I Became Rich With My System

Chapter 3

The person who greeted John at the house was the head of the neighborhood association. Davies—his father, who had never taken responsibility for his own mother—had asked this man to take care of his mother’s funeral.

After learning about John’s situation, the neighborhood chief looked at him kindly and said he could stay in his grandmother’s house for now.

Once the chief left, John finally had a moment to himself. The house was quiet, dusty in corners, but familiar in its emptiness. He rolled up his sleeves and began cleaning, sweeping the floor, wiping the shelves, arranging old furniture. It wasn’t glamorous, but it gave him a sense of purpose.

His stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten properly in more than a day. He reached for his phone and remembered the $500 reward from the system.

(You can only buy healthy food, no junk food.)

The system’s orders were strict, but John didn’t mind. Using the money, he ordered a meal from a nearby restaurant online—something a little expensive, but nutritious. As he waited for the delivery, he muttered, “Ugh, this smartphone is already slow, it’s just annoying.”

He had received the phone two years ago, a hand-me-down from someone who trusted his diligence. John had earned it by cleaning and ironing every day without complaint. It was old, scratched, slow—but it was his.

Now, though, it was time to upgrade.

Before leaving town, his mother had given him $1,000. “It should be enough for the next month,” she had said.

(You can buy a smartphone with that money.)

(Don’t worry, you’ll get even more money after the mission.)

John paused. Mission?

(For now, the system wants to change your body for the better.)

(In one week, you must complete a set of glow-ups and exercise.)

(You should also take care of your health by eating only healthy food.)

(If you manage to lose weight properly, you will get a reward from the system.)

John hesitated, reading the instructions over and over in his mind. On paper, it sounded easy. One week, exercise, healthy food. But he already knew it wouldn’t be simple in practice. Still… he didn’t want to be teased anymore. Being overweight made movement difficult, left him tired easily, and brought its own health problems.

Suddenly, a small box appeared in front of him. It hovered in the air, glowing faintly—the glow-up set the system had mentioned. His heart raced as he opened it.

Inside, a few items lay neatly arranged, each with a small label he barely understood.

(The small glass bottle is a health portion. Drink it every morning before exercise.)

John stared at the items from the system again.

(The small round glass bottle is a special portion—you should mix it with water and soak in it.)

(Soak every day in the afternoon for ten minutes in warm water.)

(The blue container is a special face wash—use it every morning after waking up and every night before bed.)

(The white container is a special sunscreen—use it whenever you go outdoors.)

(Everything here is special for you. Do not sell it to others. Its effectiveness is far beyond ordinary products in this world.)

John’s eyes moved over the items, trying to take in everything. He had no idea how they worked, but the system’s instructions were clear. He could start with the face wash in the morning, soak the potion in the afternoon, and apply sunscreen whenever he stepped outside.

He picked up the blue container first. The face wash looked ordinary, just like any foam sold at stores. The sunscreen in his hand also seemed normal, a physical sunscreen he could buy anywhere—but according to the system, these were far from ordinary.

John’s brief reverie was broken by the sound of a knock and the familiar voice of the food courier.

“John?”

He looked up and saw Michael, a classmate from school. Michael was quiet, nerdy, and bullied sometimes, though not as badly as John. His skin was darker, his glasses slightly crooked, but his presence somehow felt safe in comparison to others.

“Oh… Michael.” John’s voice was low.

“Why do you live here? Did you and your parents move in?” Michael asked, tilting his head slightly, curiosity clear in his tone.

John turned his eyes away, unsure if he should explain or keep silent. But then he remembered the system’s words:

(He’s a good person and sincere with you. You can trust him.)

Taking a deep breath, John decided to open up. “My mom… divorced my dad. I was told to stay here. She went out of town.”

Michael’s eyebrows rose, surprise flashing across his face, but he quickly tried to act normal. “You okay?”

John blinked. How many times had he heard that question before? Usually, it annoyed him. People asked it as if they expected an answer, but they already didn’t understand. How could they?

“I’m not okay, but you don’t have to worry about me. I’m used to this… and I think it’s better for me,” John said quietly, his voice steady even though his chest felt heavy.

Michael nodded, understanding far more than John expected. He knew about John’s father—how he drank too much and often took out his anger on John. He also knew that staying at the grandmother’s house, even alone, would be safer for him.

“Can I… come here to keep you company?” Michael asked, his voice hesitant but sincere.

John blinked. He… wants to stay with me? “You… want to keep me company?”

Michael nodded again. “Yeah. Is that okay? If not, I won’t.”

“Of course you can!” John said, a small smile tugging at his lips. It was strange, almost uncomfortable, to feel someone genuinely care.

After that, neither of them spoke for a while. The silence wasn’t awkward—it felt like a shared space where both could just exist without judgment. Both were lost in their own thoughts, letting the quiet settle around them.

Finally, Michael glanced at the time. “I have to go, John.”

John gave a slow nod, understanding. “Okay.”

Michael closed the door quietly, leaving John alone. He turned to his next task: preparing a proper meal for himself. Hunger gnawed at him, and the $500 reward from the system would finally serve a real purpose. He ordered something nutritious, not too fancy, but enough to fill his stomach.

After eating, he remembered the system’s instructions.

(Now, master, it’s time to soak in the special portion.)

John looked around the grandmother’s bathroom. It was surprisingly modern, clean, and quiet. A bathtub sat tucked in the corner, slightly worn but fully functional. Grandma had requested it years ago after a sudden urge to take warm baths, and though it wasn’t new, it had clearly been cared for.

John remembered he was only ten years old when his mother had scolded him for something he hadn’t even done. Back then, his father had used the money his mother earned to build a bathtub for grandma, and it had caused one of the biggest fights John could remember.

Grandma had never been kind to his mother, always demanding money, never seeing her as a daughter-in-law. John had stayed silent that day, watching the adults argue, feeling powerless and small.

Now, years later, he stirred the special herb into the warm water he had prepared. The water changed color, turning a faint green. John hesitated, then slowly lowered himself into the tub.

Ten minutes. That was the system’s instruction.

But the water was hotter than he expected. Hot, almost spicy, and he couldn’t understand why. His skin tingled, his body prickled, and he kept thinking maybe he had measured the water wrong—but he hadn’t.

Time dragged on. Each second felt like a minute. Sweat ran down his face, and the heat made him want to pull away. Still, he kept himself in the water, counting silently.

When the ten minutes were finally over, John practically jumped out of the bathtub.

To his shock, the water had turned black.

“What… what happened to the water?” he muttered, quickly wrapping himself in a large towel, staring at the murky bath like it had some kind of magic.

He shivered. “There’s no way I’m going to bathe like this every afternoon for seven days, right?”

(Sorry, master, but you’ll quickly get used to that water.)

(The portion helps you remove all the dirt from your body, all the fat that you don’t need.)

(Made from natural herbs from the mountains of Gaelmont, which were used by the elders to make special baths.)

John groaned. “Okay, enough! I don’t understand what you mean. Just let me finish my bath in peace.”

(Tsk… okay.)