Kaelith stood in front of the mirror, fingers dragging through his freshly retwisted dread locs. His uniform—wrinkled, stained, two sizes too big—clung to his lean frame like surrender. His dark brown eyes were unreadable. His face? Sculpted. Clean jawline, full lips, cheekbones like edges. Genetics had given him the kind of face that stopped people mid-sentence.
Too bad life didn't reward good looks.
"System," he said flatly, "Show me my status window."
A beat of silence. Then came the voice—cocky, amused, and unforgiving.
[Oh look, the prince of poverty speaks.]
[Opening status. Try not to cry.]
[STATUS – KAELITH VIRE]
Name: Kaelith Vire
Age: 15
Race: Human – African Descent
Class: Unemployed | Civilian Tier
Title: None
Credits: $0.00
Job Class: None
Relationship Status: Bro, don't even ask.
Attributes
Strength: 4 (You can lift a trash bag. Barely.)
Agility: 3 (Snail with asthma could beat you in a race.)
Endurance: 3 (Walk up stairs without dying? We'll see.)
Intellect: 5 (Mildly decent. You're not completely hopeless.)
Charm: 1 (LMAO.)
Appearance: 10 (You're him, just broke.)
Dick Size: 10 (Big. Black. Unbothered.)
Kaelith blinked. The corner of his mouth twitched upward.
"Dick size? You serious?"
[What, you want me to lie? You're packing. Pity it doesn't help with rent.]
He felt the insult in his ribs and the praise in his spine. That was the thing about the System—it cut deep, but it wanted him sharp. It wasn't coddling him. It was forging him.
[New Daily Quest: "Start from Nothing"]
[Objective: Apply for at least one job. Start stacking funds.]
[Bonus: Buy a hoodie that doesn't scream 'orphans R us'.]
[Reward: +1 Charm | +2 Agility | Unlock Job Class]
The Streets Will Test You
Kaelith stepped outside into the hot breath of the city. The sidewalks steamed under his sneakers. Every ad he passed screamed money, looks, and status—things he didn't have yet. Not yet.
He hit three spots: denied, ignored, laughed at.
[Rejection builds character. But also… damn. You're really broke, huh?]
Finally, a dusty corner courier shop—SwiftDropz—caught his eye. The inside smelled like ink and rubber soles. The guy behind the counter looked like stress in human form.
Kaelith stepped up. "You need help?"
The man looked him over. "You look fast?"
"I'm tired of standing still."
"Grab that stack. You start now."
Kaelith ran like the rent depended on it—because it did. Packages flew from his hands, stairs flew under his feet, and angry dogs learned the hard way not to bark too close. By sunset, sweat soaked through his shirt, but his hands held $87.50—his first self-earned cash.
[Quest Completed. You've officially joined capitalism. Congrats, peasant.]
[STATUS UPDATED]
Job Class Unlocked: Courier (Tier 0)
+2 Agility
+1 Charm
New Funds: $87.50
Reputation Level: Slightly Noticed
That night, Kaelith stood in front of a shop window and saw it.
A hoodie.
Black with a blood-red skull on the chest. Clean. Heavy. The kind of hoodie you wore when you knew no one could tell you who to be. He walked inside and walked out wearing it like a statement.
[Okay, THAT'S hard. Hoodie acquired. You look like a villain in a rich kid's nightmare.]
[Charm leveling in progress. Stop frowning so much, though, damn.]
Back home, he dropped his crusty old uniform in the trash.
Tomorrow, he'd buy a new one. Neat. Sharp. Presentable.
He was done showing up like he didn't matter.
The System's voice hummed again as he stretched out on his mattress.
[Good work, Kaelith. You're still weak. But now you're weak with style.]
He smirked, hoodie pulled over his locs, eyes shut.
The city hadn't changed.
But he was.
Kaelith's room was quiet—except for the low hum of the System, echoing like a smug best friend in the back of his skull.
[Good work today, hoodie hero. You've gone from broke to… slightly less broke. You want applause or a sandwich?]
He rolled his eyes, lips twitching into a half-smirk as he counted the crumpled bills on the bed.
$42.50 left. After the hoodie, that's what remained. He folded it neatly, tucking it into an envelope he labeled in scratchy pen:
"GET OUT FUND."
[Tearjerker name, bro. You writing poetry now or stacking paper?]
Kaelith didn't answer. He already knew what came next.
Uniform Upgrade
He hit the secondhand shop near Eastfield Square. The shop smelled like starch and mothballs, but Kaelith's eyes scanned sharp. He found a blazer in better shape than his current one, slacks that actually fit, and a fresh white button-up.
$35 gone. Worth every cent.
He held the new outfit up in the mirror. He didn't look rich—but he looked like someone who gave a damn. Someone who wouldn't get dismissed at the door.
[Okay okay, I see you. If anyone robs you now, it's 'cause you look like a snack.]
Kaelith didn't smile, but he didn't frown either. He changed into the new uniform, leaving the red skull hoodie on top. The contrast hit hard—polished student on the outside, silent storm underneath.
On the Walk Back
It was evening now. The sky burned orange. The city buzzed like it always did—but something about Kaelith buzzed back.
At the corner bodega, a girl held the door open for him. Short braids, earbuds in, chewing gum.
She gave him a once-over. Slow. Not flirtatious—curious.
"You don't look like someone from around here," she said, squinting.
"I wasn't," he said simply, brushing past her.
[Ohhh?? Did she look back? Yeah she looked back. Your charm still sucks but your looks be fighting for your life.]
He didn't look back. But he felt it.
Back Home: That Mirror Again
He stood in front of it one more time. Dread locs freshly tied back. Uniform crisp. Hoodie slung over one shoulder like a war flag.
He didn't look like someone people picked on.
Didn't look like someone still sleeping next to a rusted fan and eating bread for dinner.
He looked like a problem.
An incoming.
[Updated Status – Kaelith Vire]
Job Class: Courier
Credits: $7.50
Appearance: 10 (Still undefeated)
Charm: 2 (Congrats. You can now hold a convo without being socially bankrupt.)
Reputation Level: Slightly Noticed → Rising Unknown
He sat on the edge of the bed. The fan still creaked. His brother still hadn't come home. The city still stank of sweat and broken dreams.
But Kaelith was different.
The System hadn't just shown him who he was—it was showing him who he could be.
[You still weak, Kaelith. But now you look dangerous while being weak.]
He smirked, hoodie pulled low, as the screen in his mind flickered one last time before sleep:
[Tomorrow's Quest Incoming…]
[Objective: "Step into Their World" – Handle yourself at school without folding. Engage or ignore a higher-tier student. Choose wisely.]
[Reward: +1 Endurance | Unlock: "Personal Protocol" feature]
Tomorrow, the school would notice.
Tomorrow, the climb would truly begin.
And Kaelith Vire?
He was done crawling.