Max woke up to the dim gray of his apartment, the pale light filtering through the one dusty window. He'd missed his morning class again—his phone hadn't woken him up. It sat on the floor beside his bed, screen cracked and buzzing weakly, with another message from his landlord, a class reminder, and a few missed calls from unknown numbers that were probably collections agencies.
He hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, but there was no point worrying about it now. Throwing on a sweatshirt, he grabbed his backpack and headed for campus, avoiding eye contact with his neighbors. The hallway smelled like stale coffee and bleach, and he didn't have it in him to greet anyone. He was too late for class anyway.
On his way across campus, Max ran into Zach, leaning against the wall outside their lecture hall with his usual cigarette in hand. Zach looked at him, brows furrowed.
"You miss econ again?" Zach asked, sounding almost annoyed. "Professor was handing out study guides. You know, for the exam that's, like, a third of our grade?"
Max nodded, trying to brush it off. "Yeah, got caught up with… stuff."
Zach gave him a long look. They both knew "stuff" meant the part-time job Max barely clung to, the one that kept his lights on and his stomach barely fed. Zach wasn't judgmental, but Max could feel his patience thinning. He and Zach had been close when they started college, before Max had taken up multiple shifts and skipped classes to survive.
"You're burning out, man," Zach said, stubbing out his cigarette. "Seriously, if you need notes or help with anything…"
Max nodded quickly. "I got it. Don't worry."
"Alright." Zach's voice softened, and he put a hand on Max's shoulder. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
Max forced a grin, nodding. But as he walked away, he felt a hollowness gnawing at him. He was tired of people telling him to "take care." They didn't understand—"taking care" was a luxury.
He headed to his shift at the cafeteria, grabbing a mop and bucket from the back as soon as he got there. His boss, a wiry guy named Greg, gave him a quick nod but didn't stop to chat. Max didn't mind; he was just grateful he hadn't gotten fired yet. He went to work, wiping down tables, cleaning floors, and picking up after the endless flow of students who barely noticed him.
Occasionally, someone from his classes would walk by, but they rarely said hello. They were just kids going about their lives, chatting about internships, parties, and weekend plans. Things Max hadn't thought about in months.
"Hey, you good?" a voice broke through his routine. It was Amy, one of the cafeteria workers, a friend of sorts. She was smiling, but her brow creased with concern.
"Yeah, just the usual." Max shrugged, trying to brush her off, but Amy didn't budge.
"Look, if you're ever short on food, you know I can help. Sometimes they throw out stuff that's still good."
He wanted to refuse, to say he was fine, but the rumbling in his stomach reminded him otherwise. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," he said, forcing a weak smile. Amy nodded, giving him a thumbs-up before heading back to her station.
The rest of his shift passed in a blur. Max mopped floors, cleaned trays, and wiped down tables until his arms were sore. By the end of his shift, he was exhausted and only half-aware of his own movements. It wasn't even the physical strain; it was the steady erosion of hope, the way each hour seemed to chip away at whatever was left of his will.
As he walked home in the dark, his feet ached, and the wind sliced through his thin jacket. He thought about texting Matt, an old friend who'd offered him a couch to crash on if things ever got desperate. But what was the point? He couldn't keep showing up in people's lives as a burden. Besides, Matt had his own problems; Max didn't want to be another one.
Back in his apartment, he slumped into his chair, glancing at the pile of bills on his desk. His stomach growled, but he ignored it, knowing his last pack of instant noodles had to last a few more days. He unlocked his phone—two more messages from his landlord, one from his professor, and a couple of emails from loan officers. The usual.
Max closed his eyes, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on him. He thought about dropping out, getting a full-time job, finding a way to escape the debt and exhaustion. But he'd tried that math before—no job he could get would pay enough to dig him out. It felt like he was walking in circles, fighting a battle he'd already lost.
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Max leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as the weight of everything pressed on him. The bills, the debt, the missed opportunities. It all felt like a bad joke, a never-ending cycle of trying and failing. He didn't even have the energy to care about the notifications blinking on his phone. The landlord's messages were just a reminder of how much he owed; the professor's just another deadline he couldn't meet.
His stomach growled again, louder this time, but he ignored it. The noodles would have to wait. There wasn't much else he could do anyway. No money for anything else—no food, no comfort, just survival. Day in, day out.
He thought about what Zach had said earlier. "Take care of yourself." That seemed so far out of reach. Taking care of himself wasn't something he could afford. That wasn't something people like him did. Not when there were bills to pay and jobs to work and dreams that seemed more like distant fantasies than anything that could ever be real.
Max picked up the stack of unopened bills again, flipping through them absently. Rent was due in two days. The loan payment was overdue. He had no way to cover any of it. Even if he worked every shift available, even if he skipped sleep and ate only scraps, it wouldn't be enough. There wasn't enough time, and there wasn't enough money.
His phone buzzed again, this time with a new message from an unknown number. He hesitated, then swiped the screen.
New System Access: Congratulations! You have been granted access to the System.
Max blinked. The words didn't make sense at first. A system? It was like one of those weird scam messages people would send you, promising riches or gifts if you just clicked a link. But this... this was different. The message was simple, no links or flashy pop-ups—just those words.
He stared at the screen for a moment, unsure if he was just tired and hallucinating. But when nothing changed, he swiped down, hoping to get more details.
A menu popped up. It had several options: Attributes, Shop, Quests, and Log Out. Each section seemed like a portal into something he didn't understand, but there was a part of him, a tiny spark of curiosity, that urged him to tap Attributes.
The screen shifted, and a list of numbers appeared next to different categories:
Strength: 2
Intelligence: 3
Charisma: 1
Endurance: 2
What the hell?
The categories were vague. He wasn't sure what they meant or how they could help him. His Charisma was probably the lowest—he wasn't exactly the life of the party or the kind of guy who made connections. His Strength? He hadn't been to the gym in months. Intelligence? Well, he had to be smart to get through school, but grades didn't pay bills.
But what caught his attention were the small numbers beside each category, as if he could do something about them.
Before he could make sense of it, another pop-up flashed.
Quest: Complete the Next Shift
Max stared at the screen, still unsure if this was some kind of joke. "Complete the next shift?" What did that even mean? But before he could second-guess it, the phone buzzed again, this time with a new notification.
Quest Reward: 1 Experience Point.
Max's breath caught. That wasn't real. There was no way he'd just completed a quest. He glanced back at the system screen, where the experience bar had moved by a fraction—0/100 now instead of 0.
What the hell was this?
He set the phone down, still trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. It was impossible. His mind couldn't process it. A system? Rewards for completing "quests"? It sounded like some kind of game, something you'd see in an anime or a fantasy novel.
But the notification was still there, still glowing on his screen.
Max ran a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of the situation start to sink in. He couldn't afford to ignore it. Not when he was this desperate. The thought of making things better—somehow, some way—was almost too tempting.
He picked the phone back up, swiping through the interface. If this system was real, maybe it could change things. Maybe it could get him out of this mess. Maybe it was his only shot.
Max took a deep breath, tapping the Shop option.
A new screen appeared. The shop was even more minimal than the system interface—no flashy items or inventory, just a short list:
Items Available for Purchase:
Basic Health Potion: 10 Coins
Instant Noodles: 5 Coins
Job Boost: 25 Coins
Max stared at the list, his eyes narrowing. Health Potion? That didn't matter. Instant noodles? Was this some kind of sick joke? But then his gaze landed on Job Boost.
Job Boost: +1 to next shift earnings for 24 hours.
Coins? Max blinked, confused. He hadn't seen anything about coins before. And where did these coins come from? Were they tied to the system, or was there another way to earn them?
He focused on the Job Boost. That was something he could use. His job didn't pay much, but an extra boost to his earnings could make a difference. If he could buy this… it might be just enough to cover some of his debts, buy a few more meals, maybe even get ahead for once.
He checked his Coins balance at the bottom of the shop screen.
Coins: 0
Max sighed. Of course, he had no coins. The system didn't give him anything to start with. He'd have to figure out how to earn them, just like he had to figure out how to survive every day.
Another notification flashed on his screen:
Quest Available: Complete your next shift to earn 5 Coins.
Max's heart skipped. A quest that rewarded him with coins? This was real. He didn't know how, or why, but it was real. It was the first thing in a long time that made him feel like something was possible.
The only problem was that the next shift wasn't for hours, and he didn't know what else he could do with the system, if anything.
But as he glanced at the stack of bills again, it didn't matter. He could work with this. If he could earn coins, complete quests, and buy boosts… maybe, just maybe, he could change things.
Max stared at the phone, his hands shaking slightly. This could be the break he needed, but first, he had to play the game. And he wasn't going to waste it.