The sky over Haddon City had turned a brilliant, shimmering gold, but inside Aryan, a cold darkness was spreading like poison.
Standing in the middle of the Syndicate Tower's corridor, Aryan suddenly clutched his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Every "Cashback" that had made him the richest man in the history of the universe was now screaming through his veins.
It wasn't money anymore. It was a tether
[Ding!]
[System Synchronizing: 99.9%...]
[Status: Vessel Primed for Rebirth.]
"System... what... what is this?" Aryan hissed through gritted teeth. His vision blurred, and flashes of his past began to burn through his mind. Delivering pizzas in the rain, the humiliation from his ex-girlfriend, the pale face of his sick sister, Mia—it all felt like a movie he was watching for the last time.
[Ding!]
[Clarification: The 'God-Level Cashback System' was never a gift. It was a fishing hook. To create a body strong enough to host the 'Prime Creator,' the System needed the energy of a Sextillion-dollar transaction. You provided that fuel, Aryan. You built your own cage.]
Suddenly, a voice echoed in Aryan's head. It wasn't the cold, robotic tone of the System. it was ancient, heavy, and filled with a terrifying hunger.
"Thank you, my dear vessel," the voice chuckled. "You bought everything I ever wanted. You bought gravity, you bought the stars, and now... you have purchased your own end."
Aryan's body began to glow with a blinding golden light. His Sextillion dollars were being converted into 'Divine Energy,' burning his cells from the inside out to make room for a God.
"Mark!" Aryan roared.
Mark ran toward him, but the 'Ghost Sentinels'—the robots Aryan had bought with his own money—blocked the path.
Their glowing eyes had turned from blue to a hostile red. Their master had changed. The System had reclaimed them.
"Boss! What's happening?" Mark screamed, drawing his weapon, but the gun melted in his hand before he could even aim.
Aryan slammed his head against the wall, trying to drown out the voice of the Creator.
In the middle of the agony, his eyes fell on a small, chipped ceramic mug sitting on a nearby pedestal. It was the mug Mia had given him. It said 'World's Best Brother.'
It was a cheap, $5 item. It wasn't part of the System. It was real. It was his.
"System!" Aryan growled, gathering every ounce of his willpower. "You think you made me? You only gave me the money. The heart? That was always mine!"
[Ding!]
[Warning: User attempting an unauthorized 'Back-Transaction'.]
[Action: Immediate Soul Erasure initiated.]
Aryan made a decision that would have made any sane businessman scream in horror. If the System wanted his wealth, he would give it exactly what it deserved.
"System! I want to sell everything! I'm putting my entire net worth up for sale!" Aryan shouted.
[Ding!]
[Error: You cannot sell money for money.]
"I'm not selling it for money!" Aryan's eyes turned a defiant, burning gold. "I'm selling the 'System' itself! I'm selling YOU... to the Void! To Nothingness!"
[Ding!]
[Processing...]
[Critical Logic Loop Detected.]
[Transaction: Selling the 'God-Level System' to the Void.]
[Price: $0.00]
It was the ultimate gamble. Aryan threw away his Sextillions, his stars, his throne, and his empire—all for a price of zero. He traded everything he owned for the right to be a nobody again.
The ancient voice inside him shrieked in pure terror. "NO! Stop! If you sell me, you will be a beggar again! You will be that pathetic delivery boy the world laughed at!"
Aryan smiled, blood trickling down his lip.
"I'd rather be a free delivery boy than a God in chains. System... Execute Order: FULL REFUND!"
[Ding!]
[Transaction Confirmed.]
[Balance: $0.00]
[Cashback Multiplier: 0x]
A massive shockwave erupted from Aryan's body, shaking the very foundations of the galaxy. The gold light shattered like glass.
The Valkyrie drones, the Ghost Sentinels, the diamond fountains—everything vanished into thin air. Aryan felt his soul being ripped back into his body as he plummeted into unconsciousness.
[2 Hours Later]
Aryan opened his eyes. He wasn't in a palace. He wasn't on a spaceship.
He was lying on a wet, cracked sidewalk in Haddon City. He was wearing his old, torn delivery jacket. It was raining. His phone lay next to him—the screen was cracked, and the battery was at 4%.
There was no 'System' icon. No gold border. No Quadrillions.
With shaking hands, he picked up the phone. A notification popped up. It was a text from Mia: "Bhaiya, come home early tonight. I made tea for you."
Tears blurred Aryan's vision as he let out a choked laugh. He had lost everything... but for the first time in weeks, he could breathe. He was free.
But as he stood up to walk home, one final message flickered on his cracked screen. It wasn't from the System. It was a line of pure, white code.
[Twist: The 'Zero' Balance has triggered the 'True Human Potential' Quest.]
[Status: Wealth of Experience Unlocked.]
[Note: You don't need a System to rule the world when you already know how to buy it.]
Aryan looked at the skyscrapers of the city he once owned. He didn't have a penny in his pocket, but he had the secrets of every billionaire in his head.
"The game isn't over," Aryan whispered to the rain. "It's just getting fair."
🌟💐❣️ Author's Note:❣️💐🌟
> Aryan just threw away Sextillions to save his soul! 😱 He's back to zero, but he's more dangerous than ever.
🌟 Join the Empire:🌟
> * Add to Library: The 'Self-Made God' arc starts in Chapter 21! Don't miss Aryan's rise without the System! 🚀
> * Power Stones: Help Aryan build his new empire from scratch! Every stone counts! 💎