The last ten months with Paulina have been incredible, way beyond what I ever imagined. Every day feels like a new adventure, and even our quiet times are filled with happiness.Still, I can’t help but worry about the Enigmatic System being gone and whether I played a part in that. It was the reason I got to where I am now, and I feel a real connection to it. It’s tough knowing I couldn’t help it, but can a system really be more than just a bunch of codes?I’m not the only one feeling this way; the whole team is mourning the loss since their systems shut down around the same time. No matter how cutting-edge our tech is, it just can’t match the unique intelligence of the system.As I sat in the living room, I opened up to Paulina, who was snuggled up next to me, really listening."I can’t shake this feeling, Paulina," I confessed. "I know it sounds odd, but it feels like I’ve lost a piece of myself. You get it; you were part of it too."She gave my arm a comforting squeeze. "I totally
"Come here!" Dominic bellowed as I hobbled over to his side. "Have you done my assignment?" he demanded, eyeing me expectantly. I nodded and handed him the papers I had prepared. He grinned, saying, "Good boy," and smacked my face.Zane, his sidekick, glared at me. "What are you staring at, you bastard? Keep your eyes on the floor," he snarled. I quickly obeyed, knowing better than to make a scene. It seemed like I was invisible to most students on campus, or perhaps they just didn't care about someone like me. As Dominic and his cronies sauntered away, I collapsed to the ground, struggling to catch my breath. The last time Dominic had summoned me had been a nightmare—I ended up wetting my pants.Gathering my bag pack, I trudged toward the school building, my head bowed. Thoughts of transferring out of the school raced through my mind. I was prey to many bullies who exploited me for their own gain. Adjusting my spectacles, I made my way to class, remembering that I needed to drop off
I got up and looked around to see where I was, I was bleeding fast and I found myself near a trash can. I got up and my vision felt blurry and hazy. I looked at my injury and I saw I was still bleeding. I tried crossing the road like some maniac. " hey! If you feel like dying why don't you find somewhere to die or drink a poison and save us all the trouble." I heard a man shout out from his car and I looked back. I collided with the person right in from of me. I bent my head slowly to the floor " I am sorry." I said repeatedly trying to avoid the man's gaze. Many looked at me and wondered where I was coming from, some avoided me like I was a plague while some just looked at me in awe and wondered what was going on.My head throb from the punches Dominic has melted out to me but nothing outweighs the pain I was feeling in my heart. I clenched my side and dragged my legs on the floor like I was some zombie. I was near, I saw the building painted white with a cross on it. " is that a ho
I laughed gently seeing the look on Sophia and Dominic's faces. I knew they thought I should be dead but here I am standing in flesh and blood before them. I went to one of the vacant seats and asked the attendees to serve me a meal. Dominic and Sophia looked at me and wondered how I was able to afford one of the richest eating restaurants in town. " Can you choose from the order menu, please?" A young beautiful lady stood before me. She gave me a menu and I looked at it. With a smile on my face " Can I have everything on this list?" She looked at me and smiled " I am not sure you understand what you are asking for. Do you mean every food on this menu" she asked again to be sure and I nodded in understanding of her fears.My looks says I couldn't afford it, not with the way I was dressed. But an adage says not to judge a book by its cover. She walked away to tend to my offer while I sat down anticipating her arrival. Sophia stole a glance at me and wondered what I was doing here. T
I watched as she drove out of sight. I wonder how I was going to see her again if we had struck a bargain. I looked at the clothes she picked up for me and a card fell off from it. I looked at it and saw her phone number. I looked a little puzzled. Did Paulina know I was going to ask for her help?I waved down a taxi and went back to my dorm. I was still the same loner who ran school errands for the school bullies, nothing changed. I looked at my time the following day and my eyes opened in shock. I was five minutes late for my class. I rushed into the bathroom and hurriedly took my bath. I looked at the scatter and rumpled clothes inside my closet and I decided to wear something nice. I picked a cloth from the one I bought at the boutique and styled my hair. I looked at the full-length mirror standing in front of me and I couldn't believe I was staring back at myself. I hummed as I slung my bag to my back. I walked out and was almost getting to class when I was stopped by both Carlos
I couldn't help but wonder what the weekend had in store. "Is that Jason?" someone exclaimed. "He looks different."Turning around, I noticed several female students eyeing me curiously. I couldn't quite grasp what was so different about me.I stepped into my dorm room and closed the door behind me. Panic surged through me as I couldn't find the gaming app on my phone anymore. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead as I frantically scrolled through the screen, searching for it like a madman. "Where is it?" I shouted, my hands trembling with agitation.The thought of reverting back to my old self terrified me. I recalled the smug expression on my face as I squandered the money I'd received from the system, relishing in rubbing it in Dominic and Sophia's faces. Tears welled up in my eyes as I remembered the deal I had with Paulina, knowing it would require me to spend some money.I collapsed onto my bed, shutting my eyes tightly in an attempt to find solace in sleep. The chirping of a bir
I quickly looked at my phone and saw the app had been upgraded to a new one. I smiled and Paulina looked at me. " You seem to be in a good mood, Jason." I said nothing but simply smiled back at her. " Can you give me some minutes? I need to attend to something important." I said running towards the male toilet. I logged into the game app as I walked. The Super Mario sound brought joy to my face. I smiled knowing the system would always be a mode of survival for me. I heard some noise and wondered what was going on. I quickly put my phone back into my pocket and walked closer to see what was going on. " That is enough! " I heard Dominic's voice talking to his minions. " I guess he knows his place now," Diego said with his Spanish accent I walked closer to them " You have heard enough fun, my friend." I said gently entering their midst and they all looked at me " Are you giving me orders now? " Dominic raised his head and looked at me " I guess having some muscles did something to
We entered the ballroom and had a nice time. The night was eventful and many of the students could not stop talking about what happened that night. I was no longer scared of Carlos and Dominic as neither did I have to do their assignments again. As I strolled down to my class, Sophia walked up to me. " Can we talk?" She said looking at my face. " Talk? Now that I am well off and I can stand up for myself, you want to talk now?" I asked looking at her face " I know I injured you, Jason. I am sorry for that. Can you give me another chance? I promise to be all you ever want." Sophia said with a pleading face. " I am sorry but I don't want a lady that uses me for her selfish ambitions. I don't love you and I never will." I replied walking away from her. I met Paulina and she smiled " Who was that?" She asked seeing the back of Sophia walking away." No one." I replied, " Can I take you out for dinner later today?" Paulina looked at me " I have some appointments and I don't think I woul
The last ten months with Paulina have been incredible, way beyond what I ever imagined. Every day feels like a new adventure, and even our quiet times are filled with happiness.Still, I can’t help but worry about the Enigmatic System being gone and whether I played a part in that. It was the reason I got to where I am now, and I feel a real connection to it. It’s tough knowing I couldn’t help it, but can a system really be more than just a bunch of codes?I’m not the only one feeling this way; the whole team is mourning the loss since their systems shut down around the same time. No matter how cutting-edge our tech is, it just can’t match the unique intelligence of the system.As I sat in the living room, I opened up to Paulina, who was snuggled up next to me, really listening."I can’t shake this feeling, Paulina," I confessed. "I know it sounds odd, but it feels like I’ve lost a piece of myself. You get it; you were part of it too."She gave my arm a comforting squeeze. "I totally
After we got ready, we strolled hand in hand, with Paulina playfully urging me to spill the beans, but I just couldn’t do it. It was a surprise, and I wanted to keep it that way. We left the VIP room, and a staff member gave me a knowing look before leading us down a hidden hallway. Paulina’s eyes were wide with curiosity as we moved away from the usual crowd. At the end of the corridor, we passed through a sleek, unmarked door that opened up to a private elevator.Paulina squeezed my hand, her eyebrows shooting up in excitement. “Jason, what’s happening? This feels like something out of a movie!”I just smiled and stayed quiet, relishing the suspense that was making her even more curious. As the elevator doors closed, I could feel her gaze on me, searching for hints I wasn’t ready to give away.When the doors finally opened, we stepped out onto the rooftop, and there it was—a stunning black helicopter waiting for us, its blades shimmering in the sunlight, with the pilot already on st
As Paulina rested peacefully on the bed, her sleeping face looked even more beautiful than I always knew. In the luxurious VIP suite, surrounded by plush decor and soft lighting, I felt a strange blend of tranquility and anxiety. I wandered over to the mirrored table where the ring I had bought on credit from that Enigmatic System sparkled softly in the glow. Holding it up, I couldn’t help but admire its detailed craftsmanship. The ring was so shiny and seemed transparent, capable of absorbing light. The several beautiful and unfamiliar stones around it made it more beautiful. My eyes sparkled with admiration, but the silence from the Enigmatic System was palpable and a bit unsettling. Not a single word or sound all day, which felt odd. Was it giving me space because I was with Paulina and it understood my plight? Or had my time with it somehow made it feel... more human? That thought left me feeling both intrigued and cautious.I shook off those thoughts; there were more urgent iss
The restaurant buzzed with energy as we arrived. Soft ambient lights wrapped around us, and the rich aroma of gourmet dishes filled the air. As we walked in, I could feel the gaze of other diners on us, and I welcomed it. This was my moment—a chance to reveal the man I had become.“Welcome back, Mr. Lewis!” The hostess greeted me with a warm smile. “Your usual table?”“Yes, please,” I replied, glancing at Paulina. She looked radiant in her elegant dress, her beauty captivating. I felt a surge of pride to be with someone as remarkable as her.er.We were guided to a cozy corner table adorned with fresh flowers and flickering candles. As we settled in, I couldn’t help but admire Paulina. “You look stunning tonight,” I said, reaching across the table to take her hand.“Thank you, Jason. You look charming too,” she replied, her smile lighting up the dim room. “I love this new confidence in you—it’s inspiring.”“Confidence comes with knowing my true worth,” I replied, feeling a surge of emp
The tension in the boutique thickened as I faced every John and the woman employee. My coronary heart raced, no longer out of worry but from the boiling anger that surged through me. Here I grow to be a modified guy who has risen from the depths of despair, and those two have been the reason for dragging me back down. "Listen right here," I commenced out, my voice steady but laced with authority. "You haven't any idea who you're talking to. I may have been the underdog, however I’m no longer that character. I will no longer stand idly with the useful resource of while you belittle me or my female friend."John laughed, a mocking sound that echoed through the boutique. “Oh, what are you going to do? Throw a tantrum? You do not scare me, you little peasant. You have to be thankful that a person like her even seems your way.”Paulina had subsequently discovered the commotion. She strode over, her expression moving from interest to venture. “What’s going on right here?” she demanded, eyes
After picking the case up I tucked it away in my pocket and it to the sitting room. I saw Paulina in the sitting room pacing about. Obviously, she was a bit nervous about the date she was going to have with me. At this moment she didn't look like the bold and confident woman I used to know."Sorry for keeping you waiting," I said with an apologetic smile. "I had to do something.""I know," Paulina flashed a smile at me. She actually understood I could suddenly become busy at times because I was a player."So let's go shopping," I said as I grabbed her right hand and led her out of the sitting room. We got into my expensive Mercedes Benz and drove away.I decided to stop at a five-star boutique and get some new clothes and jewelries which we were going to wear tonight for our date. I'd already set up everything except for the clothes.As expected the boutique premise was already filled with so many flashy cars. Many wealthy people usually came to buy their wears from this boutique. It
After some moments of silence, the Enigmatic System finally spoke. His voice was no longer sad and it had resumed the usual emotionlessness.[I HAVE A RING WHICH MATCHES YOUR DESCRIPTION BUT IT IS REALLY COSTLY]"Costly?" I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows. "How costly?"[IT IS 5,000 POINTS]"Huh?" I was surprised after hearing that. The Enigmatic System usually made use of coins but now it had switched to points. What was really happening?I had only come across the term, 'points', from Stephen Wale. Back then I'd asked him why he wasn't wealthy and he had told me that his system uses points instead of coins. I'd come across other players and they were not as wealthy as I was. This was because their systems made use of points which could not be converted to real money like the virtual coins the Enigmatic System made use of.[WELL, THERE IS THIS NEW POLICY THAT BANS SYSTEMS FROM USING COINS. WE CAN ALL ONLY USE POINTS FROM NOW ON]"So that's another reason you were punished by that
After asking the Enigmatic System about the ring it suddenly fell silent for some moments. I didn't know why it didn't respond to me as usual and it bothered me. I even began thinking that something bad had really happened to the Enigmatic System. Maybe the Creator System which had the consciousness of the systems' creator had decided to place a restriction on the Enigmatic System for behaving more and more like a human instead of the system it was expected to be.I'd watched a cyberpunk movie and there was this artificial intelligence which evolved beyond how it was created. It started becoming more and more like a human being, alarming the creators. In order to prevent the artificial intelligence from gaining sentience and toppling the authority of humans, they decided to destroy it. The artificial intelligence fought a good battle but it could not outmatch humans. With regrets, it parted with the woman it loved as it was shut down by the scientists who created it. They later had th
After the lunch, Stephen announced that he was leaving. He had so many things to catch up on and there was no more time. Nudging his glasses he turned around to leave."Take care, Steve," Paulina said, causing him to turn back slightly. There was a complicated emotion in Stephen's eyes, something I had never seen before."Sure," he nodded and turned to look at me. I could tell that he was asking me not to mention what he had told me earlier to Paulina.I nodded slowly as I said, "Take care, Stephen. You can come up with several contingency plans during your free time.""Believe me," Stephen wasn't smiling. "I already have a contingency plan for every scenario.""Do not slack off in your training," I said."I will come often to spar with you," Stephen said. "Get stronger than me so that you can push me beyond my limit."I smiled as I secretly clenched my fists tightly, "Don't worry. I'll become so strong that you'd be crushed by my gaze."And that was the truth. I wasn't just bluffing