The morning light seeped through the half-drawn curtains, casting a soft glow over the bedroom.
Darren sat on the edge of his bed, one foot resting on the wooden floor, the other tucked under his knee. A steaming mug of coffee rested in his hand, tendrils of warmth curling into the air.
His laptop was open beside him, but his eyes weren't on the screen.
Instead, his attention was fixed on the translucent purple interface hovering before him, the Investor System had arrived with some announcements.
A soft chime rang in his ears, followed by a string of notifications appearing in front of him.
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┏Congratulations! You have completed Weekly Quest: Super Profit!┛
Reward: 80% Discount on Next Major Purchase (Valid on Purchases above $5,000)
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Darren raised an eyebrow.
That was… significant.
An 80% discount on a big purchase? It would be wise to save this for a very very big purchase. Seeing that there was no limit and $5,000 was the least price, then he could very well buy something of $10,000,000 at the price of 20%
He smirked. That was insane for a mere Weekly Quest. His first three Weekly Quests had given him meager cashbacks and double item purchase — having twice of an item purchased below $3,000.
Maybe the fourth week's reward was usually bigger because it was the last in a month.
Not thinking much of it, he returned to the system.
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┏Congratulations! You have completed Monthly Quest: Building a Foundation!┛
┏Reward: Multi-Saving Interest — Any money stored in your savings this month (untouched) will be TRIPLED by the end of the month.┛
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His fingers tightened slightly around his coffee mug.
Tripled.
If he dumped a hundred grand into his savings, he'd have three hundred by next month. A million? Three million.
This felt ironic coming from a system that told him that money stored in a bank was being wasted. But he understood that the system only wanted him to keep a fair amount.
But with the temptation of it being tripled, Darren was also considering just dumping ten million into the savings.
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┏Congratulations! You have completed Monthly Quest: No Debt, No Stress!┛
┏Reward: Elite Credit Status — Enjoy premium borrowing perks, including easier loan approvals, lower interest rates, and superior deals when purchasing properties or businesses with loans.┛
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Darren exhaled slowly.
Elite credit status.
He knew what this meant. Last month was just the beginners stage. With a reward like this, the system was certainly expecting him to go all in on Investor mode.
This wasn't just about buying things, it was about power. If he played his cards right, he could take out massive loans, flip assets, invest in high-value properties, and walk away with millions while paying barely any interest.
Especially when he knew the kinds of business that were going to be successful.
A deep satisfaction settled in his chest.
He was moving up.
And fast.
Perhaps it was time to start that business company.
---
A final message popped up.
┏It is advisable to check your Profile Status at the start of every month.┛
Darren nodded slightly. It has been a while since he checked his profile status.
With a thought, he opened his status window. A familiar panel unfolded before him.
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┏Host Profile: Darren Steele┛
┏Age: 21┛
┏Assets:
— Cash: $25,876,000 (Checking)
— Personal Belongings: $5,670,600┛
┏Liabilities:
— Debt Free┛
┏Net Worth: (Assets Minus Liabilities)
— $31,546,600 - $0.00 = $31,546,600┛
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┏Active Investments: BTC┛
┏Business Owned: None┛
┏Portfolio Summary:
— Stocks: 0
— Cryptocurrency: $1,500,000
— Physical Assets: 0┛
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┏Expenditure Log┛
┏Monthly Expenditure:
— Money Gained: $30,187,000
— Money Spent: $4,311,000┛
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┏Reputation Tracker┛
┏Public Reception: Mystery Investor┛
┏Rivals' Fear: No Business Rivals┛
┏Allies' Loyalty: Leonard Holloway (B+)┛
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┏Financial Milestones┛
┏First $1M Net Worth: Unlocked┛
┏First Profitable Investment: Unlocked┛
┏First Business Acquisition: Locked┛
-------------------------------------------------
┏Legacy Counter┛
┏Jobs Created: 0┛
┏Companies Disrupted: 1┛
┏Rivals Defeated: 0┛
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┏Quests┛
┏Weekly Quest:
— Mega Makeover: No more life in the shadows. Begin to reinvent yourself and your lifestyle as a millionaire investor┛
┏Monthly Quest:
— Seeing is Believing: Many investors prefer solid investments as they're more trustworthy. But who says you can't do both? Invest in three solid products
— Start of an Empire: Create your business company and begin scouting and hiring of employees┛
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┏Congratulations, you have Unlocked an Achievement!┛
┏Achievement Unlocked: Bitcoin Millionaire
— You registered a stunning growth in only one month. You are a millionaire true and through.┛
--------------------------------------
Darren scanned through the information, taking note of the steady climb in his progress.
His wealth had grown exponentially.
His skills had improved.
The money he took from the Red Fang and the one he won in the gamble was what greatly increased his fortune. They would be of great help in the multiple investments he had planned this month.
And even better, he didn't have that pitiful Achievement anymore.
┏Achievement Unlocked: Bitcoin Millionaire
— You registered a stunning growth in only one month. You are a millionaire true and through.┛
A soft exhale left his lips. This was better.
"Hey." He heard a voice.
Darren turned his head toward the doorway.
Kara stood there, wearing nothing but his white button-up shirt, which barely reached her thighs. Her arms were crossed, her head tilted slightly as she studied him.
It seemed she'd been there for a while.
"Hey," he replied, narrowing his eyes slightly. "How long have you been there?"
Kara smacked her lips. "You do this thing where you just stare into space like you're reading something I can't see. You know that, right?"
Darren didn't answer. He took the last sip of his coffee, set the mug down, and exhaled.
"I'm hungry," he muttered as he got to his feet.
He walked past her toward the kitchen.
Behind him, Kara let out a dramatic gasp.
"Not even a kiss?" she called, following after him.
Darren turned back slightly and just smiled.
They both entered the kitchen. Darren opened a cupboard and pulled out a jar of beans, changed his mind and returned it.
Kara leaned against the counter, arms folded, watching him with a lazy smirk.
"So," she drawled, "last night was... interesting."
Darren didn't react. He grabbed a pan from the rack and set it on the stove.
Kara's smirk deepened. "I mean, for someone so calculated, you sure didn't see that coming, huh?"
He popped open a container of eggs, deliberately ignoring her.
She laughed. "Oh, come on, Mr Duckling. You're really gonna act all stoic now?"
He cracked an egg into a bowl. "Are you going to help me breakfast or just standing there running your mouth?"
Kara gasped, placing a hand over her chest. "I see. So we're making breakfast together now?" She smiled. "You're lucky I happen to be a great cook."
Darren gave her a sideways glance. "Is that so?"
"Yeah." She walked over, snatching the spatula from the counter. "Step aside, rookie."
Darren didn't move.
She tried to push him. He didn't budge.
"Okay, what the hell do you feed yourself?" she muttered, giving up.
"Protein."
Kara rolled her eyes. "Of course."
She grabbed a loaf of bread and turned toward the toaster. "Fine. I'll make toast. Can't mess that up, right?"
Darren tossed in another egg. "I wouldn't put it past you."
She gasped. "You dare underestimate me?"
"I'm just saying—"
At that moment, the smell of something burning filled the air.
Kara turned to the toaster. Smoke curled from the slot.
Darren raised an eyebrow.
Kara sighed. "I hate you."
He smirked.
She grabbed the toast (which was basically charcoal) and set it on a plate.
Darren plated the eggs.
"Alright, I'll accept your eggs," Kara said, leaning against the counter. "But just so you know, I totally could have made breakfast. I just... didn't feel like it."
"Sure."
She pointed at him. "Mock me again, and I'll burn your whole kitchen down."
Darren chuckled softly, shaking his head.
Then—
Riiiiing.
His phone vibrated against the counter.
He glanced at the caller ID.
The name on the screen made him pause.
Alison.
He stared at it for a moment.
Huh.
He had almost forgotten about her.
Kara noticed his change in expression. "Who is it?"
Darren picked up the phone.
"A friend," he said simply.
Kara raised an eyebrow. "And this friend is...?"
Darren didn't answer.
Instead, he answered the call and put the phone to his ear.
"Hello?"