Liam's eyes snapped open.
For a moment, he just stared at the ceiling.
His breathing was heavy, his heart pounding like a drum inside his chest. His mind felt foggy, as if he had just woken up from a deep, dreamless sleep. But something was wrong.
This place... it was familiar.
He blinked a few times, his vision adjusting to the dim light of the morning sun creeping through his window. It took him a few seconds to process it, but he recognized where he was.
His room.
His own bed.
The soft mattress under his back, the slightly cracked ceiling, the faint smell of his laundry detergent—it was all so... normal.
But how?
His brain ached as he struggled to piece everything together. He felt like he had just gone through something terrible, but his mind wasn't clear enough to make sense of it.
Then—
Memories flooded back.
The chase.
The car.
The blaring horn.
The impact.
Pain.
So much pain.
His body went stiff as everything came rushing back at once. He gasped and sat up abruptly, his eyes wide with shock.
His hands immediately reached for his leg—the one that had been crushed under the car.
But...
It was fine.
His leg was perfectly normal.
There was no pain. No blood. No sign that anything had ever happened to him.
His heart pounded even faster as he touched his arms, his chest, his face—everything was intact. He was okay. No broken bones. No wounds.
What... the hell?
Liam's breathing grew shaky as he tried to make sense of it all.
"Was it a dream?" he whispered to himself.
No. That wasn't possible.
He remembered it. The fear. The agony. The feeling of his body shutting down.
It had to be real.
Right?
As panic started to settle in, something unexpected happened.
DING!
A loud, digital sound echoed in his ears.
Before he could even react, a bright light flashed before his eyes.
Then—
A holographic screen appeared out of thin air.
Glowing blue text flickered across the transparent display, its symbols shifting rapidly before finally stabilizing into words he could understand.
> [World Conqueror System Awakened]
Liam's breath caught in his throat.
> [Conquer The World §¢¥% Error]
The text flickered, glitching slightly.
> [System Reboot]
His pulse raced as he stared, unable to believe what he was seeing.
> [Lust System Awakened]
> [Mission - Conquer The World and Its Beauties]
Liam blinked. Once. Twice.
"What the fuck...?" he mumbled under his breath.
His fingers twitched as he stared at the glowing words. His mind struggled to process it.
Was this some kind of joke?
He rubbed his eyes, hoping the strange hologram would disappear. But it didn't. It was still there, hovering in the air as if it was part of reality itself.
Panic rising, he threw off his blanket and bolted toward the bathroom, his bare feet slamming against the cold floor.
He needed to see himself.
"Am I a fucking robot or something?!" he shouted, half-hysterical.
He burst into the bathroom and stood before the mirror. His breath came fast and shallow as he reached out, touching his own arms, his chest, his face—everything felt normal. Warm skin, steady pulse, no signs of injury.
But there was a problem.
He couldn't see his own reflection.
The holographic screen was blocking his view.
It was floating right in front of him, completely obscuring his face. No matter how he moved, it stayed in place, refusing to let him see past it.
Liam clenched his fists and forced himself to breathe.
"Calm down... just calm down..." he muttered to himself.
Slowly, he turned his attention back to the glowing text.
> [Lust System]
His brows furrowed.
"What the hell does that even mean?"
He scrolled his eyes down to the mission displayed underneath.
> [Mission - Conquer The World and Its Beauties]
His jaw tightened.
What kind of ridiculous mission was this?
He let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his messy hair. This didn't make any sense. He wasn't some kind of conqueror. He could barely stand up for himself, let alone conquer the world.
And beauties?
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
"How the fuck am I supposed to conquer the world's beauties if I can't even conquer my own fear?" he muttered under his breath.
He stared at the screen again, half-expecting it to disappear or change. But it stayed exactly the same, glowing ominously.
Liam exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
"Am I... in the afterlife? Is that it?" he mumbled to himself. "Did I die? And this is... what? Some kind of weird reincarnation?"
But before he could think further—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
His alarm clock suddenly blared from his nightstand, the loud, repetitive sound making him jump.
Liam turned sharply toward the noise, his heart still pounding.
The glowing screen in front of him didn't disappear. It remained floating, unmoving, as if waiting for him to acknowledge it.
His eyes darted toward the alarm clock.
It was the same as always.
The same alarm. The same time. The same morning routine.
Then which part was real?
Was this moment the dream?
Or was the part where he was hit by the car the illusion?
He didn't know anymore.
All he knew was that nothing made sense.
And something told him... this was only the beginning.
****
Support With Power Stones