Heavenly Mandate System: End of the World

If my life were a system novel, by now, I’d surely possess some kind of ultimate system. Yeah, I’d probably have a mission board popping up in front of me, signaling that I only need to complete a few simple tasks to gain unimaginable power, wealth, and status. One click, one reward, and… the world would be mine. But what’s the reality? I’m sitting here, in the stifling air filled with smoke and the smell of grilling meat, holding a spatula as sweat drips down my forehead. That fantasy suddenly disappears like the smoke whisked away by the exhaust fan. “Solais Amare, hurry up! The customers are piling up!” – The boss’s voice jolts me back to reality. He’s a big, burly foreigner with a scruffy beard, rarely in a good mood. I keep flipping the meat, glancing at the crowd pressing against the glass door. That’s right, I’m not the main character in any system story. I’m just a part-time worker, toiling at a small barbecue joint, trying to earn enough to pay rent and survive in this bustling yet cutthroat city of SG. Shift over. I step out of the shop and take a deep breath of the cool evening air. SG at night, the crowds are still rushing about. I hop onto my old motorbike, the engine purring softly like it’s complaining. The road home is the same as always: winding streets, dim lights filtering through the tree branches, and that lingering fatigue after another monotonous day. I don’t know when exactly I got used to this life. But sometimes, I can’t help but wonder: Can this life ever change? Or will I forever be a wandering young man in this world—no system, no superpowers, just kitchen smoke and grease clinging to me? The motorbike roars as its engine blends with the traffic, and I continue my journey back to my small rented room. … I cruise over the SG Bridge, the river below shimmering with reflections from the streetlights. Tonight, the sky is clear, and the twinkling city lights seem to blend into an upside-down sky. A gentle, cool breeze carries the smell of water from the river, and the scene on both sides of the bridge unfolds before me: couples holding hands, dating, chatting under the golden lights. I can’t help but chuckle, imagining a different scene—one where I, too, have a beautiful girlfriend sitting behind me, holding me tightly. We’d laugh and joke, riding through the streets lit up like those couples over there. A slight sweet feeling creeps into my mind, so vivid it almost feels real. But... I shake my head. What the hell are you thinking, Amare? A cold inner voice speaks, pulling me back to harsh reality. Back home, my family is still struggling just to put food on the table. My parents are getting older, and I have three younger siblings—two brothers still in school and my youngest sister, whose future I need to worry about. I’m the eldest son, 25 years old, dropped out after high school and came here to hustle for a living. What do I have to even think about love? A bitter smile naturally appears on my lips. Yeah, I’ve got nothing. Those fleeting daydreams of romance vanish, replaced by the cold reality of life. I know all too well that with my current situation, love is a luxury I can’t afford. My parents poured everything they had into raising me, and now they still have to take care of my three siblings. How can I allow myself to dream so far ahead? The motorbike’s engine roars as I twist the throttle, the wind cutting across my face, sweeping away the idle thoughts. I can’t blame anyone, and I certainly can’t complain. This is my life—simple and practical. The road home remains the same, familiar and endlessly long, but I’m used to it by now. What I need to do now is get home, rest, and prepare for tomorrow… Arrived. I cut the engine, get off, and walk my bike into the familiar narrow alley. The deeper into the night, the quieter it becomes, with only the occasional sound of a motorbike engine faintly echoing from afar. The dim yellow glow from a few streetlights casts eerie shadows, making the people on the road appear like drifting ghosts. To my left is the entrance to the small row of rental houses where I stay. There’s nothing special about it: seven rooms lined up like boxes, with old, peeling walls showing the wear of time. I live in number seven—the last one. The room belongs to me and my friend, Kevin. We split the rent, 100$ each per month for this tiny space. For me, it’s a manageable amount considering my part-time job’s income, but for Kevin, the reason he lives here is somewhat amusing. Kevin is a peculiar guy. On the surface, he’s a gamer and an employee at a streaming company. It sounds glamorous, but reality is quite different. Kevin stays up late, wakes up early, works, and plays games all day, and his real-life personality is completely opposite to his online persona. Online, he’s smooth-talking, confident, and has a great sense of humor that keeps his audience entertained. But in real life... Well, we don’t talk about each other much because he has a “secret” principle—never let anyone know he lives in a cheap rental house. That secret stems from Kevin’s stinginess. Despite having a stable job and decent income, he still chooses to rent a small, cheap room like this to save as much as possible. Every time I tease him about it, Kevin just laughs it off, but I know full well, he doesn’t care much about what others think; he just wants to live as simply as possible. This rental block is quiet, with nothing changing day or night. The neighbors are mostly workers, some married couples, and some people living alone, like me and Kevin. We share the silence and the repetitive pace of life. For rent this low, you can’t expect much more. I open the door, step inside, and close it behind me, leaving the streetlights behind to sink into the familiar space—where tomorrow, another cycle will begin again. … The shrill sound of the alarm blared from my phone, but I couldn’t be bothered to move. Maybe I was too exhausted last night, and I just wanted to sleep a little more. With my eyes still closed, I reached out, grabbed the phone, swiped to turn off the alarm, and drifted back into sleep, ignoring the world outside. Until… “Amare! You lazy bum! Are you up yet?” Kevin knocked on the door, his voice full of frustration. I lazily turned over, pulling the blanket over my head, trying to savor the last bit of peace and quiet. “You want to be late for work? Get up!” The door creaked open, followed by Kevin’s heavy footsteps. I didn’t need to look to know what he was about to do. And as I predicted, Kevin pressed down on the bed and shook me with both hands. “Come on, get up! I’m not letting this slide today.” Finally, after rolling around a few times, I reluctantly sat up, barely opening my eyes to see Kevin standing in front of me. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, but his energy was surprisingly high. “Good morning,” I said, yawning and stretching. “Morning, my foot. You overslept! Still sitting there?” Kevin scolded. I frowned, my voice groggy. “When did you get back last night?” “I just got back this morning,” Kevin replied with a smirk. “And on top of that, I had to do a favor by waking up Mr. Lifeless Solais Amare.” I could only grin sheepishly. Kevin threw his jacket onto the bed and sat down on a chair, looking tired but still couldn’t resist mocking me a bit more. “I’m taking today off to recover my strength. Last night, I hit up a bar with some ‘juicy’ female fans, and then… went to a hotel until morning to, you know, do a few things. You get the picture.” I burst out laughing, trying to suppress my curiosity. “Is that so? Well, just don’t overdo it. Get some rest.” “Just worry about yourself,” Kevin muttered, closing his eyes and stretching out on the bed. “Make sure you lock the door when you leave. I’m sleeping until noon.” Watching Kevin doze off instantly, I could only shake my head. He really was a strange guy. I stood up, quickly freshened up, and changed into my work clothes. The clock on the wall was nearly hitting 9 a.m. I grabbed my keys, checked the lock on the door, and headed out. As I was wheeling my motorbike out of the rental house, a sweet voice called out from behind me. “Amare! Wait for me!” I turned around and saw Amaya, the girl from room 6, standing by her door, waving at me. She was petite, beautiful, with an innocent and sweet charm. The neighbors in our complex often joked that we were “same name, same fate,” but the truth was we were just semi-colleagues, working near each other. “Could you help me with something?” Amaya asked, pointing to a heavy water jug by her door. “I just got this water delivery, but it’s too heavy. Could you carry it into my room for me?” “No problem,” I replied, walking over and lifting the jug to bring it inside for her. After setting the water down, Amaya smiled gratefully, and we chatted for a bit. “You work late every day, don’t you?” she asked. “Yeah, the barbecue place gets busy. So, I usually finish late at night,” I replied, wiping the sweat from my forehead. “Are you working today?” “I left my motorbike at the repair shop, so I won’t be able to ride. I’ll book a motorbike taxi through the app later. But can you give me a ride home after work?” Amaya asked, her eyes lighting up. I nodded, remembering that we worked close to each other. I worked at the barbecue joint, and she was an office worker at a company renting space from the same owner. Even though our jobs were different, we had the chance to see each other and chat a little every day. “No problem. I’ll give you a ride after work.” Amaya smiled brightly, thanked me again, and went back inside. I got on my bike, started the engine, and headed off to work. … The aroma of grilled meat filled the air, mingling with the sizzling sound of juices dripping onto the hot coals. I bent down, fussing with the grill tray, continuously flipping each piece of meat. The place was now packed with customers, leaving no vacant seats.