Once Archer returned to the room, he started to watch all the news videos and read articles related to him one by one. He didn't miss out on any of them.

As time passed, his expression twisted in rage, and he glared at his phone screen. His 'best friends' Cade and Brendon had portrayed him as a man drowning in debts. His company was shown to be running at a loss and they manipulated the world to believe that the loan sharks and the banks were after him.

Once again, his dream resurfaced in his mind and Archer narrowed his eyes. He didn't know what game the two were playing. But a seed of doubt had sprouted in him.

"I hope the truth isn't what I think it to be. Otherwise, don't blame me once I lose my mind," he warned as he stared at his image on the screen.

Right at that moment, a floating interface appeared before him, startling him.

[System Activation Initiated...]

[Welcome to C.A.L.I.X.]

[Cognitive Artificial Logic and Intelligence Exchange]

[Syncing User Profile... Complete]

"Who are you?" Archer jumped to his feet and looked around him vigilantly. His gaze was as sharp as a tiger's as he surveyed the place carefully.

[User Detected: Archer Reid]

[Secondary Identifier: Archie Brooks (Deceased)]

[Processing Anomalous Status...]

The floating interface continued to load before him while all Archer could do was look at it in alarm.

[You have been selected for reconfiguration and resurgence.]

[Your existence has been rewritten. Purpose: Unknown.]

[Integration with C.A.L.I.X. begins now.]

"Who the fuck are you? What is happening?" Archer was spooked and he kept looking around in confusion.

CALIX: I am Cognitive Artificial Logic and Intelligence Exchange or C.A.L.I.X. You can call me CALIX. I will be aiding you to become the best actor of the millennium.

A mechanical voice replied to him and Archer stiffened instantly.

"Who are you? Show yourself to me," Archer growled as he shifted to a ready-to-attack mode.

CALIX.: Let us check your stats, shall we?

With that, a floating interface appeared in front of him again and Archer froze in his spot on seeing it. His expression flickered as he tried to discern what was happening to him.

[ARCHER REID]

[Tier 0: Stuntsman]

[Core Stats]

[Charisma - Level 1: Novice]

Stolen novel; please report.

[Talent (Acting) - Level 1: Novice]

[Talent (Stunt Execution) - Level 4: Competant]

[Agility - Level 3: Novice]

[Endurance - Level 7: Expert]

[Creativity - Level 1: Novice]

[Skills Tree]

Unlocked while performing a scene.

[Performance Rating]

[Chemistry]

[Stunt Coordination]

[Voice Modulation]

[Stage/Camera Presence]

[Expression Mastery]

[Improvisation]

[System-Specific Features]

[Reputation Meter - 0.3%]

[Karma Counter - 0]

[Resource Allocation - 1/10]

[Insight Level - 1/10]

[Hidden Stats]

Hidden for now.

[Challenge Metrics]

Hidden for now.

[Special Abilities]

None.

[System Energy Points (SEP): 0]

Archer didn't know what was happening. A lot of details popped up on the holographic interface. He couldn't make a head or tail of it. However, he fairly had an inkling as to where this was going.

He recalled the movie he had seen, in which the protagonist gained a system out of nowhere. He was assigned missions, and upon completion, he was rewarded, while punishment followed on failure.

Archer had only been watching the movie to pass the time. But he soon became invested in it and ended up watching the entire movie.

"Don't tell me!" Archer was still in disbelief as he kept staring at the holographic screen. "Someone tell me I am dreaming."

CALIX: Would you like to check today's task? It will be refreshed after twenty-four hours.

Archer didn't respond. He was too stunned to speak anything. Everything felt like a fantasy dream to him.

CALIX: With every task you complete, you'll be granted System Energy Points which you can use to unlock special abilities. There are other tasks as well - Easy, Medium, and Hard. You will be rewarded depending on your choice.

This time, Archer broke out of his thoughts. He read the words on the screen again. Although he had a lot of questions, he didn't know where to start.

"Umm... why is my acting talent at level 1? Shouldn't I be an expert?"

CALIX: You are now Archer Reid, not Archer Brooks. All your stats are measured taking this into consideration.

Archer wasn't satisfied. He was a superstar. How could he be a novice at acting? But he didn't argue and continued to study the holographic screen. He more or less understood everything until he reached the System-Specific Features.

Karma Counter? What was that?

"CALIX, what is this Karma Counter?"

CALIX: Karma Counter reflects the moral implications of your actions. If you are treading the wrong path, the points will decrease. Just know that it can go negative as well.

Archer's lips parted as he digested all that he was forced to accept out of nowhere.

"What are Hidden Stats and Challenge Metrics? Why are they hidden?"

CALIX: Hidden Stats is for the system to evaluate you. Depending on your performance, you will be assigned tasks in the future. As for Challenge Metrics, it will be unlocked once your Reputation Level increases.

"Ahh!" Archer exclaimed in realization and he nodded thoughtfully.

CALIX: Would you like to check your daily task for today? It will be reset after twenty-four hours.

"Well, sure." Intrigued, Archer decided to entertain the system.

[Daily task unlocked. Today's task: Complete a Small Stunt Challenge]

[Reward: +50 SEP]

[Failure Penalty: No penalty]

CALIX: You have to learn and execute a backflip without any help. You have twenty-three hours, and fourteen minutes left to complete the mission.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Archer was flummoxed by the task assigned to him. He had expected it to be something trivial, like acting out a scene or something similar.

Backflip? Who? He? Archer sucked at anything related to acrobatics. Moreover, even in his movies, he had made use of stuntsman.

"Are you setting me up for a failure?" he questioned, now suspicious of the system.

Of course, he didn't receive any reply from the system.

"Can I skip the task? There's no punishment for not completing it anyway?"

CALIX: You can. However since you'll be evaluated on your performance, you may not receive any points. It might impact your future tasks.

Archer gritted his teeth and let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'll end up with broken bones before I even complete the task," Archer said in distress and tugged at his hair.

CALIX: You are Archer Reid now. Use your skills to your advantage.

"Easy for you say. Do you think it is easy for me to adapt to this life all of a sudden? Fuck it! I don't know." Aiden kicked his leg in the air and lay on the bed. "I'll think about it in the morning. How do I close this thing?"

Barely had he finished speaking, when the screen vanished, rendering Archer bereft of speech once again.