---

At the small park beside Marikina Polytechnic University's track fields, Katherine Cole was shouting at Lucas Salvatore, her tall, skinny boyfriend, a 22-year-old third-year Civil Engineering student.

"Lucas, let's end this; I don't want you in my life!"

"Sorry, Kath, what did you say? Why? How could you say that? What did I do? Are you upset? You know what? You're so mean," replied Lucas, completely taken aback.

Lucas Salvatore and Katherine Cole had been friends since junior high, and but Lucas had been courting Katherine since grade nine. At last they started dating during their senior year.

Lucas's family history was not particularly good. He wasn't particularly handsome, but he was attractive; he was simply too hesitant to express himself. He wasn't despised by girls in high school either. Nevertheless, he excelled in his academics and was extraordinarily talented. He was the family's breadwinner, a kind older brother to his two siblings, and someone who valued family.

Katherine Cole was also good; she was the most attractive woman in the class, although modest. She excelled in her studies, comparable to Lucas.

The teacher at the time frequently advised Lucas to quit dating Katherine, citing the possibility that he would be the cause of her downfall, as well as the fact that they were too young for so-called love and would neglect their academics.

The school counselor counseled the two at the time, and they promised to continue their studies. Yes, it was fruitful. When they graduated from high school, they both passed the Marikina Polytechnic University entrance exam. Without knowing it, some of their classmates envied them for being a pair.

Katherine continued to push Lucas away over time; she maintained a distance for nearly a year and was still doing so.

Lucas never expected Katherine to suddenly announce the end of their relationship.

But, of course, Lucas was fully aware of the changes. When Lucas invited Katherine on a date and she declined, she usually had an excuse. Katherine's thoughts were always elsewhere when they were together; she lacked the energy that Lucas had and tended to become enraged when questioned.

At 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Lucas discovered Katherine driving a luxurious car and posting images online, feeling content with a trust fund and a decadent man in their class.

Lucas simply persuaded himself that there might be a party with her friends and classmates.

However, a week later, Katherine unexpectedly proposed ending their relationship and breaking up with Lucas, making Lucas's heart more sensitive and heavy, as if it were about to shrink. He had also been overthinking.

"Let's end our relationship and take our separate paths without having any remorseful feelings. I think this is better for both of us."

"Kathy, will you explain and enlighten me? Is it because of Joseph Bartolome?"

"So you know? What if I say that he is?" she said and chuckled.

"Katherine, come back to me. Joseph isn't good; he's up to no good. He was a messed-up youngster, and he's most likely playing you. Every day, he dates several women, one of whom became pregnant."

"I am concerned about you, as you are aware," Lucas pleaded, trying to save Katherine.

"Alright, Lucas, this is the last time; I will never come back to you. I'm here to tell you to stop this, and put it in your mind that there's no chance between us and everything is over," Katherine said angrily.

"And will you please stop pestering me?" she asked.

Lucas ignored her advice and kept attempting to stop Katherine from leaving.

"Kath, look, listen to me. Joseph isn't good; he's been fooling you and putting you in the wrong direction. Wait, I'll go to Joseph and tell him this!"

---

Abruptly, there was a loud smack.

Katherine slapped Lucas across the face. "Lucas, stop this nonsense. You're lying and making a fool of yourself. And to tell you the truth, I really like Joseph; he's been with me for a while now. My mistake was not telling you sooner that I didn't want to be with you. Your mindset is all wrong. What? When we graduate and start a family, we'll just work hard to make money and barely get by? I don't want that! I want a stable life, with someone I can depend on, unlike you. Who do you think you are?"

"What can you give me?"

"Look at this blouse, this bag, this phone, and these sandals I'm wearing. They were all gifts from Joseph. Happy now? If I'd stayed with you, what could you have given me? Nothing, so shut up."

Lucas tried once more. "But Joseph is just using you; he's not even serious about you."

"Oh, shut up, Mr. Salvatore. It's offensive to backstab someone like this, you know."

Out of nowhere, a voice could be heard. A man in a branded suit walked over and hugged and kissed Katherine.

Katherine threw herself into Joseph Bartolome's arms. She winked and kissed him back. "You're here, Joseph."

Lucas's heart shattered upon seeing this.

He understood that once a woman makes a decision, it's nearly impossible to change her mind.

Finally, he concluded, "I hope you never regret the choice you made."

He was all set to walk away when Joseph called out, "Mr. Salvatore, wait, can we talk?"

Turning to face Katherine, Joseph said, "You go first. I'll meet you later at the Empire Hotel. Here's my gold membership card; use it."

"I've already broken up with him. There's no point," Katherine remarked, clearly unhappy with how her day had gone. "Let's go, Joseph. Just forget about him. Don't pay attention to this scumbag."

"Don't worry, this won't take long. Wait for me there. And by the way, I've already booked some VIP rooms."

"All right."

Lucas, on the other hand, mumbled, "For goodness' sake, what a shame."

Katherine slowly disappeared as she headed to the Empire Hotel.

"What? Spill it. Hurry up; I don't want to waste my time. If you believe that I'll be heartbroken and suffer because the love of my life left me, you're wrong. I can pursue many girls out there, but getting back the same girl who did this to me? Never."

"I just want you to be happy, Lucas. Smile. "

Joseph approached Lucas and whispered in his ear, "Do you know how hot your ex-girlfriend is? I bet you didn't even touch her during your relationship. She's amazing, and she tastes so good. It's hilarious, Mr. Salvatore, that your woman kept dancing around me and she is now with me at a five-star hotel you can't afford."

"Hahahahaha."

"Okay, are you done? I'll go now," Lucas said, turning to leave.

But Joseph stopped him.

"Oh right, you can go. But before you do, let me give you something to remember."

He suddenly kicked Lucas and punched him in the stomach. Lucas was startled and didn't have the strength to fight back.

"You know what I hate? People who disrespect me," Joseph said, punching Lucas again and then kicking him.

Lucas couldn't even stand up to fight. He did not expect Joseph Bartolome to be such a schemer.

"Are you a man, Lucas? Fight me! Look at you, lying on the floor, vomiting blood. Pathetic," Joseph added, spitting on Lucas's face before walking away.

Bloody-eyed, Lucas lay on the floor, remembering how beautiful he and Katherine had been together. He had only kissed her all year long without getting a chance to score, especially since Katherine had stopped him, letting him know that after they got married, he could have it all.

Having been together, this unexpected circumstance didn't seem likely. For quite some time now, she had been unfaithful to him. The most memorable discovery was this one.

A blinding flash of light engulfed his entire face as he was ready to stand up, and a torrent of blood shot out of his mouth as he passed out.

A week later, Lucas finally woke up. He felt weak and had limited strength. A doctor, who was changing his IV fluids, noticed it.

"Hello, I'm your doctor. You have been unconscious since last week. Someone found you lying in a small park at Marikina Polytechnic University, and thankfully the rescuers managed to get you to the ER in time. You are currently in the hospital."

"I didn't mean to shock you. How are you feeling?" the doctor asked.

"I feel weak, doc. My stomach still hurts a little," Lucas responded.

"As your medical results indicate, you have sustained abdominal injuries. Specifically, you have a blunt abdominal trauma that has damaged your retroperitoneum and a small part of your liver. Additionally, it is evident from the results that this was not an accident. The damage to the side of your stomach suggests an assault, which has resulted in a laceration," the doctor explained seriously.

"If you are not treated promptly, this condition could become serious. The laceration and internal damage can lead to life-threatening complications if left untreated."

Lucas was speechless and shivered upon hearing this information. If he had been left behind and no one helped him, he would have died. He then said to himself, "Thank God I'm alive."

"Doc, am I being discharged now?"

"Nope. Since you just woke up after a week, you will not be discharged immediately. You will be continuously monitored and further treatment is necessary to ensure your condition stabilizes. At least five days more," she added.

"Anyway, I'm Dr. Jannie Anne Cabrera, your specialist."

In the blink of an eye, five days passed, and Lucas was ready to be discharged.

A doctor came in and said, "You are going to be discharged this afternoon. Your injuries have improved, and we saw signs of healing. However, you still need to rest as your body is frail and your well-being isn't good enough."

"Note that your body needs nutrients; eat healthy food rich in protein, calcium, iron, and potassium. Eat more vegetables and fruits, and exercise daily," she said.

Dr. Cabrera handed him a wooden box and a letter. "Someone visited you and gave you this wooden box; he also left a note for you."

"I got it, Dr. Cabrera. Thank you."

"My pleasure."

A few minutes later, after the doctor left the ward, Lucas opened the wooden box and saw a silver-like diamond shape with a golden lining. He didn't understand it or its purpose, so he read the letter left for him.

"Dear chosen host, I will not tell you my name. This note is to inform you that if you open the wooden box, you need to drop your blood on it. If you are curious, you will know more after you do what I told you. After dropping your blood, put your hands on it, and this thing will explain everything."

Following the mysterious man's instructions, the diamond-shaped object with a silver and gold lining immediately became a liquid that surged inside his body and was automatically ingested, becoming permanently implanted.

Lucas suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head and could feel abnormalities in his body. He was sweating and overheating.

"Argh, why is my head in so much pain and why do I feel so hot, damn it?"

After saying this, he saw something in front of him.

Interface Overview:

[Alert: body is weak - select optimal]

...

[Scanning and analyzing...]

[Data processing: 10%...80%...99%...100%. Please wait...]

[Welcome host: Lucas Salvatore]

[Health status: Optimal (normal)]

[Upgrade points available: 10]

[Account balance: $51,000,000,000,000,000 dollar]

main dashboard to upgrade overview:

[Available points: 10]

[Account balance:51,000,000,000,000,000 dollar]

-Health Overview

[Heart rate: 75 bpm]

[Blood pressure: 120/80]

[Mind activity: Normal] ability:0

[Physical abilities : 0 level: 0

-Menu: [Physical Upgrades | Mind Upgrades | Diagnostics | History]

Lucas selected "Physical Upgrades."

Available:Strength Enhancement

Display: "Strength Enhancement

[Current Level: 1]

[Upgrade Cost: 2 points]

[Upgrade Button]"

Lucas selected the Upgrade Button to continue.

You selected: Strength Enhancement Level 2.

[Cost: 2 points]

Lucas tapped "Confirm Upgrade."

"[Upgrading...]"

[Diagnostic & monitoring]:

[Scanning... All systems normal.]

Alert: No alerts.

[History...]

Display: Strength Enhancement Level 1 upgraded to Level 2.

[Host, be advised that this system is linked to your bank account, allowing for seamless transfer of funds between the in-app balance and the bank. Click 'manage account' to proceed.]

Deposit:

The host can add funds from their bank account to the in-app balance.

Withdrawal:

The host can transfer funds from the in-app balance to their bank account. You can use fingerprint, face recognition, or password.

[This integration allows the host to not only manage their enhancement points but also use the system as a practical financial tool, making it highly versatile and user-friendly.]

[Rules:

Use strong passwords: Protect your account with a strong password. Enable multi-factor authentication for added security.]

"Damn it, is this system a kind of joke? Am I dreaming or just mentally ill? I hope not," he thought to himself.

Suddenly, the door of his ward opened, and it was Dr. Cabrera coming in. Lucas then asked, "Doc, can you slap me on my face? I feel like I'm dreaming and I just want to be sure."

The doctor was taken aback and said, "No, sir. We don't do that here. I'm a doctor to treat your illness, not to treat you like that."

"Please, doctor, I promise I won't hold you accountable. Just slap me once," he pleaded and swore.

Slap!

A sharp sound echoed from the hard slap.

"Ouch! So it wasn't a dream, it's true."

"Are you okay? I told you, I'm really sorry."

"No, doc, it's okay. I'm fine, perfectly fine."

Then he started to feel awkward for a moment. Upon realization, he got up and felt that his body had undergone some changes and he had his strength back.

"Maybe it's due to the system. Wait, I'll fix this at home then," he said to himself.

"Thank you, doc, for taking care of me. I should be discharged by now, it's already noon," Lucas said, ready to leave the ward.

"Oh, it's okay. A pleasure is mine, Mr. Salvatore. Goodbye, and make sure to rest more and keep your health in good condition," Dr. Cabrera bid him farewell.