Ethan Benjamin stood silently outside the workshop, his hands are still trembling slightly.
The afternoon summer sun of Florida was burning over head, but he felt cold.
Just minutes ago, everything had fallen apart.
"You're fired, Ethan!"
The voice of Jack Mole's, the owner of the automobile workshop, still echoed in his ears. It was just an accident.
A wrench slipped from his greasy fingers...
And landing straight on to the polished hood of a client's Vintage Mustang.
The damage wasn't that bad. Just a few scratches.
And with that -- his job is gone.
Ethan let out a bitter laugh as he walked down the sidewalk.
"Great... just great"
No Job.
No savings.
And rent due in less than a month.
His landlord who is a burley middle aged man named Mr. Edward Henderson, wasn't someone to who accepted excuses. He is a strict ex-army man with a straightforward attitude.
" Miss your rent, and you're out no excuses will be entertained."
And Ethan new full well he meant it.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at the bustling streets.
Florida was alive.
People rushing. Cars passing. Life moving forward.
But for him--
Everything had stopped.
Benjamin was a poor orphan from L village near Mexican border. He got his diploma from a third tire mechanical school.
" How am I supposed to survive now.....?
His voice was barely a whisper.
And then----
[DING]
Ethan froze.
What sound was that ?
Was it from my mobile? No, he opened his phone and checked. But didn't find anything.
If it is not from outside then.
It must be inside his head.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATION IN PROGRESS.....]
His eyes widened .
" What the hell.....?"
[ Suitable Host Detected]
[Condition: Hardworking Individual at Lowest Social Tire- Confirmed]
{Binding Initiated....}
(Binding Successful)
A system! as a fervent reader of web novel he generally know what a system entailed. That means the god hasn't completely forsaken him. There is still a chance to turn around.
His heartbeat quickened.
His vison blurred for a moment----
[Welcome, Host]
[Tycoon: More Offspring, More Wealth System Activated]
[System Interface Initializing.....]
[Initializing Complete]
The mechanical voice echoed again.
Clear.
Cold.
Undeniably real.
A translucent neon blue panel suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Tycoon: More Offspring, More Wealth System]
Host: Ethan Benjamin
Wealth: 500$
Status: Unemployed
Attributes:
Appearance: 6.5
Stamina: 5
Vitality: 6
Intelligence: 7
Charm: 5
Strength: 6
System Version 1.0
System Status: Active.
After binding three breeding subjects of appearance of 80+, the system will be upgraded to version 2.0 and system mall will unlocked where the host could buy technology, recipes, talents, skill, research and patents, etc.
And the funds will be system attributes points. After completing each tasks the system will provide the host with attribute points.
Ethan's breath hitched. He had spent his life struggling. Now, the system was essentially saying: Reproduce, and you shall possess the world.
It was cold. Clinical. Transactional.
Perfect.
He had never been one for romantic fairy tales. Relationships were, in his experience, nothing but exchanges. A desperate survival mechanism. If he was to climb out of the mud, he needed resources. If this system rewarded him for creating life, he would build an empire.
[Beginners Gift Pack is Available]
[Would you like to claim it ?]
Ethan didn't hesitated.
His heart was ponding like a drum now-- not from fear but from something else.
Hope.
He clenched his fists.
"...Claim it"
[Beginners Reward Claimed]
A sudden warmth surged through his body.
It wasn't painful.
It was..... refreshing.
Like every cells inside him awakens.
Ethan's breathing slowed.
His tired muscles relaxed.
The constant fatigue he had been carrying for months--- Gone.
".....What the....?"
He looked down At his hands.
They felt..... stronger.
[Host Attributes Updated]
Appearance: 7.5 (Above Average -Clean state achieved)
Stamina: 6.5 (Improve lung capacity and endurance)
Vitality: 7.0 (Cellular regeneration and immunity boost)
Charm: 6.5 (Natural magnetic presence)
Strength: 7.5 (Hardened muscle density)
[Start Up Capital Received: $100,000]
[New Skill Acquired: Eye of Discernment (Passive)
Eye of Discernment : Allows the host to see the true value, hidden potential, rating of people and object.
Ethan touched his face subconsciously.
".... I feel different".
After that he pulled out his phone and looked at his banking app.
Balance : $100,500.00
He looked up, and the world seemed different. As he looked at a women walking by, a small, subtle panel appeared over her head
[Appearance : 75, Temperament: 60, Past partners:7, heavy smoker, heavy drinker, Occasionally takes drugs, Compatibility: Rejected]
Eye of Discernment.
He smiled, a cold, calculating curve of his lips. The man who had been fired minutes ago was dead. The man standing here was a predator, equipped with the tools to dominate.
He wasn't going to just survive. He was going to own everything.
First, he thought, pulling up the map on his phone, I need a better apartment. And then... I need to find the right partners.