Dev had learned one thing early in life.
Being poor was exhausting.
The kind of exhaustion that didn't come from work, but from constantly calculating—how many meals were left, how long the electricity would last, whether today's bus fare could be saved by walking.
He climbed the narrow staircase of the apartment building, his steps echoing in the dim corridor. The lights on the second floor were broken again. No one bothered to fix them. This place had been "temporarily rundown" for years.
He unlocked the door and stepped inside.
A single room. A bed. A small table. An old fan that made more noise than wind.
Dev dropped his bag and sat on the edge of the bed. His phone buzzed once, then went silent. Another message from the loan app he hadn't dared to open.
He lay back and stared at the ceiling.
If life continued like this, he didn't even know how long he could hold on.
That was when the light appeared.
Not outside. Not from the window.
It appeared directly in front of his eyes.
Dev froze.
A translucent panel hovered in the air, blue and calm, like it had always belonged there.
Before he could scream or move, a line of text formed.
[God of Wealth System binding in progress…]
His heart slammed against his ribs.
"What…?"
The panel didn't disappear.
Instead, another line appeared.
[Binding complete.]
Dev sat up abruptly, his breath uneven. He rubbed his eyes once. Twice.
The panel remained.
"This… isn't a dream?"
He reached out instinctively. His fingers passed through the panel, but the text rippled slightly, responding to his movement.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
"System?" he said softly, testing the word.
The panel changed.
[Host detected.]
Dev swallowed. His mouth felt dry.
"Am I hallucinating?"
No answer.
He waited. Nothing happened.
Minutes passed. The fan continued its useless noise. Outside, someone argued loudly on the street.
Reality didn't collapse.
Dev's hands slowly clenched.
If this was fake, it was far too detailed. If it was real…
"System," he said again, steadier this time. "Show status."
The panel refreshed.
[Host: Dev]
[Authority: God of Wealth (Unawakened)]
[Current Assets: 0]
[Wealth Points: 0]
Dev stared at the zero.
"…Figures."
Before he could think further, the panel changed again.
[System reward issuing…]
Dev's pupils shrank.
"Reward? For what?"
[Congratulations, Host.]
[You have acquired ownership of a failing financial institution.]
Dev blinked.
"…What?"
The words rearranged themselves, slower this time, as if giving him time to process.
[Asset: South River Community Bank]
[Status: Near bankruptcy]
[Scale: Small]
[Business Scope: Micro-loans, local deposits]
Dev's mind went blank.
"A bank?"
His first reaction wasn't excitement.
It was disbelief.
"I don't even have money to eat tomorrow," he muttered. "And you're giving me a bank?"
The panel remained indifferent.
[Ownership transfer complete.]
[All legal procedures handled by the system.]
Dev stood up abruptly, knocking the chair back.
"You're telling me… I own a bank now?"
[Yes.]
One simple word.
Dev ran a hand through his hair. His thoughts were chaotic, colliding with each other.
A bank meant responsibility. Employees. Debts. Customers. Failure.
"Isn't that bank going bankrupt?"
[Correct.]
Dev let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
"So you're giving me a problem, not a gift."
The panel flickered once.
[Correction.]
[The bank is a foundation.]
Before Dev could ask what that meant, another message appeared.
[Would you like to rename the bank?]
He stared at the words.
Rename?
This was happening too fast.
"…Can I refuse?"
[Refusal unavailable.]
Dev exhaled slowly.
If this was real, panicking wouldn't help.
He looked at the name displayed on the panel: South River Community Bank. Old. Plain. Forgettable.
"Change it," he said.
[Please confirm new name.]
Dev thought for a moment. Then spoke.
"Wealth God Bank."
The moment the words left his mouth, the panel flashed.
[Name confirmed.]
[Wealth God Bank established.]
Dev felt something subtle shift, like a weight settling on his shoulders.
He didn't feel stronger.
He felt… responsible.
The panel didn't stop.
[Initial mission issued.]
Dev straightened unconsciously.
"What mission?"
[Mission 1: Stabilize basic operations.]
[Objective: Hire 5 employees.]
[Reward upon completion:]
[1,000,000 USD equivalent.]
Dev's breathing stalled.
"One million?"
His gaze snapped back to the reward line, as if it might disappear.
"That's… real money?"
[Yes.]
For the first time since the panel appeared, Dev felt something other than confusion.
Hope.
A cautious, fragile hope.
"So," he said quietly, sitting back down. "If I run this bank… I get money?"
[Clarification.]
[Currency flow generates Wealth Points.]
[Wealth Points equalized to USD value at a fixed rate.]
Dev frowned. "Explain."
The panel updated.
[1 Wealth Point = 100 USD.]
Dev's fingers tightened slightly.
"And employees?"
[System employees generate Wealth Points passively.]
Another line appeared beneath it.
[Level 1 employee: 1 Wealth Point per minute.]
Dev's eyes widened.
"One per minute… that's a hundred dollars every minute?"
[Correct.]
"And me?"
[Host receives 100× employee-generated Wealth Points.]
The room fell silent.
Dev leaned back slowly, his heart pounding.
A small, bankrupt bank.
Five employees.
A system that turned money flow into power.
For the first time in years, the ceiling above him didn't feel so heavy.
"…Alright," he said softly.
"Let's see if this broken bank can still make money."