Walking out of the apartment building, Henry took a deep breath before checking his wallet.
"Yes, empty, as always," he murmured. With another heavy sigh, he slipped the wallet back into his pocket and complained, "It would be nice if I hit a jackpot somewhere, but I guess life isn't a dream."
Three months ago, Henry had just graduated from college and started his internship at one of the companies associated with his school.
Except for the forty percent lower salary compared to a full-time employee, life had been good as everything went on the right track for him.
But as Henry said—life wasn't a dream.
On the second day of his internship, his ex-girlfriend showed up at his doorstep with twin daughters in her arms.
After some back and forth, Henry confirmed the girls were indeed his, so he took responsibility for looking after them.
He didn't get back together with his ex, though.
"Man, the moment I saw Rio show up with the girls, I thought the system would follow after. But three months have already passed, and all I see is myself working like a bull. Where are you, system?"
Henry muttered as he made his way to the parking lot.
Thanks to his family's good financial situation, he didn't lack things like housing or a vehicle.
It's just that Henry wasn't bold enough to announce the existence of his daughters to his parents yet, and because of that, he had to struggle with two jobs in order to raise them well.
And everyone knew—it cost quite a lot to raise babies these days.
Since he had twins, the chores were doubled. In short, it was more efficient for the mother to stay home and take care of them instead of hiring a nanny, which might cost as much as her salary, with no guarantee the babies would be cared for properly.
That was Henry's current situation: living in the same house with his ex and their two-year-old twin daughters, carrying the burden as the main pillar of the family. As for his relationship status, it was, in short, complicated.
They were above friendship but still yet to reach the state of lovers.
"Regardless, I need to work well today!"
After giving himself some prep talk, Henry entered his car and went to work.
His company life was boring—basically just typing on the computer for the entire day, no conversation with colleagues, since they were all more than ten years older than him, which made it hard to find a common topic unrelated to work.
Let's just hope I won't turn into a soulless machine like the seniors. Doing the same job for a decade really hollowed them out, Henry thought, imagining his future self doing the same thing as them.
"I really don't want that. Can't my life be spiced up a bit more?" he softly said, feeling somewhat frustrated deep inside.
Sometimes, he just wanted to give up everything and go back to his parents' house.
Being a child had been good, carefree, with the only worry being what to play next—unlike now, being an adult with too many responsibilities, Henry barely managed to adapt to.
"Screw it, let's try hard for some years, life will get better."
Convinced of that, Henry returned his focus to work again.
The company day ended around five o'clock, and Henry grabbed something to eat before heading to his next job without returning home—working as a cab driver, since he already had what he needed: his own car.
He parked in his usual spot, placed the 'TAXI' sign on top, and waited.
When the familiar customer appeared, Henry's gloomy expression brightened at once, replaced by a cheerful, genuine smile.
Somehow, seeing this particular passenger always made him feel better.
"Good morning, Mr. Howard. The usual place?"
Howard stepped in with a smile. "Kiddo, you're joking again. Let's go to the usual place."
The old man was already seventy years old, but his body remained strangely healthy, his figure enviable. If he dyed his hair black, people might actually believe him if he claimed to be only fifty.
Ever since Henry had started this side job, Howard had been his customer from day one. That alone had made Henry's life a lot easier, so he treated the old man well, and gradually, they had become friendly.
Usually, Howard would board Henry's car to eat dinner at a luxury restaurant, and along the way, they would chat a lot. The old man liked to share his life experiences, and Henry didn't mind listening.
But today, something seemed off.
"Having a bad day? Want me to play some cheerful music?" Henry asked curiously, his hand already hovering over the console to do exactly that.
"Oh, please. This old man can't get used to your youngsters' music at all." Howard instantly refused. Then he let out a deep sigh, his expression thoughtful, before finally speaking up.
"Henry, you can be said to be the only junior who's on good terms with me. I think we get along well. So I won't hide it from you."
Howard raised his hand, palm up.
Henry glanced at the rearview mirror, curiosity sharp in his eyes.
Then—
A faint light glowed in Howard's palm before a small chess-like board appeared out of thin air.
"Holy—!" Henry nearly lost control of the wheel as the car lurched, but he quickly steadied himself, regaining focus.
"Kiddo, be careful, will you? This old body barely has a few decades left to enjoy life!" Howard scolded, though his tone wasn't truly angry. He understood the shock.
Henry apologized, then blurted, "Mr. Howard… are you one of those people with the space-like system, like in the novels?"
That was the most logical explanation Henry could think of after witnessing such a miracle.
"Well, park the car first. You're too curious to drive properly now," Howard said, clearly amused.
Henry agreed and steered toward a safe place to park.
After this and that, and a long explanation, the truth came out: the chessboard was actually an artifact passed down through Howard's family for generations. Sadly, Howard had no children, so the legacy would end with him.
For years, he had been searching for someone worthy to inherit it, but none had satisfied him.
That was, until he met Henry.
A young man with strong ambition, yet willing to sacrifice his own comfort to raise his family—despite the easier paths he could have chosen. Those were exactly the qualities Howard had been looking for.
It explained why he had been riding with Henry every day; it wasn't just routine, but a way to observe him, to understand his character.
And now, as the time to part with the artifact drew near, Howard felt both sadness and relief. Sadness for saying goodbye, but relief in knowing his family's legacy could continue.
Under Henry's sparkling eyes, Howard finished explaining his reasons before finally moving to the heart of the matter.
"You see, this artifact…"