Urban System in America-Chapter 59 - 58: Mission Reward

Chaos still raged on campus. Word of Professor Clement’s collapse had spread like wildfire.

News traveled faster than light in this university—through whispers in hallways, rapid texts in group chats, screams, gasps, shouts, and a flurry of notifications.

Every corner buzzed with panic and disbelief, and edited clips of his videos were already circulating widely on the campus portal.

Students gathered in clusters, phones raised, mouths agape. Clement’s name was on everyone’s lips—some with shock, others with glee.

And Rex?

He was sitting calmly on a wooden bench, watching everything unfold like a well-orchestrated play.

Leaning back, he gently exhaled. The moment the job was done, the tension that had been coiled inside him for days finally snapped.

Beside him, Adrian stared blankly—still processing the weight of what had happened.

But Rex... Rex simply watched with an expression that could only be described as satisfaction. Not smug. Not proud. Just deeply content—like a puppeteer admiring the perfect dance of strings.

After a long pause, Rex took a breath, cracked his neck, and stretched his shoulders.

"Well," he said, voice low and amused, "my job’s done here." He stood up and stretched his body.

He glanced at Adrian, who was still dazed, eyes wide as he tried to comprehend it all.

"I don’t think we’ll be having classes today," Rex added with a chuckle. "So, I’m out. But hey, keep an eye on things for me, yeah?"

He mimed a phone with his hand while turning toward the parking lot. "Call me if things get spicy."

Adrian nodded absentmindedly, still trying to process everything. He couldn’t believe they had done something so unimaginable—something no student could ever hope to do.

But they did it. And more importantly, they succeeded.

Even though his role was almost negligible, he’d been there from the beginning and had witnessed every little detail with his own eyes.

And now, watching all of this chaos, he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of pride.

After a while, when he came back to his senses, he found himself sitting all alone. Rex was already gone.

—

On the other hand, Rex drove his car out of the parking lot, rolled down the windows, and cruised aimlessly through the city—letting the cool breeze wash over him.

The traffic noise, the flickering streetlights, the soft thump of music in the background—it all felt oddly peaceful.

The sun dipped below the skyline, golden light washing over his dashboard. For the first time in weeks, he felt... light.

Free.

Even though he didn’t show it, during this whole ordeal he had been on edge. But as an orphan in his past life, he had learned to keep the vulnerable side to himself and always show his best to the world.

Just as he stopped at a red light, the system interface suddenly materialized in front of him.

Ding!

[Congratulations to the host for completing the mission – Expose Clement.]

[Mission evaluation: A

Reward: Future Stock News*

Remarks: Just so-so, hmmm.]

"Huh?"

Finally seeing the system interface, he raised an eyebrow. He had been so tense that he had almost forgotten about the system, and seeing it again was a pleasant surprise.

But looking at the evaluation, he frowned. "A? Not S?"

He had thought he’d done everything beautifully, but the system told another story.

"I brought down a corrupt professor, exposed academic fraud, and probably triggered a full-blown investigation—and you’re giving me an A?" he complained to the dog system.

The system’s reply came in a flash:

[The rating has been determined based on the resources utilized. You relied on the system rewards, not solely on your own abilities—hence the A rating instead of S.]

Rex’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. "What kind of garbage system is this?" His voice was full of frustration. "The system rewards are mine too! I spent over a year in a mental hell-hole learning how to use them, and now you’re telling me I don’t get the best rating?"

[Indeed. But had you done this entirely unaided, your grade would have been S.]

[Also, be grateful—without the system’s accelerated space, your current level of skill would’ve taken years.]

Rex sighed, exhaling deeply as he rolled his eyes. "Fine," he grumbled.

But honestly, the system wasn’t wrong. A year ago, he didn’t even know how to properly mask an IP.

Now, even though he couldn’t be compared to full-fledged hackers who’d spent their whole lives learning it, his mastery over fundamentals was something they couldn’t even dream of.

He might come off as bragging, but he didn’t think anyone in this world could compare to him in the basics—because the courses he took from the system weren’t something this low-tech world could ever match.

Still... the rating stung. A little.

Pulling into a quiet, small café tucked between taller buildings, he stepped inside.

It had that noir feel—the kind of place where one could relax and sort out their thoughts.

Just as he entered, the aroma of roasted beans and vanilla eased some of his frustration.

"Give me a black coffee," he ordered as he sat by the window, playing into the cinematic fantasy of a lone strategist savoring victory.

He didn’t have to wait long before the coffee was placed on his table.

Thanking the waiter, he picked up the cup with the grace of a cultured gentleman. Elegantly leaning back in his seat, he took a deep breath—and sipped.

The next moment, he coughed and spat the vile liquid out, splattering it all over the table.

"What the fuck—"

His face twisted violently, lips curling as if he’d just swallowed vinegar mixed with acid.

"Is this something for humans to drink? What kind of psychopath drinks this willingly?" he coughed, grabbing a napkin to wipe his tongue.

Seeing this, the waiter hurried forward and, without a word, calmly began cleaning the table.

Feeling embarrassed by the mess, Rex quickly apologized.

"Sorry about that. It’s my first time trying black coffee, so..."

"It’s okay. Not everyone can drink black coffee. Honestly, things like this happen more often than you’d think. No need to apologize," said the waiter with practiced ease.

"Anyway, it’s my fault, so I apologize, how about this—I’ll pay and maybe treat yourself and your colleagues to a coffee too?"

"Are you sure? You don’t have to do that..." the waiter said as he finished cleaning up.

"It’s okay," Rex insisted.

Seeing that, the waiter didn’t argue and simply nodded before walking back.

"Oh, and get me a regular latte. Extra cream. Extra sugar," Rex added honestly—just to cleanse his palate.

Within minutes, the coffee was in front of him. Taking the cup, he thanked the waiter.

With a proper drink in hand, he finally had time to carefully check the system reward.

(End of Chapter)