Amidst the confusion that enveloped his mind, James stared at the plastic card he held in disbelief. His virtual assistant, Julian, in his flat voice, gave instructions.
"Sir, the card is multipurpose. You can use it for various purposes, even to withdraw money," Julian said again. Even though he was human-like, he still spoke like a robot.
James was still skeptical. How could a card that he had just received have such a function? Julian, as if sensing his hesitation, gently encouraged him. "Go to the ATM immediately and try using the card, Sir. According to the data I've scanned, it looks like you need money to buy lunch and new clothes to keep you from looking shabby."
Snorting softly, James checked his surroundings. The usually bustling street was now strangely quiet, creating a suspicious atmosphere. There were no passersby, no sounds of vehicles, just a deafening silence.
"Sir, are you confused by this state of affairs?" asked Julian again.
James nodded, despite knowing that Julian couldn't see him. "Yes, I'm confused. Everything feels strange and quiet. It's unusual," he replied, his voice barely audible.
Julian gave his analysis in a calm and controlled voice.
"It's quiet until your loading process to understand the situation is complete," Julian said, as if waiting for James to digest this unnatural situation.
James tried to respond to that. Amidst the silence, his mind raced. "Can't the people around here see me?" he muttered to himself, feeling as if he had become a ghost in a city that normally pulsed with life.
"Sir, if you're okay with this, I'll help make things normal again," Julian said, his voice containing a promise of a return to a familiar reality.
James nodded, albeit in confusion. "Yes, I understand," he replied, his voice barely convincing.
With a metaphorical 'snap of the fingers', Julian changed the city's appearance back to the original. As the system operated, the digital reality around James began to change. The quiet streets became crowded, wet with traces of the rain that had just stopped. People seemed to quicken their pace, creating the sound of rustling wet clothes and hurried footsteps.
The billboard that hit James' body was indeed there and was being moved by officers to a safe place. However, there was no sign that the mess had hit James' body. He stood there, whole and untouched by the chaos that had seemed so real.
James gazed around, taking in the technological marvel he had just witnessed. With a smile etched on his face, he said, "Wow, so you guys can even manipulate things."
Julian shook his head lightly. "Sir, there is nothing in this world that we manipulate. We just arranged for these events to be known only to you, sort of creating a parallel world for you."
James looked around him again, trying to understand the concept of parallel worlds.
"But in reality the real world is still going on normally and, of course, there are illusions we've created to mask your true powers," Julian continued, his voice remaining calm and controlled, conveying the complexity of the situation in an easily digestible way.
James nodded slowly, as if the lights in his head had suddenly turned on. "All right, then," he said, already beginning to believe more deeply. "I'm starting to believe that the power of this system is real. I'm going to use this to withdraw cash from an ATM."
Next, James made his way to the nearest ATM. Arriving in front of the ATM, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the card that the system had prepared.
The ATM screen lit up, waiting for a command from the user.
James hands the card to the ATM machine, the screen lights up, offering various options for the amount of money that can be withdrawn. Carefully, James selected the smallest number available on the screen--an amount that would be enough to cover his needs for the night without going overboard.
A few seconds later, the machine beeped and the cash appeared, matching the amount he had selected. James smiled with satisfaction, knowing that the sophisticated system had worked perfectly.
It felt like he deserved more than just having money for lunch. James could do something more, something to celebrate this small victory. He inserted the card back into the ATM and made another withdrawal. This time, without hesitation, he chose to take out $1,000.
James stepped out of the ATM with a calm and satisfied look on his face. His pants pocket was slightly bulging after the successful transaction.
Julian immediately asked, "Did you withdraw the money, sir?"
"Yes, I have withdrawn the money," James replied.
"Now where are we going?" Julian continued, his voice sounding soft in James' ears.
Before answering Julian's question, James had a question of his own. "Julian, can you be seen by others?" he asked, curious about the limits of the human mode that Julian mentioned earlier.
Julian answered calmly, "You have activated human mode on me, Sir, which means others can see me."
James breathed a sigh of relief. "Good then," he said with a faint smile. "At least I won't be mistaken for a crazy person talking to myself." Julian, though only virtual, seemed to smile at the comment.
They continued on their way, looking for a place to eat dinner. With a thousand dollars in his pocket, James could eat anything he wanted. Julian thought in his heart that James would choose a fancy restaurant, but the opposite was true. The man walked into a fast food restaurant.
"Sir, why don't you order food at a fancy restaurant? Aren't you taking quite a lot of money?" asked Julian, confused by James' choice.
Savoring a delicious burger and hot fries, James answered Julian's question. "I'm pretty bad today, if I go to a fancy restaurant I'll get kicked out," he said in a joking tone but there was a bit of truth in it.
"In that case, you should immediately go to the department store and buy some clothes," he suggested, thinking practically about what should be done.
"Later," James replied, going back to chewing his food voraciously. "My stomach is hungry and all I can think about right now is filling my stomach after the shock and heartbreak." His thoughts drifted to Sofia Martinez, his girlfriend who had broken his heart. He wondered how Sofia would react if she knew that James had now found himself and had the power of the system in his hands.
Would she whine at him or not? James wondered to himself. He could guess that Sofia would definitely regret it if she knew.
James noticed Julian who just stood looking at him. "Julian, can you eat human food?"
Julian stared at the food, then with the sensor integrated in his 'eyes' he scanned the item in front of him. "Yes, I can, sir, depending on your orders," Julian replied, showing that he was more than just an ordinary assistant.
James smiled, amused by Julian's sophistication. "Then eat this," he said as he pushed the plate of fries towards Julian. "I command you to enjoy them."
Chuckling, James watched Julian 'eat'. Although he knew that Julian didn't really need food.
James heard a voice in his ear.
[System Warning: You haven't earned any God Points today because you're still a homeless hobo. Make a purchase before your God Points decrease].
The next day, James decided to visit a real estate agency known for its collection of luxury apartments. He woke up early, choosing the best clothes from a cupboard that hadn't been touched in a long time. The morning air was still fresh when James arrived at the real estate agent's office. The building looks magnificent with an entrance decorated with elegant details, making James marvel at it. However, as he entered the room, the welcome he received was far from what he expected.The woman at the reception desk, whose nametag read 'Rose', seemed preoccupied with the pile of documents in front of her. The look on her face suggested that she was under pressure, or perhaps just didn't want to be disturbed. When James turned on his best smile and said, "Good morning," in a friendly voice, Rose only turned her head for a moment and answered him curtly."Yes? What did you come here for?" she asked, her tone impatient. Rose didn't give a welcoming or warm look, she seemed to be waiting fo
James didn't want to care about Adam Spencer when Rose kept pushing him away and he accused James of wanting to do something bad to Adam. However, the system's voice saying that Adam's mortality rate was 98% made him make a quick decision.James placed his hand on Adam's chest, and his right hand flowed natural heat, which only Adam could feel. James' strength was considerable, making Adam Spencer's body tremble. James could feel the energy flowing from his hand into Adam's body, trying to repair what was broken inside.Rose, who saw this, rounded her eyes. Not long after, Adam's body became still."You've killed him!" cried Rose.James withdrew his hand slowly from Adam Spencer's chest. The system connected to his power began to count down the process of Adam's consciousness recovery, the count starting from 10. Everyone in the room held their breath, waiting for the results.Meanwhile, Rose ran out of the room, looking for Adam's driver. She screamed, saying that Adam had been kill
In less than an hour, James was out of Adam's room. Incidentally, Rose was still busy at her desk. She watched without daring to ask questions. Not long after, through the intercom, Adam called her to finalize the transaction with James. Now, James stood in front of Rose, the woman smoothed her appearance, then she bowed her head slightly, apologized first for her earlier attitude, and then asked, "Mr. Connell, the apartment you booked costs 10 million dollars. Are you going to pay in full or apply for credit?" James took out the multi-purpose payment card that the system had given him. "I will pay using this."James hesitated slightly when he received the black card with the gold list. He didn't seem to know which bank this card was issued by. It looked quite foreign, but very luxurious. Rose then inserted the card into the payment machine. There was a PIN code to be entered. James entered it in secret, and the transfer of funds was done in a matter of minutes. Rose had no idea t
James and Mia's steps were muffled by the thick ivory carpet that stretched all the way to the elevator. Mia pressed the elevator button, and the doors opened silently, revealing an interior lined with dark brown wood paneling and gold-framed mirrors.As the elevator glided up silently, James grew impatient. This was the first time he was going to see the 10 million dollar apartment he bought. The first luxurious and comfortable place for him in the 25 years he had been living. Sofia... it's a shame you left me. If you hadn't treated me so badly, we could have gotten married and started a nice, luxurious life.A soft sound of an elevator signaled that they had arrived. The doors opened, and their steps continued. Then, it stopped in front of a door made of mahogany with a chrome-plated doorknob. Mia took out an access card and pressed it against the security panel integrated into the door. At the audible 'click' the door opened.James stepped into the apartment and was mesmerized. T
James chose the second assistant. She was a woman with servant functions. She could cook, clean the house, and also if James needed she could perform sexual activities for him.The assistant was activated, she was named Freya Chiel."Greetings Sir, I am your assistant. You have given me the name Freya, that means you can call me Freya. My job is to help you."Freya then analyzed James. "Health level is good, feeling 90% good, but still needs a little help, biological needs fulfillment is poor."James is still sitting with his legs crossed watching Freya his assistant.Freya finished analyzing. She looked at James and said, "Sir, I can serve you if you wish. From my analysis, do you need a girlfriend or can you use me?"James tugged at one corner of his lips. "I don't need you for that."Freya tilted her head slightly to look at James."Never mind." James didn't want to make Freya think too hard. "I'll give you an assignment if I need you to."Freya nodded. "Very well, Sir."James then
A few weeks later after James was enjoying a comfortable life with the power of the system, one afternoon he decided to go out for a cup of coffee in a new setting.Just as the coffee was being served. He saw a couple walk into the café, hand in hand."Wow, what a busy day in the city. I didn't expect to see him again." Sofia spoke to her new boyfriend, Max, but James could clearly hear it as an insinuation.Max smiled briefly as he glanced at James. Meanwhile, James glanced at Sofia. The woman was quite eye-catching with her luxurious and elegant appearance."I'm not sure he has enough money to pay." Max whispered to Sofia then the two of them chuckled together.Sofia and Max walked to find a table for them. Coincidentally crossing James, Sofia without hesitation said, "James, I hope you're not lost here."James just smiled and replied calmly, "I've been lost to the wrong woman. It doesn't apply to choosing a cafe." Sofia was surprised by James' answer. She was annoyed. "You mean, I
James could probably just walk away as if he didn't care about Sofia. However, her anger was still so great. Sofia's beauty is no secret. She has an appeal that cannot be ignored, and she knows how to capitalize on it. In a fit of rage and wanting revenge, she decides to use her charm to persuade Max to speed up their engagement plans. Sofia is no ordinary girl to be toyed with so easily. She has honorable origins as the daughter of a well-known food and beverage (F&B) business owner in Florida, which is not to be underestimated and Max agrees with that.A meeting of the two families has been agreed upon and an engagement date has been set.Sofia had printed out the invitations and she was ready to embarrass James in return. She called James asking for a meeting and James, who was not busy at the time, agreed to meet her."Take this invitation for yourself!" she said in a loud and stern tone.James read the invitation and sarcastically commented, "Wow, are you really going to marry th
James held his forehead and was right to notice the red liquid flowing. Freya pulled James up and took him to the living room."Sir, I'll treat your wound," she said as she hurriedly prepared medicine and bandages for James."Freya, I'm fine. You don't need to bother like this." James said.Freya protested. "But, Sir, even if you have divine power, your body is still an ordinary human body. If you don't use divine protection, you will also get injured."James only smiled at Freya's lengthy explanation. The girl probably didn't know that before gaining the power of the system, she was a person who was used to getting hurt and had to ignore her wounds frequently. He didn't explain to the girl how much pain he had endured, how many wounds he had to ignore. She just smiled at the girl's concern.Freya cleaned James' wound and finally covered it with plaster. "Everything is done. Now, you should feel better, right?" she asked.James furrowed his brow. "Why are you so panicked, Freya? I onl