2026-09-14 23:17:45Ethan stood in front of the hospital desk, trying hard to keep his voice calm even though his heart was racing.
“I need more time for the deposit. Just one more hour. My name is Ethan Rivers. I just won the Lucky Pearl lottery — two hundred thousand dollars. I’ll bring the money right away.”
The kind older nurse, Mrs. Clara, looked up in surprise. “What’s your sister’s full name again, son? I need to check the file.”
“Sophie Rivers!” Ethan was already turning to run. He disappeared down the hallway before she could ask anything else.
Mrs. Clara blinked, then looked at the computer. Something in Ethan’s urgent voice made her pause. She changed the deadline from one hour to three hours and quietly saved it.
---
Ethan ran all the way to the Lucky Pearl Lottery shop. His lungs burned and his legs felt weak, but he did not slow down. Sophie still needed that money.
When he pushed the door open, the same Eastern woman sat behind the counter. She wore different clothes this time, but he knew it was her. She kept her head down, sewing like she had never left.
“Excuse me,” Ethan said, out of breath.
She did not look up.
“I’ve come to claim the prize. I won.”
This time his voice was louder. The woman finally raised her head. For a second she stared at him like she recognized him from a long time ago.
“Where is the winning ticket?”
Ethan felt his face get hot. In his panic he had torn the whole wire cage — still stuck to a piece of his bedroom door — off the wall and carried it across the city. He set the awkward bundle on the counter with a loud clank.
“It’s… in here. I couldn’t open the cage fast enough, so I just brought everything.”
The woman stared. Then she let out a short laugh.
“You brought the door,” she said, shaking her head. “All right. Let’s check the numbers.”
Ethan stood there, face burning. He wanted to sink into the floor. *I look like an idiot. Who carries a door to claim lottery money? She’s probably laughing at me inside. But I don’t care. I just need the money for Sophie. Please let this work.*
A few minutes later he walked out with two real checks carefully folded in his pocket. The prize was true. The money was true. Relief made his knees feel soft.
---
By the time Ethan got back to City General Hospital, the sky was already getting dark. The big building lights glowed against the glass. He hurried inside, heart pounding. He had asked for only one extra hour, but more than two hours had passed.
*What if they already moved her? What if the surgery got cancelled? What if I’m too late and Sophie is gone?*
The thought hit him so hard he stopped walking for a second. His hands started shaking. He forced himself to keep moving.
Mrs. Clara was still at the desk, talking to another family. Ethan waited, fists tight, watching the clock. Every second felt too long. The fear kept looping in his head. *Please still be here. Please don’t let me be too late.*
When the family finally left, he stepped forward fast.
Mrs. Clara looked up and gave a small smile. “You’re late.”
Ethan’s stomach dropped. “I know. I’m sorry. The shop was farther than I thought and—”
She turned the tablet so he could see the screen. The deposit window for Sophie Rivers was still open.
“I changed it to three hours,” she said quietly. “Your sister’s file showed an address in a neighborhood I know. I didn’t think you could make it back in just one hour.”
The relief hit Ethan so hard he almost sat down. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Mrs. Clara took the check, processed it, and nodded. “Go see her when you can. She’ll need her brother.”
Ethan left the hospital with the first real hope he had felt all day. Sophie’s surgery could happen now. She had a chance.
---
At home the apartment felt quiet and empty. Sophie’s room still smelled a little like her shampoo. Ethan sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the eye tattoo on his palm.
He pressed a finger to the mark.
A clear screen appeared in the air in front of him, just like the game windows he used to see on the library computers.
He had never been good at school computer classes. Money problems forced him to leave college and find work. But he knew games. He used to spend hours in the city library playing one called The Grand Master Alchemist. In that game a poor young man learned to make special pills and slowly became rich and powerful.
This screen felt almost the same.
“Can you understand me?” Ethan asked out loud.
Words appeared right away.
[Daily task window has closed.]
[First task complete.]
[Reward is waiting in the bag.]
[Come back tomorrow for more questions.]
Ethan frowned. “That’s all? You’re just going to tell me to wait until tomorrow?”
In the lower corner of the screen a small picture glowed — a simple leather bag, exactly like the inventory bag from The Grand Master Alchemist.
Ethan’s breath caught.
The system was not just a strange voice. It was set up like the game he loved, the one where a struggling alchemist climbed from nothing to wealth and power.
A slow smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.
Maybe this was the start of the same kind of climb.
And maybe now Sophie would get to see it too.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
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
