Chapter 1 — The Man Who Lost Everything

Rain hammered against the city streets as Ethan Vale hurried through the darkness.

His shoes were soaked, his shirt clung to his skin, and the cheap delivery bag hanging from his shoulder felt heavier than usual.

His phone vibrated.

Another delivery.

Ethan glanced at the screen and sighed.

“Another twenty minutes.”

He had already worked twelve hours.

But he couldn't stop.

His rent was overdue.

His bank account had barely enough money for food.

And tomorrow was the deadline.

If he didn't pay, he would be thrown out of his apartment.

Ethan tightened his grip around the motorcycle handles.

He had once believed his life would be different.

Three years ago, his family had been wealthy.

His father, Daniel Vale, had been a respected businessman who owned several companies across the city.

Ethan had attended an expensive university.

He had friends.

He had a future.

Then everything collapsed.

His father was accused of stealing millions from one of the country's biggest corporations.

The evidence seemed convincing.

Bank records.

Company documents.

Witness statements.

Everything pointed toward Daniel Vale.

He disappeared before the trial.

Some people said he ran away.

Others said he had been arrested under a different identity.

But Ethan never believed either story.

His father had left behind one message.

Only four words.

Trust no one, Ethan.

That message had haunted him ever since.

The family fortune disappeared almost overnight.

Their properties were seized.

Their accounts were frozen.

Their friends vanished.

Even Ethan's girlfriend at the time had abandoned him.

She told him he was no longer the person she wanted.

Since then, Ethan had worked every job he could find.

Delivery.

Construction.

Warehouse shifts.

Anything that paid.

But no matter how hard he worked, he remained trapped.

Tonight was supposed to be another ordinary night.

Until the accident.

Ethan had just completed another delivery when a bright light suddenly appeared ahead.

A truck was speeding through the intersection.

The traffic light was red.

The truck didn't stop.

Ethan slammed on the brakes.

His motorcycle skidded.

Everything happened too quickly.

A loud crash.

A flash of white.

Then darkness.

Ethan opened his eyes.

Silence surrounded him.

He was lying on the road.

For several seconds, he couldn't understand what had happened.

He tried to move.

Nothing felt broken.

The motorcycle was several meters away.

The truck was gone.

Strangely, there was no crowd.

No police.

No ambulance.

He checked his phone.

The screen was completely black.

“Am I alive?”

A voice suddenly answered.

[Host confirmed alive.]

Ethan froze.

“What?”

A translucent blue screen appeared directly in front of him.

[Ultimate Wealth System successfully activated.]

Ethan stared at it.

His first thought was that he had suffered a head injury.

He blinked.

The screen remained.

[Congratulations, Ethan Vale.]

[You have been selected as the host of the Ultimate Wealth System.]

“What is this?”

[A system designed to transform the host into the most financially powerful individual in the world.]

Ethan laughed nervously.

“Okay. Definitely a head injury.”

He stood up.

The screen followed him.

[Current Host Status]

Name: Ethan Vale

Age: 25

Occupation: Delivery Worker

Net Worth: $12.43

System Level: 1

Ethan's smile disappeared.

“Why does it know my bank balance?”

[The system has complete access to the host's financial information.]

“That isn't creepy at all.”

The screen changed.

[Beginner Gift available.]

Ethan stared.

“What gift?”

[Would the host like to receive the Beginner Wealth Gift?]

He hesitated.

Then curiosity won.

“Yes.”

A notification appeared.

[Congratulations.]

[You have received $100,000,000.]

Ethan's mouth fell open.

“One hundred... million?”

He immediately checked his phone.

It switched on.

He opened his banking application.

His hands began shaking.

The balance was real.

$100,000,000.00

Ethan stared at the screen for nearly a minute.

Then he looked around.

Nobody was there.

“I'm dreaming.”

[The host is not dreaming.]

Ethan sat down on the roadside.

He had spent three years worrying about money.

Three years wondering how he would survive.

And now he had one hundred million dollars.

But before he could celebrate, another message appeared.

[Important Notice.]

[The system's wealth cannot be transferred to another individual without completing system requirements.]

Ethan frowned.

“What requirements?”

[The host must complete missions to unlock additional system privileges.]

A new screen appeared.

[Beginner Mission.]

Spend $10,000 within 24 hours.

Reward: Beginner Wealth Pack.

Ethan stared at it.

“Spend ten thousand dollars?”

[Correct.]

“And if I don't?”

[Mission failure will result in temporary system suspension.]

Ethan's excitement disappeared.

“So I have to spend money to keep the system?”

[Correct.]

He slowly smiled.

For the first time in years, he didn't feel afraid of tomorrow.

He had money.

Real money.

Enough to change everything.

But then he remembered his father.

Daniel Vale.

The one person who had never abandoned him.

The man who had disappeared without explanation.

Ethan opened an old folder on his phone.

Inside was the last photograph he had of his father.

He stared at it.

“I'll find you.”

Three years had passed.

Everyone else had given up.

Ethan hadn't.

He knew his father hadn't stolen that money.

And now he finally had the resources to uncover the truth.

Suddenly, the system screen flickered.

[Special condition detected.]

[Host possesses unresolved family mystery.]

[Hidden storyline unlocked.]

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

A new message appeared.

[Objective: Discover what really happened to Daniel Vale.]

[Reward: ???]

Ethan stood slowly.

The rain continued falling.

But he no longer cared about getting wet.

He looked toward the city skyline.

For three years, he had been the poor son of a disgraced businessman.

Tonight, that ended.

He slipped his phone into his pocket.

“First, I'll complete the mission.”

His eyes hardened.

“Then I'll find my father.”

What Ethan didn't know was that someone had been watching him from across the street.

A black car sat beneath the darkness.

Inside, a man lowered his phone.

“He survived.”

A second voice answered through the call.

“That shouldn't be possible.”

The first man looked toward Ethan.

“Then we have a bigger problem.”

The car slowly disappeared into the rain.

And somewhere across the city, another person received a message.

Ethan Vale is alive.

The Vale heir has returned.

The message was read.

Then deleted.

Three years after Ethan Vale lost everything...

His real story had finally begun.