My Ultimate Sign-in System Made Me Invincible

Liam had just finished eating dinner and was currently seated in the study, with Daniel seated across from him, ans they are talking about the impact Nova Technologies had on the world.

"The telecommunication companies are in full panic mode," Daniel said, leaning back in his chair with a slight smile. "After the release of Lucid Air, they’ve taken drastic measures to try and cut down their losses. But honestly, it’s like trying to bail water out of a sinking ship with a teaspoon."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "That bad, so soon?"

"Worse," Daniel confirmed. "Think about it from their perspective. They’ve been selling internet packages with speeds measured in megabits per second, maybe gigabits if you’re lucky and willing to pay premium prices. Then Nova Technologies releases a device that offers a minimum speed of one terabyte per second, with no distance limitations whatsoever. They can’t compete. It’s not even close."

"They’re doing everything they can to entice users to stay," Daniel continued. "Cutting prices, offering benefits packages, bundling services together at discounts. Some are even trying to argue that Lucid Air’s speeds are exaggerated, that it’s all marketing hype. But it’s having very little effect. People aren’t buying it."

"Because the proof is everywhere," Liam said.

"Exactly. Everyone’s focused on getting a Lucid, and those who already have the device are laser-focused on getting Lucid Air. The demand is absolutely insane. This was especially true after the videos started appearing. The users who got Lucid Air in the first batch have been posting on LucidNet, showing off what the device can actually do. And when people see videos of someone downloading a game that’s five hundred gigabytes or more in just a single second..." He shook his head with an amused expression. "They went absolutely crazy."

Liam chuckled at that. He knew exactly which demographic had gone the most insane over those videos.

Gamers.

To them, Lucid Air wasn’t just a technological advancement. It was something made specifically for their needs, as if Nova Technologies had reached into their collective dreams and pulled out the perfect device. An internet connection with speeds so fast that the concept of buffering or lag became completely obsolete. No more waiting for downloads. No more connection drops during critical moments. No more watching a loading bar creep across the screen while a massive game update installed.

The feeling of gaming without worrying about internet lag was something no amount of money could previously buy. It was, in the most literal sense, heavenly.

Liam smiled. The first batch of Lucid Air devices was just the beginning. As more units hit the market, the telecommunication industry’s collapse would accelerate. Some companies might survive by pivoting to other services, but the traditional internet service provider model was effectively dead.

"Did you get one?" Liam asked, genuinely curious. "A Lucid Air, I mean."

Daniel nodded with satisfaction. "I did. So did Whitlock, and all of your friends managed to snag one too. We’re all enjoying the device immensely."

Liam nodded in satisfaction at that answer. He’d told Lucy to rig the pre-order event specifically to ensure that certain people got devices. All of them had been guaranteed units despite the overwhelming demand and limited supply.

The reason for this elaborate setup was simple: he couldn’t just give the devices to them directly. They wouldn’t accept it.

This was especially true for his friends. He’d already given each of them a Lucid for free, but asking them to accept another valuable gift, particularly one as sought-after as Lucid Air, would cross a line.

They had their pride, their sense of independence. They didn’t want to be seen as people who constantly took handouts from their more wealthier friend.

So instead, Liam had arranged for them to "win" their spots in the pre-order through what appeared to be pure luck. They’d never know the lottery had been rigged in their favor. As far as they were concerned, they’d simply gotten fortunate in a system that was otherwise completely fair.

It was a small deception, but one Liam felt comfortable with. His friends deserved to experience the technology he was creating. Making sure they had access to it while preserving their dignity seemed like the right balance.

Daniel smiled, noticing the look of satisfaction that had crossed Liam’s face. He understood his boss well enough by now to recognize when Liam was pleased with how something had worked out.

"I wanted to ask you about something else," Daniel said, shifting topics. "The planned verification system for institutional accounts on LucidNet."

Liam leaned back in his chair, considering. "Verification will start in two weeks. Right after the next pre-order event for Lucid and Lucid Air."

Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "That’s smart. I’ll create the Bellemere Family Office account after verification starts. That way, nothing looks suspicious. If we create it now and then get verified immediately when the system launches, people might wonder if we had advance access."

"Speaking of things that are getting out of hand," Daniel said, his tone shifting to something more weary, "the calls and emails I’ve been receiving are getting absolutely outrageous. I’m up to more than a hundred requests per day now. I’m deleting everything like you instructed, but it’s becoming a full-time job just managing the inbox."

Liam nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Keep deleting them all."

"Definitely," Daniel said. "At least I have it relatively easy. I can just hit delete and move on with my day. Whitlock isn’t quite as fortunate. He can’t ignore the calls as easily since they’re coming through official JP Morgan channels. But he’s also enjoying significant benefits from the association, so I suppose it balances out. The bank’s market cap has jumped by six hundred billion dollars in the past month. That kind of increase tends to make the stress worthwhile."

His expression grew more serious. "Your friends, though... they aren’t having it easy at all. People are getting desperate in their attempts to get close to you, and your friends are the most accessible connection point. The social pressure they’re under is intense."

Liam’s expression darkened slightly, his jaw tightening. "I’ll be meeting with them tomorrow. I’ll take care of the flies that have been buzzing around them."

The way he said it carried weight that made Daniel suppress a shiver. The aura Liam had been unconsciously projecting since his return made even casual statements sound more significant, more final. When Liam said he would "take care" of something, it felt less like a promise and more like an inevitability.

Daniel nodded and he stood from his chair. "I should let you get some rest. I know you’ve had a long day, and you probably have space lag. Is that a thing?"

Liam laughed at that, the sound genuine and warm. "I have no idea what to call it, but yes, I could use some rest. I’ll talk to you later, Daniel."

"Sounds good. Welcome home, sir."

They walked together to the study door, and Liam followed Daniel through the mansion’s hallways to the main entrance.

After seeing Daniel off, Liam climbed the grand staircase to the second floor, his footsteps quiet on the plush carpet. He reached his bedroom and pushed the door open, stepping into the familiar space.

Liam crossed the room and collapsed onto the bed, sinking into the mattress with a deep sigh of contentment. God, he’d missed this. The bed in the Voyager was comfortable enough, but nothing has ever been able to compare to this mattress. Sleeping on it feels like being embraced by a cloud.

He lay there for a moment, just enjoying the sensation, before reaching for his phone on the nightstand.

Liam opened the group chat with his friends and typed out a message.

Liam: Hey everyone, I’m back.

The responses started flooding in almost immediately, as if they’d all been waiting by their phones for exactly this message.

Alex: FINALLY! Welcome back!

Kristopher: About time. We were starting to think you’d decided to stay on Mars.

Harper: How was the trip? The livestreams were insane but we want details!

Matt: Dude, you went to JUPITER. You have to tell us everything.

Kristy: Welcome home! We missed you!

Stacy: The man returns. Did you bring us any moon rocks?

Elise: Ignore Matt. Welcome back, Liam. How are you feeling?

Lana: He’s probably exhausted. Space travel can’t be easy, even with impossible technology.

Liam smiled at the rapid-fire messages, warmth spreading through his chest.

Liam: The trip was incredible. But I’m definitely ready to just hang out with you all again. Are you free tomorrow? I was thinking we could have a get-together on the yacht around noon.

Matt: YES! Absolutely yes!

Kristopher: I’m there. Noon works perfectly.

Stacy: Count me in. I’ve been dying to hear about everything.

Alex: The yacht? Hell yes. I’ll bring snacks.

Kristy: I’ll be there! Should we bring anything?

Harper: Just yourselves. And maybe prepare for Liam to casually mention he met aliens or something.

Lana: Harper, don’t jinx it. But yes, I’ll be there.

Elise: Noon at the yacht. See you there, Liam.

The conversation continued, flowing naturally as they caught up on the past months. His friends peppered him with questions about the livestreams, asking for details about everything, and Liam answered what he could.

The conversation flowed easily, comfortable and familiar. And their chat continued until well past midnight. Eventually, the messages began to slow as people started falling asleep. Final good nights were exchanged, with promises to see each other at noon tomorrow.

Liam set his phone down on the nightstand and stared up at the ceiling of his room.

He was back home, and it was time to start putting things into motion.

There was so much to do. So many things that required his attention now that he’d returned to Earth. The list was almost overwhelming when he really thought about it.

He still hadn’t done his daily sign-in. He needed to make proper use of the Tome and the Pagoda. Both were tools that could dramatically increase his strength if he actually took the time to use them properly.

The cultivation universe and magic universe required attention too. Thanks to time dilation, more than four months had passed in both places while only a month had passed on Earth. Master Han and Chrises were probably worried about him.

He needed to check on the Dimensional Space itself. The Gaia’s Heartstone was still terraforming it, transforming it from barren world into one that’s viable for life. How far had that process progressed? What kind of ecosystem was developing in there?

And speaking of the Dimensional Space, it had connected to the Grand Universe during his transformation. What did that even mean? What changes had occurred? Were there new features, new capabilities, dangers? He had no idea, and that uncertainty bothered him.

Then there was Yanxia tlo. She’s still consolidating her cultivation. He needed to check on her progress, see how powerful she’d become.

So much to do. So many priorities competing for his attention.

But Liam won’t rush anything, because rushing leads to mistakes. Trying to do everything at once led to doing nothing particularly well.

He would take things slow. Handle tasks in order of priority and importance.

First, he would deal with Earth-related matters. Catch up with his friends properly, handle the situation with the people harassing them. Only after that would he start dealing with other issues.

Liam smiled at the ceiling, feeling a sense of anticipation building in his chest.

The future stretched before him, full of possibility and danger in equal measure. Entire universes to explore, powers to master, enemies to overcome, mysteries to solve.