2026-09-14 23:17:12Ethan stared at the back of his hand like it belonged to someone else.
The stone was gone. In its place was a thin tattoo shaped like a closed eye. It still felt warm. Panic hit him hard.
“Why is this on me?” he muttered. “People are going to think I’m in some weird group.”
Lately the city had seen more and more strange little groups that tricked tourists with fake charms. A mark like this would only bring trouble.
Then the calm voice spoke inside his head again.
[First task. Level zero. Place a one-thousand-dollar bet on any lottery or sweepstakes. Watch what happens.]
Ethan’s eyes went wide. “After you already took the money for Sophie’s surgery, now you want the last of it too? No way.”
He walked fast, anger and fear twisting together in his chest. Sophie was still in that hospital bed. The deposit had to be paid by seven. He had thrown away almost everything on a rock that turned into a tattoo. Every minute that passed made the fear worse.
Sterling Holdings stood tall in the middle of the business district. The glass building shone in the afternoon sun. Ethan’s father used to work there before the family pushed him out ten years ago. Maybe someone would still help. Blood was supposed to mean something.
Ethan walked into the cold lobby. His clothes still smelled of the street and sweat. Everyone else looked clean and rich. A security guard named Carl watched him from the moment he stepped inside. When Ethan headed toward the private elevator that only owners and big bosses used, Carl blocked his path and raised a small electric baton.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I need to see Mr. Victor Hale. It’s important. My sister is dying.”
“This company doesn’t give handouts. Leave.”
“My father used to work here. Mark Rivers. I’m family.”
Carl’s face twisted. “I’ve been here five years. Never heard of any Mark Rivers in the family. Get out.”
Ethan raised his voice. “He was part of this company!”
People in the lobby stopped to watch. The name Hale always drew eyes. Carl’s face turned red with embarrassment and anger. He jammed the baton into Ethan’s shoulder.
Pain shot through him like fire. Ethan’s body jerked and shook. He fell to his knees, muscles locked. Laughter broke out around the lobby. Someone called, “Throw him out, Carl!”
Carl dragged him to the street and left him there, still shaking. Ethan pushed himself up. His shoulder burned and his face felt hot with shame. People had laughed at him. They looked at him like he was nothing. He clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms.
“They erased Dad like he never existed,” he whispered to himself. “And now they treat me the same. Fine. I’ll get the money myself.”
He limped down the sidewalk, heart heavy. Sophie’s deadline was getting closer. He had nothing left.
Then a bright shop sign caught his eye across the street.
Lucky Pearl Lottery
Grand Prize: $200,000
Free vacation for the winner
A smiling woman on a beach stared out from the poster. Ethan’s feet carried him toward the door. He stopped with his hand on the handle.
“This is stupid,” he told himself. “I need that last thousand for Sophie. I can’t risk it.”
But the bright sign pulled at him. He stepped inside anyway.
A middle-aged woman sat behind the counter, head down over some sewing. She wore Eastern-style clothes. Something about her made Ethan’s stomach drop.
It was the same woman who sold him the stone.
He turned to leave.
Her soft voice stopped him. “Lucky Pearl Lottery. You never know what good luck is waiting until you hold the tickets.”
Ethan froze. Part of him screamed to run. Sophie needed every dollar. But the same strange pull from before settled over his mind, warm and heavy. His hand moved on its own. The last thousand dollars left his pocket. In return she gave him a thick stack of thin paper tickets. The ink looked a little smeared.
Outside, the spell faded. Ethan stared at the tickets in his hand and felt sick.
“What is wrong with me?” he whispered. “I keep giving away Sophie’s chance.”
At home he made a rough wire cage and pinned the whole stack of tickets to his bedroom door so he would not lose them. Then he went back to City General Hospital with empty pockets and a heart full of dread. The deposit time was almost up. Sophie still needed that money.
---
Five o’clock.
Ethan stood in front of the administration desk again. The mean nurse from before was gone. A kinder-looking older woman sat there instead, a small radio playing soft music beside her.
“You look like you’ve had a rough day,” she said. “Can I help you?”
Ethan opened his mouth to say he still had no money, that Sophie’s surgery was slipping away—
The radio volume jumped. An announcer’s voice came through clear and loud.
“Drawing number eleven thousand seven hundred forty-three! The winner of this round’s two-hundred-thousand-dollar prize can collect at Lucky Pearl Lottery right away!”
Ethan’s heart slammed against his ribs.
He pulled out his old phone with shaking hands and checked the notes where he had written every ticket number. Eleven thousand to twelve thousand. The winning number sat right in the middle.
Two hundred thousand dollars.
His face went pale, then broke into a stunned smile. For the first time since the hospital call that morning, real hope rushed through him.
Sophie still had a chance.
He turned and ran.
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Chapter 12
The auction room on the second floor was packed. Bright lights shone on the stage. Rich men and women in expensive clothes filled every seat. The air smelled of perfume and money.Ethan stood near the side wall, heart beating fast. Mr. Jacob Smith had kept his word. The nine remaining pills sat in a clear glass case under a spotlight. A large screen behind the stage showed a close-up of the pale gold pills with their orange rings.Maya stood at the back, arms crossed, face still angry. Ava and Ryan sat in the third row, whispering to each other. Every time they looked at Ethan, their eyes were cold.The auctioneer raised his wooden hammer.“Ladies and gentlemen, we begin with a once-in-a-lifetime item. Nine Tier-One Strength and Healing Pills, created by young alchemist Ethan Rivers. Mr. Jacob Smith himself has already tested one and stands before you fully recovered. Starting bid: one hundred thousand dollars.”A hand went up immediately.“One hundred and fifty thousand.”“Two hundre
Chapter 11
Ethan stood frozen against the wall. Angry voices filled the lobby. Rich people pointed at him like he was a criminal. Maya’s face was red with rage. Ava and Ryan watched with cold smiles, waiting for him to fall.Then Mr. Jacob Smith’s eyes fluttered open.The room went silent.Smith sat up slowly on the sofa. Color returned to his face. He took a deep breath, then another, like a man who had been drowning and finally reached air. He looked around, confused at first, then his gaze locked on Ethan.“You,” he said, voice stronger than anyone expected. “What did you put in my mouth?”Ethan stepped forward, heart pounding so hard it hurt. “A healing pill. Tier-one strength and recovery. I made it myself.”Maya opened her mouth to shout again, but Smith raised one hand. The entire lobby fell quiet.“I felt my heart stop,” Smith said slowly. “Everything went black. Then something warm spread through my chest. The pain is gone. Completely gone.” He flexed his fingers, then stood up without
Chapter 10
The crowd’s mood hardened fast in Maya’s favor.An older man with a walking stick shook his head. “Young people these days will do anything for attention. Stop this nonsense before you ruin yourself.”Someone else laughed. “He looks like a street punk and claims he can make ancient medicine? Whatever’s in that bottle is probably garbage.”Ethan kept silent, jaw tight. The million-dollar reward still sat in the back of his mind, but belief was getting harder to hold. Sophie’s hospital bills would not wait. Every day without that money made her recovery harder.Then a familiar voice cut through the lobby.Ava walked in on Ryan’s arm, expensive bag swinging on purpose, eyes already scanning the noise. The moment she recognized Ethan her face lit with cruel delight.“Ethan? Still alive, I see. I thought you’d be in bed—or worse. Look at you. You smell like you’ve been living in a ditch.” She opened the bag, pulled out a cheap perfume, and sprayed it hard in his direction. “There. Maybe th
Chapter 9
Ethan walked into the big glass building of Oldies and Goldies. The air inside smelled clean and expensive, like new leather and polished wood. Rich people moved around with quiet confidence. Collectors. Brokers. People who never looked at price tags.Ethan felt out of place the second he stepped through the door. His clothes were still stained from the ravine. He had not showered in two days. Dirt and dried blood clung to him. The faint smell of earth and herbs followed him.At the customer service desk stood a young woman named Maya Chen. Twenty-five years old. Tall. Carefully dressed. Heavy eye makeup and long bangs half-hid her face. She had worked here for two years and still had not gotten the promotion she wanted. Most of her “luxury” things were fakes bought from the underground market. Her phone wallpaper was a pale K-pop idol she called “husband” in secret.The moment she saw Ethan, her face closed.“Leave,” she said, voice sharp. “We don’t accept beggars. Security—”“I’m no
Chapter 8
Ethan opened his eyes to a soft, steady beep.Sunlight pushed through the leaves high above. The air felt cool even though it was midday. Trees and thick plants kept the bottom of the ravine shaded. Every muscle ached, but the pain already felt distant, like it was fading fast.Memory crashed back in sharp pieces. Ava’s voice. Ryan’s fists. The long fall wrapped in a thick blanket.“They meant to kill me,” Ethan whispered. His heart raced. This isolated drop had not been an accident. They had thrown him here on purpose.The system screen was already open in front of him.[Mission accomplished.][Primary emotional bond permanently severed.][Profession unlocked: Grand Alchemist & Healer.][Please check Inbox for rewards.]Ethan’s pulse quickened. He opened the mailbox with a shaky thought.[Nine Heavenly Path Technique Manual – AI Integration available.][Accept or Postpone?]For a second he hesitated. Then Sophie’s pale face flashed in his mind. The hospital bills that would keep comi
Chapter 7
Ethan paced under the old streetlamp outside Ava’s building. His phone felt cold in his hand. Every call went unanswered. The system’s three-hour window was almost gone.Messages from Ava over the past months had already been short. I’m busy. Don’t call for a while. Tonight the silence felt final.He kept thinking about Sophie. The surgery deposit was paid, but the hospital bills kept coming. Medicine. Extra care. Days of recovery. He needed the system’s power. He needed the Grand Alchemist path. Without it, how was he supposed to keep helping her?A low, expensive engine growled around the corner. A sleek black sports car slid to a stop under the same yellow light. The passenger window was cracked open just enough for voices to spill out.Ava’s voice, soft and breathless: “Tomorrow we’ll do it all over again, baby. What you just did… it was so good.”A deeper male laugh answered. The words that followed made Ethan’s ears burn. He stepped closer without thinking, face almost touching
