The Great Mercator System

Prologue: The End and the Beginning

The weight of exhaustion bore down on him like an unrelenting tide, each wave sapping the last vestiges of his strength. His fingers trembled as they hovered over the keyboard, the dull glow of the monitor illuminating his hollowed features. Years of dedication, of overtime hours stretching into dawn, had left him a husk of a man. His name? It no longer mattered. He was just another cog in the machine, another faceless salaryman destined to be forgotten.

The clock read 3:47 AM.

He had lost count of the number of nights spent in the sterile confines of the office, drowning in paperwork and expectations. His superior’s words echoed in his mind: “Sacrifice is the key to success.” But what had he gained? No family waiting for him at home. No dreams left to chase. Just an empty stomach, a heavy heart, and a body that had long since passed its limits.

A deep sigh escaped his lips as darkness clouded his vision. His head dipped forward, landing on the desk with a dull thud.

Silence.

And then, the nothingness consumed him.

Pain did not greet him, nor did the stale scent of the office. Instead, warmth enveloped his body, the distant murmur of voices barely registering in his foggy mind.

Then, a voice—soft, familiar, filled with love.

“Welcome to the world, my little Simeon.”

Eyes fluttering open, he saw a woman with golden hair and emerald eyes gazing at him with tenderness. A man, strong and noble in bearing, stood beside her, pride shining in his deep blue eyes.

Fiona De Long. Bryan De Long.

His parents.

Memories that were not his own flooded his mind. He was no longer the overworked salaryman. He was now Simeon De Long, the fifth son of House De Long, a noble family in the Eldoria Kingdom. But unlike his brothers, he held no hope of inheriting his father’s title. In the eyes of the world, he was insignificant.

Yet, fate had other plans.

On the night of his sixth birthday, it happened.

A dream unlike any other.

He stood in an endless expanse of stars, his small hands trembling as a golden interface materialized before him. The words shimmered, as if alive, a presence both ancient and powerful echoing in his mind.

THE GREAT MERCATOR SYSTEM HAS AWAKENED.

With it came knowledge, power, and possibilities beyond imagination. The once-forgotten fifth son was no longer bound by fate’s cruel hand. He had been granted a second chance—not just at life, but at greatness.

And he would not squander it.