The System Awakens

Ethan Cole sat in the dimly lit corner of his tiny, rundown apartment, his back pressed against the peeling wallpaper. The air smelled of dust and disappointment, the silence only broken by the occasional dripping from the leaky faucet in his kitchen.

Ethan was born into a working-class family, never knowing the luxury of wealth or comfort. His father was an overworked factory worker, and his mother juggled multiple jobs just to keep food on the table.

Ethan Cole is a tall (6'1"), lean but well-built man in his early twenties. Years of struggling have left him with a sharp, chiseled face that carries an air of quiet intensity. His jet-black hair is slightly messy, often falling over his deep-set, piercing gray eyes—eyes that seem to have seen too much for his age.

His jawline is sharp, his skin slightly pale from years of poor nutrition, and a faint five o'clock shadow always lingers on his face. His lips rarely curl into a genuine smile; instead, they settle into an unreadable smirk or a grim, calculating line.

His wardrobe consists of cheap, worn-out clothes—faded jeans, plain hoodies, and scuffed sneakers—a clear sign of his financial struggles. But beneath that ragged exterior lies a man with the potential to shake the world.

As a child, Ethan had dreams—big ones. He wanted to escape poverty, to build something for himself. He was brilliant, always top of his class, but life was never kind to him.

At 15, his father died in an accident at the factory. The company paid a small compensation, barely enough for a year's rent.

At 16, he started working part-time jobs while juggling school, barely sleeping.

At 18, he got accepted into a top business university on a partial scholarship. He thought his life was turning around.

At 19, everything fell apart. His mother fell sick, the medical bills piled up, and he had to drop out. His scholarship was revoked. With no degree, no connections, and no money, he was thrown into the harsh reality of the world.

The next few years were a blur of struggle. Rejections, failures, starvation, depression. He sent out hundreds of job applications, but without a degree or experience, no one gave him a chance.

Now, at 23, he's at his lowest point—jobless, broke, and on the verge of eviction. Society had discarded him, treating him as just another failure.

At this moment,His eyes were locked on the eviction notice crumpled in his hands, the red FINAL WARNING stamp glaring at him like a death sentence. Three days. That's all he had left before he'd be thrown out onto the streets like garbage.

His stomach growled—a cruel reminder that he hadn't eaten since yesterday. He opened his fridge, already knowing what he'd find. Nothing. Just a half-empty bottle of tap water and a single slice of stale bread.

Ethan clenched his jaw. Is this what my life has come to?

He had once dreamed of making it big, of proving everyone wrong. Yet here he was, a college dropout with no job, no prospects, and barely a few bucks left in his bank account. Every application he sent was met with the same automated rejection. "We regret to inform you…"

Regret? They didn't regret a damn thing.

His phone buzzed again. Another email. Another rejection.

"We appreciate your interest, but at this time…"

Slam!

He hurled his phone onto the couch, rubbing his face with his hands. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

And then—

Ding!

A sharp, unnatural sound rang through his mind. Not from his phone. Not from his laptop. This came from inside his head.

Ethan's breath hitched. His body tensed. What was that?

Before he could react, an eerie blue interface flickered into existence before his eyes. It was translucent, hovering in the air like something out of a sci-fi movie.

[Initializing System…]

[Welcome, Ethan Cole. Your destiny has been recalculated.]

His heart pounded against his ribs. What the hell is this?!

He scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping over himself. He swiped at the display, but his hands passed right through it. A hallucination? Had he finally lost his mind?

[Congratulations! You have been chosen as the sole recipient of the Empire System.]

[Your path to absolute power begins now.]

Ethan's breath quickened. This… this isn't normal.

He took a shaky step back, his mind racing. His life had been filled with nothing but failures, bad luck, and misery. And now, out of nowhere, some 'system' was telling him his destiny had changed?

[Starting Bonus: $10,000,000 has been deposited into your primary bank account.]

Ethan froze. His heart stopped.

This is number that he had never thought,he would see after entering society

No. That's impossible.

His phone buzzed violently on the couch. With trembling hands, he picked it up.

[Bank Notification: Your account has received a deposit of $10,000,000.]

The numbers were real. Real.

Ethan's knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the couch, staring at the screen in shock. This wasn't some cheap prank. His bank balance had gone from barely surviving to an amount he had never even dared to dream of.

His breaths came out ragged, his fingers tightening around the phone.

Was this a dream? Was he about to wake up in his cold, miserable apartment with nothing?

He slapped himself across the face. Hard.

Pain shot through his cheek. He wasn't dreaming. This was real.

A new notification appeared before him.

[First Task: Lay the Foundation.]

Objective: Acquire assets and resources to establish your foothold.

Reward: An elite financial skill + a special system-provided ally.

Ethan's hands shook, but not from fear this time. It was something else. Something deep within him that had been buried under years of failure and despair.

Hope.

His lips curled into a slow, almost disbelieving grin.

The world had kicked him down, spat on him, and left him to rot.

But now?

Now, he had something no one else had. A chance.

His fingers clenched into a fist. His eyes burned with a fire he hadn't felt in years.

"Alright… let's play."