The city outside his window buzzed with the usual morning rush, but Nash barely noticed. His world had shrunk to the glowing numbers on his screen.
$80,872.20.
Almost eighty-one grand.
He exhaled, slow and measured, as if his brain needed time to actually process what he was seeing. It didn't feel real. This wasn't some lucky break or a couple of extra bucks from a side hustle—this was life-changing money.
His fingers hovered over his banking app before finally tapping it open. The screen loaded, and—
There it was.
The same number... staring back at him.
$80,872.20.
A dry laugh escaped him. "Holy shit."
He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. Just a few months ago, he was stretching every last dollar, calculating whether he could afford an extra coffee without wrecking his weekly budget. And now?
Now, everything had changed.
A notification pinged.
Equinox-00: Overall Progress: 100%
Nash blinked, his pulse quickening. The numbers didn't lie. This was it. The threshold. And then...
Equinox-00:"Bank balance verification complete. Funds secured. System upgrade initializing..."
Wait—what?
Before Nash could react, his screen glitched. The interface flickered, lines of distorted text flashing in and out of existence. The loading bar stuttered, jumped forward, then back again like something was fighting for control.
His banking app—still open in the background—refreshed itself.
His balance field went blank.
No numbers. No transaction history. Just a white void where his eighty-thousand dollars had been.
His stomach dropped.
"What the hell—"
The screen cut to black.
A dull whir filled the room, and for a terrifying second, Nash thought his entire system had fried. But then—
A blinking cursor. A slow, creeping progress bar.
Then, a message.
ERROR: SYSTEM INTEGRITY COMPROMISED.
His pulse pounded in his ears. Compromised? The system had never done this before.
The words glitched again, scrambling into unreadable symbols before reassembling:
Reinitializing core functions…
Lines of raw code flooded the screen, scrolling too fast to read. Then—suddenly—silence. The screen stabilized, sharper than before. A new notification blinked in crisp, futuristic font.
Equinox-00:"System Upgrade Complete. Core Capabilities Enhanced. Additional parameters… pending verification."
Nash frowned. "Pending? What does that mean?"
Equinox-00:"Unauthorized query."
A chill ran down his spine. This wasn't just an upgrade. It was evolving.
Another notification popped up, this time in bold, neon letters:
"The System Store is now unlocked."
For a moment, he just stared at the glowing Visit Store button. Then, curiosity won out. He clicked.
His entire screen transformed. The air around him shimmered, and suddenly, a holographic projection expanded in front of him—a futuristic marketplace, layered with floating panels of information. Each section flickered with options, prices, and descriptions, overwhelming him with possibilities.
Nash swallowed. This wasn't just some menu. This was an entire economy.
Core Enhancements
Strength Boost: +5 Strength — 100 RP
Mental Dexterity Boost: +10 Mental Dexterity — 200 RP
Charm Boost: +5 Charm — 300 RP
Vitality Boost: +5 Vitality — 350 RP
......
......
Skills & Abilities
Freelance Mastery (Advanced): Earn 15% more per project — $200 or 150 RP
Investment Mastery (Basic Upgrade): Boost ROI by 10%, improve market predictions — $300 or 200 RP
Public Speaking Boost: Increase persuasion and confidence — $250 or 175 RP
Negotiation Tactics (Business Level): Improve deal-making ability — 400 RP
......
......
Real Estate Investment
Beginner Property Investment: Buy your first property, residential or commercial — $500 or 350 RP
Property Analysis Tool: Get detailed property reports and trends — $250 or 150 RP
Passive Income Blueprint: Unlocks guides on real estate rental strategies — $600 or 450 RP
Resource Access
Market Insights Pack: Daily reports on stock trends and upcoming opportunities — $100 or 75 RP
Advanced Investment Tools: Real-time stock analysis & portfolio optimization — $250 or 175 RP
High-Yield Investment Secrets: Access elite investor strategies — $500 or 400 RP
And at the bottom of the list, one section stood out—
???
Item Locked — ???RP
Item Locked — ??? RP
......
......
Nash exhaled, rubbing his temple. Are those hidden items? What the hell were those?
Suddenly, his eyes flicked to the RP amounts listed next to the items.
"What's RP?" he muttered to himself.
Equinox-00:"RP, or Reward Points, are earned by completing system-recommended tasks, reaching financial milestones, making strategic investments, and improving skills. These points can be used to unlock upgrades, enhancements, and exclusive resources within the system. Do you wish to buy something?"
Nash nodded slowly, processing it. So, RP was like an internal currency—a way to track and reward progress. Pretty clever.
His gaze drifted back to Investment Mastery (Basic Upgrade).A 10% boost to ROI. The ability to predict market movements.
His stomach did a slow roll. He'd never been one to gamble with his money. But this? This wasn't gambling. This was about taking control.
His fingers hovered over the purchase button. He hesitated for just a moment. But then—
Without another thought, he clicked.
The second he did, everything changed.
A sharp pulse of energy surged through his body, like static electricity crackling along his skin. His vision sharpened—the edges of objects around him looked clearer, colors richer. Numbers in his head moved differently—as if calculations formed instinctively, predictions unraveling in real time.
The system store interface flickered before another message appeared:
Equinox-00:"Upgrade Successful. Cognitive Processing Speed Enhanced. Market Analysis Module Activated."
Nash's breath hitched.
His heart pounded as he stared at his hands, flexing his fingers. Nothing looked different, but something inside him had changed.
He could feel it.
The way numbers made sense. The way trends aligned in his mind before he even checked them.
This wasn't just an upgrade.
This was power.