Scale of Influence:
Martin paused as he considered the dizziness and nausea he had felt earlier, writing it down as his second key point. Why had this happened now, but not during the acquisition of the villa or the cash rebate? It was a troubling question.
The scale of influence was the only explanation that made sense. Buying stocks—especially in such large volumes—impacted a wide range of people and markets. Traders, shareholders, brokers, financial analysts. The ripple effect of manipulating stock ownership in this way was far-reaching, much more so than acquiring a villa or cash, which involved far fewer people and processes.
The system had likely affected a massive web of transactions, legalities, and interactions within the stock market. The dizziness could have been the result of the immense energy required to bend reality on that scale. The villa, by comparison, had been simpler—just a few certifications from the legislative committee of real estate.
The cash rebate, even simpler still, merely required altering his bank account balance. But stocks? Stocks touched thousands, perhaps millions of lives, all working within a system that thrived on the movement of money, investments, and power.
Martin underlined the words scale of influence. This was something he needed to watch carefully. The system's power came with a price—and he had felt it this time.
3. The Hidden Price:
He circled this point, staring at it for a moment before writing out his thoughts. The dizziness, the nausea—it was his body's reaction to something more. The system had never felt taxing on him before, even when granting monumental rewards like the villa or the phone rebate. But this time was different.
This time, it took something from him, or maybe from the world around him, to generate the cause that led to his ownership of those shares.
What was the price, though? He didn't know. And that was what scared him.
He wrote down his worry in careful letters, the weight of his realization sinking in. If the system had to exert itself this much to manipulate reality, what kind of price would he pay if he pushed it further? Or worse—what if the system decided to collect payment on a debt he didn't even know he owed?
Martin set the pen down, leaning back against the couch and staring at the notepad. Each point was a puzzle piece, slowly forming a clearer picture of the system's rules, but also revealing more questions.
The system was powerful—there was no denying that—but it wasn't without its limits. The further he pushed it, the more risks he took, and those risks had consequences. Today had been proof of that.
He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair as he gazed at the last sentence he had written: "The scary thing is, I don't know what the price is—and I won't know until it's too late."
Martin knew he had to be careful moving forward. Testing the system had brought him incredible rewards, but he couldn't afford to be reckless.
The consequences of today's test had shown him just how fragile the balance was. If the price for manipulating the stock market was dizziness and nausea, what would the price be for something even bigger? Something more ambitious?
With that thought lingering in his mind, Martin closed the notepad and set it aside. He felt a strange mixture of excitement and fear—excitement for the possibilities ahead, and fear of the unknown price he might have to pay.
For now, he had enough information to continue his cautious exploration of the system. But as he stood and stretched, preparing to move forward with his day, he couldn't shake the feeling that every step he took brought him closer to a line he wasn't sure he wanted to cross.
One thing was certain: whatever came next, he would need to tread carefully. The system might be a gift, but it was one that came with strings attached. And Martin was beginning to wonder just how tightly those strings were being pulled.