The night before heading home,
Kael walked to the only place where he can find seeds since seeds is no longer a normal item, it was hard to find since people are farming anymore.
He quickly go to the nearest potion shop in the town it was a botanical stores before.
There were only two packets left.
Cherry tomatoes.
Apples.
That was it.
Kael picked them up without a second thought. The packaging was faded, corners bent. In the cold storage.
The boss was surprised someone will buy this expensive trash, its already been years since it was been there , the boss store was used to be a botanical.
As he stepped outside the store, the city lights flickered in the distance. He held the seed packets close and put it to his dimensional storage.
He opened his phone and checked his bank account.
$32,000.
That money didn't come easy. He had spent months saving it, scrimping every Dollar, from overtime shifts, hazardous dungeon work, and even skipping meals all with one goal in mind:
To hire a guild to carry him through a B-rank raid. Just one successful run could push him to level 3, maybe even 4, and open real opportunities. It was the shortcut most low-rankers took if they could afford it.
But now… with his own dungeon and evolving crops… he didn't need that shortcut anymore.
"I won't use this for me," he whispered, thumb hovering over the balance. "This one's for them."
Even if he was a failure in the eyes of others, his family never made him feel that way. They never gave up on him. He thought of Liam his co-worker who always got treated like a burden by his own relatives. Kael was lucky.
As he walked past a beef shop, a familiar scent made him stop.
Beef.
Real beef.
In this economy, it was a luxury. One kilo went for $300. It used to be something only the rich could afford.
He walked in and asked for two kilos. $600 gone, just like that. But he didn't even blink.
His twin brother was always watching mukbang videos of people eating beef. And the two youngest? They'd never even tasted real meat.
"Tonight, we celebrate," Kael said with a grin.
He didn't stop there.
Across the street, he saw a tech shop. In the display window was the exact gaming gear his brother Mel always dreamed of the full dive experience gaming gear,everything. It cost nearly $5,000.
More than half a month's salary for most.
But Kael bought it anyway.
Mel always pretended he didn't care. He just watched streamers.
Kael knew better.
Next, he spotted a jewelry stall. A simple pearl necklace sat under the glass.
$500.
It wasn't fancy, but he knew his mom would treasure it. She'd never worn real jewelry since their dad fell into a coma.
As he walked down the sidewalk with bags in hand, he suddenly paused.
Across the street, walking with her friends, was Maya his little sister.
She was sixteen now, just entering the age where image mattered. Kael glanced at his reflection in the glass.
Muddy boots. Sweat-stained shirt. Dirt clinging to his pants. He looked like he just came out of a dungeon which, to be fair, he had.
He braced himself. She might pretend she didn't see me...
But before he could turn away, Maya's face lit up.
"Kuya!" she called out, waving excitedly.
She ran straight toward him, leaving her friends behind.
"Bye, guys! My kuya's here!" she said with a grin.
"Oi, Maya don't hug me, I'm dirty right now," Kael chuckled, awkwardly scratching his cheek. "Your friends are watching."
"It's fine, kuya. Don't worry. My classmates are kind."
Her friends caught up, smiling politely.
"Hello, Maya's big bro!" one of the girls greeted cheerfully.
Kael smiled. It warmed his heart that Maya had such kind people around her. Not everyone was so lucky.
As they stood there chatting, a giant billboard flickered above them. It was an ad for the latest N-Phone 15 Galaxy sleek, cutting-edge, beautiful. Maya's eyes sparkled as she stared at it.
She quickly looked away.
Kael remembered she still didn't have her own phone. She was turning eighteen next week, but they simply couldn't afford it before.
That phone cost $13,000.
He checked his balance again.
$26,000 left.
It was more than enough to pay a strong party to carry him through a B-rank dungeon. The same plan he'd made months ago. That money was supposed to level him up.
But now?
He had a dungeon of his own.
He didn't need shortcuts anymore.
"Come with me," Kael said, grabbing her hand gently.
"Huh? Where are we going?"
"To the mall. We're buying something."
They walked into a tech store. The staff glanced at him with mild curiosity sweaty, dusty, and clearly not their usual customer. But they still assisted.
"Pick whichever phone you want," he said casually.
"W-What? Are you sure?" Maya blinked.
"Yep."
She hesitated, then walked over to the N-Phone 15, the same one from the billboard. But after a moment, she quietly turned toward a cheaper Xiaoxiao modelonly $3,000.
"This one's nice. It's cheap and reliable," the saleslady smiled.
"I like this one," Maya said.
Kael crouched a bit, meeting her eyes.
"Are you really sure?"
She went quiet.
Kael laughed gently. "Thought so." He ruffled her hair. "Don't worry. I've got a bit of money now." He flexed his arm jokingly. "I'm rich and strong!"
He brought the N-Phone 15 to the counter and paid in full.
As they walked out of the mall, Maya clutched the box like it was the most precious thing in the world. Her eyes shimmered, and Kael could feel the gratitude radiating from her without a word being said.
She had sacrificed a year of school paused her own future bust so Kael could attend Hunter Academy. It cost them so much, emotionally and financially.
And now?
Kael finally had a way to give something back.
Maya rode on the back of Kael's motorcycle, her arms wrapped tightly around her brother's waist as they made their way home.
Their house wasn't much just a small, two-story structure barely 50 square meters. The paint was peeling, and the roof needed work.
But with how crazy the housing market had become, their old place was worth over a million dollars now.
As soon as Kael opened the gate, small feet rushed toward the door.
"Kuyaaaa!!" three voices shouted in unison.
The tall one Mel, fifteen years old led the charge, followed by the six-year-old twins, Duke and Luke. The two had just started kindergarten, late by a few years. Their mom had postponed their schooling to save money just so Kael could attend the Hunter Academy.
"Kuya, give me your bag and boots I'll bring them to your room and clean 'em!" Mel said cheerfully, already reaching for his things.
"Happy kuya!" the twins shouted, clinging to his legs.
Kael bent down and picked them both up, kissing their cheeks with a laugh. "How was school, you little rascals?"
"It was fun! I made lots of friends!" said Duke proudly.
"My teacher was really pretty," Luke added, grinning.
"Haha! Good for you both."
He set them down and held up two shopping bags. "I've got a surprise."
The twins gasped as they peeked inside.
"Beef?! Real beef?!"
Their mom peeked from the kitchen, eyes wide. "Kael... what's this? Why did you buy something so expensive? I thought you were saving to join a dungeon raid?"
Kael smiled. "It's okay, Mom. I earned a lot today."
Dinner that night felt unreal.
They all gathered around the small table, the scent of sizzling beef filling the house. For most families, it was a normal meal. But for them, it was a $600 luxury the kind they hadn't tasted in years.
As they waited for the food to finish cooking, Maya pulled out her brand-new phone and began unboxing it on the couch. The twins hovered around her like it was a magic treasure chest.
"Isn't that the N-Phone 15?" Mel asked, wide-eyed. "That's the one from the billboard! Kuya, how'd you afford that? It costs thirteen grand!"
Kael's mom looked over from the stove, clearly worried.
"Son... are you sure about this? You want to become a hunter, right? You shouldn't waste money on us. I can go with you to the mall and return"
"No, Mom. It's fine," Kael interrupted gently. "I've been planning to buy Maya that phone for five months now."
Maya smiled as she cradled the phone. For once, she wouldn't have to borrow classmates' devices or be left out of group chats.
She got up and gave Kael a tight hug.
"Thank you, kuya," she whispered.
The TV in the background played a commercial for the latest VR full-dive headset, a gaming setup that let you experience life as a hunter in a simulated world.
Mel's eyes sparkled.
Kael noticed instantly.
He walked to his bag and pulled out a large box, placing it on the table.
"Mel. Open it."
"Huh? What is this?"
"Just shut up and open it."
Mel peeled back the tape. His jaw dropped.
"Whoa! It's the V4 IGTech set! This is the one I always wanted!"
"But... why?" he asked, voice cracking. "How'd you earn this much money?"
Kael gave a sheepish grin.
Before he could answer, their mom stepped in, looking both amazed and worried.
"Kael... this is too much. You can't use all your money like this. Don't throw away your future just to spoil us."
Kael pulled out his phone.
"Don't worry, Mom. I got a huge bonus today. I found something rare in a dungeon, and they paid me a lot."
He pulled up a screenshot of his bank account from earlier that day. It clearly showed $32,000.
But actually that amount if before he spend.
"Here, Mom," he added, pulling a small envelope from his jacket. "This is an extra $8,000 use it for this month's budget."
"W-What?" she blinked. "Kael... are you serious?"
"I'm serious," he nodded. "And I still have $3,450 left. I'll be fine."
He reached into the bag once more and pulled out a smaller box. Inside was the pearl necklace.
"What's this?" his mom asked, stunned.
Kael walked over and gently placed it in her hand.
"Happy belated birthday, Mom."
Her eyes began to well up. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"Mom, that suits you!" Maya grinned.
"Looks like you're leveling up too," Mel teased.
Kael laughed awkwardly, scratching his neck.
"To be honest… I didn't just buy all this because it's Maya's birthday," he said. "I actually kind of struck gold."
He gave them a cheesy thumbs-up.
The room went quiet for a second.
Then came the slowest, most awkward round of clapping.
"Wooowwwww," Mel and the twins said in unison, not sure what to do.
Kael chuckled, trying to act cool—even though his face was full of pimples, and he was still rocking 40% body fat.
But right now? None of that mattered.
He opened his system interface with a flick of his wrist.
A translucent blue panel appeared in his vision.
[Dimensional Rift Synchronization – Progress: 40%]
"Im too excited, damn why it's taking too long"
Next morning he was been wake up by the sound of the system.
[System notifications]
"Dimensional rift was been successfully downgraded from C rank to F rank.
Rift mala level 1000/1000"