Call me Akuma

The old man literally ruined my plan of getting strong. Well, there's no point in getting angry. I need a new plan. If I don't, I'll die in this miserable place with this body. Even if I bought every item in the game for three days straight, I wouldn't be stronger than a level 40 player. God, why isn't this a pay-to-win game? Just once in my life, I want a game to be pay-to-win. Why, God, why? I have to quickly make a plan to become strong within a few days. But how? Think, Akuma, think. 

After a few minutes of pondering, I finally got an idea on how to get strong quickly. I quickly searched the internet for a game hacker. After searching for many hours, I finally found some clues on where to find them. Searching for a hacker will definitely put me on the list of threats, but luckily for me, I won't be staying here for more than a few days, so I don't care if they kick me out of Arcology City. 

With some clues in hand, I quickly packed up my things and headed out of my apartment. I took the bus and traveled for half an hour to reach Virus Town. Its regional name was not Virus Town, but people started calling it that for so long that some people don't even know its regional name anymore. 

This place was famous for people who wanted to modify their gear or implement Cyberware inside their bodies for a cheap price. But cheap prices also come with risks like viruses and bugs. Only those without a lot of money come here to get Cyberware. This industry generates a lot of money, so high-profile people made it legal to run this business even though many have died from getting unregulated and unsafe Cyberware. This place was also infamous for shady activities like drug trafficking, money laundering, hacking, and trafficking illegal items. 

I walked toward the gate of Virus Town. A lot of cameras and a scanner searched for anything harmful on my body. After finding nothing, the gate opened. Before I even took another step, a guard told me to stop and scanned my body again. When they didn't find anything, they let me go. 

"Finally, I'm inside. But how do I find the game hacker now?" After thinking for a little while, I came to no conclusion, so I decided to simply ask a store owner for the hacker's location. 

Making up my mind, I went to the closest store I saw. It was a store where they sold cybernetic arms. Inside, I found a cashier, a young woman about 30 years old with very beautiful features. I went up to her and asked, "Hello, miss. Do you perhaps know where I can find a game hacker? I'm willing to give you good money for the information." 

The beautiful woman looked at me like I was some kind of idiot. I know what I said was kind of dumb, but I'm lacking time, so I cannot waste it. I ignored her stare and glanced at her, waiting for her reply. After a few seconds of staring at me, she finally replied, "Sir, I don't know what you're talking about. Just leave the store and don't come back." 

I was a little offended but understood her reaction. To convince her, I said, "I'm willing to give you $7,000 for the information, which is more than a month's pay for you. I'm not from the police. I'm not here to extract information. I just want a game hacker so I can beat my friend." 

The beautiful cashier looked at me like I was the biggest idiot she had ever met. But after a few seconds, she smiled and replied, "First, give me the money, then I'll talk." 

"Why should I trust you?" I asked. 

She smiled at me and replied, "You have no other option but to trust me." 

After hearing that, I scanned her eyes and transferred $7,000 to her bank account. Seeing that I had really transferred the money, the beautiful woman said, "Young man, you seem to be new in Virus Town or very rich. If you just want to find the game hacker, go straight and take a left at the corner. You'll find a store named 'Game Hacking Store.'" 

I was very shocked and asked, "What the fuck? I thought hacking games was illegal. How can there be a store?" 

"Ahahahaa!" 

She laughed for at least half a minute, then replied, "Sir, you know you are very funny. It is illegal to have a store, but with a few bribes, law enforcement looks the other way." 

Motherfucker. I just wasted $7,000 on useless information. If I had just looked around for a few minutes and not been impatient, I would have found the store without wasting money. Well, there's no point crying over spilled milk. After saying goodbye to the cashier, I headed toward the game hacking store. After a few minutes of walking, which was very hard for this baby elephant body, I finally arrived at my destination. 

 Entering the store and saw a man who looked to be in his 40s. He asked, "What do you want, boy?" 

"I want to get the game hacked so I can beat my friend in it," I replied. 

The man smiled and said, "Well then, you've come to the perfect place. Now, tell me what game you want to get hacked." 

Without hesitation, I told him, "YGGDRASIL." 

The man smiled and answered, "Okay, pay $50, and we will make a reservation for you." 

After paying $50, the man said, "Okay, boy, come back in four days. Right now, we are all full, so we are only available after four days." 

 I was suspicious so I questioned the man, "How much will it cost to hack the game?" 

After a few seconds, the man replied, "The cost will depend on the game and what kind of hack you want. For example, if you're trying to hack a famous game with more security, it will cost you more. Also, if your demand is too big, it will cost you more." 

"You have not given me an answer," I said. 

"If it is a small hack, it will cost you somewhere between $200 to $300. But if your demand is big, it can cost up to $1,000 to $10,000," the man replied. 

"Can you switch the reservation to today? I'm willing to pay $500," I asked. 

Hearing my words, the middle-aged man smiled. "Only if you can pay an extra $500, then we can switch the date to today," he replied. 

I really wanted to punch that smiling face, but I controlled myself because I didn't have much time left. I needed to do this quickly, so I agreed and paid the man $1,000. "Now can we start hacking the game?" I asked. 

The man stopped smiling and said, "Okay, tell me what cheat you want in the game." 

After thinking for a while, I replied, "Give me a cheat menu where I can control everything from money, health, items, and character profiles." 

The middle-aged man looked at me the same way the cashier had when we first met. "Boy, are you crazy? If you have that much cheat in the game, the anti-cheat AI will ban your ass before you even log in. Do you know how much time it takes to just hide one small cheat from the anti-cheat AI? And even if we somehow manage to hide the cheat menu from the anti-cheat AI, the moment you use your cheat against somebody, they're gonna report your ass, and you're gonna be banned for life." 

"Just tell me, can you do it or not? Don't give me some advice," I replied. 

The man visibly became angry and said in an angry tone, "Who the fuck said I cannot do it? But the question is, boy, are you willing to pay for it or not?" 

"I'm willing to give you $30,000, but I want the cheat menu today," I said. 

The old man looked at my face and started laughing like that cashier woman. "Ahahah....ahah! Even if you give me $100,000, I will not be able to finish it today. Even if I put all 15 of my workers on fulfilling your demand, they will only be able to do it in two weeks. So, my advice for you is to just get a cheat where you can change the probability of item drops. It will be much easier to hide from the AI, and other people will not be able to notice that easily." 

"I'm willing to give you $150,000. Just get me the cheat within three days," I said. 

The middle-aged man was shocked when he heard that. He never thought I would be spending $150,000 on a game. After a moment, he smiled and said, "If I and my workers work for 24 hours and bribe a game developer from YGGDRASIL for information and help, then maybe I can do it within three days." 

Hearing the middle-aged man's words, I knew what he wanted, so I went straight to the point. "Okay, motherfucker, $200,000, not a penny less. I want it before three days. $10,000 upfront, and the rest after I get the cheat in my hand." 

Hearing that, the man smiled so much that I thought his face was deformed, but quickly it turned back to normal, and he said, "People over here call me Mydoom. What is your name, sir?" 

Just hearing his voice made me want to beat the shit out of him, but I somehow controlled myself and reminded myself of the bigger goal. "Just call me Akuma." 

Mydoom smiled widely and addressed me, "Akuma, don't worry. I promise that I will give you your cheat menu within three days. Also, here's a card. Next time, you can just chat on our private server. Don't worry about security; not even a cyber police officer will be able to track you." 

After getting the card, I stared into Mydoom's eyes and directly transferred $10,000 to his account. Seeing the smile on Mydoom's face was very annoying, so before I lost control, I decided to leave the store. When I was about to leave, Mydoom asked, "Akuma, why are you spending so much money on a game that is about to shut down in three days?" 

So, just as I thought this motherfucker already knew the game was about to shut down in three days. There's also a good chance that the cashier told this greedy bastard about me. There's no point crying about it now. Either way, I would be the winner at the end of the day. What is money worth in the face of ultimate power? 

 "What's more important to you: the money or the reason I'm spending it?" 

After a few moments, Mydoom replied, "The money, of course. Everything else is worthless. Have a good day, Akuma." 

After saying goodbye, I headed back to my house. 

----

The Beggar King is asking for stones to feed his family. 

Also, Beggar King has left a few pop culture references and memes. If you find them, comment, and Beggar King will give you a like.