章 2: Chapter 2: A Corpse on the First Dredge?!
Aiden Ravens had pinned all his hopes on whatever he could dredge up from the lake.
This was his lifeline! If nothing valuable came up, forget sleep—he'd be hard-pressed to find his next meal! Aiden's heart was a swirling mix of anticipation and anxiety.
As the magnetic dredging tool slowly neared the shore, Aiden's eyes widened in disbelief at what he saw—two crushed soda cans.
"Seriously...?" he muttered, utterly confused.
Was this... supposed to be a treasure?
Gazing down at the two rusted cans, Aiden's mind whirled. This couldn't be right! He'd seen videos of people pulling rebar and rusty tools, but soda cans? He didn't even get scrap metal worth anything!
He slumped down, staring at the cans in defeat. "Where's the luck I was promised?!"
No response from the system.
Aiden: "..."
Really?! Other systems he'd read about would at least explain things. His didn't even offer that luxury—it simply stayed silent.
Frustrated, he thought about just selling the cans for scrap. But as he bent down to unhook the cans, he noticed something.
The labels on the cans.
One read "DumbA$$" and the other, "WorstEver-Cola."
Aiden: "..."
What in the actual—?
"Is this system making fun of me?!"
Aiden stood there, his mind racing. DumbA$$?! Was the system mocking him for failing? The other can, "WorstEver-Cola," seemed like it was rubbing salt in the wound. He felt like the universe was playing a cruel joke.
He chuckled darkly, staring at the cans. "I guess I'm the 'DumbA$$' now, huh? If I keep this up, I'll be lucky if I don't die of hunger!"
Grumbling under his breath, he clenched his fists, vowing to try again.
Aiden couldn't give up. Not yet. His pride wouldn't let him. He picked up the magnetic dredging tool and flung it back into the lake with all his might.
Splash!
This time, he was determined to pull up something valuable—anything better than worthless cans. As soon as the tool hit the water, Aiden felt a strong tug.
His heart raced. "Here we go!"
Reeling it in was much tougher this time. Whatever was stuck on the magnet felt heavy. Aiden grinned, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
"Looks like my luck's finally turned!"
The weight tugged harder as he pulled. Whatever it was, it was bigger than cans or rebar. Sweat formed on his brow, but he kept pulling, straining with effort.
Finally, as the object neared the surface, Aiden saw something floating up from the depths...
A pair of high heels.
And... a wallet?
Aiden blinked in disbelief, letting out an involuntary laugh.
"High heels and a wallet? Are you serious?!"
He hurriedly unhooked the high heels—oversized shoes that would fit someone with a massive foot—and tossed them aside. "Who the hell wears size 39 heels?!"
He turned his attention to the wallet, excitement building.
"This is it! My jackpot!"
He ripped open the wallet, fully expecting to find cash or at least a credit card.
Inside were a few coins.
Aiden's heart sank as he pulled them out: two old, weathered coins—barely worth a dime.
Frustrated, he threw the coins aside and quickly flipped through the rest of the wallet. There had to be something else! But no—nothing. Only an old, waterlogged ID card. A chill ran down his spine as he stared at the faded photo. Something about it seemed... wrong.
Suddenly, a mental image flashed in his mind: someone tying weights to a body, sinking it to the bottom of the lake.
Shaking the thought away, Aiden steeled himself. "No way... It's just an old wallet. Stop overthinking it!"
But no matter how hard he tried, the eerie feeling lingered.
Determined not to give up, Aiden launched the magnet into the water once more. "Third time's the charm, right?"
Splash!
This time, the magnet snagged something quickly. Aiden started reeling it in, but a sense of unease gnawed at him.
What if he really dredged up a body?
The magnet drew closer to the surface. A dark silhouette floated up, and Aiden's heart skipped a beat.
No way…
Could it actually be…?
As the figure rose from the water, Aiden's eyes widened in horror.
"Is that a... body?!"
He froze, too stunned to move.
But as the figure fully emerged, Aiden's expression changed from fear to disbelief.
It wasn't a corpse. It was… a mannequin.
Aiden: "You've got to be kidding me."
He groaned, kicking the mannequin back into the lake with frustration. "Who the hell dumps a mannequin in the water?!"
Gazing over at the nearby college dorms, he muttered, "These college girls must be playing some weird pranks..."
Aiden sighed, exhausted. This wasn't how he expected his "lucky" day to go. He gave it one last shot, hurling the magnet into the lake again.
"If this doesn't work, I'm moving to a different spot!" he declared, feeling the weight of his frustration.
This time, something heavy tugged on the magnet.
Something... big.
Aiden's heart pounded. Could it be something valuable? Something real?
He started pulling, but dread crept into his mind.
What if it really was a body this time?
As the object rose to the surface, Aiden's face turned pale.
Floating before him was a human-shaped mass.
Aiden: "Oh crap... not this time..."
His voice trembled as the realization hit him: he might have just dredged up an actual corpse.
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