The next morning, Ethan woke up to the sound of a jeepney horn. He was still sitting on the same spot from last night, his back sore from leaning against the wall. The sunlight peeked through the gaps of the nearby buildings, painting everything gold.
For a moment, he didn't remember where he was. Then he saw the guitar beside him, the opened case with coins inside, and the crumpled ₱500 bill in his hand.
It wasn't a dream.
He stared at the faint blue light floating in front of him. It was still there, glowing quietly, like it had been waiting for him to wake up.
[Good morning, User: Ethan Cruz!]Current Career: Street Guitarist (Lv. 1)Career Points: 1XP: 100 / 200Balance: ₱550
Ethan rubbed his eyes. "So you're real, huh?"
He waved his hand in front of the screen, and it reacted — the text flickered slightly. When he touched it, another tab appeared.
[Stats]Physique: 5Strength: 5Stamina: 4Dexterity: 5Intelligence: 5Charm: 5Unused Stat Points: 0
[Career Details]Level: 1Career Points Needed for Level 2: 3
He stared at it for a while, completely lost. "So… I need two more Career Points to level up? And I only have one now?"
The system didn't answer, obviously.
Ethan sighed. "Figures."
He stretched, yawned, and stood up. His back cracked loudly. He hadn't slept like that since he was a kid. Around him, people were already starting their day — vendors opening their carts, students rushing to jeepneys, old men reading newspapers.
His stomach growled.
He took some of the coins from his guitar case and walked toward a nearby karinderya. The lady behind the counter looked half-asleep but smiled at him. "Good morning, iho. What will you have?"
"Just rice and egg, po."
"Coffee?"
"Ah, yes, po. Please."
He sat at a small table beside the window, looking out at the busy street. The smell of fried garlic and brewed coffee filled the air. He checked his phone. No messages. No missed calls. No one even asked where he was.
When the food arrived, he ate quietly. The rice was a bit cold, the egg overcooked, but he didn't complain. It was still food.
As he took his last sip of coffee, the system popped up again.
[New Daily Quest Unlocked!]Perform three songs on the street and earn at least ₱200 in tips.Reward: +1 Career Point, +150 XP, +₱300 Bonus
Ethan smiled. "So it gives daily quests too."
He grabbed his guitar and walked toward the underpass near Quiapo. It was a place full of noise, but also people — perfect for earning tips.
He found a spot near the wall, beside a man selling pirated DVDs. He set down his guitar case and started tuning.
At first, nobody paid attention. People walked past in a rush. Some even glanced at him with that look — the kind that said "another bum with a guitar."
But Ethan wasn't new to being ignored.
He started playing anyway.
The sound of his guitar echoed faintly through the underpass. He sang a slow, emotional song — the kind that came from the heart. His voice wasn't perfect, but it was full of something honest.
After a few minutes, someone stopped. Then another.
"Uy, ang galing!" a student said, recording him on her phone.
By the time he finished the first song, he already had a few coins in his case.
He sang another. This time it was upbeat — something familiar, something everyone knew. A few people joined in, singing the chorus. Someone clapped in rhythm.
When the last note faded, the system chimed.
[Quest Progress: 2/3 songs | ₱187 earned]
Ethan grinned. "Almost there."
He played one last song, one that Mia used to like. For a second, his voice shook, but he kept going.
When he finished, the screen glowed.
[Quest Complete!]+1 Career Point+150 XP+₱300 Added to Balance
The DVD vendor beside him whistled. "Pre, ang dami mong tao ah. Marunong ka!"
Ethan smiled. "Thanks, kuya."
He packed his guitar, feeling lighter. The crowd slowly moved on, but he noticed a few people were still recording him. He didn't mind.
He checked the system again.
[Career Points: 2 / 3 needed for next level][XP: 250 / 300]
"Almost there," he muttered. "One more quest, I guess."
The sun was already high when he walked out of the underpass. Sweat ran down his neck. The city felt alive — jeepneys honking, kids running, vendors shouting prices. Everything looked brighter, maybe because for once, he had a goal.
He sat on a bench near Quiapo Church and watched people come and go. His fingers ached a little from playing, but he didn't care. He checked his phone again — still nothing.
Then a notification popped up from YouTube.
[Your video is gaining views! 1.2k views • 2 hours ago]
Ethan blinked. "What?"
He tapped it. It was a video of him playing at the underpass. Someone had uploaded it with the title "Random Street Singer in Quiapo Sounds Better Than Most Artists!"
He scrolled through the comments.
"Ang galing niya, grabe!""Sana may TikTok siya!""Anyone know his name?""This guy deserves to go viral!"
Ethan's jaw dropped. "What the…"
He refreshed the page again. The views jumped to 2,800. Then 3,200.
By evening, it had passed 10,000.
He laughed in disbelief. "I can't believe this."
He didn't even have an account to claim the video, but that didn't matter. People were talking about him. For the first time in his life, people noticed him — not for being broke or unlucky, but because of his voice.
He stood up, packed his guitar, and decided to head to Luneta Park. There were always people there, especially at night.
The place was lively — families eating street food, couples sitting on the grass, kids chasing bubbles. The smell of corn and fishballs filled the air.
Ethan found a spot near the fountain and started playing again.
His first song drew a small crowd. His second one made people pull out their phones. By the third, there were claps and cheers. Someone shouted, "Bro, you're the guy from YouTube!"
Ethan froze for a second, surprised. "Huh? You saw that?"
"Yeah! You're trending, bro!"
The crowd laughed. More people gathered. He could hear snippets — "Ang galing mo, kuya!", "This guy's famous now!"
He kept singing, his voice louder this time, clearer. His fingers danced over the strings naturally. For once, he wasn't thinking about Mia, or the rent, or being homeless. He was just there — singing under the Manila night sky.
The system suddenly flashed again.
[Special Quest Unlocked!]Perform in front of 100 people.Reward: +1 Career Point, +300 XP, +₱1000 Bonus
He looked up. There were easily over 100 people watching now.
He smiled. "Let's do this."
He sang with everything he had. The song wasn't famous, but it was his — something he wrote months ago about chasing dreams even when you're broke.
By the end, the crowd cheered and whistled. Some dropped bills into his case. Others patted his shoulder as they passed.
[Quest Complete!]+1 Career Point+300 XP+₱1000 Added to Balance
The floating text appeared again, but this time it looked different — brighter.
[Career Level Up!]Street Guitarist Lv. 2 → Lv. 3All performance stats slightly increased.Playing stamina improved.
Ethan blinked. "Whoa…"
He strummed the guitar again. The sound came out smoother, clearer. His hands didn't hurt as much either.
"Guess leveling up works."
He checked his balance.
[Balance: ₱1850]
He almost laughed. It wasn't a fortune, but it was more money than he'd had in weeks.
That night, after the crowd slowly disappeared, he sat under a tree and looked at his screen again.
[Career Points: 0][Points Needed for Level 4: 5]
"So it gets harder each time," he said. "Figures."
He stretched his arms and leaned against his guitar case. Around him, the park lights glowed softly. He could still hear distant laughter and the smell of grilled squid drifting through the air.
It was peaceful.
For the first time since losing everything, Ethan felt… okay.
He looked at his hands. They were calloused, rough, but they didn't tremble anymore. He felt stronger somehow — not because of stats or levels, but because he finally had something to work toward.
As the night breeze brushed against his face, he whispered, "Tomorrow, I'll play again."
The system made a soft sound — almost like a chime.
[Tip: The more you perform, the faster you improve.][Keep going, Ethan Cruz.]
He smiled. "Yeah, yeah. I get it."
He closed his eyes and leaned back, using his bag as a pillow.
The city around him didn't sleep. Jeepneys still passed. Vendors still shouted. The hum of life in Manila never stopped.
But for Ethan, everything felt new. The noise no longer bothered him. The chaos felt alive — like the background music of a story just beginning.
He didn't have an apartment anymore.He didn't have Mia.He didn't even have a bed.
But he had a guitar.He had people listening.And he had a system that promised him a way up.
Maybe that was enough.
As the night deepened, the lights of Manila blurred into small stars. Ethan's hand rested on his guitar, and a quiet smile lingered on his face.
He didn't notice the notifications piling up on social media.
By morning, the whole city would know his name.