I woke up earlier than usual, not because I wanted to, but because my heart wouldn't let me sleep. The meeting with the City Business Registration Office was today, and even though I had a system and a million credits to fall back on, my stomach still twisted like I was about to enter an exam hall I wasn't prepared for. Back on Earth, I never took big steps. I survived. I worked. I existed. But here… everything felt like a chance to rewrite the parts of me I had abandoned long ago. I got dressed quickly, choosing a clean black shirt and the least-wrinkled pair of jeans I owned. The mirror showed the same face from my previous life—brown eyes, messy hair, and a tired expression that refused to fade—but now there was something else behind my gaze. Anticipation. Fear. Ambition? Maybe. Maybe for the first time, I wanted something greater than just getting through the day. As I prepared to leave, I checked my balance again.
[System Notice: Current Balance — 1,001,500 Credits]
It still looked unreal. Seeing those digits still felt like staring at a dream I wasn't supposed to have. I stepped out of the apartment and locked the door behind me. The morning breeze in Aeria City was strangely refreshing, carrying the smell of hot street food mixed with the faint metallic scent of mag-rails. The city was modern like Earth, but everything was cleaner, brighter, sharper—screens floating on building walls, vehicles hovering slightly to reduce friction, drones delivering packages overhead. For someone who grew up poor, this world felt like a futuristic video game where I was accidentally given a high-level starter pack. I drove the car my parents left behind, a compact greysilver sedan, toward the City Business Registration Office. The building stood tall, glass panels reflecting the early sunlight like the entire structure was carved from a single crystal. Inside, the air conditioning hummed softly, and people moved in orderly lines with digital paperwork hovering above wrist devices. I joined the queue, rehearsing what I would say. "I want to register a business." Sounds simple when said aloud, but my palms were sweating like I was about to confess a crime. When my turn came, the receptionist looked up—short hair, sharp eyes, professional smile. "Good morning. Purpose of visit?" "I would like to register a business," I said, hoping my voice didn't crack. "Type?" "Trading and retail… at least for now." I didn't even know what I was building yet. But I needed a legal foundation before anything else. "Name of the business?" I froze. I hadn't thought of one. My mind scrambled through possibilities. Something cool? Something traditional? Something meaningful? And then, like a spark, a phrase floated into my head: Vale Industries. "Vale Industries," I said. The receptionist typed it in, and the system immediately scanned for duplicates. "Name is available. Do you want to proceed?" I nodded. A small holographic form floated in front of me. "Standard registration fee is 5,000 credits. Please confirm."
[System Notice: Detected business registration. Approving expenditure. Processing...]
The form glowed green, and the credits were deducted instantly.
[System Notice: Vale Industries Successfully Registered.]
[System Reward: +100,000 Credits]
[New Feature Unlocked: Business Panel]
The unexpected system reward nearly made me choke. My wrist device projected a new screen immediately.
[Business Panel Activated]
Business Name: Vale Industries
Level: 1
Reputation: 0
Funds Available: 1,096,500 Credits
Current Status: Foundation Stage
Quests Available: Yes
A warmth spread through my chest. It wasn't just the money. It was the feeling that something had begun—really begun. "Registration complete," the receptionist said, handing me a digital certificate. "You're officially the owner of Vale Industries. Welcome to Aeria's business sector." Owner. I had never owned anything in my life—no land, no business, not even a bicycle as a kid. Hearing someone call me owner felt like my ribs were expanding inward with a strange heaviness. I left the building with the certificate saved on my device. Outside, sunlight washed over me, but the world suddenly felt heavier, more real. A million credits wasn't a safety net anymore. It was fuel. And fuel only mattered if I used it right. I stood near the stairs, ready to head back, when the system popped up again.
[New Quest Available: Secure Your First Business Location]
Reward: +50,000 Credits
Bonus Reward: Business Panel EXP
A grin slowly crept onto my lips. "So I really am doing this," I muttered. A guy who died in a traffic accident and woke up in a strange world… now about to build a business empire? It sounded insane. But maybe this world wasn't asking if I was ready. Maybe it was waiting for me to stop being scared. "Alright," I whispered, looking at the quest screen. "Let's take the next step." I didn't know what challenges would come, what rivals I might face, or how many times I'd fail along the way. But for the first time in both my lives… I felt alive. And Vale Industries was only the beginning.
"Let's build an empire," I said under my breath as I walked to the car, determination settling like fire in my chest. "No matter how long it takes."