My name is Julian Vance. At twenty-nine years old, living in the bustling metropolis of Metro City, I still haven’t found a real career. I survive by taking on endless odd jobs. Being completely on my own, these gigs don’t make me wealthy, but they keep a roof over my head.
Right now, I run three jobs a day: food delivery in the morning, fast courier runs in the evening, and handing out promotional flyers during my afternoon break. At the end of every month, I make roughly 10,000 Stardollars. It sounds like a large amount, but in an era where a basic branded smartphone starts at 10,000 Stardollars, it is practically nothing.
Out of that income, I pay 2,000 Stardollars a month for a tiny one-bedroom apartment. My landlord actually reduced the rent from 3,000 out of pity; when I first met him at twenty-four, I was supposed to be in my prime, yet I looked like skin and bones with dark circles carved under my eyes. He gave me his smallest unit just to give me a fighting chance.
I regularly skip meals to save money, but there’s never anything left at the end of the month anyway. As I deliver food late into the night, watching other people celebrate their success, I don’t feel envious—just deeply sad that I’ve fallen so far behind my old college classmates.
Tonight, I dragged my aching body home after an exhausting shift. Suddenly, a soft chime echoed through the room.
I looked up, and floating right in front of my face was a translucent blue panel.
I must be hallucinating from severe exhaustion, I thought, rubbing my eyes. I really need to take a break and relax.
Checking the clock, it was already 11:00 PM. I collapsed onto my worn mattress and fell fast asleep.
The next morning at 7:00 AM, I woke up and stumbled to the bathroom to wash my face before breakfast. Suddenly, that same chime chimed, and the blue panel reappeared in mid-air.
Am I hallucinating again, or is this real?
Before I could process it, a clear voice echoed directly inside my head:
[Hello, Host. This is the Indulgent System. This system provides massive rewards when you live life to the fullest and pursue what you truly desire. Do you accept the binding?]
"Why did you choose me?" I asked aloud, staring at the screen.
[I chose you because at twenty-nine years old, despite working tirelessly during what should be your prime, you have achieved nothing. My main mission is to travel across worlds and select the right host to elevate their lifestyle. Do you accept?]
"Okay," I took a deep breath. "I’m ready to bind."
[Binding complete.]
[Host: Julian Vance]
[Age: 29]
[Charm: 3]
[Physique: 2]
[System Note: Years of severe overwork have degraded Host’s charm and physical health.]
[First Task: Host must upgrade his appearance and dressing style to begin living life to the fullest.]
[Reward: 2x Cashback on all purchases made today, +5 Charm, +5 Physique.]
[Condition: Host must only spend his own money. Borrowed cash or loans will void the rebate.]
"2x Cashback on everything today?" I muttered, pulling out my phone to check my banking app. I currently had exactly 3,000 Stardollars. "You didn’t say anything about restricted cashback usage..."
The best hair salon in the city was Mooncraft. I decided to head there immediately.
Fifteen minutes later, I stood in front of Mooncraft Salon. It looked more like a luxury five-star hotel than a haircutting studio. Pushing the heavy glass doors open, I walked up to the reception counter.
"Hello, excuse me. I’d like a haircut that suits me best."
The stylist smiled politely, taking in my worn clothes. "Of course, sir. That will be 3,000 Stardollars."
"Please use my card."
Beep.
[Payment of 3,000 Stardollars received.]
[System Chime: Host spent 3,000 Stardollars. Cashback received: 6,000 Stardollars.]
My eyes widened as a notification popped up on my phone. The money instantly doubled in my account!
"Excuse me, how much is a facial?" I asked quickly.
"That will be 6,000 Stardollars, sir, as we use imported specialized creams."
"Charge it as well."
[System Chime: Host spent 6,000 Stardollars. Cashback received: 12,000 Stardollars.]
The stylist’s eyes lit up. "How about a full-body treatment, sir? Since you’ve already paid 9,000, the complete package add-on would be 12,000 Stardollars."
"Do it."
[System Chime: Host spent 12,000 Stardollars. Cashback received: 24,000 Stardollars.]
The full treatment took an hour and a half. By the time I walked out, I felt completely rejuvenated and looked significantly healthier. All that spending was completely worth it. Now, I needed a brand-new wardrobe to complete the task.
I headed straight to the high-end shopping mall downtown. Looking around at the luxury boutiques, I realized 24,000 Stardollars was still modest here, so I needed a strategy: start small and scale up my purchases to maximize the rebate snowball.
First stop: electronics.
"Hello, can I get the Q-Phone 20 Pro Max, 1TB version?"
The sales clerk handed over a sleek box. "Here you go, sir. The total comes to 24,000 Stardollars."
"Swipe my card, please."
[System Chime: Host spent 24,000 Stardollars. Cashback received: 48,000 Stardollars.]
"Can I also see the Q-Phone wireless earbuds?" I added.
"Of course, sir. That will be 10,000 Stardollars."
[System Chime: Host spent 10,000 Stardollars. Cashback received: 20,000 Stardollars.]
Next, I pointed to the flagship display. "Can you give me the Fruit Phone Triple-Fold as well?"
"Here you go, sir! That will be 51,000 Stardollars."
I swiped my card again without hesitation.
[System Chime: Host spent 51,000 Stardollars. Cashback received: 102,000 Stardollars.]
System, what is my current bank balance?
[Host’s current balance: 109,000 Stardollars.]
A huge smile broke across my face. Now I could shop for designer clothes without worrying about price tags.
I walked into a luxury fashion boutique filled with store assistants waiting to help. "Excuse me, I’d like to try on this display suit."
The assistant blinked in surprise. "Of course, sir! But that suit costs 100,000 Stardollars..."
"No worries, swipe it."
[System Chime: Host spent 100,000 Stardollars. Cashback received: 200,000 Stardollars.]
"I’ll also take these casual outfits, these designer shirts, and these trousers," I added, piling up high-end wear.
After an hour of non-stop shopping and multiplying my wealth, I realized I needed a place to stay. I pulled out my new phone and reserved the Presidential Suite at Skyland, the top 5-star hotel in the city, costing 200,000 Stardollars a night.
With over 3 million Stardollars sitting in my bank account after the clothing rebates, I booked the suite for 15 days straight and arranged for all my luxury shopping bags to be delivered there directly.
Finally, I stepped into a high-end luxury watch boutique, looking at the manager with newfound confidence.
"Do you have any watches in stock worth around 6 million Stardollars? If yes, please show me."
The boutique manager froze, his jaw practically dropping to the floor as he looked at my casual clothes, then down at the stack of luxury shopping bags behind me.
Recovering his composure, his posture instantly straightened into a deep bow. "R-Right away, sir! Please step into our VIP lounge!"
I smirked, stepping inside. The game had only just begun.