Kayle Ardent's stomach growled again, loud enough to echo in the silence of his cramped one-room apartment. The walls were cracked, the paint flaking, and the bulb overhead flickered as if it too was tired of existing. He sat hunched over his desk, textbooks stacked high, the edges worn, borrowed, and second-hand. His fingers traced over the lines of equations and algorithms, not with boredom, but with fascination.
Despite hunger gnawing at him, Kayle's eyes sparkled. He loved learning. Knowledge was the one thing no one could take from him. Food, money, clothes, even family—those had already been stripped away.
Two years ago, a car accident had stolen his parents. At just seventeen, Kayle had been left alone in the world. No relatives, no guardians. He had the insurance money his parents left behin. Enough, he thought at the time, to survive, study, and secure his future.
But reality was cruel. University fees devoured tens of thousands, debts from the apartment and car swallowed another chunk, and daily living costs were merciless. The savings vanished faster than sand slipping through clenched fists.
Now, at nineteen, a first-year university student, Kayle was broke. Completely.
The boy sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His clothes were cheap, the kind bought in bulk sales, but his posture was straight, his gaze sharp. Even with nothing to his name, Kayle's intelligence made him stand out. Professors already whispered about the "genius boy who solved problems no one else could." Students sometimes came to him for tutoring.
But brilliance didn't feed an empty stomach.
He grabbed his phone, its screen cracked, battery barely holding on. "Maybe I should take another delivery shift," he muttered. His body was already exhausted from working late nights at the food delivery service, but what choice did he have?
He opened his worn-out notebook where he calculated his remaining funds. After paying rent and food, only a few hundred dollars were left. Enough for maybe a week or two.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. Is this it? Is this what my life will be? Running from job to job, eating scraps, until I burn out?
He closed his eyes. For a moment, he imagined his parents. His mother's gentle smile, his father's steady voice. They had believed in him. They had wanted him to change the world.
"I won't give up," Kayle whispered. "Not yet. There has to be a way."
And then—his phone rang.
The shrill tone cut through the silence, startling him. He frowned. At this hour, who would call? The screen showed an unknown number.
Spam, maybe. He almost ignored it, but something in his gut told him to pick up.
"Hello?" His voice was cautious.
There was no human reply. Instead, a metallic, calm voice spoke directly into his ear:
[Initializing…]
Kale froze. "…What?"
[Welcome, Kayle Ardent. You have been selected for the Fortune-Making System.]
"…System?" He glanced at the phone screen, but it was blank. "This has to be a scam…"
[This is not a scam. Verification complete. Subject: Kayle Ardent. Age: 19. Status: Orphan, Financially unstable, High intelligence. Qualification: Passed. Connecting host to system panel.]
The voice was emotionless, mechanical, yet oddly soothing. Kayle's breath caught as glowing words appeared before his very eyes—holographic text floating in the air.
He rubbed his eyes. The letters remained.
[Congratulations. Host has awakened the Fortune-Making System.]
"…I'm hallucinating," Kayle muttered. "Maybe hunger finally got to me."
[This is reality. Please do not panic. The Future-Making System exists to assist chosen individuals in altering their destiny. Completing tasks will grant rewards—skills, money, resources, and more. Failure to comply may result in penalties.]
The glowing text flickered, rearranging itself into a neat panel:
[System Panel]
Host: Kayle Ardent
Age: 19
Status: Financially poor, mentally resilient, intelligent
Starting Rank: F
System Energy: 0
Active Tasks: 1
Kayle's jaw went slack. "You've got to be kidding me… this looks like a video game."
[Task 1 Assigned: Return a lost wallet at the metro station. Time limit: 12 hours.]
"…What?"
[Reward upon success: $10000 real-world currency.]
Kayle stood up, knocking his chair back. His heart raced. "Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me if I return some wallet, you'll just… give me money?"
[Affirmative.]
He laughed—half hysterical. "This is insane. Completely insane. Wallets don't just fall from the sky."
Ding.
On his desk, right next to his open notebook, a brown leather wallet materialized out of thin air.
Kale stumbled backward, nearly tripping. His eyes widened, disbelieving. He reached out and picked it up. It felt real. Solid leather, slightly worn, filled with ID cards, credit cards, and cash.
Inside was an ID photo of an old man.
"…You've got to be joking."
[Task objective: Return this wallet to its rightful owner at the city metro station. Deadline: 12 hours.]
Kayle sat heavily back into his chair, staring at the wallet as if it might explode. His mind raced. Every instinct screamed that this was impossible. And yet… the evidence was in his hands.
If this was real—if the system could give him money, skills, and resources—then this was the opportunity he had been desperately waiting for.
He took a deep breath. "Alright, System. I'll play your game. Let's see just how real you are."
The holographic text flickered as if acknowledging him.
[System recognizes determination. Host synchronization increased.]
Kayle smirked faintly, tucking the wallet safely into his pocket. "Guess my future just took a strange turn."
And so, his journey began—one that would test not only his intelligence, but his courage, morals, and will to survive.