Chapter 57: Chapter 57: The System’s Rewards
Ethan was finally alone in his new, massive bedroom. He was stretched out on the expensive sheets, staring at the ceiling, feeling the mix of exhaustion and satisfaction from the day’s chaos.
[Congratulations, Ethan,] the System’s voice chimed with a hint of bored formality. [You have obtained new rewards.]
A huge, glowing list immediately unfolded in his visual field, scrolling rapidly.
[First Rimjob Received - 250,000]
[First Anal Performed - 250,000]
[Drove a Woman to Maximum Desire Without Laying a Finger on Her - 500,000]
[Had Sex in a Commercial Establishment - 100,000]
[Had Sex with a Business Manager Without Offering Money - 150,000]
...
...
[Rendered a Woman Unconscious by Reaching the Maximum Possible Pleasure - 1,000,000]
The sheer length of the list was dizzying. There were rewards for things he hadn’t even known counted—bonuses just for the fact that Brooke was a manager, others because the encounter happened in a place considered "public." The stream of bonuses seemed endless.
The final tally flashed, soaring close to three million dollars. This pushed his total bank balance to just over $4.5 million.
Ethan couldn’t hold it in. He burst into euphoric laughter, shouting, jumping off the bed, and punching the air. He even slammed his fists lightly into the mattress in sheer delight.
The System, meanwhile, maintained its signature sarcasm. [Seriously?] it drawled. [You’re genuinely this happy about something so simple? It’s only a few million, Ethan. Your house is worth thirty times that, you know?]
Ethan threw himself back onto the bed, still beaming. "I know, I know!" he laughed. "But I never, ever dreamed of seeing that kind of number in my bank account in my life! So yeah, it makes me really, really happy!"
[Alright, alright, I get it,] the System conceded, sounding marginally less bored. [Don’t worry, this is just the beginning. Though I must admit, you’re doing remarkably well. At this rate, you’ll be a professional gigolo before you graduate.]
Ethan burst into roaring laughter. "Damn right!" he declared, punching the air again. "If every time I screw a horny MILF I get three million, then drag Queen Elizabeth’s ass out of her grave! I’ll fuck her senseless and show her what heaven looks like!"
The System dissolved into a series of distorted, mocking laughs. [You sick bastard! Hahaha! You necrophiliac piece of shit!]
Both Ethan and the System continued to laugh heartily, the sound of their shared amusement filling the luxurious, silent room.
Ethan finally settled back onto the soft pillows, the euphoria fading into curiosity. "System," he asked, his voice now serious. "What are you, really? It feels like everything is under your control."
The System chuckled softly. [Oh, those are just coincidences, Boss. I don’t have the power to see past what you see. But inside me, I hold every possible combination of events that can occur, and a precise plan for each of them.]
"You’re dodging," Ethan countered, his brow furrowing. "You’ll tell me eventually where you came from, or who created you, right?"
[Not yet,] the System replied. [You’re not ready. Keep moving forward. We still have time.]
"Time for what?" Ethan pressed, but the System went silent, refusing to answer. Ethan called it, "System? Hey, System, answer me!" He called it again and again, but received no reply.
Ethan sighed, defeated. "Fine, you win. I won’t ask."
The System’s voice finally returned, softer, tinged with genuine regret. [I’m sorry, Ethan, but I cannot tell you more than what I am permitted. It’s not because I don’t want to. At the end of the day, I have no will. I’m just a simple system. I’m not entirely autonomous; I follow the creator’s rules—]
Suddenly, the System’s voice was drowned out by a deafening, metallic shriek: "$"%"#$" #!" The sound was a horrible, high-pitched static that resonated deep inside Ethan’s skull. He instantly clamped his hands over his ears, his face twisting in agony, feeling like his head was about to explode. He began screaming. "Stop! Stop it! Fine, I didn’t ask! I didn’t hear anything! Just stop that damn noise right now!"
The ear-splitting sound instantly cut off. Silence returned, leaving Ethan panting, sweat slicking his hair.
The System’s voice returned, perfectly calm. [See? I told you it wasn’t me.]
Ethan clutched his head, the power of the thing he had heard—or felt—was terrifying. For a moment, he genuinely felt as if the world was being torn apart.
"Okay, okay," he gasped, trying to steady his breathing. "I won’t ask anything more than what you tell me."
[That’s better. Believe me,] the System responded, its voice regaining its usual, dry tone. [If I could give you everything without asking for anything in return, I would hand over every single item in my inventory. The power to decide everything I can do? I wouldn’t hesitate to give it to you. Watching you progress step-by-step is painfully boring for me, but I don’t have the authority.]
"I get it. I get it," Ethan murmured, shaking his head slightly to clear the residual pain. "I will follow the rules. I don’t want to suffer that pain again."
He noticed his entire body was drenched in cold sweat. He quickly stripped off his shirt and trousers, standing naked in the luxurious room. Looking down at his body, he addressed the System again.
"You said I could modify my body, right?" Ethan asked, running a hand over his torso. "Is it expensive?"
[That depends entirely on what you want to modify,] the System replied promptly. "If it’s purely aesthetic, it’s not expensive. If it becomes functional—say, increasing your strength—it costs more. And if you’re looking for a mutation, that becomes incredibly expensive."
Ethan frowned. "I don’t understand what that means."
[Aesthetic changes are just superficial things,] the System explained. "Like changing your skin color, removing blemishes, maybe the size of your cock—things that don’t actually do anything but make you look better."
"Hey!" Ethan protested loudly. "My cock is very functional, you know!"
The System cackled mockingly. [Functional only for making bitches scream, I mean. It serves no other purpose.]