|╣Supreme Wealth System Initializing...╠|
|╣0—20%————————100╠|
Huh?
H-huh?
|╣0————40%—————100╠|
This.... w-what...
|╣0———————60%——100╠|
Am I hallucinating..?
|╣0——————————100%╠|
|╣Initialization Complete╠|
|╣Introduction Sequence Initiated…╠|
|╣Congratulations, fortunate one. You have been chosen by the Supreme Wealth System—the wealthbound system of wealth, decadence, and unrivaled status.╠|
All of a sudden, translucent screens popped into existence before his eyes, glowing faintly as if the air itself had been turned into glass.
Rows of text floated on them in neat little boxes, flickering softly like a hologram from some cheap sci-fi movie.
"Haha... Hahahaha." He laughed like a madman.
His mouth went dry.
He blinked once, twice, even thrice. He then rubbed his eyes for good measure.
The panels were still there, stubbornly hovering in front of him as though mocking his sanity.
"...Am I crazy..? No.. n-no..." His whisper cracked.
I'm going crazy!!
***
Life had always carried the same rhythm.
Rising and falling like the tide, shifting between rain and shine as if fate itself enjoyed playing games with people.
For some, fortune seemed to arrive with the morning sun, lighting their path with ease.
But for Claude, it was never that way.
What luck?
Luck had never once favored him.
From one misstep to the next, all he seemed to gather was misfortune, clinging to him like a shadow he could never shake off.
"Thanks for coming. Please come again!"
"..."
"Expresso? Coming right up!"
"..."
"Thank you!"
Saying that cheerfully was exhausting.
Especially saying that lines to ones who doesn't even spare him a glance.
He'd drifted through part-time jobs like a ghost — delivery runner, store clerk, flyer distributor, even a night-shift janitor once.
None of them had lasted.
Each one had chewed him up in some small, humiliating way and then spat him back into the streets with a thinner wallet and a heavier heart.
Now he was stuck behind the counter of a cramped café, wiping tables that never stayed clean and forcing a smile that never reached his eyes.
The wage was barely enough to keep his lights on, but what gnawed at him most wasn't the money — it was the looks.
Those soft, pitying gazes from customers who probably earned in an hour what he scraped together in a day.
They didn't mean to cut him down, but every glance carried the same quiet judgment: this is all you're worth.
Enduring that was harder than the long shifts, harder than the aching feet or the endless hiss of the espresso machine.
"Hey Claude, I'll head out first. Please take care of the rest." A co-worker bid farewell.
Nodding in response, Claude moved through the cafe.
With steady precision, he began tidying the counters and stacking the chairs with a quiet rhythm.
He wiped away the last traces of the day, dimmed the lights, and checked the register before locking it securely.
With one final glance around the empty shop, he made sure every door and window was fastened, leaving the café silent and safe for the night.
Back in the dorm, the faint scent of soap still clung to him after the refreshing bath.
The room was quiet, lit only by the soft glow of the desk lamp that pushed back the shadows.
Claude settled into his chair, the worn pages of his textbooks spread before him.
With a deep breath, he steadied his thoughts and began to review his notes, the scratching of his pen the only sound breaking the stillness of the night.
After long minutes of focused reading, Claude felt his throat dry and scratchy.
Pushing his chair back with a scrape, he rose to fetch a glass of water.
The room was dim, shadows stretching across the floor as he moved. But just as he turned, his foot caught the edge of the side table.
Swish—
Thud!
His balance slipped away.
He stumbled forward and with a sharp bang!, his head struck the floor.
A flash of pain bloomed, crackling through his skull, and his vision blurred as the world tilted around him.
"Argh!..."
Slowly, Claude's blurred sight began to sharpen, the dizziness ebbing away in fragments.
Yet what came into focus was not the plain ceiling of his dorm.
Before his eyes, a faint shimmer wavered in the air, like ripples spreading across water.
In the next heartbeat, a stack of translucent screens materialized one after another, hovering in front of him.
Their faint glow pulsed softly, lines of text and symbols gliding across as if summoned by some unseen magic.
|╣Supreme Wealth System Initializing...╠|
|╣0—20%————————100╠|
Huh?
H-huh?
And it continued.
|╣0————40%—————100╠|
This.... w-what...
|╣0———————60%——100╠|
Am I hallucinating..?
|╣0——————————100%╠|
|╣Initialization Complete╠|
|╣Introduction Sequence Initiated…╠|
|╣Congratulations, fortunate one. You have been chosen by the Supreme Wealth System—the wealthbound system of wealth, decadence, and unrivaled status.╠|
***
Claude took a long breath, steadying the pounding in his chest.
The glowing screens floated patiently before him, waiting.
After forcing himself to calm down, he finally spoke, his voice hesitant but firm.
"...What are you?"
The nearest panel flickered, lines of light shifting until words appeared in crisp clarity.
|╣Welcome, Host.╠|
|╣I am the Supreme System bound to you.╠|
Claude's brows furrowed.
His lips parted as he muttered, barely believing his own words.
"A system...? Like in those novels…?"
The screens pulsed again, answering without delay.
|╣Correct.╠|
Claude lay sprawled across the floor, staring at the cracked ceiling.
His pockets were lighter than air, and the last coin in his wallet jingled mockingly whenever he shifted.
The clear glowing screen that kept coming might hold some truth in it. Why not believe?
But still.... This is ridiculously outworldy phenomena that something only in novels happened!
Honestly, I tried to meditate and ended up arguing with my own brain.
Claude blinked, sitting up slowly. "…Did I finally go insane from being broke?"
|╣Incorrect. Host has been selected by the Supreme Wealth System. From now on, your path to riches begins.╠|
"Riches?" Claude muttered, his ears perking up. "You mean… money?"
|╣Affirmative. The Host will receive tasks. Upon completion, rewards will be given.╠|
Claude's heartbeat quickened.
Money out of nowhere? This had to be a dream.
"And all I have to do is… complete tasks?"
|╣Correct. The system will not work for free. However, Host's efforts will be generously compensated.╠|
Claude rubbed his temples. "This sounds too good to be true. What's the trick?"
|╣No tricks. Only tasks. Fail, and you gain nothing. Succeed, and fortune follows╠|
A long silence hung in the air as Claude considered.
His fingers drummed across the floor, the sound dull against the worn wood.
The promise of wealth was tempting—too tempting.
For someone who had spent the last week stretching a single loaf of bread across three meals, even the word "riches" felt like a cruel joke.
But he wasn't a fool.
Systems, contracts, and "miraculous opportunities" always came with hidden blades.
What if these so-called tasks turned out to be impossible?
What if he was tricked into running errands for nothing?
Or worse—what if failure came with a punishment harsher than poverty?
Nothing can be gained without losing,
Even Heaven demands death....
Claude exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting to the cracked ceiling above.
Poverty had already wrung him dry of pride and patience. What else was there to lose?
On one hand, he could refuse, stay safe, and continue scraping just to survive another day.
On the other hand… accepting might finally break the chains of mediocrity holding him down.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
Security or risk.
Starvation or a chance at fortune.
The balance swayed in his mind, the scales tilting back and forth with every passing second.
Finally, Claude let out a dry laugh under his breath. "If I'm already standing on the edge, what's the point of fearing the fall?...."
Claude paused for a moment to inhaled a deep breath the spat the rest in exhales.
"…If this is real, then I guess I have no choice but to play along."
|╣Wise decision, Host. Welcome to the road of wealth.╠|
After accepting the system, a faint golden glow flickered before his eyes, like ripples across clear water, and his basic info appeared.
|╣SYSTEM STATUS╠|
[BASIC INFO]
Name: Claude Julien Riviere
Age: 18
Height: 181 cm (5'11")
Weight: 78 kg (172 lbs)
Blood Type: AB-
[ASSETS]
Funds: 210 CP
Properties: None
Claude saw his system status and his eyes lingered on the details before him.
A small breath escaped his lips as he nodded slightly.
"Not bad," he muttered.
His body was in good shape, the result of never neglecting his health even in the harshest days of poverty.
He had worked hard, ate what little he could, and kept himself active. The proof was now displayed clearly before him.
But as his gaze moved down, the corner of his mouth twitched.
Assets: 210 CP.
Claude let out a dry laugh. Figures. I have absolutely nothing…
No much savings, no hidden wealth, not even a single property to his name.
The system had simply confirmed what he already knew—when it came to money, his situation was as empty as ever.
Note: CP is our novels currency ←(>▽<)ﾉ (Credit Points)