It was already 7 a.m. by the time Parker got home, but since it was the weekend—and weekends in the Blackwood household were sacred for doing absolutely nothing—everyone was still sleeping like rocks.
Unlocking the front door, Parker slipped inside. The house was eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the fridge and the occasional sound of his footsteps.
He didn't linger. Heading straight for his sanctuary—or as close to one as he had—he climbed the rickety stairs up to the attic, his room.
Calling it a "room" was generous. The attic was more like a glorified storage space that someone had begrudgingly cleared out for him.
The ceiling slanted low, forcing Parker to crouch near the walls, and the single window was so dusty it barely let in any sunlight. Cobwebs hung in the corners like creepy curtains, and the whole place smelled faintly of old wood and mildew.
In the center sat a bed that looked like it might collapse if you sneezed too hard, a secondhand desk covered in random notebooks and snack wrappers, and a PC—strangely a MacBook thanks to his job.
The place wasn't great compared to everyone in the house, but hey, at least he had a roof over his head, right?
Dropping his bag in some random corner, Parker collapsed onto the bed like a dying man in a desert. The springs groaned under his weight.
This was his life. Wake up. School. Job. Home. Rinse, repeat. It wasn't just boring—it was suffocating. Every day felt like a noose tightening around his neck. He hated it, hated all of it.
"I'm done," he muttered, staring up at the cracked ceiling. "I'm not living anymore!"
It was a declaration, a promise to himself. Sure, he knew quitting his job meant crossing his boss, and crossing her meant a one-way ticket to who-knows-what.
Death probably? But seriously, what did he even have to lose?
His mind drifted to the things he'd miss. His precious web novels, where overpowered protagonists crushed enemies like flies. His mangas, packed with epic adventures and harems he could only dream of. His animes, full of worlds way better than this dumpster fire called reality.
And, of course, his video games—the only escapes he had, even if he had to sneak around to play them.
But were those enough to keep going? Nah, probably not.
"Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll die and reincarnate into one of those worlds," Parker mused with a bitter laugh. At least there, he could be the boss of his own life. No aunts, no uncles, no psychotic bosses—just freedom.
As if the universe had heard his sarcastic little wish, something strange happened.
[Ding! A Celestial has heard your cry and granted you a system, The Wishfuling System!] Parker sat up immediately on the bed, staring at the black and blue holographic screen before him.
"My fucking luck finally!" He shouted in happiness. Was he crazy to believe this? No, Parker was smart enough that no hurricanations would be , not in his life at least. Parker wasn't the kind to daydream the impossible.
If the impossible was happening, it had to be real.
"My cheat....my golden finger!" How many fantasy urban novels had he read? Now it was happening to him and his story...
[System Integration started... 1%... 10%..] As the system was counting, Parker got up, jolted form his excitement by the integration notification; he knew what was going to happen. He was about to become an entertainment for celestial entities.
He was being offered a gift that would let him explore the impossible unknowns and reach unimaginable feats known to humans, but with all he knew about situations ...
The hosts are not exactly limitless and not always allowed to explore everything there is the system can offer; they were limited to what the system was capable of by the system creators, and he was about to end up in the same fate.
"No, I won't accept that!" He let out as he stood up, his brain he had abandoned started working, he had only a few seconds at best.
The loading bar hovered in his vision, its progress agonizingly slow.
[System integration... 70%...]
A wicked grin spread across his face. This was his chance—a chance to do something no one in those countless web novels, manga, or anime he had consumed ever truly tried. This was the "Break the damn system before it breaks me" moment!"
He took a deep breath, steadying himself. As if he had planned this moment a thousand times over in his head, his voice firm, confident, and just a tad bit manic...
"Here goes nothing...
"System, this is an order from your HOST. You will give me an incredible beginner welcome package, which will include in it; a way to change my appearance to perfection, YOU will have an Ultimate Choice function, YOU will create a 10x rebate or cashback feature for every cent I spend. YOU will assign missions and provide astronomical rewards for each one I accomplish. And finally, YOU will retain all your original functions, but YOU will not—I repeat—YOU will NOT dictate my path!"
He exhaled sharply, his words spilling out in a single breath like he'd rehearsed it in the mirror for weeks.
All those three systems functions/features were his favorite in urban genre novels and mangas: the Ultimate Choice function, Rebate/Cashback function, and then the Mission function!
[System integration... 85%...]
"Come on, come on," he muttered under his breath he was barely holding up. Was it working?
His theory was simple: The system was still in its uploading phase, syncing with his soul. During this critical stage, its essence—its connection to its creator—was still malleable, flexible, and unformed. If he acted now, his orders would carry the same weight as the original creator's. It would be like it's creator giving out the orders since currently there wasn't supposed to be any form of interaction between him and it.
There a gap was created—a loophole he always thought one would utilize to make the system theirs. His understanding after reading a lot of novels. At this level, the system couldn't differentiate him and it's creator.
At least, that's what he believed. He wasn't just some random loser, after all. He was a genius. Not that anyone would ever admit it. There was a reason why a system would have few seconds to integration after entering the host. To his understanding, this was untethering it from it's creator before fully binding with it's host—the slave or the comedic relief for whoever created them.
But if this failed, he might even lose the system; that's what he thinks, yet he embraced the challenge wholly.
[System integration... 99%...]
His heart raced as he stared at the final percentage creeping up. He didn't know if this would work, but if it did, he'd have successfully hacked the system before it could even establish itself.
[Ding! Integration complete!]
The ding echoed in his mind like a victory bell.
[Congratulations, Host, for acquiring the system!]
His pulse quickened. This was it—the moment of truth.
[New System functions initializing...]
New System? Did it work?
He held his breath, anticipation and excitement warring with his nerves.
[Ding! System upgraded! System override occurred. The New System has fully integrated with the Host...
New System: Urban Plundering System!
Congratulations, Host, for acquiring the Urban Plundering System...