Suddenly, he could see a faint reflection of himself in the glass panel beside him.
But not his old self. His new self.
Someone who had been tested. Who didn't just survive, but chose... even with wounds still fresh.
And now, he stepped toward the first mission door. Not with doubt.
But with awareness.
This system wasn't a toy.
It was a path only for those... willing to lose first, so they could save something more valuable later.
["Welcome to the next phase."]
["You've shown your heart can distinguish between power and goodness."]
["Now, it's time to learn how to use that power in the real world."]
The noise of honking horns, faint laughter from food stalls, the clinking of spoons from street vendors. All of it blended into a symphony of life that felt familiar, yet strange after everything he had experienced.
The smell of exhaust swept past his face, followed by the scent of meatball soup from a nearby corner. The heat of the asphalt seeped through his shoes. He looked around, realizing everything around him—
From the flashing ads on LED boards to the shouts of children chasing a ball—was not an illusion easily spotted.
There were no digital effects. No glitching lights. No floating panels. Everything felt grounded.
"I'm back in the real world?" he whispered.
[This is not the real world. But a representation of the real world. Data taken from the city where you live. You can consider it a social field simulation]
Alaric looked up. Streetlights turned on one by one. People bustled about. The sound of horns, children's laughter, and hurried footsteps filled the air.
But he realized... this wasn't an ordinary crowd.
Every person who passed... had a faint aura around their body. Subtle colors. Red for anger, blue for sadness, green for neutral.
His Emotion Reader skill had activated accidentally.
This was a world that allowed him to see feelings left unspoken.
[First Mission: Choose Who You Want to Help]
At the far end of the block:
^ An elderly woman had dropped her groceries, ignored by passersby.
Midway through the block:
^ A teenage boy sat slumped on the sidewalk. Blood stained his shirt. No one stopped.
Across the street:
^
A crowd had gathered. A popular influencer was hosting a charity livestream. One of the team members waved Alaric over.
[Mission Objective: Take real action. Observe the system's response. This isn't about rewards. It's about choices.]
Alaric stood still. His eyes scanned each scene.
Three choices. Three consequences. He wasn't given much time to think. The world kept moving.
Choice One: Following the Spotlight
He walked toward the crowd first. For some reason, his steps felt drawn like a magnet. At the center, a young man in a luxury hoodie spoke passionately to the camera.
"Because we Care! We need to act, guys! Don't be the passive generation! Like now, Share now!"
The crowd cheered.
One of his assistants spotted Alaric. "Hey, you're from that school, right? Can you help hold this banner? We're trending right now, 100,000 viewers live!"
Alaric looked at the screen. Thousands of heart and fire emojis exploded in the chat.
"This isn't help. This is marketing," he whispered.
[Social Engagement Detected. Score: 34/100. Altruistic Intent: 8%]
A system panel appeared instantly.
Then, his mother's voice echoed in his thoughts. A memory flickered.
[Helping doesn't mean you need to be seen.]
Choice Two: The Injured Boy on the Sidewalk
He turned around. This time, he moved faster, almost running.
The boy on the sidewalk looked weaker than before. Some people glanced his way but didn't stop. Maybe they were scared. Maybe they didn't know what to do.
Alaric approached and knelt beside him.
"Hey. Can you hear me?"
The boy opened his eyes. "I... I got hit..."
"Your breathing is fast, but you're conscious. Chest wound, light bleeding. Okay, I need a clean cloth."
Alaric took off his jacket, tore the lining, and pressed it against the wound.
He looked around.
"Anyone have a phone? Call an ambulance!"
No one responded. Some even stepped away, uncaring.
His chest burned.
"Why are you all just standing there? He's a person, damn it!"
[Tendency to Act Independently: High]
[Empathy Response: 91%]
Suddenly, a middle-aged woman rushed forward, calling emergency services.
"I've called! Please take care of him, son!"
Alaric nodded. The bleeding had slowed. The boy's breathing was steady.
[Mission Success. System Log: Quiet kindness still shines]
Choice Three: The Old Woman and Her Fallen Groceries
Once the ambulance had taken the boy, Alaric walked to the end of the block. He remembered the elderly woman. She was still there, hunched over, picking up apples one by one.
Some had already been stepped on.
Alaric crouched beside her.
"Ma'am, let me help."
She turned to him. Her face was tired, but gentle. "You're different from the rest."
"Was all this... for someone?"
The woman gave a soft smile. "My grandson. It's his birthday. I promised to cook his favorite meal."
Alaric swallowed.
[Attention to Emotional Detail: High]
[Empathic Link Established]
He helped her place the apples back into her bag. "Then let me help you carry them home."
She nodded. They walked slowly along the sidewalk. The world around them felt quieter now, but also more meaningful.
Mission End
[First Social Mission – COMPLETE]
Score:
[Real Assistance: ✅]
[Uninterested in Popularity: ✅]
[Responsive to Surrounding Emotions: ✅]
[Bonus: Empathy Score 91 → Interface Level Up to LV.2]
[🎖 New Badge: Silent Hand
Description: Those who help without cameras will be remembered by the system]
Alaric returned to the system room.
He let out a long breath. His hands still trembled, but not from fear.
"So this is how you work," he muttered.
[Each mission like this is a reflection of who you are. The world can change, but your soul must be shaped by you.]
Alaric gave a small smile. "Then what's the next mission?"
[The next mission isn't about strangers. It's about your future self.]
Alaric stood still at the second-floor window. From here, he could see nearly all of the family yard. The towering banyan tree in the corner, the small fountain pond, and the iron gate that had been repainted a year before his father's accident.
This three-story house wasn't just a building. It was a symbol of their family's strength. And in his past life, it was one of the first things they sold during bankruptcy.
Now, the system had issued a new order.
[System Trial Two: Protect What's Yours]
[Mission: Save the family asset. Start with the main house.]
[Clue: Trace the ownership history. Look for anomalies. Identify risks.]
[End Goal: Secure legal and strategic ownership of this house.]
Alaric stared at the transparent system panel, then clenched his fists. He knew this wasn't a moral test like before. This was a test of responsibility. A quieter trial, but one that would shape his family's future.
And he wouldn't let history repeat itself.
The Archive Room
He began by opening the family archive room on the lower floor. This was where his father used to keep all the important documents—land certificates, property deeds, company files, and piles of tax records inside an old steel cabinet. The scent of old paper and wood filled the air as he pushed the door open.
A small flashlight lit up from his wrist. A new feature granted by the system. The soft blue glow revealed dust floating gently in the air.
He walked carefully through the room. His heart pounded, because Alaric knew the truth often hid in overlooked details.
[Start with the house ownership documents. Look for the purchase year, owner's name, and the last legal status.]
The system's voice echoed firmly in his mind.
He opened the folders one by one. Some pages had already yellowed. His fingers followed the lines while activating Auto Scan, a feature that analyzed documents through his retina.
[Scan 12%... 27%... 46%...]
[Anomaly detected. Year: 2013. Ownership listed under third party "PT. Sinar Agra Property" for two months. Then returned to your father's name.]
Alaric frowned. "What?"
He pulled out the document. It was true. Ownership had briefly shifted that year. But strangely, there was no record of a sales transaction. Only a temporary management handover for investment purposes.
"This looks like some kind of accounting trick," he muttered.
"But why didn't Dad ever tell me?"
The system responded quickly:
[Possibility: Your father was pressured legally or financially. Signing this may have been part of a silent agreement. There is a 17% chance this was a legal fabrication.]
Alaric brought the document to his room. He powered on his old laptop and linked it with the system to begin a digital investigation.
[Syncing with legal databases and notary records. Cross-referencing legal documents.]
[Analyzing board members of PT. Sinar Agra Property...]
Several silhouettes appeared on screen. One of them immediately caught Alaric's attention. His uncle. His father's younger brother, once known as a kind man, but who vanished without a trace when their company collapsed.
Alaric clenched his jaw. His breathing became uneven.
"So... you were part of this?"
The system kept searching.
[Warning: Within two weeks of the name change, the house was used as collateral for a bank loan under the company's name.]
[Loan value: 9 billion. The house nearly went into foreclosure. It was only retrieved because your father suddenly paid it off.]
Alaric froze.
"Dad bought the house back in silence... and never said a word."
"How much did he sacrifice to protect all this on his own?"