Chapter 1: The Weight of Poverty
Ethan looked up at the sky, his skin glistening with sweat. His muscles contracted painfully; he had been cleaning the yard since he woke up that morning, desperate to earn extra money for his daily expenses. Though he was poor, Ethan was an incredibly intelligent young man who had earned a scholarship to one of the top ten universities in the country.
The scholarship covered his tuition and hostel expenses, but the rest was up to him. He had to fend for himself. Usually, he kept to himself due to his family situation, never taking the initiative to attack or provoke anyone. He was just trying to survive.
Ethan was still sweeping the yard when he heard a sharp voice behind him.
"Move it, Ghost," a voice sneered.
Ethan didn't look up. He didn't need to. The expensive scent of sandalwood and leather told him exactly who it was: Julian Vance, the son of a manager at one of the biggest companies in the country. Julian and his circle of friends had spent the last two years using Ethan as their personal courier, janitor, and punching bag.
"What do you want, Julian? I'm going as fast as I can," Ethan muttered under his breath. His voice was raspy from a lack of sleep. Between his double shifts on campus and his part-time jobs, he was lucky if he got four hours of rest a night.
Julian stepped forward, his polished designer loafers clicking on the pavement. With a casual flick of his wrist, he slapped the cold remains of a soda cup out of Ethan's hand. Sticky brown liquid splashed across Ethan's only decent pair of jeans.
"You forgot to say 'sir.' And you missed a spot... Ghost."
The surrounding rich kids laughed, the sound sharp like breaking glass. Ethan kept his head down, his black hair falling over his eyes to hide the flash of anger within them. He couldn't fight back—no, he didn't dare fight back. One report from Julian and his scholarship would vanish. He had a family waiting for him to graduate so he could secure a good job and elevate them from poverty. His future depended on his silence.
"Hey! Leave him alone!"
A sturdy figure pushed through the crowd. Leo, Ethan's roommate and best friend since they were five, stepped in front of him. Leo's parents didn't have much money either, but he was part of the school football team; he was big and imposing, with a temper to match.
"Oh, look, the sidekick arrived," Julian mocked. He took a half-step back, though he wouldn't admit he was intimidated by Leo. Years of partying and alcohol had made Julian weak; he relied entirely on his father's name to get out of trouble.
"Don't mind it, Leo. You know I need the money," Ethan said quietly.
"Yes, but it doesn't mean they should treat you like this," Leo replied, his eyes flaring.
The crowd burst into laughter again. Julian tossed one last insult over his shoulder: "Keep your stray on a leash, Leo. He's ruining the aesthetic of the courtyard." With a final, condescending chuckle, the group sauntered away.
Leo sighed, turning to help Ethan with the bags. "Man, you gotta stop letting them do this. We're in our third year now. We're supposed to be seniors. Don't let the new students see this and start treating you the same way."
Ethan gave a dry, hollow laugh. "You know how much I need this money, Leo. Cara is finishing high school this year and will be processing her admission. Our parents can't afford to send us both, so the responsibility falls on me. I've got no choice. I know it's going to be okay." He paused, wiping his jeans with a handful of rough paper towels. "We're seniors with empty pockets, Leo. And empty pockets don't have a voice."
They walked back to their dorm in silence. Room 402 was a cramped, rectangular box shared by four people. Two sets of bunk beds, four desks piled with textbooks, and the lingering smell of cheap instant noodles. Their other two roommates were out, leaving the space feeling unusually heavy.
It was around 3 PM. Ethan had no classes scheduled for the afternoon and planned to sleep until his shift at the bar later that night. He collapsed onto his thin mattress. His body ached, and his soul felt ground into dust by the weight of poverty. He checked his bank app: $12.45. Rent was due in three days. Tuition was short by five hundred.
I just want a chance, Ethan thought, closing his eyes. Just one chance to not be the dirt under their boots.
At that moment, far across the galaxy, a flash of light streaked through the void at a speed invisible to the most advanced technology. It had been flying for countless years without stopping once.
On this day, it pierced Earth's atmosphere. It hovered for a fraction of a second before crashing down. No human noticed; even the most powerful countries and their satellites missed the object as it slammed into the building and merged with Ethan's sleeping form.
[DING!]
A sharp, crystalline sound echoed inside his brain. Ethan remained fast asleep as the system began the integration.
[Binding the Super Lavish System…]
[10%... 30%... 50%... 80%... 100%]
[Binding Complete.]
A screen, visible only to Ethan, appeared in the darkness of his mind:
Host: Ethan McCain
Balance: $10,000,000,000,000,000.00
Body: 15 (Weak)
Mind: 28 (Normal)
Skills: Can be added freely (Requires Lavish Points)
System Points: 0
As Ethan began to stir, a voice resonated in his head.
[STATUS]
Before he could comprehend what was happening, the voice spoke again.
"Welcome, Ethan McCain, to the Zillion System. This is a one-to-one single binding system and cannot be transferred. Should the host die, the system will disappear."
"The host's balance is already bound to all banks worldwide. The host may use fingerprints, facial recognition, or pupils to authorize payments."
"Usage: The host, Ethan McCain, will obtain one System Point after spending 100 million dollars. System Points can be used to improve the host's body, wits, and skills."
"Rules: There is only one rule. The host is forbidden from negotiating the price of anything they wish to buy. A beggar who negotiates the price is not worthy of the system."