Chapter 7: Chapter 07 - The Game
Lucas stood in front of Clara's apartment door, her wallet in his hand. He raised his hand to knock but hesitated. His mind raced with all kinds of bad scenarios.
"If Charm of the Forbidden activates, I could be in big trouble. Her husband might think I'm trying to hit on his wife," Lucas thought, swallowing nervously.
He knocked gently, trying not to make too much noise. Footsteps echoed from inside, and the door opened slightly. Clara appeared, her eyes a bit swollen and her face looking tired—likely from last night's argument.
"Yes? Can I help you?" Clara asked in a confused tone.
Lucas gave an awkward smile and held up the wallet. "Sorry to bother you. I found this in the park earlier this morning. I think it's yours."
Clara's eyes widened as she recognized the wallet. "Oh my God, it is mine! Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, quickly grabbing it.
But just as Clara's hand nearly brushed his, Lucas stepped back slightly, trying to avoid any direct contact. He carefully observed her, waiting for signs of Charm of the Forbidden activating—a strange look, a shift in her demeanor, anything. But Clara simply smiled faintly as she checked the contents of her wallet.
Lucas felt odd. "Why isn't there any reaction? Is the system broken?" he thought, feeling slightly anxious.
Suddenly, a holographic notification popped up in the corner of his vision.
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[ System Notification ]
Charm of the Forbidden is inactive. Target does not meet criteria: Clara is not an unfaithful wife.
---
Lucas read the notification with mixed emotions. On the one hand, he was relieved that nothing bad happened. But on the other hand, for some reason, he felt slightly disappointed. "What the hell is this feeling?" he wondered, confused.
As he tried to process his emotions, the system suddenly displayed another message.
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[ Additional Notification ]
You seem disappointed, Host. Were you expecting more from this situation? Don't worry—there will be plenty of other opportunities ahead!
---
Lucas frowned, staring at the notification with a blank expression. "Are you serious, System? Are you mocking me now?"
The system's voice, neutral yet tinged with mockery, echoed in his mind.
[ Just stating facts, Host. You seemed a bit too eager about this ability. Don't get your hopes up. Not everyone will be charmed by you.]
Lucas let out a long sigh and waved the hologram away. "Even the system is judging me now. I really need to focus on more important things."
Clara, unaware of Lucas's internal conversation with the system, smiled again in gratitude. "Thanks so much. I didn't even realize I lost it. Do you live nearby?"
Lucas gave a small smile, keeping his tone light. "Yeah, I'm right next door. If you ever need anything, just let me know."
Clara nodded, still looking tired but genuinely thankful. "Alright. Thanks again, Lucas." She closed the door slowly, leaving Lucas standing in the hallway.
Lucas walked back to his apartment, still thinking about the system notification. "Why do I feel disappointed? Am I really starting to rely on this system for validation? This is ridiculous."
As he opened his apartment door, another holographic message appeared.
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[ System Note ]
At least you managed to keep things professional. Well done, Host. Don't worry—there will be plenty of targets meeting the criteria in the future.
---
Lucas rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the encouragement, System. So helpful," he muttered sarcastically before closing the door and collapsing onto his couch. "I seriously need to rethink my relationship with this system. Otherwise, it might get worse than just rainbow hair."
---
Lucas sat in front of his computer, trying to forget about the awkward interaction with Clara and the system's relentless teasing. He launched Eternal Blades with a clear goal: farm rare items and gold to sell for extra money. It was one of the fastest ways for him to make a living—something he'd been doing since he started playing the game seriously.
He logged into his account and smirked at his high-level character, fully equipped with top-tier gear and an inventory packed with valuable items. "Alright, time to get to work," he muttered.
Heading straight to a high-spawn area known for rare loot, Lucas moved quickly and efficiently, slaying monsters and collecting gold and items with ease. The familiar sound of coins clinking and loot dropping into his inventory gave him a sense of satisfaction. "Today might just be a jackpot," he thought.
But after a few minutes, the game suddenly froze. A warning message appeared in the center of his screen.
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[ ALERT ]
Your account has been temporarily suspended. Suspicious activity detected. Please contact customer support for further details.
---
Lucas stared at the screen, his jaw dropping. His heart started racing. "What? Suspended?!"
He tried logging back in, but the same message kept appearing. "This has to be a mistake. I didn't do anything wrong!" he muttered, though deep down, he knew that wasn't entirely true.
Frustrated, he opened the game's official forums and quickly skimmed the latest threads. It didn't take long to find heated discussions about a crackdown on players involved in gold or item selling. Most of the comments were celebrating the bans.
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"Finally! They're banning the people ruining this game!"
"This is great. Those guys are destroying the in-game economy."
"Gold sellers are garbage. They only care about money, not the balance of the game."
---
Lucas swallowed hard. The words stung like a slap to the face. He knew many players hated people like him—those who farmed for profit and disrupted the game's ecosystem. But this was the first time he truly felt the weight of that hatred.
"I didn't have a choice," Lucas thought, trying to justify himself. "I'm not doing this out of greed. I just need the money to survive."
No matter how much he rationalized, though, he couldn't deny that he had been caught—and that others saw him as part of the problem.
Taking a deep breath, Lucas drafted an email to customer support, hoping for a resolution. But he knew it would take time, and there was a high chance his account would be permanently banned.
"Damn it. If this happens, I really don't know how I'll manage," Lucas muttered, leaning back in his chair. The suspension message on his screen loomed like a grim reminder of his situation.
The system's voice suddenly broke the silence.
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"It seems the Host is experiencing an existential crisis. Do you require assistance in finding a creative solution?"
---
Lucas groaned, glaring at the holographic display. "System, could you not add to my stress right now?"
But the system's tone remained neutral, with a hint of smugness.
[ As a reminder, the Host possesses unique tools and resources to alter their fate. Don't hesitate to take risks and spin the wheel. ]
Lucas stared at the holographic screen and turned his face away. He knew exactly what the system meant: using the Ultimate Spin System as a lifeline.
"Huft... alright, at least I still have enough money from the Wealth Spin yesterday," Lucas exhaled in relief.
Ding...
This time, a notification appeared on his phone. His eyes widened. "What?"