The system wanted effort?
Fine. I'd give it sweat, splinters, and back pain—at age three.
But first, I needed cash.
No empire gets built without money. Even a slum kid knows that.
We were broke. Not "eat cheap" broke. We were "boil potato skins for soup" broke. Rent was late. The roof leaked (still). My mom's uniform had more holes than fabric.
I needed to help.
I couldn't get a job—I was literally half the size of a mop.
But I had a brain. And the system.
And the trash.
I started my morning scavenging like a goblin.
Behind the fish market, old plastic crates stacked high. Broken signs. Torn tarps. Discarded aluminum cans.
I saw opportunity. And also, a cat peeing on one of the crates.
"Shoo," I whispered.
The cat hissed like it was summoning demons.
I backed up.
Note to self: avoid that one.
[New Quest: Scavenge 10 Recyclable Items]
Reward: +1 Resourcefulness, +50 Yen
I could work with that.
My chubby toddler hands grabbed cans, bottle caps, wires—anything that didn't bite. I slipped most into a torn bag I found in the gutter.
People stared.
Some lady muttered, "Why's that baby looting trash?"
I ignored her.
Let her stare. I had stats to grind.
[Quest Complete!]
+1 Resourcefulness
+50 Yen Earned
New Passive: Street Sense (Lv. 1) – Increased awareness of valuable junk
Nice.
I'd just made 50 yen by picking up trash. Sure, it smelled. And one of the cans had a snail in it.
But I was officially a working man now.
Age three. Self-employed trash hunter. Resume's looking good.
Later that afternoon, I spotted a rusty cart behind a noodle shop. One wheel. Crooked handle.
Perfect.
I duct-taped it together using sticky old flyers and a prayer.
[New Item Created: Ghetto Cart (Lv. 1)]
Durability: Low
Speed: Terrible
Drip: Negative
Function: Hauls small loads of junk. Barely.
I was in business.
That night, I rolled the cart home with five bags of junk. My mom opened the door, eyes wide.
"Riku? Why are you covered in fish scales?"
"Work," I said seriously.
She stared. Then sighed. "Okay. Just… wash your hands. And your soul, if possible."
Fair.
The next day, I visited a recycling man who paid in cash.
"Where's your big brother?" he asked.
"I am the big brother."
He squinted at me, then shrugged. "Alright, weird kid. Here's 120 yen. Bring more cans."
I nodded. Business secured.
[Quest Complete: First Trade]
+2 Intelligence
+100 Yen Bonus for Initiative
New Title Unlocked: Mini Mogul (Lv. 1)
Let's go.
Things picked up.
Every day I hunted for cans. Wires. Broken electronics. Once I found a busted Walkman. Sold it for parts.
I made about 500 yen that week.
Enough to buy my mom a real dinner. Instant curry, two portions.
She nearly cried again.
That night, I got a notification:
[Hidden Quest: Provide for Your Family]
Reward: +1 Affection (Mother), +2 Charisma, Skill Unlock: "Basic Budgeting"
I was literally leveling up by being a good kid.
Wild.
A week later, I ran into trouble.
Remember that demon cat?
Yeah. Him again.
I spotted a shiny can near his trash pile. Reached for it.
Suddenly, fur, claws, and 200 years of street rage hit me in the face.
"AHH!"
I ran. Screaming. The cat chased me half a block.
"IT'S JUST A CAN!"
People watched a toddler get chased by a demon fuzzball and didn't even blink.
This was my life now.
[New Status Effect: Cat Scratch – Face (-1 Charisma for 2 Days)]
[New Passive Skill: Evasion (Lv. 1)]
Great. Now I had a scar under my eye and a vendetta.
I'd get my revenge. One day.
At night, I lay on the futon with my system menu open.
[Status – Riku Nakamura | Age: 3]
Strength: 4
Endurance: 5
Intelligence: 6
Resourcefulness: 4
Charisma: 2 (was 3 until the cat)
Affection (Mother): 7/10
Yen: 315
Title: Mini Mogul (Lv. 1)
Not bad.
Better than most three-year-olds, right?
Still, not enough.
I needed a real plan.
That weekend, I tried something new.
Flyers.
I made little hand-drawn posters: "I pick up junk. Pay me cheap. Will haul stuff."
Spelled half the kanji wrong. Still posted them around old shops and noodle stalls.
A week later, an old man called me over.
"You the junk kid?"
I nodded proudly.
He gave me a box of old wires and busted clocks. Paid me 200 yen to get rid of them.
Easy money.
[Quest Complete: Secure a Client]
+1 Charisma, +2 Intelligence
New Skill Unlocked: Hustle (Lv. 1)
Effect: Slightly improves rewards when completing small business deals
At three years old, I had clients.
Trash runs. Cans. Hauling random junk. I even found out the busted fans at the pawn shop could be stripped for copper.
One guy gave me 50 yen just for bringing him cold water.
I was officially part-time everything.
One night, my mom came home late. She looked exhausted. I gave her a small coin purse I'd stitched together myself.
"What's this?"
"Spare change. For emergencies. Or tea."
She opened it. 700 yen inside.
She didn't say anything.
She just hugged me.
Tight.
Like she never wanted to let go.
[Quest Complete: Support Your Parent]
+1 Affection (Mother)
+1 Willpower
New Passive Unlocked: Iron Bond – Small stat boost when protecting loved ones
I stared at the ceiling again.
Still cracked. Still leaking.
But this time, I had duct tape. Tools. Junk. And enough coins to fix the real problem.
Soon.
The system pinged one last message for the night:
[Main Questline Unlocked: Build Your Path]
Phase 1: Earn 10,000 Yen
Progress: 1,015 / 10,000
Reward: Custom Skill – Choose One
I grinned.
It wasn't a cheat.
It wasn't luck.
But it was mine.