At sunset, in an unfamiliar city, a young man sat on the edge of a ten-story building.
A can of beer dangled loosely from his fingers as he stared at the horizon, lost in thought.
"Cough… cough…"
My name is Rick Tory.
I am twenty-two years old—unemployed, single, poor, and an orphan.
I was born into a middle-class family.
Once, my life was simple. Happy.
That happiness ended when I was seventeen.
On the day my parents were returning from the hospital with my newborn sister, their car was involved in a devastating accident.
None of them survived.
The insurance money they left behind became my only lifeline. I used it to continue my studies while working part-time to survive.
A year later, I graduated from high school.
That same day, my friends dragged me to a blind date.
That's where I met Tina Sen.
She was cute. Beautiful.
Somehow, she became my girlfriend.
For a while, life felt normal again.
At twenty-one, during college, I made the biggest mistake of my life.
Encouraged by a close friend, I invested in cryptocurrency.
At first, I made money.
Then everything collapsed.
In the end, every last bit of my parents' insurance money was gone.
To survive—and to stay in school—I worked part-time as a convenience store clerk and delivery man.
I barely scraped by.
Still, my girlfriend Tina and my best friend Rain supported me.
Rain was rich. He helped me far more than anyone else.
Despite everything, I thought I was lucky.
I was wrong.
That morning, my landlord demanded three months' rent.
I didn't have it.
I was thrown out.
I called Tina.
She answered—but before I could say anything, she said coldly,
"Hey, Rick. Let's break up."
Then she hung up.
I called again.
Her phone was switched off.
I called Rain.
His phone was off too.
I went to work, hoping at least my job was safe.
It wasn't.
I was accused of stealing—something I never did.
I knew it was my coworker's doing, but I had no proof.
I was fired on the spot.
With nowhere left to go, I went to Tina's house and knocked on the gate.
The door opened.
Rain stood there.
My mind went blank.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
Tina stepped out behind him.
They didn't deny it.
They told me everything.
They had been having an affair for six months.
I tried to stay calm.
I failed.
I punched Rain.
He fell.
Tina grabbed my arm, begging me to stop.
I shoved her away and left.
With a beer in my hand, I came to this building.
Whenever life crushed me, I came here.
I used to come here often after my family died.
"I won't feel down anymore!"
"Motherf*ckerrrrrrs!"
After screaming, I felt a little lighter.
The world isn't fair to everyone.
"I'll work hard," I promised myself.
"I'll escape this misfortune."
I turned to leave.
My foot struck an empty beer can.
I slipped.
And fell.
Pain tore through my body.
I couldn't move my arms or legs.
Warm blood spread beneath me.
My vision darkened.
"Please… help me…"
"I don't want to die…"
"I haven't even gotten married…"
Darkness claimed me.
When I opened my eyes again, sunlight stabbed into them.
A foul stench filled the air.
Beside me lay a boy in filthy clothes.
Is this a dream?
Where am I?
Before I could think further, the boy spoke in panic,
"Loid! Loid, are you okay?!
You collapsed—I thought you were dead!"
Loid…?
Why was he calling me that?
I forced myself up.
I was in a dirty alley, surrounded by garbage.
People stood nearby—a teenage boy, an older man, two women, and several other children.
They all looked weak. Starving.
Then I noticed something terrifying.
My hands were smaller.
My legs were shorter.
I was wearing torn clothes.
"Why am I like this?!" I shouted.
"Why is my body so small?!"
The older man approached, his face completely emotionless.
"You're awake.
I thought you wouldn't open your eyes again."
Another boy muttered,
"You haven't eaten for three days. That's why you collapsed."
One of the women handed me water in a filthy container.
I was desperate. I drank it.
That was water?
It smells disgusting…
Another woman gave me a piece of hard bread.
I devoured it.
Three boys approached.
The tallest glared at me.
"He's still alive?"
"Why waste food on him?"
They walked away.
The older man left as well.
One of the women said softly,
"Mac, take care of him.
We'll go beg for food."
They left.
Mac looked at me anxiously.
"Loid… are you feeling better?"
I nodded.
But my thoughts were racing.
Did I die?
Reincarnation?
Another world?
Will I get a system… like in those novels?
I suddenly shouted,
**"SYSTEM!"**
A transparent interface silently appeared before my eyes.
Mac jumped back in shock.
"What happened?!"
"Can you see this?" I asked.
"See what?"
"Did you hit your head?"
I ignored him.
The interface displayed:
[E-Commerce System]
Login successful
(Go to Homepage)
I selected Homepage.
A virtual store appeared.
Milk.
Vegetables.
Meat.
Daily necessities.
Each item had a price tag.
At the top: Search
Top-right: Top-Up
On the left: Points