2026-08-24 14:40:53Ethan's confusion deepened.
"What...?" he whispered, his eyes moving between the two men.
The silver-haired being remained perfectly still, while the old man stayed bowed before him, his hands pressed against the floor.
Ethan swallowed hard.
"What is going on?" he finally asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "Old man, why are you kneeling?"
The old man did not answer. He remained completely motionless, his head lowered so deeply that Ethan could not even see his face.
"Hey," Ethan called again, taking a cautious step toward him. "I'm talking to you."
The old man still gave no response, making the silence become increasingly uncomfortable.
Ethan looked at the silver-haired man.
The stranger was still kneeling before him, waiting patiently.
That only made the situation more bizarre.
Ethan had no idea what kind of world he had stepped into. A few minutes ago, he had been sitting at the table, wondering what kind of fortune the third card contained. Now a supernatural being with golden eyes was kneeling before him, calling him Master, while the mysterious old man who had introduced him to the Cards of Fortune was bowing to the same being as if he were standing before a god.
Ethan rubbed his forehead. This was becoming ridiculous.
He looked down at the kneeling man again. "Are you going to explain anything?"
The old man remained bowed.
Ethan waited but got no response.
A strange pressure seemed to hang in the air.
Ethan slowly turned back to the silver-haired being.
The man's pale golden eyes remained lowered respectfully.
For some reason, Ethan felt uncomfortable seeing him kneeling there.
He hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat.
"You can... get up."
The moment the words left his mouth, the being moved. He rose smoothly from one knee until he stood at his full height.
Ethan had to tilt his head slightly to look up at him.
Standing this close, the man's presence was even more overwhelming. He did not move like an ordinary human being. Every movement was controlled and precise, without a trace of unnecessary motion. There was an almost unnatural dignity about him, as though he had existed for so long that ordinary human concepts such as fear, hesitation, and uncertainty no longer applied to him.
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Who exactly was this man?
Before Ethan could ask, the being slowly turned his head, his golden eyes settling on the old man.
The atmosphere changed immediately, and the old man's body became visibly tense.
The being's voice remained calm, but there was an unquestionable authority behind it.
"Card Keeper, you can rise to your feet."
Only then did the old man move. He slowly pushed himself up from the floor, his movements careful and restrained, almost as though he were afraid of making the slightest mistake. Once he was standing, however, he did not raise his head. His gaze remained fixed on the floor.
Ethan stared at him, and that was when he noticed something he had never seen on the old man's face before.
Fear.
Real fear.
It was faint, almost hidden beneath the old man's attempt to remain composed, but Ethan could see it now. His face was slightly pale, and there was a tightness around his mouth that had not been there before. Even his breathing seemed more controlled than usual, as though he was desperately trying to prevent the being in front of him from noticing how frightened he was.
Ethan's confusion reached another level.
The old man had never been afraid of him.
He had never been afraid of the strange cards.
He had not even been afraid when the entire room began shaking.
Yet this man had made him afraid.
Who was he?
And what exactly did the title "Card Keeper" mean?
Ethan’s thoughts raced as the silver-haired being slowly turned his attention back toward him. The moment their gazes met, an uncomfortable sensation crawled across Ethan’s skin. It felt as if the being was not merely looking at him, but examining something buried deep inside him.
Ethan swallowed hard, trying to keep his expression under control.
Who exactly was this man?
And why was he calling him Master?
The being studied him for several seconds before finally speaking, his deep voice calm and strangely ancient.
“You must be confused right now, Master,” he said, his tone carrying a faint understanding.
Ethan stared at him.
Confused?
That word barely covered what he was feeling.
He was standing inside a strange place with a silver-haired being who looked nothing like a normal human. An old man was still kneeling nearby as though he had just witnessed the arrival of a god. And, somehow, this impossible being was calling Ethan his master.
Ethan slowly rubbed his forehead, trying to make sense of everything.
“Confused?” he repeated, his voice strained with disbelief. “That is putting it mildly. I have no idea what is happening.”
The silver-haired being remained completely calm.
If Ethan’s confusion bothered him, he did not show it.
“There is much you do not understand yet,” he said quietly, his expression serious. “But before I explain anything else, there is one thing you must understand first.”
Something about the way he said it made Ethan straighten.
The being looked directly into Ethan’s eyes.
“I am the highest fortune that the Cards of Fortune can ever grant to a living being in this universe,” he said, each word slow and deliberate.
Ethan’s eyes widened slightly. “The highest fortune?”
“Yes,” the being replied calmly.
He placed one hand behind his back and stood with an almost effortless dignity.
“I am the ultimate fortune.”
The moment those words left his mouth, a faint golden light flickered inside his eyes.
Ethan noticed it immediately.
A strange pressure seemed to fill the room.
It was not overwhelming, but it was enough to make the hairs on the back of Ethan’s neck rise.
The being continued, his voice becoming quieter.
“And I am also the most impossible fortune to obtain.”
Ethan frowned.
Something about that statement caught his attention.
“What do you mean by impossible?” he asked, his voice cautious.
The being looked at him for a moment before answering.
“For millions of years, countless beings across the universe have drawn the Cards of Fortune,” he explained, his tone becoming solemn. “Kings have drawn them. Emperors have drawn them. Powerful cultivators, ancient races, monstrous creatures, and beings whose names once shook entire galaxies have all sought the same thing.” He paused briefly. “They have all sought the ultimate fortune. But none of them received it.”
Ethan’s lips parted slightly. “None?”
“None,” the being repeated firmly, his golden eyes remaining fixed on Ethan. “For millions of years, countless beings risked everything for the chance to obtain the ultimate fortune. Some possessed power beyond your imagination. Some ruled civilizations that stretched across countless worlds. Others possessed knowledge that could overturn the laws of nature themselves.” His voice lowered. “Yet not one of them was fortunate enough to receive it.”
Ethan stared at him, slowly beginning to understand the significance of what he was saying. “So you are saying that nobody has ever obtained you before?”
The being’s expression softened into the faintest smile. “No one.”
A strange silence followed.
Ethan could hear his own heartbeat, which sounded unusually loud in the quiet room. He looked at the silver-haired being again, still struggling to accept what he was hearing.
Millions of years. Countless people. And not a single one had received this so-called ultimate fortune.
Yet somehow... Ethan had.
The being took a slow breath before continuing.
“For millions of years, the Cards of Fortune have existed. They have granted countless fortunes, some great enough to change the fate of entire worlds. But I remained beyond their reach.” He lowered his gaze for a moment, almost as though remembering an impossibly distant past.
“Until tonight.”
Ethan’s heart skipped.
The being raised his head again, his golden eyes meeting Ethan’s.
“And tonight, everything changed.”
Ethan felt a strange chill move through his body. “Why?” he asked quietly.
For the first time, the being’s lips curved into a genuine smile. “Because you received me.”
The words were simple, yet they struck Ethan harder than anything else the being had said.
The silver-haired being slowly placed one hand over his chest, then he lowered his head toward Ethan.
“From this moment onward,” he said, his deep voice filled with unwavering certainty, “I belong to you, Master.”
Ethan froze.
The being slowly lifted his head, and his pale golden eyes seemed brighter than before.
“You are the first person in millions of years to receive the ultimate fortune.”
He paused, allowing the words to settle into the silence.
Then his faint smile returned.
“Tonight, Master, you became the most fortunate man in the entire universe.”
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
The Crystal Of Life
The SUV was already waiting a short distance away, its dark body reflecting the pale morning light. Ethan walked toward it without saying anything, the weight of Ryan's confession still pressing heavily against his chest. He had wanted answers, and now he had them. Yet somehow, knowing the truth had not brought him the relief he had imagined.The Guardian opened the driver's door and slipped behind the wheel while Ethan climbed into the passenger seat. A moment later, the engine came to life, and the SUV rolled smoothly away from the quiet parking area. As they merged onto the main road, the Guardian kept one hand relaxed on the steering wheel, his attention fixed on the road while Ethan remained silent beside him.For several minutes, neither of them spoke.Ethan watched the city move past the window, but he barely noticed any of it. His mind remained at the parking lot, replaying Ryan's confession over and over again.I fucking killed your parents.The words seemed to echo inside hi
One Big Mistake
Ethan finally spoke, his voice cold and steady despite the rage burning beneath it. “So you killed my parents because you lost a business contract?”Ryan's expression hardened immediately. He slowly shook his head, his eyes fixed on Ethan with a mixture of resentment and wounded pride. “No. That wasn't the reason,” he replied, his voice lowering as his bitterness deepened. “I killed them because everything I had spent years waiting for was suddenly being taken away from me.”Ethan's face remained unreadable, but his clenched fists revealed the anger he was struggling to control.Ryan noticed the silence and continued, his resentment spilling out now that he had finally stopped pretending. “Clara stopped answering my messages,” he said bitterly, his mouth twisting as though the memory still offended him. “At first, I thought she was simply angry with me, so I kept trying to reach her. Then she blocked me.”A humorless laugh escaped him as he wiped the remaining blood from the corner of
The Truth About Everything
Ryan's confident expression slowly disappeared when he realized something was wrong.His eyes moved past Ethan and toward the black SUV parked a short distance behind him. For a brief moment, Ryan seemed to expect someone else to step out of the vehicle. He glanced toward the driver's seat, then toward the rear doors, his confusion growing when the parking area remained completely still.Nobody emerged.Ryan's gaze finally returned to Ethan.“Ethan?” he muttered, the confidence in his voice replaced by genuine confusion. “What are you doing here?”Ethan stared at him.For a moment, the question was so ridiculous that he almost laughed.What was he doing there?As though they had simply crossed paths by accident.As though Ethan had come looking for a casual conversation.As though his parents were not lying dead in a hospital because of an order Ryan had given.The memory of their bodies lying motionless beneath white hospital sheets made Ethan's chest tighten.Slowly, his hands curle
The Man Behind It All (THE IDENTITY OF THE MASTERMIND)
The next day arrived with a strange stillness.Ethan had barely slept.Even after leaving the hospital and returning to the hotel, his mind had refused to settle. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his parents lying motionless beneath the white sheets. He could still hear his mother's voice from the night before, still remember the way she had looked at him when he promised he would come back.He had promised.And he had failed to keep that promise.Now there was nothing left for him to return to.The only thing he had managed to take from the hospital was the assassin's phone, and even that had come with a purpose far darker than he had imagined. The man had not been acting alone. Someone had paid him to kill his parents, and whoever had given the order was still out there.Ethan sat quietly in the back of the SUV as the city passed outside the tinted windows.Beside him, the Guardian remained unusually silent.The silver-haired man had spent most of the journey staring ahead, his
The Mystery
Ethan did not say anything else as they left the hospital.The automatic doors slid open in front of them, allowing the cool night air to wash over his face. He stepped outside with Guardian beside him, while Clara followed several paces behind.The city was still alive despite the late hour, its streets illuminated by headlights, streetlamps, and the glowing signs of businesses that had not yet closed for the night. Cars moved along the distant road, people walked beneath the lights, and somewhere nearby, a motorcycle accelerated through an intersection.Everything looked normal.That was what made it feel so strange.The world had not stopped because Ethan's parents were dead.People were still going home. Restaurants were still serving customers. Drivers were still honking at one another. Somewhere, someone was probably laughing with their friends without knowing that Ethan Hawthorn had just lost both of his parents.He stood near the hospital entrance for several seconds, staring
THE BEGINNING OF THE HUNT
Ethan remained in the hallway for several more minutes, unable to move.The hospital corridor had become strangely quiet. The sounds of hurried footsteps, distant voices, and medical equipment seemed far away now, as though he were standing inside a world that no longer belonged to him. His chest felt heavy, and every breath he took seemed to drag against the weight pressing down on him.He lowered his head and slowly rubbed a hand over his face, forcing himself to regain control. There was no point standing there and letting grief consume him. His parents were gone, and nothing he did now could change that.A few feet away, Guardian stood silently.The silver-haired man had not interrupted him once. He simply watched Ethan with a calm, patient expression, giving him the time he needed to collect himself.After another long breath, Ethan finally straightened.His eyes were still filled with pain, but something colder had settled behind them.He turned toward Guardian and walked over.
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