Making Moves
Max leaned back in his chair, staring at the screen of his phone. The system interface was still open in front of him. He had just leveled up again, hitting level 2. A few more quests completed, some new clients, and now he had more coins, XP, and an extra stat point to boost.
But it wasn't just the stat point that interested him. Max's thoughts drifted to his next steps. He'd been using the system to make money, but he knew that once he leveled up enough, the game would change.
His tutoring business was doing well, considering his limited resources. The extra pay from the system was helping, but it wasn't a permanent solution. He needed more. Much more.
Max tapped on the system's shop. He had 15 system coins, and while he hadn't been sure what to spend them on before, now he had a better idea.
The shop displayed a few options—some basic stat boosters, an efficiency boost, and a couple of other tools. He could get a strength potion to increase his physical endurance, but that didn't seem useful. He needed things that would push his business forward.
Max's eyes landed on the item he needed: a Business Expansion Pack. It cost 20 coins, so he couldn't afford it yet, but it was exactly what he needed. The description said it would give him access to new ways to market his services and manage his finances more effectively.
He swiped away from the shop and focused back on his stats. With the stat point from leveling up, he had the option to improve one of his attributes. His first thought was to boost Charisma, but that would only help him with clients and connections. He needed to focus on something that could really change his situation—something that could help him scale his business.
His mind raced. The Income Multiplier had already helped him make more money from his tutoring. If he could increase that multiplier somehow, it would be a game-changer. But that would likely come with leveling up the system itself. Max decided to focus on getting through his current quests and getting the coins he needed to unlock the business expansion tools.
His phone buzzed again. Another notification from the system.
New Quest Available: "Market Your Services"
Objective: Create a simple online ad campaign to reach new clients.Reward: 50 XP, 10 System Coins
Max rubbed his face. Another quest related to expanding his business. The system was giving him what he needed. He needed to take advantage of it, but he couldn't ignore the fact that his day-to-day cash flow was still tight. The extra coins from the system were helping, but they weren't enough to make him feel secure.
He checked his balance again. With the 5x income boost from the system, he was sitting at around $15,000 in his bank account. It was a decent amount of money, but Max knew he had to be strategic about how he spent it. He wasn't about to waste it all on unnecessary expenses, even if he could afford a few luxuries now.
Bank Balance: $15,000
It was a significant amount for him, but it still felt small when he thought about his long-term plans. He needed a cushion, a backup plan in case things didn't go as expected. He couldn't risk everything on one venture.
Max shifted in his chair, his thoughts turning to his next move. His current quest required him to create an online ad campaign, something that felt simple enough. He'd seen other small businesses do it, and he figured he could work with his current network to get it off the ground.
The real challenge, though, was making sure that ad campaign didn't eat into his savings. It was clear now that he was going to have to reinvest some of his earnings back into his business if he wanted to grow. This was the grind he'd heard so much about—small moves, one after the other, to build something bigger. If he could find a way to scale his tutoring business and diversify his services, the money would come.
Max opened the quest screen again and clicked on the new task.
Market Your Services
Objective: Create a simple online ad campaign to reach new clients.Reward: 50 XP, 10 System Coins
He had a solid idea of what the ad should look like. Max had seen plenty of people online promote their businesses with simple posts—nothing too flashy, just a quick pitch and some contact info. He didn't need to go overboard.
But first, he needed to get the 10 system coins from the next completed task. Max checked his phone one last time, looking through the shop again.
Shop
Efficiency Boost – 10 coins
Strength Potion – 5 coins
Charisma Boost – 15 coins
Business Expansion Pack – 20 coins (coming soon)
Max gritted his teeth. The Business Expansion Pack was the one he wanted, but he had to finish the quest and save up for it. He'd been prioritizing small upgrades, like the Efficiency Boost earlier, but now it felt like he needed something bigger to really jumpstart his growth. The Income Multiplier was critical, but without the right tools, he'd be stuck in the same cycle.
The thought made him pause. Was it really the system's boosts that mattered most, or was it how he used those boosts? Max knew there were only so many ways to make money on his own. To truly change his situation, he needed to make more connections. He needed to scale up, not just level up.
He snapped out of his thoughts and set to work on his new ad campaign. He didn't have a designer's eye, but he could manage something simple—just a quick offer of his tutoring services, a contact number, and an email address for clients to get in touch.
It didn't take him long to set up the basic campaign, and before he knew it, the ad was online. Max leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning over the ad. It looked basic but functional.
"Need a Tutor? Affordable Rates! Call or email Max Today!"
He clicked submit, watching the ad go live.
His phone buzzed with a new notification from the system.
Quest Complete: Market Your Services
Reward: 50 XP, 10 System Coins
Max's heart picked up speed as he saw the reward. The 10 coins were exactly what he needed. He went back to the shop, tapping through the items. He could afford a Business Expansion Pack now. He tapped to buy it, watching the transaction go through.
A pop-up message appeared.
New Business Tools Unlocked
Customer Relationship Management Tool: Manage clients, track progress, and improve communication.
Automated Scheduling System: Streamline appointment setting and maximize work hours.
Max grinned. This was exactly what he'd been waiting for. With these new tools, his business could function more efficiently, and he could spend less time organizing and more time working.
He checked his bank balance again. The system had boosted his income significantly.
Bank Balance: $16,000
It wasn't just the system—it was the leverage he had now. The growth was happening, bit by bit. And with every new quest, every new tool, he was getting closer to building something substantial.
Max sat back, taking a deep breath. He had a long way to go, but with the system by his side, he had the tools to make it happen.