In the modern era, survival is a daily battle. Every person struggles to make a living in a harsh world where giving your best is the bare minimum for success. Our main character, Max, is a poor, orphaned college student living alone in a cramped apartment, barely scraping enough to pay the rent. He has no relatives, no friends, and often feels like a ghost drifting through life—unseen, unheard, and forgotten.
Max secretly admires Samantha, the college idol. She's the picture of perfection—beautiful, confident, and adored by everyone. But Max knows she's far out of his reach. One day, during class, Max found himself doodling her portrait on the edge of his notebook. It was a small escape from his bleak reality. That moment of peace, however, was short-lived.
Samuel, the college bully and a spoiled second-generation rich kid, noticed Max's drawing. With a sneer, he snatched it and waved it in the air for the whole class to see. Laughter erupted. Max's face burned with shame. Before he could even process what was happening, Samantha herself stood up. To Max's horror, instead of being flattered or dismissing it kindly, she lashed out at him in disgust. Her words were sharp and cruel.
"Try that again and I'll ruin your future," she threatened.
Max sat frozen, the sting of her words cutting deeper than the laughter. This couldn't be real. Samantha was supposed to be kind, someone with a good heart—not like Samuel. But the truth hit him hard. She was no different. Her perfect image was just a mask. Beneath it, she enjoyed tormenting the weak just like the rest of them.
Without a word, Max grabbed his bag and rushed out of the classroom. He ran all the way home, eyes stinging, mind spiraling. For a week, he locked himself inside his apartment. He did nothing but drink, numbing his pain with cheap beer. The little money he had saved for rent was gone.
Just as he was sinking deeper into despair, there was a loud knock at his door. It was the apartment owner. A large, greedy man, known for exploiting his tenants. "I'm doubling the rent this month," he announced casually, claiming some vague emergency.
But Max knew the truth. This was no emergency. Samuel and Samantha were behind this too—bullying him even outside the college walls. He clenched his fists. He wanted to fight back, to scream, but he knew he had no power here. If he argued, he'd be thrown out on the spot.
So, he agreed. Despite knowing he couldn't pay, he nodded. The words left his mouth like ashes: "Okay."
His world was collapsing. Alone, broke, and hopeless, Max made a decision. A final one.
He tied a rope to the ceiling and looped it around his neck. As he stepped off the chair, pain exploded in his chest and darkness began to close in. But then—the rope snapped. He crashed to the floor, landing on top of a box of beer bottles.
And suddenly... everything changed.
Max opened his eyes to a breathtaking landscape. He was lying on soft grass in a field full of vibrant flowers. A gentle breeze carried unfamiliar scents. He looked up and saw two moons in the sky. Strange flying creatures soared above, and bizarre animals roamed the land.
Was this... the afterlife?
Before he could think further, a loud shout startled him. A carriage was speeding toward him, pulled by a horse-like beast. But it wasn't a horse—at least not one he'd ever seen. A short, stout man with a thick beard sat at the reins. A dwarf?
"Is this the afterlife?" Max muttered.
But the dwarf didn't respond. Instead, he barked something in a completely foreign language.
Then, out of nowhere, a mechanical voice echoed in Max's head:
"System initialization. The Professional Trader System activated."
A translucent screen appeared in front of his eyes—a system panel, glowing faintly.
Max blinked in confusion. Was this a dream? A prank? Some kind of VR simulation?
The screen displayed a single term in the top corner: Logout.
He glanced down. The beer box was still there. It hadn't disappeared. It wasn't a dream.
"Knowledge of the world is initializing. Entering host's memories," the voice said again.
In that instant, something clicked. Max suddenly understood the dwarf's language. Words and concepts from this new world flooded his brain. It felt like he'd lived here his whole life.
"Why are you blocking the road, human? Move!" the dwarf shouted.
Still dazed, Max sat up and grabbed a bottle of beer from the box. He held it out.
The dwarf sniffed it—and froze. His eyes widened as he examined the bottle's black crystal glass. "Such craftsmanship... And the scent—heavenly!"
He asked for the price.
Max, still unsure how things worked, hesitated. The system chimed in again, displaying the estimated value as 5 silver coins.
Max decided to take a risk. "Ten silver coins," he said.
The dwarf didn't even blink. "Deal."
Apparently, most beers in this world cost only 2 or 3 silver coins, with high-end noble wines going for over 10. But Max's beer? It was unlike anything the dwarf had ever tasted. One sip and he was in tears.
"The last time I drank something this divine," the dwarf said, "was at the king of dwarfs' banquet!"
Meanwhile, Max's system panel updated. His attributes—wealth, knowledge, courage, strength, stamina, speed, and mana—were listed with plus signs next to each. His wealth now read 10 silver coins.
He realized he could increase his attributes and possibly level up. The possibilities excited him.
Grateful for the beer, the dwarf—who introduced himself as Zakar—agreed to give Max a ride to the nearest city. Though dwarves weren't fond of humans, he made an exception. Max, after all, had just gifted him liquid gold.
As they rumbled down the dirt road in the carriage, Max explored the system menu, his heart racing with ideas. He imagined selling his entire stash of beers in the city and building a new life—one of power and luxury.
But just then, his finger accidentally tapped Logout.
And the screen blinked.
"Are you sure you want to logout?"