"Harry! Get out here! You haven't paid last month's rent. Are you going to pay, or should I take other measures?"
The familiar, grating voice of Morvin echoed through the thin walls of the cramped apartment.
Harry let out a slow breath, his green eyes narrowing in frustration.
He ran a hand through his long brown hair before stepping outside, already irritated by the daily harassment.
Standing before him was Morvin, his overweight landlord, arms crossed, smug on face.
Harry had grown to despise the man. It wasn't that he didn't have the money...he just didn't want to give it to him.
When Harry had first moved to the city, fresh-faced and unaware of how things worked, Morvin had played the part of a kind landlord, tricking him into signing an overpriced lease.
Now, months later, Harry had learned his lesson. He wasn't going to let this scammer squeeze another dollar out of him.
Just a couple more days. That's all he needed.
"First of all," Harry said, voice laced with irritation, "this isn't a house. It's a glorified storage unit. And as I told you yesterday, the moment I get my salary, I'll pay you."
Morvin scoffed. "How much do you even make at that library job? A hundred? Maybe two hundred? You think that's enough to cover rent?"
Harry bit his tongue. He wanted to snap back, Maybe it would be, if you weren't charging triple what this place is worth, you greedy bastard.
But he held back. There was no point in arguing. He had money, his mother had sent him some but he wasn't going to hand it over.
By tomorrow, he'd be moving into Princeton University's dormitory, where his scholarship covered everything.
"I'll pay you tomorrow," he said firmly. "Now, if you're done, I'd appreciate it if you left."
It was his way to say 'scram'.
Morvin's eyes darkened. "You better. If I come back and you haven't paid, I'll break your damn legs."
Harry didn't flinch. He knew Morvin had ties to local thugs, which was the only reason he hadn't thrown a punch yet. Instead, he stood still, watching as the man stormed off.
Once he was gone, Harry let out a long sigh and rubbed his face. "I have to pay to live in this dump?" he muttered.
He collapsed onto his bed, staring at the cracked ceiling.
He had worked hard for his university admission, top grades, sleepless nights, endless studying. But surviving in this city had been a different challenge altogether.
Money had always been tight, which was why he had taken the library job. Once classes started, though, things would ease up. No more rent. No more stress.
His gaze drifted to the black box on his desk.
Harry's expression darkened.
That night, two months ago, he had seen something strange. a bright light streaking across the sky. Curious, he had followed it, running through the empty streets until he found the impact site.
At the center of a deep crater sat the box, small pitch-black, unnaturally smooth.
Without thinking, he had taken it home.
For weeks, he tried everything to open it...praying, smashing, burning. Nothing worked.
Frustrated, he had even taken it to a pawn shop, hoping it was some rare mineral worth a fortune. The shopkeeper laughed in his face.
Now, it just sat there.
Mocking him. Annoyed, he swung his fist at it.
Bad idea.
His knuckle clipped a pair of scissors lying on the table, slicing his skin. "Ah, damn it!" He jerked his hand back, watching a drop of blood roll off his finger...straight onto the box.
For the first time in two months, it reacted.
The solid black surface disintegrated, breaking apart into tiny fragments that shot toward him.
Before he could react, the particles slipped beneath his skin.
Leaving no trace of black box.
Harry's breath hitched. "What the hell?"
Then
[An alien DNA detected. The host has been selected. Synchronizing to the current time of human civilization... 1...2...3...99...100%]
His vision blurred. The world tilted.
Then...darkness.
---
Harry woke up with a sharp inhale, his body drenched in sweat. His heart pounded against his ribs.
He had dreamed...no, felt...something stabbing into him, like thousands of needles piercing his skin.
The pain had been real.
He sat up, his breath ragged.
Then he saw it.
Hovering in the air before him...A floating blue screen.
["Hi, my name is Krish. I can assist you regarding this 'system'."]
Harry blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Still there.
He rubbed his eyes, even shut them tight. Nothing changed. The words remained, glowing faintly in the dim room.
He exhaled slowly.
"...Krish? That's your name?"
[Correct.]
"What the hell is going on?"
[This system will help you become stronger if you complete given tasks or achieve certain milestones.]
Harry frowned. "Becoming stronger?"
'Sounds great'
Harry punched himself, what are you thinking bastard.
"Explain"
Krish's response was unsettlingly vague.
[The system operates on equivalent exchange. The more you accomplish, the greater the rewards.
Once you learn something, the system will update accordingly. Right now, you are unaware of many things happening around you. But that will change soon.]
A cold feeling settled in Harry's stomach.
Something about this wasn't right.
A sharp "ding" rang in his head.
[New Quest: Uncover the Hidden world of Human Society.]
Harry's blood ran cold.
What did that mean?
And more importantly
What had he just gotten himself into?.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of thoughts racing through his mind. "What kind of secrets?" he finally asked.
A brief pause.
Then Krish responded, its tone as unreadable as ever.
"I can help you find a path to satisfy your curiosity, but what you do afterward is far more important. And honestly, I'm curious to see what choices you'll make. So, it's better if you uncover it yourself."
It was a tight slap on his face as if saying
"What good are you then?"
There was something unsettling about the way it spoke, as if it knew more than it was letting on.
"This is a long-term quest, so there's no need to rush. And for your information," Krish's voice took on an almost amused tone, "the harder the quest, the better the rewards."
It was chilling, almost obsessed voice.
Harry let out a deep sigh and collapsed back onto his bed.
He wasn't about to lose sleep over a cryptic, talking system.
At least not tonight.