In the heart of a vast, bustling city—its streets lined with vendors, shops, and a river of people—soldiers marched with rigid discipline, keeping order amidst the chaos. It was a place full of life.
But on the far edge of this thriving town, past the laughter and liveliness, stood a small, silent hut. There, in that forgotten corner of the city, Yu Chen, a young man in his late teens, lay on a wooden cot. His body was frail, worn down by illness and fatigue.
Suddenly, the old wooden door creaked open.
A small boy burst in, his face smeared with mud, his clothes patched and ragged. Despite his appearance, his eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Brother! Look what I found!" he shouted cheerfully, running over to the bed. He pulled out a crumpled piece of bread from inside his shirt and held it out in both tiny hands. "You can eat it!"
Yu Chen's lips curved into a gentle smile, but his eyes shimmered with tears. He slowly pushed himself up, groaning as pain flared through his body.
"I'm not hungry," he said softly. "And you shouldn't eat that either—it might be spoiled." His voice was weak but firm.
The little boy—Mu Chen, only five—looked down, disappointed.
Yu Chen reached out and pointed to a basket on the table. "Eat the fruits I brought earlier. Don't waste them, okay?"
Mu Chen gave a small nod, clutching the bread close.
With great effort, Yu Chen stood. He grabbed a stick for support, slung a basket over his shoulder, and picked up a worn machete from the corner. Then, step by painful step, he left the hut and began walking toward the forest.
---
If his father hadn't died when he was thirteen, things might have been different.
His father, once a proud warrior of the empire, had fought bravely and served honorably. But after his death, everything was stripped from them. Their house. Their belongings. Their dignity. They were pushed out to the edge of the city, left to survive on scraps.
And in this world, survival was determined by one thing: the Coin System.
When someone turned eighteen, they awakened their personal system. It controlled everything—your income, your hope, your future. Your worth.
Until that age, children couldn't access the system on their own. They had to rely on Coin Slips—paper vouchers with system QR codes that let them trade with vendors, either through guardians or direct exchange.
Yu Chen, like many others, scraped by. He ventured into the forest every day to gather herbs. With effort and some luck, he earned around 15 coins a day. It wasn't much, but it was enough to feed Mu Chen.
Yu Chen often went hungry himself, nibbling on raw plants just to save a little more. Over time, he had managed to save 1,200 Coins. Enough, he hoped, to one day build a tiny home for them. Something better than this decaying hut.
More importantly, he was about to turn 18.
And when that happened—when he finally awakened—he believed his luck would change.
---
That day, as always, he limped through the thick underbrush of the forest, scanning for herbs. He plucked them carefully, one by one, placing them into the basket on his back. Then, as he bent to reach another patch, a mechanical chime echoed in his head.
> [Congratulations, Master! You have Awakened.]
Yu Chen froze.
His body stiffened. His heartbeat quickened.
"…Finally," he whispered. "A small change… maybe."
> [Coin Rate: 1 Coin/Day]
And just like that, his hopes crumbled.
He stared blankly at the air in front of him.
One coin.
The lowest possible rate.
Some people awakened with 20. The lucky ones? Hundreds. Even thousands. But him?
Just one.
He closed his eyes. His legs ached from walking nearly 50 kilometers every day. His stomach was empty. His heart was tired.
But he smiled anyway. A bitter smile.
"I can't even cry anymore," he muttered. "But at least… I have a system now."
"…System."
A translucent interface opened before him.
---
> [STATUS]
Name: Yu Chen
Coin Rate: 1 Coin/Day
[10 Coins required to unlock Trash Tier Shop]
> [You do not have the authority to access the Shop below 10C/Day.]
Yu Chen chuckled at his misfortune. "Figures."
He looked at the next tab—Payments—and opened it.
---
> [Scan to Claim Coins from Coin Slips]
[Send Coins]
[Request Coins]
"At least this part works," he muttered, tapping the first option.
> [Push the cash into the system interface. Total will be deposited.]
Yu Chen reached into his shirt and pulled out the thick bundle of Coin Slips he'd saved for years. He slid them into the glowing panel. They vanished with a shimmer.
> [You have deposited 1,200 Coins]
[Current Balance: 1,200 Coins]
He exhaled, slowly standing. His legs throbbed in protest.
"I have to go back before Mu Chen skips another meal," he mumbled.
But before he could take a step, a new notification blinked in front of him.
> [You have enough Coins to upgrade your Coin Rate. Upgrade now?]
[Yes / No]
His eyes widened.
"What…?" he whispered. "That's not possible."
No one in history had ever been able to change their Coin Rate after awakening. Was it a glitch? A scam? Was his system broken?
He hesitated.
Then smiled faintly.
"…What if it's real?"
He pressed Yes.
> [10 Coins spent. Coin Rate upgraded to 2 Coins/Day]
He opened his status again. It had changed.
It was real.
He laughed softly. "Two coins now… still nothing, but it's something."
He grabbed his machete and stick—but another notification appeared.
> [You have enough Coins to upgrade your Coin Rate. Upgrade now?]
He paused.
Without hesitation this time, he clicked again.
> [25 Coins spent. Coin Rate upgraded to 4 Coins/Day]
[Balance: 1,165 Coins]
Then another.
> [Upgrade available. Proceed?]
"Yes."
> [75 Coins spent. Coin Rate upgraded to 8 Coins/Day]
[Balance: 1,090]
And again.
> [125 Coins spent. Coin Rate upgraded to 16 Coins/Day]
Now the Trash Tier Shop unlocked, but Yu Chen didn't care.
> [250 Coins spent. Coin Rate upgraded to 32 Coins/Day]
He sat down, stunned. His balance was now 725 Coins.
One more upgrade required 750 Coins.
"Just 25 more," he whispered.
But he didn't complain. 32 coins a day was enough. Enough to eat. Enough to rest.
Then he glanced at his machete and basket. An idea struck him.
He fed them into the system.
> [Items sold. +10 Coins received]
[New Balance: 735 Coins]
"Still need 15 more," he muttered. "But I'll get 32 tomorrow. That's more than enough."
He did the math in his head. "I can spend 7 coins today. That's 2 meals."
Then his expression softened.
"Mu Chen can eat two meals."
He looked at the handful of herbs he'd collected. They were bitter and dry—but edible. He chewed them slowly, his hunger dulled by exhaustion and determination.
His legs ached as he stood with the stick, but a smile played on his lips.
He had no machete. No Basket. But he had hope.
And for someone like Yu Chen, that was worth more than any coin.