Alex Carter sat slumped on his worn-out couch, staring at the dimly lit screen of his aging laptop. The small apartment he called home was a far cry from the life he had once imagined for himself. The walls were a dull, peeling beige, and the furniture was sparse—just a couch, a small coffee table, and a rickety desk tucked into the corner. A single window provided a view of the bustling city outside, but the noise and life beyond the glass felt distant, like something happening in another world.

Alex’s life had not turned out the way he’d hoped. In his late twenties, he had envisioned a successful career in the tech industry, a comfortable apartment in a trendy neighborhood, and a social life filled with interesting people and exciting experiences. Instead, he found himself stuck in a dead-end job as a social media manager for a small, struggling marketing firm. The pay was mediocre, the work was tedious, and the company was on the brink of folding.

At Level 32, Alex wasn’t exactly at the bottom, but he was far from the top. In a society where Reputation Points determined everything, from job opportunities to social status, Level 32 was respectable, but it wasn’t enough to open the doors to real success. Those at higher levels 50 and above enjoyed luxuries Alex could only dream of: the best jobs, high-end apartments, exclusive social circles. Below Level 10, people were seen as outcasts, almost criminal, struggling to survive in the shadows of the city's grandeur.

His phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts. Another notification from social media. Another reminder of how far behind he was compared to his peers. He scrolled through his feed, feeling the familiar sting of envy as he saw post after post of friends and acquaintances flaunting their latest achievements. Promotions, vacations, new cars, and lavish dinners all the things Alex wanted but couldn’t afford.

“How do they do it?” Alex muttered to himself, his frustration growing. “How does everyone else seem to have it all figured out?”

He set his phone down and rubbed his eyes. The truth was, Alex felt stuck. He was living paycheck to paycheck, barely able to cover rent and bills, let alone save for anything meaningful. The city around him was a constant reminder of what he didn’t have—luxury apartments, high-end stores, and trendy restaurants were all within walking distance, but they might as well have been a world away. The gap between his reality and the life he wanted felt insurmountable.

The world he lived in had become increasingly obsessed with status and reputation. Social media wasn’t just a place to share photos and updates; it had become a currency of its own. People’s lives were measured in likes, followers, and engagement rates. Reputation Scores, tracked by an app integrated into every aspect of life, determined everything from job opportunities to social circles. The higher your score, the more doors opened for you. Those with high scores lived in luxury, while those with lower scores, like Alex, struggled to get by.

Alex’s Reputation Score was a mediocre lv 32 . It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good enough to get him noticed, either. It was just… average. He had tried to improve it posting more frequently, curating his online presence, networking with people who had higher scores but nothing seemed to work. Every time he gained a few points, something would happen to knock him back down.

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The phone buzzed again. This time, it was an email notification. With a sigh, Alex clicked it open. The subject line read: "Urgent: Company Update.” His heart sank as he read the message from his boss, Mark. It was an emergency meeting scheduled for later that day—never a good sign. Alex had been through enough of these meetings to know that they usually meant bad news.

“This can’t be good,” he muttered, running a hand through his messy hair.

The clock ticked slowly as he waited for the meeting to start, the minutes dragging by in a haze of anxiety. When the time finally came, Alex logged into the video call, his stomach twisting in knots.

Mark appeared on the screen, his expression grim. “Thanks for joining, everyone,” he began, his voice lacking its usual energy. “I won’t beat around the bush. The company’s financial situation has deteriorated further, and we’ve made the difficult decision to downsize. Effective immediately, we’re letting go of several positions.”

Alex felt a cold wave of fear wash over him. He knew what was coming next.

“Alex, I’m sorry, but we have to let you go,” Mark said, his tone flat. “Your position has been eliminated.”

There it was the final blow. Alex’s heart pounded in his chest, and he struggled to find his voice. “Mark, please, I—”

“There’s nothing I can do,” Mark interrupted, shaking his head. “HR will be in touch with the details. I’m sorry, Alex.”

The screen went dark as the call ended, leaving Alex staring at his reflection in the black void of his laptop screen. Fired. Just like that. He had lost his job, his only source of income, and with rent due in a week, he was now in serious trouble.

“This can’t be happening,” Alex whispered, his hands trembling as he shut the laptop. He stood up, pacing the small apartment as panic set in. How was he going to pay his rent? What was he going to do now?

His phone buzzed again, but this time it wasn’t an email or a social media notification. It was something different—something he’d never seen before.

He picked up the phone, frowning at the strange message on the screen: “You have been selected. Unlock your potential. Tap here.”

“What is this?” Alex murmured, his thumb hovering over the screen. It looked like a scam, but something about it was… different. It felt almost personal, like it was meant specifically for him.

He hesitated, then shrugged. “What have I got to lose?” he muttered and tapped the notification.

The screen flashed brightly for a second before transitioning to a simple interface with bold text at the top: "Reputation System Activated."

Alex blinked, staring at the screen in confusion. “Reputation System? What the hell is this?”

A prompt appeared: "You have 1000 Reputation Points available. Use wisely."

Alex’s heart raced. Was this some kind of joke? A game? Before he could fully process what was happening, his phone rang again. It was Mark, calling back.

“Alex,” Mark’s voice came through, sounding unusually cheerful. “I just reviewed your profile again, and I think we made a mistake. We’re going to keep you on, after all. In fact, I’m giving you a raise—how does an extra $10,000 a year sound?”

Alex nearly dropped the phone in shock. “Wait, what? Yes, yes, of course! That’s… incredible. Thank you, Mark!”

“No problem, Alex. You’ve earned it,” Mark replied before hanging up.

Alex stared at his phone, the Reputation System still open on the screen. His Reputation Score had just jumped from 32 to 33.

“What just happened?” he whispered, sitting back down on the couch. It was as if the system had changed his life in an instant, turning his worst day into his best.

As he stared at the screen, realization dawned on him. “If this thing is real, I can do anything.”

A slow grin spread across Alex’s face as he leaned back on the couch, already imagining the possibilities. This mysterious system had just handed him the keys to the life he had always dreamed of, and he was ready to use it to its full potential.

The world outside his window suddenly didn’t seem so distant anymore. For the first time in a long while, Alex felt a spark of excitement. This was the beginning of something extraordinary, and he was ready to embrace it.