Chapter 1: Infinite wealth

The sound of birds chirping outside and the annoying buzz of his alarm clock forced Leo Carter awake. He groaned, rubbing his eyes. Today was the last day of his high school exams—a day he'd been looking forward to and dreading in equal measure.

He reached for his phone and saw an unfamiliar notification floating in front of him.

"Congratulations! You have been chosen as the recipient of the Infinite wealth System. Confirm to proceed."

Leo stared at it for a moment, then swiped it away like any other spam. "Weird dreams, I need more sleep," he muttered, rolling out of bed.

The morning passed in a blur of grogginess and half-hearted attempts to review notes. By the time he reached school, the strange notification was already forgotten.

The classroom buzzed with nervous energy as students shuffled into their seats. Desperate cramming sessions were in full swing. Leo, however, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head, utterly unconcerned.

His childhood friend, Emma, walked in moments before the bell. Her long brown hair fell over her face as she slid into the seat in front of him. She didn't look up.

"Morning," Leo said, giving her a light tap on the shoulder.

Emma turned slightly, forcing a small smile. "Hey... Ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," he replied with a shrug. He couldn't help but notice her makeup looked... thicker than usual, especially around her cheek. But before he could say anything, the teacher called for silence, and the exam began.

After the exam When the final bell rang, the classroom erupted in cheers and sighs of relief. Leo stretched, stuffing his belongings into his bag, and made his way to the school gates. He waited, leaning against the wall as students rushed past.

Emma appeared a few minutes later, clutching her bag tightly. She looked nervous.

"How'd it go?" Leo asked casually as they started walking toward the park nearby.

"Could've been worse," she said with a shrug. Then, after a pause, "Hey, uh... can we sit for a second?"

They found their usual bench in the shade of a large oak tree. Emma fidgeted, her hands gripping the straps of her bag.

"So," she began, not meeting his eyes, "I wanted to talk to you about... the money I borrowed last time."

Leo raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the bench. "Yeah, What about it?, paying back?"

"I was going to pay you back, but... I need more." Her words came out in a rush. "Like... two hundred dollars. I swear, I'll pay it back once I get my scholarship or a job. I promise."

Leo blinked. "Two hundred?"

Emma nodded, her face flushing red. "I know it's a lot, but... you're the only person I can ask."

For a moment, he considered saying no. Two hundred bucks wasn't pocket change, and Emma had a habit of borrowing without returning. But the way she refused to look at him, the way her shoulders seemed to sag under an invisible weight—it was enough to make him sigh.

"All right, all right. I'll transfer it," he said, pulling out his phone.

After sending the money, Leo opened his banking app to check his balance. His heart stopped.

Instead of the modest amount he remembered, there was a single, glowing symbol on the screen:

∞

"What the..." he muttered, refreshing the app. The infinity symbol remained.

He stared at it for a moment before a new notification popped up.

"Transaction complete. Remaining balance: Infinity."

Leo's brain short-circuited. His heart raced. Memories of the strange morning notification flooded back.

He turned to Emma, forcing himself to stay calm. "Hey, uh... you better not spend that on junk food, okay? I'm expecting a full refund. With interest."

Emma managed a small laugh. "Yeah, yeah. I'll write you an IOU."

She still didn't meet his eyes, but she seemed a little more relaxed now.

"Thanks again, Leo," she added softly before standing up. "I'll see you around."

As she walked away, Leo's eyes lingered on her for a moment before returning to his phone. The infinity symbol stared back at him, mocking his disbelief.

Leo wasted no time. After stopping by a convenience store, he filled a basket with absurdly expensive items—imported chocolates, gourmet snacks, and a top-shelf energy drink that cost more than his usual lunch.

When he reached the counter, the cashier raised an eyebrow. "You sure about all this, kid?"

"Yeah, no problem," Leo replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

The total rang up to nearly $300. He tapped his phone, and the payment went through instantly.

The cashier's expression shifted from suspicion to awe. "Man, must be nice to be rich."

Leo left the store with his purchases, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Back in his room, Leo sprawled out on his bed, surrounded by his extravagant haul. He popped open the overpriced energy drink, taking a long sip as he stared at his phone.

"This is insane," he muttered, refreshing the app again just to make sure the infinity symbol was still there.

He sat up suddenly, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Wait a second... I'm basically unstoppable."

Before he could start planning his next outrageous purchase, his mom's voice rang out from the kitchen.

"Leo! Dinner's ready, and if you don't set the table, no food for you!"

Leo groaned, tossing his phone onto the bed. "Even gods have chores..."