Chapter 1 001
The grand ballroom of the luxurious Eclipse Hotel in Beverly Hills sparkled under crystal chandeliers. Wealthy businessmen, celebrities, and socialites mingled effortlessly, their laughter and clinking glasses creating an atmosphere of pure opulence. Among the perfectly dressed elite, one man stood out for all the wrong reasons.
Jared Knox, a 1.87-meter-tall waiter in a crisp but cheap uniform, felt his blood boil as he watched the scene unfolding near the center of the hall. His fists clenched tightly around the tray he was holding.
"That's my girlfriend..." he muttered through gritted teeth, his voice barely audible over the music.
For the past year, he had poured everything into his relationship with Isabella. Even though he was just a part-time waiter barely making ends meet, he had given her his all — loyalty, time, and whatever little money he could scrape together. Tonight, he had taken an extra shift at this high-profile charity gala just to earn more. He never expected to see her here like this.
Isabella stood intimately close to a tall, sharply dressed man in a bespoke navy suit. Damien Rothwell, a well-known real estate tycoon and one of the main investors behind tonight’s event. He leaned down and kissed her temple possessively while she giggled, looking up at him with adoration.
The sight made Jared’s stomach twist.
Without thinking, he stormed forward, ignoring the stares of guests around him.
"Isabella!" Jared shouted, grabbing her wrist and pulling her away from Damien. "What the hell are you doing?!"
The entire ballroom seemed to freeze. Hundreds of eyes turned toward the dramatic scene. Isabella’s face flushed with embarrassment and then twisted into pure fury.
SLAP!
The sound of her palm striking his cheek echoed sharply. Jared’s head snapped to the side from the force.
"Jared Knox, we are done!" she hissed loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear. "I broke up with you two weeks ago! Why can’t you just accept it and disappear from my life?"
Murmurs spread like wildfire through the crowd.
"Pathetic. He’s clearly just the hired help."
"Look at his uniform. She obviously found someone better."
"Some people really don’t know their place in society."
Isabella stepped back into Damien’s arms. The billionaire looked at Jared with open disgust, as if he were nothing more than garbage on his shoe.
"You heard her," Damien said coldly. "Stop embarrassing yourself and her. Starting tonight, Isabella is my woman. As for you… I’ll make sure your little catering company never works in this city again."
The event manager rushed over, sweating profusely. "Mr. Rothwell, I’m terribly sorry. This man is just temporary staff. He’s fired immediately." He turned to Jared with a stern glare. "Get out. Now."
Security guards were already moving in. The humiliation burned deep in Jared’s chest, but he refused to beg or break down in front of them.
"I’ll remember this," he said quietly, his voice steady despite the pain. "Both of you will regret what you’ve done tonight."
Damien and Isabella burst into mocking laughter.
"Security, throw this loser out before he ruins the mood any further," Damien ordered, still chuckling.
Jared was roughly escorted out of the luxurious building into the pouring rain.
It was past midnight. Heavy rain hammered down on the streets of Los Angeles. Thunder rumbled overhead as cold water soaked through Jared’s uniform, chilling him to the bone.
"Fuck this world," he growled, walking aimlessly along the slick sidewalk. "The rich get everything handed to them on a silver platter while people like me get nothing but pain."
He stopped near a large puddle, staring at his broken reflection. The bright lights of the city shimmered and distorted in the water. The silver necklace he always wore felt heavier than usual against his chest.
"God… if you’re listening, just give me one chance," he whispered bitterly. "One miracle. I’m so tired of this."
Lightning flashed violently.
VROOM!
A black luxury SUV lost control on the wet road and slammed directly into him. Jared’s body flew several meters before crashing hard onto the asphalt. Blood mixed with rainwater as darkness swallowed him completely.
\---
The sharp smell of disinfectant and the steady beeping of machines slowly pulled Jared back to consciousness. His entire body ached, especially his head. He groaned and forced his eyes open.
That was when he saw it.
A glowing blue translucent screen floated in front of his vision.
\[DING! Would you like to install the Destiny Overwrite System? Yes / No\]
"Huh…?" Jared blinked hard. The panel remained.
He sat up slowly in the hospital bed, heart pounding. "System? What the hell is this?"
After a moment of stunned silence, curiosity and desperation won out.
"I accept," he said firmly.
\[Installation commencing. Please remain conscious.\]
"Wait— what? It’s going to hurt?!" Jared panicked.
But it was already too late. A powerful wave of energy surged through his mind and body.
\[10%... 30%... 50%... 70%... 90%... 100%\]
\[Installation Successful! The Destiny Overwrite System is now fully bound to Host Jared Knox. Initial missions will be issued shortly to help you rewrite your destiny.\]
Jared gasped for air, sweat covering his forehead. Once his breathing stabilized, he immediately demanded answers.
"System, explain everything. What can you do?"
A detailed status panel appeared:
\[Name: Jared Knox\]
\[Level: 1 (0/100)\]
\[Skills: Basic Human Physiology\]
\[Inventory: Locked\]
\[Shop: Locked\]
\[Balance: $0\]
\[Emblem Coins: 0\]
\[Mission: None Yet\]
The system’s calm voice echoed in his mind:
\[The Destiny Overwrite System allows the host to gradually reshape reality through missions, rewards, and personal growth. Every action has meaning. Complete missions to gain power, wealth, skills, and influence.\]
Jared’s eyes gleamed with a mix of excitement and lingering rage.
\[RING! First Mission Issued: Spend $1,000,000 within five minutes.\]
His jaw dropped. One million dollars? He had never seen that much money in his entire life.
"System, what if I fail?"
\[Failure will result in permanent deletion of the system. You will lose this opportunity forever.\]
The pressure was immediate. Jared jumped out of bed and rushed to the nurse station.
"I want to settle my bill and discharge right now," he said urgently.
The nurse looked surprised but brought up his file. The total was shockingly high — he had apparently been in a coma in the premium ward for over a year. Someone had been paying part of it, but a massive balance remained.
Jared smiled coldly. He suspected Damien and Isabella’s involvement in keeping him trapped here.
"System… pay it."
The moment he mentally confirmed, the system handled the transaction. The nurse’s eyes widened as the system-generated payment cleared instantly.
All documents were processed in record time. Jared was free.
As he stepped out of the hospital, another notification appeared:
\[Mission Complete! Rewards: 10 System Points, $1,000,000, 5 Emblem Coins, Medical Expertise (Beginner)\]
His phone buzzed with a real bank notification from Chase confirming the deposit.
This was real. His life had truly changed.
……….
Jared first visited his old apartment building. His landlady, Mrs. Ramirez, was stunned to see him.
After explaining his situation and receiving his belongings — including his cherished silver necklace — he gave her $80,000 as compensation for the trouble.
With his new money and appearance freshly upgraded at a high-end barbershop and clothing store, Jared finally sat down in a quiet restaurant to eat a proper meal.
Just as he finished, the system rang again.
\[RING! Emergency Mission: Save the elderly man suffering a cardiac arrest in this restaurant.\]
Chaos erupted a few tables away. An old man had collapsed, clutching his chest. His face was deathly pale.
"Someone call 911!" a waitress screamed. "The ambulance will take too long!"
Jared stood up, his new Medical Expertise skill already activating in his mind. Knowledge of emergency procedures flooded his thoughts.
This was his first real test.