Chapter 01

Seen in a deserted alley, a teenage boy dressed in a school uniform was being tortured by three other students who were also dressed in osis like him. Of the three students, two gripped his right and left arms very firmly so that he could not escape, while the other punched him in the stomach with all his might.

The teenager's name was Kelvin Stewart. He had been beaten up by these three students many times before, but this was the most vicious of all. Maybe it was because they were fed up that Kelvin was a student who was always defended by his school teacher.

"Please stop, Zico, I can't take it anymore!" Kelvin pleaded in a weak voice as his stomach continued to be punched by the student he called 'Zico'. In fact, he vomited a mouthful of fresh blood as a result of being tortured like that.

Zico stopped his punches, then he ordered his two men to force Kelvin to bow down before his feet. The two men obeyed, then one of them pressed Kelvin's head to the ground, making Kelvin's body in a prostrate position in front of Zico's feet.

Then Zico placed his right foot on top of Kelvin's head, making Kelvin couldn't help but say, "What a cruel insult! You've been possessed by the DEMON, Zico!"

"What did you say, a demon?" Zico furiously stomped Kelvin's head with great force, venting his anger after hearing the word 'demon' come out of Kelvin's mouth.

Kelvin clenched his jaw, enduring the incomparable pain. It hurt... it hurt so much that it felt like his head was going to shatter.

"You scavenger boy! How dare trash like you say that to me!" Zico raised his foot, then kicked Kelvin's head so many times that red liquid poured out of Kelvin's head.

Zico paused for a moment, then gave orders to his two men. "Put him in that barrel!"

The two men nodded. "Okay, boss!" Then, they lifted Kelvin's body and put him into the barrel as Zico had ordered.

Before the barrel was closed, Kelvin said in a weak voice. "You're really cruel, Zico!"

"As you said, I'll be as cruel as you say. What's called trash is better suited for the trash can!" Zico then laughed as he looked at Kelvin's bloodied face. Then, he said, "Quick, close the barrel!"

"Okay, boss!" The two men deftly closed the barrel tightly.

After that, Zico grinned sadistically and said, "Flush the barrel with gasoline, then set it on fire! Let him be tortured to death, hahahahaha!"

"Okay, Boss!" One of the men walked over to a cardboard box not far from where they were standing. He opened the box, and inside were several bottles of gasoline that they had prepared to torture Kelvin. He took the four bottles of gasoline and poured them into the barrel as Zico had instructed.

After dousing the barrel with gasoline, Zico immediately threw a match at the barrel, then the barrel caught fire easily. What inhumanity!

After that, the three of them laughed with satisfaction, then Zico said, "Let's get out of here, before anyone sees us!"

Quickly, they left the place, because they didn't want anyone to see their crime.

***

Inside the barrel, Kelvin felt hotter and hotter. Sweat was pouring out of his entire body. The parts of his body that were in contact with the barrel wall were blistered, and he felt incomparably hot and scorching.

"It's so hot! ... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

One can't imagine what kind of heat Kelvin felt inside that burning barrel. He was so tormented. This was really very painful for him. This was the first time in his entire life that he had experienced such cruel torture. Even though he screamed so many times, no one heard his voice because he was inside the sealed barrel.

And finally, Kelvin died horribly in the barrel. What a tragic fate.

~~~

In Kelvin's subconscious ....

"Where is this? Am I already dead?" Kelvin furrowed his brow. He was confused as to where he was now? As far as his eyes could see, this place was all dark.

Suddenly, in front of him, there was a very bright light emitted by data traveling from above. The data slowly entered his mind continuously. His two senses of vision only saw letters, numbers, codes and ciphers that he did not understand at all. It made his head throb and ache like needles piercing his brain.

[Ding Ding]

Finding the master of the system...

Loading...

Scanning...

Done.

Introduction of master status...

Loading...

Scanning...

Done.

Name: Kelvin Stewart

Gender: Male

Age: 15 years old

Status: Student

Family status: Orphan

Raising master from the dead...

Processing...

0%

1%

3%

7%

10%

25%

37%

45%

95%

99%

100%

Finish.

~~~

Outside the barrel, the fire that had been raging suddenly went out and the barrel suddenly exploded into a thick cloud of smoke. A few moments later, the smoke cleared slowly, and after that it revealed Kelvin Stewart who stood tall with a body without any injuries. He who had been wearing school clothes, had now changed into a very cool outfit. However, he looked dazed.

He turned his head to the right and left, raised his hand, and even got confused when he realized that he had changed his clothes and his body was smooth without the slightest injury. He had thought that he must be dead.

"I'm still alive?" Kelvin frowned. I don't know who he asked, because there was no one there. Moments later, a holographic screen suddenly appeared in front of his head. "What is this?"

However, all of a sudden, a voice like a woman's sounded in his sense of hearing, which could be likened to a robot's voice.

[Congratulations, Mr. Kelvin Stewart! You are the chosen one who deserves this super advanced system. With the help of the system, you can realize your dream of becoming a wealthy man. You will be given missions that have been programmed by the system. Every time you successfully complete a mission, you will level up. Every time you level up, you will get a reward. The higher your level, the more rewards you will get.]

"What are these systems, missions, levels, and rewards that you're talking about? Who exactly are you? Show me your form?" Kelvin was even more confused. He looked around in every direction, but found no one.

[The system answered: I am the system. I have merged with your body, and that hologram screen that appears in front of your head is one part of the system, and it is only you who can see it. And this voice of mine that you hear is also only you who can hear it.]

"Is this a dream?"

[The system answers: This is real. You have truly merged with the system, and from this very moment, the system will accompany you on your journey through life.]

"I am ... I am saved by the system ... no life without a system!"