Chapter 5: The First Mission
He wasn't dreaming; the system was real.
At first, he initially thought that his eyes were playing tricks on him, but when he tried saying 'system' in the comfort of his own bedroom late that night, the status window reappeared.
He scanned absentmindedly through his stats. These are all abilities an aspiring celebrity should have in order to survive in the industry.
He wanted to laugh hysterically. So, even in this world, he still couldn't escape the entertainment industry's clutches. Only this time, instead of manipulating things in the background, he would be directly standing underneath the spotlight.
Fate must love playing tricks on him.
A notification popped up.
[ You have one unread mail ]
He arched an eyebrow, partly in curiosity, partly in amusement. Somehow, the system's settings made him nostalgic. They reminded him of a short, yet memorable part of his adolescence. During his brief rebellious period as a teen, he had discovered the existence of games and had immensely enjoyed playing them. The fun lasted until his father discovered the reason for his failing grades and took his gaming console away, grounding him in his room with nothing but his school books and notes for company (he wasn't even allowed to read novels for fun) for an entire month. Albert Vaughn even had a couple of tutors employed to monitor his progress.
Ah, those were indeed the times…
He tapped experimentally on the screen.
[ First Mission: Get Scouted by an Agent ]
Clear Condition: Attract a mob while singing in the streets.
Requirements: None
Time Limit: 20 hours, 55 minutes, 15 seconds
Rewards: 500 gold coins
Jaxon's eyes glittered in interest. He dared not hope, but…
"Can this be exchanged for real money?"
[ Answering host, yes. Ten gold coins is equivalent to five dollars. ]
Meaning, if he managed to complete the mission, he would have 250 dollars on hand. God knows how desperate he is for money right now.
He used to blow hundreds of thousands of dollars in a day for things that caught his eye but didn't necessarily need (I.e. luxury cars and brand new watches, to name a few), treating money as loose change. Now that he was placed in this situation and was finally made aware of the importance of money, every cent is worth everything.
"What happens if I can't finish the mission within the allotted time?" he asked again.
A shrill alarm blared out, echoing loudly in his ears. He panicked for a moment, his ears straining for the sound of footsteps running to his door (Jayden's mother would definitely skin him alive if she finds him still awake at this hour), before relaxing when the coast remains clear. It seems he is the only one who could hear the alarm. Maybe the only one who could see the system, too.
WARNING: Failure to complete the mission will result in a penalty.
His interest was piqued. A penalty, huh? Interesting.
A yawn escaped his mouth, unbidden. A quick glance at the digital clock on his bedside table told him that it was already five minutes past three in the morning. His gaze drew back to the still hovering status window.
He clicked 'Close'.
He'll ponder about his mission in the morning. For now, sleep is calling.
***
Jayden's voice was surprisingly good.
When he tried singing the song, 'Butterfly', (a popular 80s song about the innocence and exuberance of youth) as a way to test his vocal skills, he found he wasn't half bad. His technique was admittedly still lacking, and it was obvious he was struggling with high notes (he couldn't help but wince when his keen ears caught the moment when he'd gone slightly off key while singing the chorus upon replaying the recording), but all in all, it was passable.
It certainly wasn't enough to draw a huge crowd, but he was confident he could at least sway a few people into listening to his performance. Also, his good looks was another asset he's going to utilize.
After all, whose heart wouldn't melt when they see a handsome youth earnestly pouring out his passion for everyone to see?
His next step was procuring an instrument. In his previous life, he'd learned to play the piano under the guidance of professional pedagogues, but he had also taught himself how to play a guitar.
Looking back, he remembered he only started playing the guitar to impress his eighth grade crush. But he soon found it enjoyable, and continued learning it on his own. He became so good at it that he started participating in school-based music competitions and winning each and every time, until the Music Club eventually approached him with every intention to recruit him into their club.
But his father, who didn't want him to associate with 'freaks' such as the Music Club, somehow got wind of the news and confiscated his guitar, scolding him all the while about wasting his precious study time on such a useless hobby.
That moment might have sparked his rebellious period, brief as it had been.
As the years passed, he hadn't had the opportunity to play the guitar again. Adulthood came with responsibilities and obligations that he had to fulfill, that such a trivial hobby never crossed his mind--not even once. In fact, he couldn't even remember the last time he did something for fun.
So, when he found an old guitar hidden deep within Jayden's closet, he couldn't believe his luck.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone