"Ryan Hart, you're fired!"
Ryan blinked slowly, coffee mug halfway to his mouth. He stared blankly at his boss, Mr. Walters, whose face had turned an alarming shade of beetroot red.
"Are you deaf?" Walters roared again. "Pack your stuff and get out! Now!"
The entire office had stopped working to watch the spectacle. Pens hovered mid-air, eyes peered over cubicle walls, and whispers rippled across the open space like wind through tall grass.
Ryan sighed, set the mug down, and forced a smile. "Any particular reason?"
Walters' eyes bulged dangerously. "You've missed three client meetings this week alone. Three! What kind of idiot sleeps through a 2 pm meeting?"
"An overworked idiot," Ryan mumbled, gathering his belongings into a cardboard box. Truth was, he'd stayed up all night gaming. Again.
The murmurs of his colleagues faded into background noise as he trudged toward the elevator. Nobody stopped him or said goodbye. It was as if he'd never been there.
Stepping onto the crowded city street, Ryan squinted against the afternoon sunlight and let out a long breath. "Well, great job, genius. Unemployed again."
Suddenly, his phone buzzed violently, almost causing him to drop his box onto the pavement. He fumbled with his pocket, finally pulling it out.
A strange notification filled his screen:
**[Congratulations, Ryan Hart! You have been selected by the Level-Up System.]**
"Level-Up System?" He chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Must be one of those spammy mobile games."
He tried swiping the notification away, but it wouldn't disappear. Frustrated, Ryan tapped it.
The screen flashed, nearly blinding him. When his vision cleared, a translucent blue interface hovered before his eyes, floating impossibly in midair.
**[Welcome to the Level-Up System!]**
**Name: Ryan Hart**
**Level: 1**
**EXP: 0/100**
**Tasks Available: 1**
Ryan blinked repeatedly, rubbing his eyes. "Okay, I'm officially losing it."
As pedestrians passed by, oblivious, Ryan cautiously poked at the holographic interface. To his astonishment, the screen responded to his touch.
**[New Task: Earn your first $10,000 within 72 hours.]**
**Reward: $50,000 + Special Skill Unlock**
He nearly choked. "$10,000 in three days? Are you kidding me? I just lost my job!"
The screen seemed to mock him, shimmering slightly.
**[Accept / Decline]**
"What do I have to lose?" Ryan muttered sarcastically, tapping 'Accept.'
The screen flickered again:
**[Task Accepted. Good luck, host!]**
"Host? Seriously?" Ryan scoffed. But inside, curiosity was slowly replacing his disbelief.
Another notification appeared:
**[New Message from System Administrator: Complete smaller side quests to gain EXP and unlock additional skills.]**
Ryan raised an eyebrow. Side quests? Was this real life or a weird RPG?
He sighed, picked up his box, and walked towards home. As absurd as it sounded, maybe losing his job wasn't the end of the world. Maybe—just maybe—it was the beginning of something incredible.
After all, he had nothing left to lose.
"Alright, Level-Up System," Ryan said aloud, ignoring the strange looks from passersby. "Let's see what you've got."