The rain hammered Ethan Ward's cheap umbrella as he slogged down the uneven sidewalks of Calverton, a sprawling coastal city in Solvara, a nation of extremes on the planet Aetheris. He clutched a soggy paycheck stub—$327.42 after OmniCorp's ruthless tax deductions—in one hand and a lukewarm cup of bitter gas station coffee in the other. At twenty-six, Ethan was a speck of dust in a city where shimmering skyscrapers loomed over crumbling tenements, where the rich flaunted hover-yachts while the rest drowned in debt. His faded sneakers squelched with every step, a reminder of how far he'd fallen.
"Pathetic," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the storm's roar. "Is this really all I've got?"
Three years ago, he'd been a dreamer, hunched over a cracked laptop in his dorm, coding apps he swore would change the world. He'd landed a gig at OmniCorp, a mega-corp that dominated Calverton's tech scene, as a data entry clerk—mind-numbing work, but a foot in the door. He'd even sketched out a side hustle: a budgeting app for broke folks like him. Then came the layoffs, the landlord jacking up rent, and a fried hard drive that wiped out his code. His friends had bailed for brighter futures—Landon to a startup in the capital, Sara to a cushy gig overseas—leaving Ethan alone in a studio apartment with a leaky roof and a mattress on the floor.
Lightning slashed the sky, bathing Calverton's neon-drenched skyline in stark white. The city was a paradox: its western docks buzzed with cargo drones and freighters, while the eastern cliffs glittered with mansions owned by tech moguls and shipping barons. Ethan stopped under a flickering streetlamp, its buzz cutting through the rain. He stared at the paycheck stub, the ink bleeding into useless smears. "If there's anything out there," he growled, frustration boiling over, "give me a damn break! I'm done eating dirt!"
The universe didn't hesitate.
A bolt of lightning—blinding, jagged, and impossibly fast—tore from the clouds and slammed into him. Electricity surged through his body, a searing jolt that should've turned him to cinders. He stumbled, gasping, coffee splashing across the pavement. Pain flared, then vanished, replaced by a buzzing warmth that pulsed in his chest. He blinked, still alive, rain dripping from his soaked hoodie. Before he could curse, a voice—cold, mechanical, and alien—spoke inside his skull.
**[Host detected. Initialization complete. Welcome to the Galactic Ascension System.]**
Ethan's heart thudded. "What the hell?" He spun around, scanning the empty street. No one—just the flickering lamp and the distant hum of Calverton's nightlife. Was he losing it?
**[Designation: Ethan Ward. Status: Insignificant. Objective: Ascend to wealth and influence. First task assigned—deposit your paycheck. Reward: Income Multiplier (Random), Basic Financial Acumen (Passive). Failure penalty: None. You're already broke.]**
Blue holographic text shimmered in his vision, crisp and surreal. He rubbed his eyes, but it stayed, floating like a high-tech mirage. He reached out, fingers passing through the glowing words. "No way. I'm hallucinating. Too much caffeine and despair."
**[Negative. You are awake. The Galactic Ascension System has selected you as its host. Complete tasks to unlock wealth, skills, and assets beyond your current comprehension. Begin.]**
Ethan stared at the text, then down at his paycheck stub. Deposit it? That was all? He'd planned to do it anyway—the bank's night drop was two blocks away, a squat concrete building sandwiched between a pawn shop and a noodle joint. "Fine," he muttered, half to himself. "Let's see if this is real or I've finally snapped."
He jogged through the rain, hood up, the paycheck's damp envelope crinkling in his grip. The night drop slot glowed faintly under the bank's awning. He slid the envelope in, watching it vanish with a dull *thunk*. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the system chimed, a sharp ping that vibrated in his skull.
**[Task completed. Rewards granted: Income Multiplier activated—current paycheck multiplied by 10x. New balance: $3,274.20. Basic Financial Acumen (Passive) unlocked—5% improved instincts for money management. Check your account.]**
Ethan's breath caught. He yanked out his phone, fingers trembling as he opened his banking app. The screen loaded, and there it was—$3,274.20, credited instantly, no sender listed. "Holy shit," he whispered, a shaky laugh escaping him. "Holy *shit*. This is real?"
His mind raced. Ten times his paycheck—just like that? He'd never seen that much in his account at once. He could pay rent, fix his laptop, maybe even eat something that didn't come from a discount bin. But before he could revel in it, headlights pierced the rain. A sleek black sedan rolled up, its tires hissing on wet asphalt. The tinted window slid down, revealing a man in a tailored suit—mid-thirties, sharp features, eyes glinting with something Ethan couldn't place.
"Ethan Ward?" the man asked, voice smooth as polished steel.
Ethan tensed, clutching his phone. "Yeah. Who're you?"
The man smirked, tossing a small velvet pouch through the window. It landed at Ethan's feet with a heavy clink. "Name's Vincent. Someone's keeping an eye on you. Use that wisely—it's just the start."
The sedan sped off, vanishing into the storm. Ethan frowned, crouching to pick up the pouch. His fingers brushed the soft fabric, and he opened it, nearly dropping it in shock. Inside was a key fob, sleek and silver, stamped with an "A"—Astellon Motors, the luxury car brand plastered across billboards he'd never dreamed of affording. The system pinged again.
**[Bonus reward: Asset unlocked—Astellon Vantage (Sports Car). Value: $120,000. Location: Parking garage, 3rd Street. Claim within 24 hours.]**
Ethan's head spun. A car? He didn't even own a scooter! He stumbled toward 3rd Street, rain forgotten, heart pounding with a mix of disbelief and adrenaline. The parking garage loomed ahead, a concrete relic near Calverton's docks. He climbed to the second level, and there it was—red, gleaming, and futuristic, its curves catching the dim light. He pressed the fob, and the doors unlocked with a soft chirp. Sliding into the leather seat, he gripped the wheel, a grin splitting his face. "This is insane. I'm driving a freaking Astellon?"
The dashboard lit up, holographic displays flickering to life—tech he'd never seen outside sci-fi vids. He ran his hands over the controls, the scent of new leather filling his lungs. Yesterday, he'd been a nobody. Now, he had cash and a car worth more than his last three years' wages combined.
**[New task: Invest your multiplied income. Reward: 1000 credits, Random Stock Shares (Tier 1 Company). Time limit: 3 days. Credits can be exchanged at the System Shop for skills, items, or currency.]**
Ethan leaned back, the system's words hovering in his vision. Invest? He'd never had enough to play the market, but that "Basic Financial Acumen" buzzed in his mind, a faint nudge toward confidence. Stocks, maybe a crypto dip—he could figure it out. He *would* figure it out. The system wasn't just handing him money; it was giving him a ladder to climb.
The rain tapered off as he started the engine, the Vantage humming with power. Vincent's words lingered—*someone's keeping an eye on you*. Who? The system? This Vincent guy? And what did "just the start" mean? Ethan's grin widened. He didn't care—not yet. For the first time, he wasn't Calverton's punching bag. He had wealth, a ride, and a shot at more.
As he pulled onto the street, the city's lights reflected off the car's hood, a promise of bigger things. The system's text pulsed like a heartbeat, daring him to dream. The world had ignored him too long. Now, it'd learn his name.