I readied myself for the impending confrontation, and as I swung the door open, I received one of the greatest shocks since this quest began.As I swung the door open and aimed the gun, my surprise was palpable when I saw Ms. Taylor standing there, swaying slightly on her feet, her breath heavy with the scent of alcohol.I hid the gun with lightning fast precision, and I hoped she didn’t see it. Her usually composed demeanor was replaced by a disheveled appearance, her hair tousled and her clothes wrinkled. Her words slurred slightly as she tried to speak, her eyes glazed over with intoxication. It was clear that she was in a drunken state, her usual professionalism overshadowed by the effects of alcohol.I pulled her into the room and quickly glanced around the corridor to ensure we weren't being followed. After confirming that it was clear, I returned to the room and locked the door behind us. I turned to face her, and I couldn't help but feel a mix of concern and curiosity as I
‘Okay this is starting to get annoying,’ I thought to myself as I once again woke up in my office at my desk.I couldn’t believe what happened the previous night.To think that Mrs Taylor was also a traitor.She was clearly a pawn in a much bigger game, but who was the one controlling her?From what I heard her say this was clearly the handwork of someone else, I needed to find out who.“Who would want me dead and why?” I mumbled to myself.I heard my boss speak behind me once again, and this time I apologized and promised not to be a slacker anymore, and he scoffed and walked away.“One thing is for sure, I'm not leaving this simulation, or loop, till I find out who wants me dead. But how?” I thought to myself.Suddenly I heard a voice behind me, and my heart skipped a beat when I realized who it was, it was Ms. Taylor.As I turned to face her, bracing myself for the worst, I was taken aback when she simply greeted me with a casual smile, as if nothing had happened the night before.
Her smile faded, replaced by a look of disbelief and apprehension. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, avoiding my gaze for a moment before finally meeting my eyes with a mixture of guilt and defiance."I... I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Shade," she stammered, her voice shaking slightly. "I've always been honest with you." She said,Her words lacked conviction, and I could see the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. It was clear that she was caught off guard by my directness, and her attempts to maintain her composure were failing.The tension in the air thickened, and I could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on us both. Something wasn't adding up, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it."Cut the act, Ms. Taylor," I said firmly, my voice tinged with frustration. "I know about your involvement in my murder. Now, I want the truth." There was a look of disbelief in her eyes, and her hands began shaking as we made eye contact.“How…how do you kno
“At this point, is life really worth living?” I thought to myself.The thoughts consumed me, dragging me deeper into the abyss of despair. Nothing had changed; I was still the same old wimp I once was, trapped in the endless cycle of self-doubt and inadequacy.Without the system, I feel like nothing, like nobody. It was my lifeline, my source of validation and purpose. Everything I had worked for, everything I had accomplished, it all meant nothing in the harsh light of reality.I was just being a jackass for no reason, my arrogance and attitude nothing short of childish.And to think that my own brother, possibly my entire family, wanted me dead.But perhaps there was a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness, a chance to rediscover my worth and redefine my purpose. Maybe, just maybe, true strength lies not in the power of a system, but in the resilience of the human spirit. It's time to pick myself up, dust off the remnants of my shattered ego, and forge a new path—one built on hum
I screamed as I awoke from what seemed to be a terrible nightmare.“Bro are you okay?” I heard from a voice next to me, it was Tucker.Then the realization hit me, I was back in my dorm room.I dashed toward the restroom and looked at myself in the mirror, and I was nearly moved to tears when I saw my reflection.My young self, I was back!Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! Woooohooooooooo!!!! I screamed loudly.Tucker came to the entrance of the restroom to check on me, and had a look of genuine concern on his face.“Bro, are you sure you’re okay?” He asked me.I ran and pounced on him as I hugged him tightly, and we both crashed to the floor.“Get off me!” He screamed and I laughed loudly, before finally getting back on my feet.“I’m so sorry bro, I’m just so happy!” I said as I jumped from left to right, beaming with excitement.“Huh? How are you not hung over from last night, I’ve got a terrible headache,” he said, and massaged his temple with both hands.I then remembered what had happened t
I woke up the next morning in high spirits.I was eager to explore the new system, and see how much it had evolved.However, I had class that morning, auditing.It was supposed to be for nine in the morning, and it was some minutes past eight, so I was already running late.I woke Tucker up and we both got ready for class, and got there some minutes before the time.Our teacher was a woman in her late forties, and she introduced us to the basics of auditing, and gave us our course outline for the rest of the semester.After that we had forensic accounting class as well, but we had an hour's break before it.Tucker decided that he wanted to grab something to eat, i however, had other plans.‘The Greater System, I’m curious to see what’s changed. It reminds me of when a game gets a patch update,’ I thought to myself.I found somewhere and sat, and I decided to interact with the system like I usually would.However, as if on cue, a system panel popped up.It displayed all the changes tha
I gathered my belongings, my mind was still reeling from the revelations of the new system. With a sense of purpose, I made my way to the lecture hall for his next class.The corridors were bustling with students, their voices echoing off the walls as they hurried to their various locations. I navigated through the crowd with much discomfort, I was wondering what forensic accounting class had to offer.As I entered the lecture hall, he found a seat near the back. Tucker wasn’t there, so I guessed he hadn’t arrived yet. I wasn’t eager to immerse myself in the learning ahead. The room was loud and noisy as students chatted amongst themselves, exchanging notes and discussing the day's topic.The professor arrived shortly , and the room fell silent as he began the lecture. I didn’t listen intently, my focus was diverted due to the lingering questions I had about the new system.However, since I decided to be intentional about a fresh start, I decided to pay attention, and began to tak
As the ball was handed to me, I felt a surge of determination coursing through my veins. I nodded at him and I accepted the challenge, my focus was razor sharp.As the game began, the senior wasted no time in demonstrating his skills. Dribbling effortlessly, he passed around me with ease, leaving me struggling to keep up. He made his first basket easily with a finger roll, and everyone in the room cheered for him loudly.I picked the ball up and handed it to him again, my frustration was beginning to build up.His movements were calculated, and it quickly became apparent that he was a formidable opponent.Despite my best efforts, I found myself falling behind, I couldn’t hit my shots and was unable to guard him. Anytime I tried to drive in and get a layup I would get blocked.Soon, he was up by sixteen points, and I was at zero.Without my status upgrade benefits from the system, I began to realize how hard it was for me to keep up.I was losing stamina, and was breathing loudly,