Nyxaris stood in the middle of Astrid, the vibrant city bustling with merchants, adventurers, and magic-wielding scholars. The glow of the towering Astral Nexus, the city's massive magical core, shimmered against the night sky.
His stats had skyrocketed. His abilities had evolved. And most importantly—he was now sitting on a mountain of gold.
But right now, Leo wasn't thinking about magic, battles, or quests.
He was thinking about his family.
Opening his menu, he navigated to the Exchange Center, an in-game service that allowed players to convert their gold into real-world money.
[Currency Exchange]
Gold in possession: 2,850,000
Exchange Rate: 10 Gold = $1
Maximum Exchange Per Day: 1,500,000 Gold
Leo hesitated for only a second before confirming the transaction.
[EXCHANGING 1,425,000 GOLD → $142,500 USD]
[TRANSFERRED TO GAME ACCOUNT BALANCE]
A second notification appeared:
[Your in-game debit card will arrive at your address the next day.]
Leo exhaled. That was it. In just a few clicks, he had made more money than his family had seen in years.
Now, it was time to log out.
As soon as Leo removed the VR headset, he sat still for a moment, staring at his small, dimly lit bedroom.
The room wasn't much. A thin mattress, a desk with an old laptop, and a cracked phone on the nightstand. The walls were faded, and the ceiling had water stains from leaks.
It was a stark contrast to the grand magical cities, towering castles, and endless landscapes he had been exploring just minutes ago.
But now, everything was about to change.
Leo stood up, stretched, and walked into the small living room, where his mother and younger sister, Mia, sat on the worn-out couch watching TV.
His mom looked up, exhaustion visible in her eyes. She worked two jobs—a waitress at a diner in the morning and a cleaner at night. Mia, only ten years old, was doing her best to help around the house, but they were barely making it.
"Leo?" His mom raised an eyebrow. "You look like you have something to say."
He swallowed. How do you even tell your family that you just made over a hundred thousand dollars playing a video game?
"Mom… Mia… I need to tell you something."
His mom sat up, concern on her face. "What is it? Did something happen?"
Leo took a deep breath.
"Our lives are about to change."
Mia blinked in confusion, but his mom frowned. "Leo, what are you talking about?"
"I… I made money," Leo said. "A lot of money."
His mom sighed, rubbing her temples. "Leo, I told you not to get caught up in those scams—"
"It's not a scam," he interrupted, pulling up his phone and showing her the $142,500 that had just been transferred into his game account.
Silence.
His mother's eyes widened.
Mia leaned forward, gasping. "Whaaa—? That's so much money, Leo!"
His mom, however, was speechless. Her hand trembled as she took the phone from him, staring at the numbers like they were some kind of illusion.
"Where… how…?"
Leo sat down. "It's from a game. A new VRMMO. You can convert gold into real money. I've been playing for weeks now, and today, I made this."
His mom's hands clutched the phone, and he could see the emotions running through her face—disbelief, shock, hope, and fear.
"This… this isn't fake, is it?"
Leo shook his head. "No. It's real. And I can keep making more."
Mia giggled, bouncing excitedly. "Does this mean we can buy a bigger TV?!"
Leo chuckled. "It means we can buy a lot more than that."
But before they could even think about spending the money, he needed to reassure his mother.
"Mom," Leo said softly, "you won't have to work two jobs anymore. Mia will get everything she needs for school. And we'll move somewhere better. I promise."
His mom covered her mouth, and for the first time in years, tears welled up in her eyes—not from stress, not from exhaustion, but from relief.
She pulled him into a tight hug.
"Leo… I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything," he whispered. "Just trust me."
She nodded, gripping him tightly as if afraid this was all a dream.
Mia, meanwhile, was already making plans.
"Leo! Leo! Can we get a cat? Or a dog? Or BOTH?"
Leo laughed. "One step at a time, Mia."
But deep down, he knew this was just the beginning.
His journey in the game wasn't over.
If anything… it was just getting started.
The next morning, Leo woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing. He groggily reached over, rubbing his eyes, and saw a notification from the banking service linked to the game.
[Your debit card has been delivered. Please check your mailbox.]
Leo shot up from his bed, fully awake now. He quickly threw on some clothes and rushed outside to their small, worn-down mailbox.
When he opened it, there it was—a sleek black debit card with the game's insignia on it. His name, Leonard K., was engraved in silver letters on the front.
Holding it in his hands, reality finally set in.
This wasn't a dream. He had truly changed his family's life.
Leo went back inside, where his mom was already making breakfast—simple eggs and toast, like always.
"Mom, it's here," he said, holding up the card.
His mother turned, looking at it with wide eyes. She wiped her hands on a rag before taking the card gently, as if afraid it might disappear.
"So… it's real?" she murmured.
Leo nodded. "Yeah. And today, we're going to open a real bank account and transfer the money."
Mia, who had just woken up and was still rubbing her eyes, suddenly perked up. "Does that mean… we're rich now?!"
Leo chuckled. "Not rich yet. But we won't have to struggle anymore."
His mother let out a breath she had been holding. "Alright," she said, her voice steady. "Let's go."
A few hours later, Leo, his mom, and Mia were at the bank, sitting across from a well-dressed banker in a quiet office.
His mother, still nervous, clutched her bag tightly. They had never set foot in a bank for anything other than paying bills.
Leo, however, was calm and confident. He explained to the banker that he had earned money through an online game and needed to transfer it to a real account.
At first, the banker was skeptical. "That's… quite a large sum," he said, looking at the numbers. "Are you sure this is legitimate?"
Leo simply showed him the transaction history from the game's official banking system.
After a long moment, the banker nodded. "Well… everything seems in order. We can proceed with the account setup."
An hour later, it was done.
Leo now had a proper bank account, and their money was safe and secure.
His mother sighed in relief, finally relaxing a little. "I still can't believe this…"
Leo grinned. "Believe it, Mom. Because next, we're going shopping."
Mia jumped up. "Yes!! Best. Day. Ever!"
The three of them went straight to the electronics store first. Their old TV was a tiny, outdated model that barely worked.
Now?
Leo walked straight to the latest 4K Smart TV, picked a size that barely fit in the cart, and paid for it without hesitation.
Next, they went to a furniture store.
Their apartment was in bad shape—they had old, creaky beds, second-hand chairs, and a couch that was falling apart.
Leo made sure to buy:
✔ New, comfortable beds for all of them
✔ A sofa that didn't feel like sitting on bricks
✔ A sturdy dining table so they could actually eat together properly
✔ A new desk and gaming chair for himself—because if he was going to keep playing, he needed a proper setup.
After that, they restocked their kitchen with fresh groceries, something they hadn't done in ages. They filled the cart with meat, fruits, snacks, and everything Mia had been dreaming about.
Mia, completely overwhelmed, grabbed Leo's arm. "You're seriously the best brother ever."
Leo just ruffled her hair. "I know."
His mother, walking beside them, was unusually quiet. She wasn't crying anymore—just looking around with a soft, warm expression.
For the first time in years, she looked at peace.
That night, after setting up the new TV and furniture, they all sat together on the couch, watching a movie with real food on the table.
It felt… normal.
It felt like a home.
But Leo knew there was still more to do.
As the credits rolled, he looked at his mother. "Mom, the next step is finding us a new place to live."
She turned to him, eyes widening. "A new place?"
Leo nodded. "This apartment… it's too small. Too old. We need a fresh start somewhere better."
Mia's eyes sparkled. "Can we get a place with a pool?! Or at least a cool balcony?!"
Leo laughed. "We'll see."
His mother bit her lip. "Leo… are you sure? We've lived here for so long…"
Leo took her hand gently. "Mom, we don't have to live like this anymore. We can have something better. Somewhere safe. Somewhere comfortable. We deserve that."
Tears welled in her eyes again—but this time, they were tears of happiness.
"Okay," she whispered. "Let's find a new home."
Leo smiled. A new life was truly beginning.
And this was only the first step.
To be continued…