The world around Kael froze, as he was suspended midair, the rain locked in place around him, each droplet glimmering like tiny shards of frozen glass.
For the first time in his life, Kael felt weightless.
Then—A voice echoed inside his mind.
[System Initialization Complete]
[Welcome, Holder of CoreCoin.]
You have bled for survival. Now, you evolve for power.
Kael's vision blurred, then refocused.
A glowing interface materialized before him, transparent yet absolute, filling his vision.
[STATUS SCREEN]
[CoreCoin System]
[Designation: Kael Draven]
[Level: 1 (Initiate)]
[Physical Enhancements: None]
[Financial Holdings: 0 CoreCoins]
[Abilities: Locked
[Quest Status: Active]
His breath came in ragged, sharp bursts.
"What the hell is this....I'm not yet dead?" Kael was extremely surprised.
[Kael you're now connected to the CoreCoin System. The foundation of power. The ultimate currency. It governs wealth, control, and influence. It is the silent hand behind every throne, the force that shapes the world.]
Kael's fingers twitched.
"Why now? Why didn't you come when my parents were killed?!"
Silence.
[Because power does not belong to the weak. You were not ready.]
"Not ready? I was a child! I watched them die! I—"
[And yet, you survived.]
Kael's jaw clenched. "I suffered. I lost everything. And you let it happen."
[Because pain is the price of power. Your suffering was the investment. This is the return.]
A dark heat rose in Kael's chest. "So what, you waited until I was desperate enough? Broken enough? Then decided I was 'worthy'?"
[Power is not given. It is earned. Your choices kept you alive. Now, you are ready.]
Kael breathed heavily, his body trembling.
"Are you an AI? A god? What?"
[I am neither. I am the system. The engine of control.I exist to serve my holder.]
[I can make you stronger. Faster. Smarter.]
[I can give you wealth beyond human comprehension.]
[I can rewrite fate itself, turn kings into beggars and beggars into rulers.]
[But there are things I cannot do.].
"Like what?"
[I cannot undo death.]
Kael's stomach twisted.
[Now..Do you accept The Fortune And Fatality System]
Kael shut his eyes, his jaw tight.
[I cannot force you to act. The choice is yours.]
His fists tightened then his eyes snapped open.
For the first time—he had a choice.
To let go and accept death Or— To take the coin.
His fingers curled around the coin, his own blood smearing across its surface.
The system whispered:
[Shall we flip the world together?]
Kael breathed steadily as his mind was clear.
"Flip it."
[New System Feature: Leveling Up]
[CoreCoin System Activated]
[Level 1: Initiate]
Kael felt something shift inside him.
[You will grow through completion of tasks. Each action—each investment, each kill, each manipulation of wealth—will increase your control over the system.]
[Stats. Upgrades. Quests. Bounty Market. Financial Domination Panel.]
[Processing....]
[Complete 100%]
Kael's breath hitched as the system continued:
Kael's blood pulsed through his veins, faster now, stronger.
[Quest Unlocked: Blood Debt I]
[Track the masked faction who murdered your parents.]
[Reward: 1,000 CoreCoins,]
[Weapon Module: Phantom Edge.]
A pulse of golden energy erupted from Kael's body.
The frozen raindrops around him vaporized into mist, the very air shifting with an unnatural force.
[Trajectory Calculated.]
[Compensating for gravitational force…]
[Projecting ideal path of ascent.]
[Activating CoreCoin Reinforcement.]
Kael immediately moved very fast instantly as he was launched with at a rapid pace.
The system had mapped out his trajectory, factoring in velocity, air resistance, and mass.
Kael's body twisted midair, his limbs adjusting instinctively as he rocketed toward the towering skyline above.
The city blurred past him—
Fifteen stories...
Thirty stories.....
Fifty....
He twisted his body, angling himself toward the rooftop where the masked man stood.
[Landing Point Identified.]
[Adjusting kinetic dampening…]
[Counterforce applied.]
Kael tilted his body, tucking his legs inward just as his arc reached its peak.
Then—He descended as he landed on the roof top.
The masked man turned just as Kael came crashing down.
BOOM!
Kael landed like a meteor, the impact sending cracks splintering across the concrete.
The masked man staggered back, shocked, unprepared.
Kael slowly rose, his breath even, his eyes glowing faintly with golden data streams.
The wind whipped around them, carrying the static hum of something unnatural.
Kael wiped the blood from his mouth.
For the first time in years, he grinned.
"You should have killed me when you had the chance."
The masked man stilled. Kael reached into his pocket, fingers brushing against cold metal.
He flicked the coin into the air.
The golden coin spun turned as it flashed gold under the city lights.
The masked man stared at it, frozen.
When it landed— Kael was already moving.
The masked man reached for his weapon—but he was already too late.
Kael moved faster than he ever had before, his body no longer bound by the same limits as before.
His vision sharpened, every detail crystal clear—the tension in the masked man's shoulders, the slow movement of his hand toward his sidearm, the micro-shift in his stance preparing to counterattack.
But Kael was faster. He surged forward, twisting mid-step, his foot sliding against the rain-slicked concrete.
His fist struck like a gunshot. A single, devastating punch to the masked man's gut, sending him staggering backward, coughing violently.
But Kael didn't stop. He grabbed the man by the throat, slamming him into the rooftop railing.
The city lights reflected in the smooth mirror of his mask—Kael's face staring back at him.
"You survived a bullet to the head, but let's see if you survive a hundred-foot drop."
Kael released his grip—and threw him.
The masked man let out a guttural sound as his body lurched over the edge, falling downwards.
Kael watched him plummet, his dark silhouette swallowed by the lights of Nova City.
Then—The golden coin landed on the rooftop with a soft metallic clink.
Kael's breath came slow, measured. He reached down, his fingers brushing against the cool metal.
He picked it up, letting it roll between his fingers. The same coin that had been with him since the night his world burned.
Kael stared at it, the weight of everything settling in.
"Fate finally turned."
He flicked the coin again—watching it spin against the light,
-
[Blood Debt I – Completed]
[1,000 CoreCoins Acquired]
[Weapon Module: Phantom Edge Unlocked]
[Status Upgraded: Level 2 – Initiate]