Life is about the moments we fucked up and here is mine. I was abruptly awakened from my sleep by a sharp voice amplified through a microphone, causing me to be jolted. As I opened my eyes, I was met with an unsettling sight of my very own face being projected on the screen that was positioned right behind the speaker. This realization shook off any dizziness that I had and only deepened my sense of panic, causing my whole body to tremble for a moment with a frantic expression evident on my face. After a few seconds of disorientation and recalibrating my disarrayed thoughts, I was finally able to remember that today was the day when my professor was going to give a thesis presentation. The voice amplified through the microphone belonged to none other than my professor, who currently stood on the stage, and from the looks of it, the man appeared to be visibly upset with the fact that someone had fallen asleep during his presentation. I started to feel a rush of embarrassment and re
As the graduation ceremony came to a conclusion, Aron trudged back to his dormitory to gather all of his belongings. Being expelled from the school, he had to leave the school grounds within a week. Although he appealed their verdict, the authorities denied him of it and further informed him that he wouldn't be allowed to appeal any more due to the conclusive evidence they had obtained against him. So, they advised him that he shouldn't be wasting their time and rather start preparing himself so that he could leave the campus grounds before being forcefully thrown out. With his heavy heart filled with disappointment and frustration, Aron could only leave the university all alone without noticing anyone around to send him off, that was because he had lost almost all his friends after the accusation was announced against him. And the remaining two friends of his also couldn't see him off as they had to attend the mandatory meeting that was held for graduates. As for the rest of his fr
The next morning after Aron woke up, as soon as he rose from his bed, suddenly a voice rang in his mind saying, "SAY STATUS" "What? STATUS?" and since he was still in a disoriented state from his sleep, Aron simply muttered what he had heard in his head in a confused manner. However, the system didn't care whether it really was his intention or not. What mattered to it was whether the magic word was mentioned or not, and it was. So right after Aron uttered the word trying to shake off his sleep, a blue screen suddenly appeared in front of him, displaying a series of information. [STATUS] Name: Aron Michael Age: 22 Height: 1.89m System Class: Runemaster [SHOP] {Search} (SP amount: 100,000) [QUEST] [ {Daily quest: Ways to get stronger} 100 Push-ups (0/100) 100 Crunches (0/100) 100 Squat (0/100) 10 Kilometres Running (0/10) (Rewards: 100 SP) ] Just as his face was about to show some fear after witnessing a random screen suddenly pop in front of his face out of nowhere
Aron rose from the ground, his breathing turned ragged and laboured after an intense series of push-ups on the grassy expanse of the park. As he tried to steady his breathing, he began to jog, his movements smooth and effortless as he traversed across the verdant landscape. With each stride he took, he felt the muscles of his legs come to life, his feet pounding the soft earth underneath them with a steady rhythm. The morning sun shone down on him, casting long shadows behind him as he ran through the open spaces, his senses attuned to the sights and sounds around him. Despite the challenge of the workout he had just completed, Aron continued to press on, pushing himself harder and harder with each passing moment. His breathing grew deeper and more measured, his body was also working in a perfect harmony as he ran with the power and grace like that of an athlete in his prime. And the young man continued to do so until a screen appeared in front of him. That was when he knew that his
And soon enough, the program had already started testing every exploit that could be used to breach the University’s system's defences, rendering the firewall it was supposed to be protected with as ineffective as a tofu, just a touch it couldn’t even stand for more at all. While the University has invested a significant amount of money for the security of their system, when it was in the eyes of Aron's program, it looked like nothing more than a kid trying to fight against a tank. It was effortlessly ripped through, identifying and detailing every weakness, providing instructions on how even a beginner-level programmer could exploit the system. With the passing of the seventh hour since the system started going through the University’s System, Aron’s program still continued on exposing more and more vulnerabilities. There were several reasons why this process was taking such a long time to complete. Firstly, it was because Aron’s computer was cheap since his family couldn't affor
After exploiting the vulnerabilities and gaining access to the university's database and finding out who it was who had been plotting for his misery, Aron managed to calm himself down and then shifted his focus towards earning money first in order to relieve himself from the debt so that it won't raise a negative situation in the future. With that, he decided to find his first target for his grand money-making plan. And since he needed a large amount of money, Aron needed to find the victim who would not only put way too much importance on their data security but also boasted a very large user base and wanted to prevent user data theft. This means that such a target will be willing to pay more money for his service, since a data leak for them may mean that they would lose their user’s trust in their security system. So, with all that in mind, Aron decided to focus on social media sites since they perfectly met all of his criteria. He then started investigating these platforms and ini
CAFE Aron arrived at the meeting place where he had planned to meet with Felix and give him a detailed explanation in order for him to prepare for the meeting with the F******k officials and negotiation with F******k. Three Minutes after Aron had gotten his drink, Felix arrived, shaking hands with Aron and giving him a hug. Aron's friend sat down on the opposite side. "How have you been coping since that day?" Felix asked with slight worry, he was aware of Aron’s condition and also thought that his friend wouldn’t have done such a thing. "Though, it was difficult at first, it has been going pretty well now, in fact, I'm even surprised at myself," Aron smiled while answering and waving his hand. Although he didn't explain the reason as to what was helping him cope or gave him hope, it didn't mean he wasn't grateful for it. Without the arrival of the system, it would have taken him longer to be able to recover and move on from what had happened to him, and since those nasty people
After a few days, it was finally time for the meeting with the group from F******k, and having provided with all the expenses, Aron and Felix didn't fret about anything and were now in the venue that was planned for the meeting to take place. The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense as the group of eight sat in their respective positions, with each side almost mirroring the other. On one side of the long conference table sat Aron, accompanied by his friend and lawyer Felix with a laptop in front of him displaying a folder labelled as "Sensitive Information" on the screen, and a USB flash drive inserted in the computer. On the opposite side sat six individuals, including Roxana, the head of security at F******k, along with five other people, three among which were lawyers and the other two were from the security department of the F******k site. Aron fidgeted in his seat, his eyes darting nervously from the screen to the faces of the people sitting across from him, as both sides
“Seraphina,” Aron began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of authority, “I’m not your enemy—unless you choose to make me one. I understand your anger, your frustration. You’ve lost control of a situation you believed was firmly under your command. But this predicament wasn’t my doing—you’re here because your leader chose to sacrifice you. What I’m offering you isn’t a chain—it’s an opportunity.”Her sharp eyes narrowed, the intensity of her gaze unwavering, but she held her silence. Aron leaned forward, his own gaze unrelenting as it met hers.“You can continue resisting, pushing the boundaries of the mana oath, and enduring needless pain. Or…” He paused, letting the words linger like a challenge. “You can choose to turn this situation into one that serves us both. Your strength, your insight—these are not things I wish to suppress. Quite the opposite. I want them refined, amplified, and put to meaningful use.”He motioned toward the table, where Nova was still doing fina
[Colosseum]Aron and Seraphina stood motionless, maintaining the same distance as at the start of their faceoff. Neither had moved, even during the spectacular fireworks show that followed Aron’s acceptance of her surrender. The only exception was Aron briefly waving to the citizens of his empire watching the broadcast, many of whom were overcome with emotion, crying in celebration of their historic victory. This event marked the first-ever interstellar combat they had participated in, and despite their lack of experience, they emerged as the sole victors.As cheers of triumph reverberated among his people and the disbelief of others lingered, the broadcast concluded. The moment Aron secured his final victory, the Arena itself was officially handed over to him as part of his reward, along with control of the AI referee. Without hesitation, the AI complied with her new owner’s first command: to end the broadcast. Aron had more pressing matters to attend to—a private conversation with a
[Meeting Room]Inside the Zelvora mental network, an oppressive silence hung over the gathered representatives around the meeting table. The events of the day had left them all stunned, their minds racing with the implications of what had transpired. These were not just any representatives—they were the ones who had signed off on the agreements, the architects of their civilizations’ participation in this contest.Now, they were confronted with the brutal outcome of their decisions.Many representatives sat deep in thought, their faces betraying various degrees of fear, frustration, and resignation. Those who hailed from civilizations steeped in selfish political traditions knew all too well the grim truth: scapegoats would be needed. Someone would have to bear the brunt of the blame for the humiliation, anger, and setbacks their civilizations had suffered.For many of them, the path forward seemed bleak. In the best-case scenario, they might lose their positions, exiled from the corr
To say Aron was surprised would be the understatement of the gigaannum. The announcement had obliterated every scenario he had meticulously crafted in his mind. In all his time spent in simulations, preparing for countless contingencies, not once had he considered the possibility of the Xor’Vaks surrendering—least of all without a fight.Their pride in their strength was legendary, surpassing even the vaunted arrogance of the Valthorins. For a race that reveled in their dominance, surrendering, especially on such a grand stage, was unthinkable. This sudden reversal of expectations hit him with such force that he could practically feel the metaphorical veins in his temple throbbing from the sheer shock of it all.The audience’s collective astonishment mirrored his own, but none felt it as acutely as Aron, whose carefully laid strategies now seemed almost laughably over-prepared in the face of this unanticipated twist.The largest part of Aron's shock wasn’t just the surrender itself bu
The minutes passed quickly for the viewers, their eyes glued to Aron as he sat unmoving in the same meditative position for over fifteen minutes. Speculation ran rampant on both sides, fueled by curiosity and tension.For those in the Empire, the consensus was that Aron was in VR, likely meeting with family or key figures. Many debated who he might be speaking with, guessing that he was either calming worried loved ones or strategizing for the next fight.On the other hand, viewers from the Astral Conclave harbored a mix of anxiety and intrigue. They questioned whether Aron was recuperating in preparation for the upcoming battle, enhancing his focus and mental clarity, or if his recovery from the previous fight was incomplete and he was still in the process of healing.But their speculations ceased to matter as Aron opened his eyes with five minutes remaining in the waiting period. Calm and deliberate, he removed the glasses from his head, placing them back into their container. His n
The moment the fight was officially declared over, Nova acted without hesitation. She immediately dispatched the collector ship, equipped with a medipod, to retrieve the Trinarian fighter's body. Simultaneously, she ensured Aron could rearm himself with a fresh set of nanomachines. For the first time, this process was being done openly, marking a significant shift.Previously, nanomachines had been classified technology, their existence kept strictly under wraps. However, that secrecy had been unintentionally broken when Nova used them to cover Aron’s exposed body during a critical moment, prioritizing his dignity over confidentiality. As a result, while the technology remained shrouded in mystery, its existence was now officially acknowledged, albeit without disclosing any further details.Aron retrieved a small canister from the ship and opened it, revealing a liquid-like substance inside. Pouring it onto his hand, the substance behaved unnaturally, defying gravity as it began to sp
"Him alive is better than dead, right? I can use his live brain data to study how they use their spatial abilities—it might even help accelerate my plans if things go as intended," Aron said as he stood over the fainting Trinarian fighter.{True, having him alive presents opportunities. But dead men cause no problems, while the living carry infinite potential for chaos—especially one like him. If our spatial lockdown isn’t enough to fully contain his abilities, he could use them long enough to cause catastrophic damage, even if it means enduring the backlash,} Nova replied, her tone laced with caution. She wanted to ensure Aron was fully aware of the risks he was inviting by sparing the fighter's life.Usually, Nova would have been in favor of keeping him alive—it meant more data for her to process, analyze, and extrapolate from. But spatial ability users were in a league of their own when it came to danger. Even a dead one would yield enough data to at least satisfy her curiosity for
“Nova,” Aron called out in his mind the moment his eyes snapped open, rapidly collecting information and orienting himself, realizing he had finally left the enigmatic place the system had sent him.“Nova,” he called again, this time aloud, his voice carrying a commanding weight as it echoed faintly in the arena. Receiving no response to his first call, his sharp gaze shifted to his surroundings. It didn’t take long for him to notice his current state—nearly naked, save for the swarm of nanomachines that had begun assembling around him.{The system had ejected me, sir,} Nova’s voice finally came through, calm but slightly delayed as the nanomachines completed their task. They prioritized covering his lower body, forming a sleek pair of trousers, as there weren’t enough surviving nanomachines to reconstruct full armor. His chiseled upper body remained exposed, glistening under the lights of the Colosseum, much to the awe and unease of the spectators.Nova’s pragmatic choice left Aron l
Following Nova's orders and the AI referee's approval, the mana stone carriers swiftly began moving toward the Colosseum. As the first ship arrived and entered, it wasted no time, promptly unloading its entire cargo of mana stones before departing to make way for the next carrier to do the same. The process was conducted with remarkable efficiency, ensuring a steady flow of mana stones into the Colosseum without any unnecessary delays.The process continued as over fifty ships unloaded their cargo of mana stones, an act many from the Conclave viewed as both excessive and wasteful. With each successive ship, the pain of the Conclave's viewers grew, particularly when the fifth ship alone had already matched the quantity of mana stones used during the Colosseum's initial construction. Yet, they didn’t stop there; instead, they went on to unload ten times that amount, as if mana stones were an endless resource, leaving the Conclave citizens bewildered and horrified by such apparent extra