One Click Billionaire

The new text glowed on the screen. '$4 per click'.

Adam stared at the words. The sharp terror that had gripped him just a moment before began to recede. The cold knot in his stomach loosened. He let out a long slow breath he did not realize he had been holding.

"I thought I had lost everything," he whispered. His voice was hoarse. He had gone from having ten thousand dollars to ten dollars in a single instant. The shock had been devastating. But now he understood. The money was not gone. It had been an investment. A payment.

A new message appeared on the screen of the One-Click Billionaire app. It was not a pop-up this time. It was a line of text that appeared directly below the 'Level 2' indicator.

[To reach the next level the Host must first invest the money that the Host earns.]

He read the sentence twice. The words 'the Host' felt strange and impersonal. The message was clear. The first level up had cost ten thousand dollars. He had earned that money by clicking the button. To level up again he would need to do something else. He would need to invest.

Adam's mind raced. He was starting to understand the rules of this impossible game. If my level increases that means I get more money every time I click, he thought. He looked at the line of text again. '$4 per click'. Below it in small clean letters was the phrase 'Level 2'. It was a significant upgrade from $2.50. The ten thousand dollar price tag suddenly seemed reasonable. It was a steep cost but the return was immediate.

He tapped the Level 2 section of the screen. The display changed. It showed a new status page. It read:

LEVEL 2

$4 per click

To advance to the next level the Host must earn $3,000 through investment. This $3,000 will be used to level up.

Adam understood now. The system was clear. Leveling up cost money. For the first level up he had used the money generated by the app itself. The clicks had created ten thousand dollars and he had used it to advance.

Now the rules were different. For Level 3 the app wanted him to use money he earned himself. Through investment. He had to take the money he made from clicking and use it to generate three thousand dollars of profit. The app wanted him to earn money in the real world.

The thought was daunting. He knew nothing about investing. But a strange sense of clarity settled over him. He saw a path forward. The app was not just giving him money. It was teaching him something. 

It was forcing him to grow. In the future the levels would likely demand more. They would require him to use the money he earned on his own to level up. The app was a tool but it wanted him to be the one doing the work.

He pushed these thoughts aside. He could worry about investing later. He could worry about Level 3 later. Four dollars per click was a huge amount. He could earn back his ten thousand dollars in less than half the time it took him before. He had a goal. He would get back the money he had lost.

That was the only thing that mattered right now.

He sat on the edge of his bed. His posture was straight. His gaze was fixed on the screen. He lifted his thumb. A grim determination settled on his face.

He began to tap.

This time there was no frantic energy. There was no desperation. His movements were calm and efficient. They were precise. Each tap was a deliberate action. Tap. Four dollars. Tap. Eight dollars. Tap. Twelve dollars.

The numbers on the screen climbed at a blinding speed. His bank account flooded with notifications. He ignored them. He did not look at the balance. He did not look at anything except the gray button. His world narrowed to that single point of contact. His thumb and the screen.

He tapped for a long time. The sun moved across the sky outside his small window. The light in his apartment shifted from the bright white of morning to the warm gold of afternoon. He did not notice. He did not feel hungry. He did not feel tired. He only felt the rhythm of the tapping.

It was a strange kind of work. It was mindless yet it required his complete focus. He felt a connection to the phone. It was an extension of his will. Every tap was a small victory. 

Every dollar that appeared was a step away from the life he had been living just a few hours ago. He was no longer Adam the broke and exhausted worker. He was the Host. He was a man who could create wealth with a touch.

Finally he stopped. His thumb ached. His wrist was stiff. But it was a satisfying ache. It was the feeling of a job well done. He lowered the phone and took a deep breath. He had been so focused he had forgotten to breathe properly.

He looked at the balance displayed in the app.

$10,010.

He had done it. He had made it all back. The exact amount he had spent on the level up was now his again. A smile spread across his face. It was a real smile this time. It was not the nervous twitch he had given Sophia. 

It was not the tight forced expression he had shown the man in the suit. It was a smile of pure relief and triumph. He was back where he had started. But now he was on a higher level. Now he was stronger. He was ready for whatever came next.

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Hey everyone!

A huge thank you for reading my novel! I hope you're enjoying the ride.

If you are, please smash that Power Stone button to show your support! Also, jump into the comments section and tell me what you think. I love reading all of your feedback and theories.

Keep being awesome!

Alphaboss

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