Reward.

Derek opened the door to his small apartment room, he pulled his hands out of his pocket, revealing the 1000 USD he had been clutching tightly, it was mostly because he was afraid he would be robbed on his way home.

After his second fight, he had declined Felix's attempt to get him in a third fight, but Felix told him he was welcomed to the underground ring whenever he decided to return and the rewards would be richer than a 1000 USD.

He opened the system screen revealing the barrage of messages he had ignored earlier.

[Congratulations, Host has completed the mission A Broken Hunter Can't Survive]

[Rewards Granted]

EXP + 100

New Skill: Appraisal (E-Rank) – Identify items, weapons, and beings with varying degrees of accuracy.

5 Attribute Points

Bonus Lottery Draw

Special Rewards: Untraceable Bank Card & High-Class Mansion

[System Remark: Wow, you actually did it. I had my doubts, but look at you, a proper breadwinner now! Too bad you still dress like a broke college student. Anyway, enjoy your rewards, moneybags!]

Derek blinked at the messages before staring at the bundle of cash in his hands. He had fought two battles, risked getting his skull bashed in, and this damn system was acting like he just got his first allowance.

"At least show some appreciation. That was my first fight to the death," Derek muttered, tossing the cash onto his old wooden table.

[System Remark: Boo-hoo, Mr. Gladiator. Would you like a participation trophy too? Maybe a warm hug?]

Derek sighed. This system was insufferable, but the rewards were worth it. His attention shifted to the Appraisal Skill. That would definitely be useful, especially if he was going to get stronger.

He quickly checked his stats:

[Derek Carter - Level 2]

Strength: 13

Agility: 14

Endurance: 15

Intelligence: 18

Perception: 13

Available Attribute Points: 5

He distributed the points, putting 3 into Strength and 2 into Agility, making his stats more combat-oriented.

Next, he tapped on the Bonus Lottery Draw with curiosity.

[Rolling the wheel of fate… Come on, big money!]

A holographic wheel spun before him, filled with various rewards like potions, weapons, skill books, and one section labeled ???.

[Congratulations! You have won a Random Skill Upgrade Token]

[System Remark: Not bad! Too bad you don't have enough skills to upgrade. But hey, at least you don't have to fight a radioactive gorilla!]

"...Radioactive what?"

[Nothing, don't worry about it. Anyway, onto the real prizes.]

Derek's focus shifted to the Special Rewards. First, the Untraceable Bank Card materialized in his hands. It was black with golden engravings, and when he checked the balance, his jaw almost unhinged.

[Balance: $3,500,000,000 USD]

He had to blink twice. Then thrice.

"Did… did I just become a billionaire overnight?"

[System Remark: Yep. You're richer than 99.9% of humanity now. Enjoy it while it lasts, because, you know… apocalypse incoming and all that.]

Derek inhaled sharply, resisting the urge to scream. That much money would let him buy weapons, gear, and everything he needed to prepare. But there was more.

A map interface opened, highlighting a massive estate just outside Paleview City.

[Welcome to your new home: Elysium Mansion – Complete with state-of-the-art security, automated defenses, an underground training facility, and a panic room.]

[System Remark: Because every soon-to-be apocalypse survivor needs a crib that screams 'rich bastard'.]

Derek rubbed his temples. This was insane. He had started the day in a rundown apartment, and now he had billions and a fortress of a house. He wasn't complaining, but he definitely needed a moment to process everything.

"System, you really just dropped all this on me without warning?"

[System Remark: Oh, would you have preferred a slow and painful grind? No? That's what I thought. Now quit whining and start planning, rich boy. Time's ticking.]

Derek took a deep breath, shaking his head as he absorbed the sheer absurdity of his situation. He had gone from barely scraping by to billionaire status in a single night. The mansion, the money, the untraceable bank card—none of it mattered if he wasn't strong enough to survive what was coming.

Then, another notification popped up.

[You have enough EXP to level up.]

He quickly navigated to his status screen.

[Level Up!]

[Level 3 Achieved]

[All Attributes Increased by +10]

[You have gained 5 Free Attribute Points]

Derek clenched his fists, feeling the subtle but undeniable surge of power running through his body. His muscles felt denser, his breathing was easier, and his mind felt sharper. The system might be annoying as hell, but its rewards were undeniably effective.

Before he could allocate his attribute points, another message appeared.

[Due to host's rapid progress and the impending apocalypse, a new system feature has been pre-unlocked ahead of schedule!]

[New Feature Unlocked: Sub-Dimensional Travel (Lv5)]

[System Remark: You're welcome. Now go kill more monsters before you die like a common street thug.]

Derek's eyebrow twitched. " A new feature out of nowhere, you seem to be getting nicer"

He tapped on the new feature, a glowing portal icon appearing on his system interface.

[Sub-Dimensional Travel: Allows host to enter pocket dimensions filled with monsters, resources, and hidden challenges. Each dimension scales in difficulty based on the host's level.]

[Current Available Dimensions: Shadow Ruins (Beginner), Netherworld First Floor (Beginner), Bloodfang Marsh (Intermediate), Ember Wastes (Advanced)]

[System Remark: You should probably start with the Netherworld unless you have a death wish. Just saying.]

Derek hummed in thought. This was exactly what he needed. The underground fights were good for training against humans, but if he wanted to level up faster, he needed to farm monsters. If this feature was anything like a game, then these dimensions would be filled with creatures just waiting to be slaughtered for EXP.

He checked the Netherworld's description.

[Netherworld First Floor – The first floor of the Netherworld, home to mindless wraiths and NetherBeasts. Recommended Level: 3-5.]

[Rewards: EXP, loot, and ???]

Derek's lips curled into a smirk. This was perfect.

"Alright, system. Let's see what this place has to offer."

[System Remark: Try not to die immediately. It would be embarrassing.]

Derek stared at the glowing portal icon hovering in his system interface. The Netherworld. The name alone carried an ominous weight, sending a cold shiver down his spine. He had fought in underground rings, risked his life against brutal opponents, and survived by sheer instinct. But this... this was something entirely different.

"A whole different world full of monsters, huh?" he muttered, leaning against his old wooden chair. It creaked under his weight, a stark contrast to the high-tech reality the system had just thrown into his lap.

[System Remark: What's wrong? Feeling a little weak in the knees? Don't tell me Mr. Gladiator is afraid of the dark.]

Derek exhaled sharply. "I'd be a fool not to be. I've never even seen a real monster before."

[System Remark: Oh, you'll see plenty. Trust me.]

He shook his head. The system's sarcasm aside, the uncertainty gnawed at him. In the underground fights, he had an idea of what to expect. A man with a knife. A brawler with more muscle than brain. Here? He had no idea what these 'NetherBeasts' were, how they moved, how they attacked. And that terrified him.

His eyes flickered to the bundle of cash he had tossed on the table. Then to the black card with golden engravings. Three and a half billion dollars. A mansion with its own security. He could retire right now, live out the rest of his days in luxury, never having to lift a finger again.

But then what?

The apocalypse was coming. He knew it. The system had warned him. No amount of money would protect him if he wasn't strong enough to defend himself.

"Damn it," he grumbled, running a hand through his hair. He needed to be smart about this. He couldn't just rush into a death trap unprepared.