The faint morning light crept through the cheap curtains of the cramped apartment.
Nox woke to the sound of tricycles and the smell of fried garlic from a distant karinderya. His stomach twisted painfully.
He blinked, half-expecting to still see the glowing system window from last night.
But there was only the dull grey of morning.
The events of the previous night replayed in his head — the God System, the Mind Realm, the skills, the rush of power. And then the memory of that cruel little number:
> ₱0 remaining.
"Damn," he muttered, pressing a hand to his stomach as it growled.
The ache wasn't just hunger — it was guilt.
I gambled my food money on magic.
But when he thought of the Eye of Truth and Copy Record, the pain dulled slightly.
If those skills were real — if the Mind Realm wasn't a dream — then maybe that ₱500 wasn't wasted. Maybe it was the start of something else.
Still, he needed to eat.
His eyes wandered across the room: thin blankets folded by the corner, a small electric fan humming weakly, the shadows of his sisters still asleep.
His STA: 3.5 made sure every muscle ached from nothing more than lying down.
Manual labor? Impossible.
He'd collapse before noon.
That left only one option.
His mind.
---
He opened the cracked mirror beside the wall and whispered,
"Status."
The faint interface appeared like frost forming on glass.
> INT: 6 (+0.1)
STR: 4 | AGI: 3 | STA: 3.5 | LCK: 1
Skills: Eye of Truth (L), Copy Record (R)
Balance: ₱0
That +0.1 wasn't there last night.
He stared at it, realizing the System was watching everything — even his thoughts, his hunger, his determination.
"Alright…" he whispered. "If I can't earn with my body, I'll use my brain."
The Eye of Truth flickered at his command. His gaze sharpened — colors deepened, and faint labels appeared over objects and people when he looked around.
> [Cha – Fatigue: 48% | Emotion: Mild Stress | Intent: Sleep for 30 more minutes]
[Old Notebook – Content Value: Low | Reusability: 80%]
And when he looked outside — through the cracked window — he caught glimpses of words above people's heads.
> [Student – Allowance: ₱2,000/week]
[Vendor – Earnings: ₱700/day]
[Professor – Hourly Rate: ₱600/class]
That's when it clicked.
There was money in knowledge.
He couldn't lift cement bags or serve tables all day, but he could teach.
He just needed to teach something valuable — something hard enough that the rich kids would pay anything for it.
His lips curved into a thin smile.
"Tutoring, huh…"
---
Two hours later, after a quick rinse and a borrowed ₱10 from Cha ("Just for jeepney fare, promise"), Nox arrived at the University of the Visayas library.
It wasn't grand, but to him it was a palace of opportunity — rows of thick textbooks, silent students, and the faint hum of fluorescent lights.
He activated Eye of Truth discreetly. Texts shimmered faintly in his vision, labels floating above the covers.
> [Basic Algebra – Low Demand | Value: ₱0.00]
[Organic Chemistry – Medium Demand | High Difficulty | Limited Market]
[Engineering Calculus – Very High Demand | Difficulty: 9.5/10 | Profit Potential: 400%]
He grinned.
"That's the one."
He glanced around — no librarian in sight. He slipped the Engineering Calculus textbook open and whispered,
"Copy Record."
A faint blue light rippled across the pages.
Words lifted off the paper like fireflies, vanishing into thin air.
In the Mind Realm, the massive table flickered to life — and a spectral copy of the entire textbook appeared, floating above the wooden surface like a digital phantom.
Nox exhaled in relief.
To anyone else, it looked like he was just reading.
But in truth, he had stolen an entire course's worth of knowledge.
---
He returned to the apartment, his stomach protesting again.
Ignoring it, he sat cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes, and entered the Mind Realm.
Darkness.
Silence.
Then the familiar table, grand and infinite, came to life.
At its center, the Calculus textbook glowed faintly.
He reached out and placed a hand over it.
Instantly, his entire consciousness was flooded.
Formulas, derivatives, integrals — numbers and graphs cascaded through his mind like lightning.
His heart raced, his brain screaming under the pressure of pure knowledge.
But here, inside the Mind Realm, he was a god.
And gods do not falter.
His comprehension multiplied a thousandfold. Every page unfolded perfectly. Every symbol made sense.
What would take a normal student three months, he devoured in fifteen minutes.
When he opened his eyes again in the real world, his body was drenched in sweat — but his mind was razor-sharp.
He whispered,
"Status."
> INT: 6.5 → 6.6
Skill Progress: Copy Record (R) → 12% Proficiency
His lips twitched into a grin.
So effort did matter, even in the System's eyes.
---
He took a deep breath and opened his battered second-hand phone.
He opened a Facebook study group and typed slowly:
> "Guaranteed Mastery: Engineering Calculus Tutoring – One-on-One Premium Lessons.
₱500 per hour. Limited Slots. Payment after first session if satisfied."
He hesitated, then hit post.
₱500 an hour was insane. Most tutors charged ₱150–₱200.
But that was the point — high price meant rich clients.
And rich clients meant stability.
He waited. Minutes passed.
Then—
> [Quest Triggered!]
A translucent message blinked into view before his eyes.
> [Quest: Fund the Future]
Objective: Establish a steady income stream generating at least ₱1,000/week for one month.
Reward: +0.1 INT | 1 Skill Upgrade Point
Failure: Penalty to Morale (-5%)
He exhaled slowly. "So the System wants me to work for it, huh?"
His stomach growled again. "Fine. I'll play your game."
---
Hours passed. He refreshed the post again and again.
Nothing.
No messages, no replies — just a few likes from random students.
He was about to give up when a notification popped up.
> Messenger: 1 New Message.
He tapped it open.
💬 From: Emma Agunza
> "Hey, are you the one offering that Calculus mastery thing? ₱500/hr, right? My dad can cover it if it's worth it. I'm failing my prelims. Can you guarantee I'll pass?"
Nox smiled faintly, the reflection of his glowing interface flickering in his eyes.
> "If you fail," he replied, "I'll tutor you for free until you don't."
A few seconds passed.
Then—
> "Deal. Can we start tomorrow? I'll send ₱500 GCash for the first session."
The notification dinged, and for the first time in days, Nox saw the number rise.
> ₱500 received.
He leaned back, grinning weakly. "₱500… huh. Looks like I just broke even."
The System flickered again.
> [Quest Progress: 10% Completed]
Nox closed his eyes. For the first time since coming to Cebu, the crushing weight of despair eased slightly.
He had no idea where this System would take him — or what it meant to be the Chosen Mind.
But one thing was certain:
He wasn't just surviving anymore.
He was building something.