Chapter 2 - Lab rat?

"You are an A.I? who created you?" Drew asked.

 He finally realized that he didn't awaken a super power. Instead, a symbiotic machine bonded with him.

-[I Am sorry, but you are not eligible to acess such information] Rolie replied.

 "When will i be eligible?" Drew asked.

-[When the time comes you will know]

 At that moment, new words appeared on the panel screen.

-[HOST INFO]

-Name: Drew

-Alias: ???

-Race: Node

-Nationality: Human

-Planet: Earth

-System: Sol

-Galaxy: Milky way

-[ATTRIBUTES]

-Level: Level 0

-Strength: 2 (pathetic)

-Agility: 1 (pathetic)

-Speed: 1 (pathetic)

-Physique: 2 (pathetic)

-Energy: 20

-DF: 1 (pathetic)

-COMBAT POWER: 4 (pathetic)

-System Note: What a weak host!

-[SKILL TREE]

-Analysis: Can observe anything below level 2. 3 metre radius. [2/10]

-[ITEMS]

-None

-[POINTS]

-10 deci points

-Cash balance:Ten decillion dollars

 Drew sucked in a deep breath. Ten decillion dollars? that was money right?

-[A thousand billion makes a trillion. A thousand trillion makes a quadrillion. A thousand quintillion makes a sextillion. A thousand sextillion makes a septillion. A thousand spetillion makes an octillion. A thousand nonillion makes a decillion. Does host understand?] Rollie explained.

 However, Drew just stayed rooted on the spot. His ears were starting to hurt from hearing the 'illions'

 "Does this mean i am the richest man in the world?" his voice trembled with excitement.

 If this was a dream, he didn't want to wake up from it!

-[You can say that]

 After hearing Rollie's answer, Drew took a deep breath, trying to calm down. He suddenly thought of an issue.

 "Uhm. What should i do with such money. I am afraid even if i live for hundred years, i won't be able to spend this huge sum. Plus i might attract trouble to myself. Without strength, this kind of wealth is useless" Drew began to think in a rational way.

 In this current world, strength and wealth were hand in hand.

If he suddenly appeared from nowhere and exposed this huge amount of wealth, he would garner the attention of those powerful big shots.

 That would not be too good for him.

-[That is where the Super Decillionaire system comes in. By spending money and defeating opponents, host can acquire deci points and increase strength. A thousand dollars is equivalent to one deci point] Rollie explained.

 "Isn't that giving me wealth and power on a silver platter? does such a good thing even exist in this life?" Drew became cautious.

 He was afraid that the system had ulterior motives.

-[Host should not fret. The system chose host because at a certain point in time, host would have to step up and stop a catastrophic disaster that would endanger all life form]

-[As for when or what the catastrophic disaster is, host is too weak to know]

-[However host should not spend money lavishly without a reasonable aim]

 Drew became silent. He was contemplating whether to trust the system.

After much thoughts, he decided to trust it. Wouldn't he be getting free money?

 As for that catastrophic disaster, he wasn't bothered. Who knows? he might even be dead when that time came.

 "I accept. So what do i do now?" Drew made up his mind.

 "Nothing. Just spend money. However, the system will issue out missions. Host must complete them or face the consequences" Rollie's tone became stern at the last part of the sentence.

 Just as Drew wanted to ask what she meant, the door opened.

 A female nurse holding a report book walked in. She gasped in surprise when she saw the patient awake.

 "You woke up?"

 "Uhm. Not too long ago. Hey, can i see the doctor?" Drew scratched the back of his head akwardly.

 However, the nurse just stayed rooted, staring at him like as if she saw a ghost.

 How could the patient survive? didn't the Doctor claim it was impossible unless the patient was a Deviant.

 However, the hospital did a scan and the patient possessed normal human cells.

A lot of things was going on in her mind, so she didn't"t hear Drew.

 "Hello!" Drew raised the pitch of his voice.

 "Huh?" the female nurse glanced at him curiously.

 "I said i need to see the doctor" Drew reminded.

 "Okay, sure!" the female nurse rushed out.

 She couldn't wait to find the doctor and share this explosive news with him.

 After she left, Drew checked on the system.

 Seeing his low stats, he wanted to increase them. But he didn't know.

 "Rollie, how do i increase my stats?" he asked the female A.I

 -[By exchanging them with deci points. For now, two deci point equals a stat point]

 Drew clicked on the strength stat.

-[Do you wish to increase strength stat by +1? it costs two deci points]

 Drew went on with the transaction. At that moment, he began to feel a slight ache in his biceps. After thirty seconds, he saw that his strength stat did increase by a single digit.

-[ATTRIBUTES]

. . .

-Strength: 3 (pathetic)

. . .

Just as he wanted to continue increasing his strength, the door swung open.

 A middle aged man clad in lab coat and specs rushed in. Behind him was the nurse from before.

 "It is true!" he gasped and began observing Drew like he was staring at his favourite delicacy.

 Drew felt weird being stared at like that.

 "Huh, are you the doctor?" he decided to break the ice.

 "Yes i am. My name is DR. Collins" the doctor extended his hand for an handshake.

 Drew accepted it. At the same time, he used analysis on him.

-[TARGET INFO]

-Name: Collins Bombs

-Age: 38

-Zodiac: Cancer

-Specie: Homo-sapiens

-Strength: 4

-Agility: 2

-Speed: 3

-Physique: 3

-Energy: 10

-Combat power: 7

 Drew let out an inward self depressed laugh. Even as a normal human, he was one of the weakest.

 "When did you wake up?" Dr. Collins asked.

 "Half an hour ago?" Drew shrugged.

 To be honest, he didn't even know when he woke up. Perhaps ten minutes ago.

 "Mister, you are a very lucky man" Dr. Collins suddenly said.

"You had a cardiac arrest. According to logic, you should've died. But here you are now"

 "What can i say? maybe hades doesn't wants me?" Drew joked.

 "Maybe" Dr. Collins continued staring at Drew strangely.

 "Uhm. Now that i have woken up, shouldn't we be discussing about my discharge?" Drew coughed.

 "Oh that. I don't think you are strong enough to stand on your.." Dr. Collins wanted to continue but had to stop on track because--

 Drew jumped out of the bed, landing on his feets. Plus, there was no sign of pain on his face.

 At that moment, Dr. Collins knew that there was nothing he could say that would made this 'lucky' patient stay.

 "Since you insist, i won't stop you. However, you have to pay your hospital bills" Dr. Collins no longer became polite.

 "That's of course. How much is it?- Drew replied calmly.

 If it was before, he might grow scared. But now--

 Money was the least of his problems?

 Infact, he was thinking ways on how to efficiently spend them.

"You spent a whole week in the hospital. Summing everything up, your bill is ten thousand dollars" Dr. Collins sighed.

 He was certain the patient couldn't afford the bills. However to his surprise, Drew smiled.

 "Alright. But i am not with my phone"

 The nurse hurriedly left. Minutes later, she returned, holding a phone which she handed over to Drew.

 "Rollie, how do i spend money in the system?" Drew enquired.

-[Is that your phone?]

 "Yes"

-[I will connect the system to your phone. It might take a while]

 Drew looked up towards Dr. Collins.

 "You haven't told me you account number" he demanded calmly.

 "Are you sure you can afford the medical bill?" Dr. Collins asked.

 "What do you mean?" Drew frowned.

 "When you got admitted, the lady explained that you are just a poor milk delivery guy with a weekly income of four hundred bucks.

 "Even if you save for five months, you won't be able to afford it. So, why don't you hear my proposal?"

"Rollie, how much longer for the system to connect to my device?" he asked mentally.

-[It will be done in a minute time]

 Hearing this reply, Drew decided to stall for time.

 "What proposal? let me hear it?" he pretended to show interest.

 "Since you were able to survive after suffering a fatal cardiac arrest, i was hoping you'd help me further my research. Who knows we might discover a counter for cardiac arrest" Dr. Collins had an amiable smile on his face.

 "To put it blunt, you want me to become your lab rat huh?" Drew's expression sank.

 "That's quite harsh but yes, if you put it that way" Dr. Collins didn't deny it.

 "Not interested!" Drew swiftly rejected.

 Hell no! he would be an idiot if he accepted.

 What if while researching on him, the secret of the system got revealed.

 "No one is touching my money!" Drew swore inwardly.

 "Young man, don't be in a hurry to reject. There are compensations, plus your medical bills will be waived!"

Dr. Collins thought the other party would accept. But would Drew accept?

 The answer was no!

 To the current him, money wasn't his problem. He was literally the richest man in the world. What kind of compensation would this small scale human doctor offer him that could sway his heart.

 At that moment, the system successfully connected to his phone.

 "Doctor, if you bring up that topic again, i'll call the LEA On you!" Drew threatened.

 He logged into his banking app and sent the medical bills to the account number Dr. Collins gave him.

 "I've sent you your money!"

 Ping!

 Dr. Collins heard a buzzing within the pocket of his lab coat. He brought out the phone and saw a notification on the homescreen.

 It was a credit alert of ten thousand dollars!