Noah Carter didn't mean to break reality. It just sort of... happened.
On a random, ordinary, dull day. The broke, software developer had spent three years trying to create an algorithm.
If this algorithm worked, his tiny startup might finally attract serious investors.
More importantly, he could pay off his mountain of medical debt from his father's hospitalisation.
"Come on, you stubborn piece of garbage," Noah muttered, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he debugged his algorithm's latest version.
The table he was coding on was by no means tidy, let alone professional. It was filled with energy cans and piles of ramen cups.
Outside, rain lashed against the windows of his cluttered apartment-slash-office, the kind of place real estate agents optimistically called "cozy" when they meant "barely larger than a storage unit."
Lightning cracked uncomfortably close, making his old power strip flicker ominously.
"No, no, no!" He lunged for the backup switch, but...it was too late.
The lights blinked out.
For one heart-stopping moment, darkness took over. Then his monitors flickered back on, displaying not his code but a single blue message:
[System Anomaly Detected]
Noah squinted at the screen.
"What kind of virus is this?" He reached for his keyboard, but his fingers froze as new text appeared.
[Analysis Complete. Compatibility: 98.7%.]
A strange pressure built inside Noah's head, like someone was gently inflating a balloon behind his eyes.
It wasn't painful, just... weird.
"Great," he mumbled.
"I'm having hallucinations from energy drinks and sleep deprivation. I should head to sleep."
[System Integration Complete. Idle Tycoon System v1.00 Activated.]
"Eh? Huh?"
A translucent blue interface materialised in front of him, hovering like a hologram from every sci-fi movie he'd ever loved:
IDLE TYCOON SYSTEM
Host: Noah Carter
Age: 28
Shops: None
Daily Revenue: $0
Current Assets: $ 1300.56
Shop Points: 0
Attributes: Strength: 4, Vitality: 3, Intelligence: 6, Agility: 3
Skills: Programming (Level 2), Finance (Level 1), Surviving on Ramen (Level 3)
Noah snorted at the last skill.
"At least my hallucination has a sense of humour."
He cautiously poked the floating display. His finger passed through it like mist, sending ripples across the interface.
'Is this actually real?'
[Host has accidentally created quantum entanglement between his algorithm and the Universe's fabric. Congratulations on your accidental breakthrough! You have unlocked this mighty system!]
"Uh-huh." Noah leaned back in his chair, which protested against his weight with a creak. "So I broke physics with buggy code and an electrical surge? Sounds real."
[The Host's mental faculties are functioning normally. This is real. Would you like to see your commercial opportunities?]
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Commercial opportunities?"
[The Idle Tycoon System allows Hosts to establish businesses across the universe, generating passive income streams that transfer to your origin reality. Like having a franchise in every world!]
"Right." Noah rubbed his temples. "So I'm not just hallucinating—I'm hallucinating an interdimensional get-rich-quick scheme." But despite his disbelief, his curiosity was winning.
If this was a mental breakdown, at least it was an entertaining one.
"Why not? Show me the shop," he said, spinning once in his chair.
[Shop Type Selection in Progress... Analyzing Host Skills...]
The screen in front of him began to shimmer and ripple. Reality folded inward, creating what looked like a doorway.
Through this impossible doorway, Noah could make out what appeared to be a small shop.
"Wait...This is actually real." He rubbed his eyes a few times.
Still, it did not disappear but remained in front of him.
After pinching himself and experimenting a few times, he finally realised that...it was real.