The smell of stale coffee and burnt toast clung to him.
Kael slammed the flimsy door of his dorm room shut, wincing as the frame rattled. It was almost midnight. His shift at the campus cafe had run an hour over, and his legs ached from standing for eight solid hours.
He tossed his keys into a cracked ceramic bowl on his desk, the clink a lonely sound in the small, cramped room. This was his life at Aethelgard University, one of the most prestigious schools in the country.
For others, it was a four-year party, a place to make connections and spend their parents' money.
For Kael, it was a cage.
He was here on a partial scholarship, but "partial" was the key word. The rest of his tuition, his books, and his tiny dorm room were paid for by a mix of student loans and the two part-time jobs he was juggling.
He sat on his bed, the mattress springs groaning in protest, and pulled out his phone. He opened his banking app.
Balance: 215.30 Credits.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips. He'd just been paid, but most of it was already gone. He'd sent 500 Credits home to his parents. His father's medicine wasn't getting any cheaper, and his "poor health" was a gentle way of saying his body was failing him.
Kael was doing all of this to lessen their burden. But after a full month of college, he was just... tired.
He was tired of being exhausted. He was tired of eating instant noodles for dinner.
Most of all, he was tired of the others.
Just today, in his Macroeconomics class, a guy named Marcus Thorne—whose father owned half the city—had been loudly bragging about how he'd dented his new sports car. "Dad's just going to buy me the newer model," he'd laughed, as if it were a joke.
Marcus had looked over at Kael, who was still wearing his slightly-too-large high school jacket, and scoffed. "Some people just weren't born for success, you know?"
Kael clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as he remembered the laughter from the group. They flaunted wealth that wasn't even theirs, wealth they had done nothing to earn, and used it to look down on people like him.
"I'm so sick of this," Kael whispered to the empty room, his voice rough with frustration. "I'm sick of being poor. I'm sick of them. I'd... I'd do anything to be on top. To show them... to show them all what real wealth and power looks like."
He slammed his phone onto the mattress.
And then, a sound.
[DING!]
It wasn't his phone. The sound was crystal clear, and it seemed to come from inside his own head.
Kael froze. A transparent blue screen, like something from a video game, flickered into existence in front of his eyes.
[System Booting... Empyrean Wealth & Strength System initializing.]
"What...?" Kael whispered, his heart pounding. He rubbed his eyes, but the screen remained, floating silently in his dorm room.
[Host's core desire detected: Surpass all. Acquire infinite wealth. Obtain absolute strength.][System binding... 50%... 80%... 100%.][Binding Complete. Welcome, Host.]
[I am the System that will make you the Wealthiest and Strongest Person in Every World.]
Kael's jaw went slack. Was he hallucinating? Was this what a stress-induced breakdown looked like?
"Make me the wealthiest and strongest...?" he read aloud, his voice trembling.
[Correct. The ignorant mortals around you believe they understand wealth. This System will help you teach them what true 'flaunting' really means.]
[New User Gift Pack has been detected. Opening...]
[Congratulations, Host! You have received: 1,000,000 Credits!]
Kael's phone buzzed violently on the bed. He snatched it up. A new app, one he had never installed, was open. It was a secure banking app.
Balance: 1,000,000.00 Credits.
He wasn't hallucinating.
"One... one million?" he stammered. That was more money than his family had earned in the last decade.
[You have received: 5% Shares in 'Starlight Innovations'. (Current Value: 0.50 Credits per share)]
[You have received: 'Body Tempering Elixir' (Basic).]
As he read the last line, a small, crystalline bottle filled with a shimmering silver liquid appeared in his right hand with a soft pop. It was cool to the touch.
Kael stared at the bottle, then at the bank balance, then at the blue screen that only he could see.
[This is a Daily Sign-In System, Host. Sign in every day for greater rewards.]
[A 'Trial Period' of 2 months has now begun. During this time, the System will provide comprehensive support. After the Trial Period, you will be required to actively work and build your own empire. The System rewards those who strive, not those who are idle.]
[Your first Daily Sign-In is now available. Would you like to Sign In?]
Kael looked at the bottle in his hand, his mind reeling. One million Credits were in his account. A path had just opened up in front of him, one that could solve all his problems. His father's health. The mocking laughter of people like Marcus.
He was still tired. But now, for the first time, he was also filled with a burning, electric hope.
He took a deep breath.
"Yes," Kael said, his voice firm. "Sign me in."
(Author's Note)
hope you like it it is my first work if see any errors tell me in the comments and if you like it add it to your collection !