The weakest.
The poorest.
A nobody.
How many of you could live with those titles?
For Gray, he didn't have much of a choice.
He was born with nothing. Raised with even less.
Gray had no talent, no skills, no wealth, no influential parents.
In a world ruled by money and strength, there was no doubt that Gray was at the bottom of the society.
At the age of 20, he spent his whole life, trying to survive.
He had done all he could do. He washed dishes in restaurants, cleaned toilets, carried heavy boxes, and scrubbed the walls.
He had no choice. He could only rely for himself to survive. What's more was that he has a little sister to take care of, his only family, after their parents passed away.
Gray worked three jobs a day just to keep a roof over their heads and a bowl of rice on the table.
And he had once never complained.
But life has a cruel way of testing people like him.
One rainy afternoon, Gray was sitting on the cold floor. He was dead tired after carrying heavy boxes for a few hours.
Gray's shirt clung to his back. It was soaked with sweat and rain. His arms were aching. And his legs felt like they would give up at any moment.
His work was still not done. But fortunately, they were allowed to take a short break before the next batch of deliveries arrived.
Gray was sitting on the ground when he heard footsteps getting near him. When he looked up, he saw his manager, Mr. White.
Mr. White was a balding man in his late fifties. He was a little bit big, maybe not too little, and his sagging face looked as if he had gone through the end of the world.
Mr. White had a mischievous expression on his face. He was playfully grinning as he approached Gray.
Gray slowly stood up to greet his manager.
"Sir?" he asked, uncertain why the man was approaching him when Mr. White used to just pass by him every day.
Mr. White didn't meet his gaze. Rather, he looked disgusted that he was talking to Gray.
"You're Gray, right?" he asked, even though they both knew the answer to it.
"Yes, sir." Gray nodded slowly.
"Tch." Mr. White scratched the back of his head, then pulled out a crumpled envelope from under his clipboard.
"Well, kid, I've got bad news for you."
Gray's face paled as he stared at the envelope. He had encountered this situation countless times, and he couldn't be wrong about it.
'No… Don't tell me…'
"We're letting you go."
The words hit him like a slap across the face.
"What?" Gray blinked.
"We're cutting down on temporary workers. Company's orders." Mr. White waved a hand lazily as if it was no big deal. "It's nothing personal."
Gray opened his mouth, but nothing came out of it.
"I—I've been working here for the last six months," he finally said. "I never missed a day. I come early. I work overtime when no one else wants to—"
Mr. White sighed as if even listening was a chore for him.
"Look, I'm not your therapist, alright? Go complain to someone who cares. Take your final pay and get out. You're done."
Mr. White shoved the envelope into Gray's chest as if he was even disgusted to be near him.
"…"
Gray had no choice but to accept the envelope that contained his last payment. It wasn't heavy. There was only a small stack of bills inside, not even enough to pay rent.
Gray's tired eyes looked down at the envelope, rainwater dripping from his sleeves onto the worn paper.
"This… this won't be enough to get us through the week," he whispered in the air, feeling as if the world had ended for him.
He had been fired from his two other jobs in the span of a month so he was struggling right now. This job was the only source of income he currently had, and he couldn't afford to lose it too.
But Mr. White had already turned around.
"It's not my problem, kid," he said over his shoulder. "I don't care about you so make sure you're out by the end of the day."
And just like that, Mr. White was gone.
Gray stood there, lifeless. He clenched his fist, and the envelope crumpled even more in his hands.
He had no backup plans. No savings.
Gray's legs gave out. He fell on the ground, sitting exactly from where he was sitting earlier. His vision blurred, but not from the rain.
He was a failure.
Useless.
How was he supposed to pay rent now?
How would he buy food for his sister?
Fuck life.
"Why?" he thought. "Why keep fighting when I'm this useless?"
He had tried. He had done everything he can to survive.
But life kept pushing him down.
His sister's face flashed in his mind. Her innocent smile, and her always cheerful voice.
. How could he face her now, when he couldn't even provide for her?
"God…" Gray whispered, his voice trembling.
"How much longer do I need to suffer?"
The rain kept falling but he didn't care anymore.
Gray stood up and walked out of the warehouse. He didn't know where he was going, all he knew was that he kept walking and walking.
And a moment after, he found himself at the edge of a bridge.
His sister was probably waiting for him.
But how could he face her when he knew that he was useless now?
A failure?
Gray took a step forward at the end of the bridge, ready to end it all.
However, before he could do anything, an unknown sound pulled him back to reality.
[Ding!]
Gray froze, and then a voice filled his mind.
[Welcome to the Great Tycoon System.]
His body stiffened.
'What was this?'
[You have been chosen. All your desires, power, and success can be obtained through wealth. Will you accept?]
'What the hell is happening?'
[Accept, and you will rise from nothing.]
Desperation flooded Gray. He must be hallucinating right now, or crazy even. But what could he possibly lose more?
"I accept," he whispered.
[Great Tycoon System had been Activated.]