He started regretting things. If he just focused on one sport, like UFC, he could have earned millions from a contract.
Now that he thought about it, he was too gifted for a regular person.
Maybe it came from his grandfather's bloodline. But neither of his parents showed genius like abilities.
Could it be that he wasn't really his father's son? Did that mean his mother cheated?
It was hard to accept, but if a genetic trait was passed down, especially one as strong as his, it shouldn't skip a generation too easily.
The thought nagged at him, but dwelling on it wouldn't help. Better to focus on what mattered now.
With that pushed aside, he focused on gaining more E-points first.
It was required to get his next mission. For now, all he could do was complete tasks and hope they would lead to answers.
'Maybe I can borrow gold coins?'
The idea crossed his mind as a possible solution.
After thinking it over for a while, he realized how ridiculous it sounded.
Gold coins were like real money in the game. People took them seriously. In fact, it was even easier to borrow real cash.
'Yeah, that's not going to work. No one would lend me that much. I don't even have real friends to borrow from.'
So now even his anti-social life wasn't just slapping him—it was straight-up chewing him up for not trying.
'How did I even get to this level?'
Even the biggest shut-in has at least one friend.
'I should just try contacting someone, right, Mr. Yamagi!'
He quickly checked the laptop for internet access. No browser appeared.
Then he remembered the HEO app.
Clicking it open, he discovered he could actually contact game friends through its in-game messaging system.
His fingers hovered over the keys as he typed:
(Help me. I was kidnapped by a crazy motel system...)
Before hitting send, he stopped.
'I sound like a lunatic,'
People would think he lost his mind. And that was if they didn't just laugh it off as a joke.
Even if someone was naive enough to take it seriously, how could he explain where he was?
This place was in the middle of nowhere. There was no address or any clear way to describe its location.
He wouldn't be surprised if he was in some kind of alternate space that couldn't be reached by normal means.
Luck leaned back, shaking his head.
'It's a long shot, but might as well try,'
He typed the GPS coordinates with the message: Help, I got kidnapped. Send police, then hit send.
[10 E-points deducted for sending a message.]
"FUCKER!" His fist shot toward the laptop, but he stopped just inches away.
To vent his anger, he slammed his head into the wall hard.
"Mother...fucking...fuck...fuck! fuck! " he growled, biting back a scream as frustration ripped through him.
'Calm down, Luck... calm down. This is just a test—a way to train my patience and keep my cool.'
Someone replied to his chat.
[10 E-points deducted for receiving a message.]
PhoenixQueen : You gone crazy?
[10 E-points deducted for receiving a message.]
PhoenixQueen:GPS says you're in Nagoya. Are you on vacation? Wow, you actually left your house. Is the world ending?
[10 E-points deducted for receiving a message.]
"No!" he panicked and slammed the mute button. He couldn't afford to lose more.
Just like that, forty E-coins flushed straight down the drain.
Luck grabbed the nearest sofa pillow and started aggressively smacking it against the wall like it owed him money.
"This is your fault!"
"Stupid greedy system!"
"I hope you choke on that money you stole from me!"
When he ran out of steam, he threw the pillow across the room, missed the sofa entirely, and watched it land perfectly in the trash can.
"Why am I being punished ? Alright, I get it—I wasted my life. So stop rubbing it in my face already!"
Of course, there was no answer. The system only got energetic when it was in the mood to mess with his head.
He double-checked his status, hoping it was just some sick joke—but nope.
'Where the hell did I send that message from? Mars or something?'
The loud sound caught his attention. It came from inside the office, and even now, he hesitated to go in.
Something about it made his skin crawl.
And based on everything he'd been through, chances were it was just another damn trick to bleed him dry—coins and whatever else he had left.
If there was a contest for the most sadistic system, this one took the crown—perfect at sucker-punching its host.
The sound kept going nonstop, echoing like a broken radio. It wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
'Shit, no choice. Might as well accept my fate and get this over with.'