100x Cashback

Emir leaned back in his plush office chair, the soft hum of the construction site outside barely audible through the thick walls. The day's tasks were behind him, and he had time to reflect on how far he had come. What started as a single investment, a single use of his cashback power, had grown into something far bigger—his empire, the 8th Wonder of the World, was no longer just a dream. It was a living, breathing entity, expanding faster than anyone could have predicted.

But as he sat there, in the quiet after hours, a peculiar sensation washed over him. A feeling not of uncertainty, but of something... more. His thoughts drifted back to the power he had used so far—the cashback, which had helped him secure his fortune. However, today, something new seemed to stir inside him. Something beyond just financial power.

Suddenly, the feeling deepened, and the world around him seemed to momentarily shift. A faint glow appeared before him, and an interface materialized in the air, shimmering like a hologram. It was subtle, almost like a whisper in the back of his mind, but it was unmistakable.

A Skill Tree.

Emir's heart raced as he stared at the floating screen before him. It was strange and mesmerizing, and yet it felt entirely natural, as if it had always been there, waiting for him to notice. The tree displayed a myriad of potential skills, each more extraordinary than the last. Skills that, until now, he hadn't even dared to imagine. These were not simple abilities—no, they were powers that could shape the very fabric of his life and the empire he was building.

---

Skill Tree Overview:

Business Mastery

Leadership and Charisma

Technological Mastery

Strategic Warfare

Wealth Manipulation

The cost for unlocking each skill was steep: 100 million credits. It was a price he had yet to reach, but he could feel the weight of these skills pressing on him, urging him to grow faster.

Suddenly, as he scrolled through the last of the options, a soft, almost imperceptible glimmer appeared at the corner of the screen. It was a symbol he hadn't seen before—a faint glowing orb, pulsing with a mysterious light. It was small, unassuming, and for a moment, Emir thought it was a glitch.

But when he tried to tap it, the orb vanished. He blinked and swiped the screen again, but the orb was gone, as though it had never been there.

Emir rubbed his eyes and shook his head. He had been working non-stop for hours, and the exhaustion was starting to catch up with him. He saved the skill tree and leaned back in his chair, looking out the large windows that overlooked the city. His mind buzzed with possibilities, but one thought lingered more than others: What if these skills could not only build his empire, but reshape the world?

As his thoughts turned to the future, his eyes fell upon the map of his empire on the wall—a map he'd looked at hundreds of times before. But tonight, something felt different. The map, now illuminated by the soft glow of the office lights, seemed almost... alive.

There, in the far corner of the map, a small line of coordinates caught his attention. At first glance, it appeared insignificant, but something about the pattern nagged at him. Emir stood up and walked over to the map, tracing the line with his finger. It led to a remote location in the middle of the ocean.

As he examined the map further, his phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts. A new message appeared on his screen: "Not everyone plays by the same rules." It was an anonymous text, with no sender listed.

Emir frowned. He tapped the message, but there was nothing else—just those five words. His mind raced with possibilities. Who sent this message? And what did it mean?

The next few days flew by as Emir focused on expanding his empire. With each new investment, his wealth grew exponentially. His plans for the 8th Wonder of the World continued to unfold, and the project was gaining attention worldwide.

But Emir wasn't just building an empire—he was building something much bigger. He could feel the pull of the skill tree, the promise of even greater abilities. It was almost like an itch he couldn't scratch, pushing him to keep moving forward.

One afternoon, as Emir took a break from his meetings, he walked through the construction site. The workers, busy with the final stages of the building's foundation, barely noticed him as he passed. But Emir wasn't looking at the construction; his eyes were drawn to something else.

In the corner of the site, behind a pile of materials, he noticed a large, ornate mirror that seemed completely out of place. It was cracked, the surface reflecting only half of his image. Emir frowned and approached it, inspecting the oddity.

As he stood before the mirror, something strange happened. For a split second, the reflection didn't match him. It was like the mirror was showing another version of himself—someone older, more imposing. Emir blinked, and when he looked again, the reflection was his own.

---

Later that evening, as Emir prepared to leave his office, a soft noise interrupted his thoughts—a faint scratching sound that seemed to come from the corner of the room. He paused and turned his head. At first, he saw nothing.

But then, his eyes caught a brief flicker in the corner of the room, where an old wooden box lay on a shelf. The box, a gift from an auction he had attended some time ago, had never caught his attention before, but now, it seemed... odd.

Emir walked over and opened the box. Inside, there was a single scroll wrapped in ancient cloth. It seemed out of place amidst the modern decor of his office. Unfurling the scroll, Emir could barely make out the words written on it—something in a language he didn't recognize.

---

Financial Summary at the End of Chapter 5:

Earnings from Cashback Power: 450,000 credits (strategic acquisitions, rare assets)

Spending on Construction and Design: 300,000 credits (materials, final touches)

Current Net Worth: 1,300,000 credits (targeting 100 million for skill tree unlock)

---

Emir sat back in his chair, staring at the glowing skill tree. He knew that the path ahead would be fraught with challenges, but with each passing day, his empire grew stronger, and the power at his fingertips expanded. Whatever came next, he was ready.

But as the screen flickered once more, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him. Something—or someone—was waiting.