From Zero To Stardom: My Superstar System

Chapter Three: Super Star System

A beggar was walking along the pavement in the chilly night. He was dragging his right leg as he walked.

His moved was slow and laboriously, and could only leaning heavily on a crutch to find support.

The crutch appeared to be on the verge of collapsing, its metal components stretched and ready to snap.

His look suggested that he had seen better days because of his untidy hair.

His tattered clothing hung carelessly over his weak body. The people who passed by him were covering their noses because of the smell he was releasing.

In his palm, he held an empty bottle that had long since been empty and a can with a few coins on it from his allnight's hard work.

As the beggar was walking and ignoring the cold wind, he heard a familiar voice.

He stopped and saw a TV displayed in a store. The screen revealed a scene—a grand awards ceremony.

"Congratulations to our power couple, winners of the esteemed 'Best Couple' award for the year 2033!”

The host's voice rang out, accompanied by applause.

“Oh! Is it them again? Wow! Didn't both of them win Best Actor and Best Actress last year, too?”

“I know, right? They truly are for each other! What a talented couple!”

Two women commented happily.

Behind them, a sardonic chuckle escaped the beggar's lips, thick with resentment.

"2033… it had been ten years," the beggar whispered to himself, the weight of those four digits on the screen bearing down upon him.

The man on the screen leaned into the microphone with a wide grin.

"2033… it was in 2023 that I began my path as an actor, and until today, I still can't believe that I have the privilege to stand in front of these amazing actors today. Me and my girlfriend Rachel began with nothing but hard work. Together, we've been through it all. Laughter, tears, growth."

Beside him, a radiant woman beamed.

"Absolutely, Eric! And every step of this journey has been enriched by the presence of all these wonderful souls here tonight. And of course, to my fans, I'm forever thankful to all of you."

The beggar's gaze fixated on the screen, his expression inscrutable.

The man on the screen nodded.

"You know, they say in showbiz, you gotta keep the surprises coming, and so I have something special to share with you all."

The man's gaze locked on the woman's eyes.

"Rachel, I want to take another step on this journey. One that'll stay with us forever."

The woman’s eyes widened at the same time as the beggar.

"Rachel," Eric's voice held an earnest tenderness, "will you marry me?"

Marcus's breath caught, and his chest tightened.

The applause that erupted seemed to reverberate within him.

"Oh my God, Eric! Are you kidding me? Of course, yes!"

The woman's voice trembled with astonishment and joy.

Her eyes were brimming with tears as she brought a hand to her mouth in disbelief.

The man slipped a ring onto the woman’s finger, and the audience erupted in cheers.

"Wow! I'm so happy for them!"

"What a beautiful couple!"

Amidst the applause and cheers, the beggar's gaze remained locked on the screen.

His muscles tightened, and a mixture of anger and bitterness churned within him.

Marcus's fingers clenched tightly around the worn handle of his crutch.

He recognizes the couple.

There was no doubt, no misunderstanding. The very woman and man who had betrayed him, who had humiliated him and pushed him to the edge ten years ago, was now being celebrated on national television and is now getting married.

Hell, if he said this to the two women in front of him, they would look at him with disgust and disbelief.

A bitter laugh tore from Marcusus Thornwood's throat, full of resentment.

The memories surged back. It was vivid and painful.

"Unbelievable," he muttered, his eyes glued to the screen. "After all that..."

Anger surged within him.

He had loved her with all he had, sacrificed everything for her, and in return, he had been discarded like a forgotten memory.

And now, she stood in the spotlight while he existed in the shadows.

He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The people looked at him with weird looks and retreated in fear, but Marcus couldn't care.

Polleywood had once been his goal, the red carpet his dream path.

But now, life's cruel twists had turned that dream into dust.

The accident had left him crippled and he was drowned with debt that he was only able to pay after selling his organs, and now, he was nearing the end of his life.

He was a coward. He couldn't end it himself, so now he is waiting for it to end itself.

Applause echoed from the TV, a stark contrast to his own reality.

Marcus's thoughts returned to the accident. Her girlfriend cheated on him and betrayed him.

His own family turned him into a crippled.

Suddenly, a cold water was thrown at him.

“Get out of here, you dirty beggar! You are ruining my business!”

A glare from the store owner broke his reverie.

Shuddering from the cold, Marcus turned his back.

He stumbled away from the store, and as he walked away, he couldn't help but wonder what might have been if things had turned out differently.

The cold pavement was his bed. The city's harsh odor was his companion. This was the life he had known for so long—loneliness, pain, and an endless struggle to survive.

When he was drowning in debt, he asked for help from everyone, but no one gave him a hand.

He even remembers him begging Rachel, but she just looks at him as if he was a stranger and as if the five years they were together was nothing.

But, it was no use thinking about it now. Ten years have passed since then.

Marcus lay down on the chilly, hard pavement of the streets once more.

The chill of the night was familiar, as was the unpleasant odor that hung in the air.

As he closed his eyes, the city's symphony of distant sirens and hurried footsteps provided the backdrop to his thoughts.

The previous 10 years had shaped him into someone who could withstand these conditions, someone who had become resistant to the cruelty of the world.

Marcus smiled sadly and was about to close his eyes when suddenly, a translucent screen materialized in front of him.

[Super Star System]

Downloading: 66%

Downloading: 99%

[ Activating System... ]

[ Verifying Host... ]

[ System Online. ]

[ Customizing Host Experience... ]

[ Host: Marcus Thornwood | Aspiring Actor ]

[ User Goals Assessed. System Configuration Complete. Objective: Help the host achieve superstardom. ]

“W-What is happening? What is this thing in front of me? And why are my eyelids getting heavy… I-I’m so sleepy…”

Marcus tried to fight his sleepiness to ask what was going on, but for unknown reasons, his body was getting weak, so he couldn't even speak and move anymore.

Is this his life flashing in front of him?

[ System Difficulty: Maximum. ]

[ Introducing Unique Player Incentive Package... ]

[ Rewards Distributed: 'Enchanted Realism' ]

[ Countdown Initiated, 5...4...3...2...1... Embarking on the Road to Stardom! ]

And everything went black.

Marcus bounced up from his bed.

Doused in sweat, his face was pale, and his bloodshot eyes were wide open.

He lowered his head, drawing as much fresh air into his lungs as possible.

Marcus looked around. He was no longer on the smelly and noisy streets. Instead, he was in his apartment.

His apartment from back then! The thick smell of an old building and rusty metal entered his nose.

He looks at the ceiling only to see the familiar big spider that he has tried to kill many times and has been living with him rent-free.

Marcus checked his body for any abnormalities, but he found nothing.

In fact, he was perfectly healthy, just as he had been before the supposed accident.

"W-What had happened? I-I am alive?!"

Marcus couldn't control his voice and shouted loudly, forgetting that the building wasn't soundproof and his neighbors would come knocking at him with knives in their hands, ready to shut him up.

But Marcus couldn't help it!

He remembers what happened to him clearly! He doubted that it was all a dream! He remembered everything!

From the betrayal and his being on the streets.

He spent his life on the street for almost ten years, how could he forget it?!

"Perhaps, is this the afterlife? Did I finally die? What was that system thing? Am I too stressed out to dream about something ridiculous like this? This must be a product of stress or my imagination running wild."

He shook his head and wiped his cold sweat. However, a ridiculous idea popped up in his mind.

"Should I try it?"

"Ehem, system!"

Marcus shouted loudly and looked to his left and right waiting for the translucent screen to pop up like in the games he had played before but a minute passed and nothing appeared and an awkward silence enveloped the room.

Marcus's face was red, embarrassed by what he's done.

Marcus laughed and shook his head. At this moment, thumps were heard.

Someone outside was knocking on his door. The knocks were quite loud and were aggressive.

Marcus stood up to open the door but lost his balance and collapsed back to his bed, his face draining of color.

In front of him, something astonishing materialized—an otherworldly, silver translucent screen!

[ Congratulations! The Super Star System has been activated! Your journey begins now!]

[Status Window:]

[Name: Marcus Thornwood]

[Level 1]

[Title: None]

[Special Skills: Echanted Realism]

[Acting: D]

[Vocal: E-]

[Dance: E]

[Visual: D+]

[Charm: D-]

[Attribute: Limitless Potential]

[Reputation Points: 0]

Marcus was in a daze.

"A S-System?!" he yelled, forgetting the terror of his neighbors.

Marcus was woken up by the aggressive knocks on the door.

"Babe! Open the door!"

The person outside yelled, and her voice was familiar.

It was the voice that Marcus couldn't forget in ten years of his suffering.

"Rachel," Marcus whispered with bitterness.

Hearing Rachel's voice, Marcus remembered what she had done.

It was as if he went back to that time.

Marcus laughed bitterly. It had been ten years, and yet he was still affected.

However, if he truly came back to the past, then it only means something!

He could change the future and have his revenge!

Marcus was in deep thought when he heard the clinking of keys, and the door was suddenly opened.

Marcus looked at the person who came in.

The woman’s red dress tightness outlined every curve of her body, and her lips were painted a bold shade of red, a striking match to her dress, and under her eyes were a beautiful mark.