2026-09-14 23:21:45Ethan walked home under the streetlights with a light step. The quest was done. The system had kept its word again. He could have checked the reward right there on the sidewalk, but he wanted to do it alone, in quiet.
By eleven he was back in the small apartment. The place still felt empty without Sophie. Her shampoo smell lingered in the hallway. He took a long hot shower, letting the water wash away the city’s noise and the day’s strange meals. When he finally sat on the edge of his bed, he touched the eye tattoo on his palm.
The screen appeared at once.
[Daily Quest completed successfully.]
[Please open Inbox for reward selection.]
Ethan’s heart beat faster. “Open Inbox.”
[Congratulations. You have earned the right to choose a foundational profession within the Wealth System.]
[Choose carefully. The path you select will shape all future growth.]
A list of jobs scrolled by—Entrepreneur, Film Producer, Investor, Actor, and many others that promised money and status. Ethan skimmed past most of them. Acting made him almost laugh. Pretending for a living had never interested him.
None of the choices matched the quiet dream that had followed him for years.
He spoke out loud instead of trying to type. “Can I ask for a profession that is not on the list?”
The screen flickered while it thought.
[Custom professions are permitted.]
[Rarity increases the required price. State your request.]
Ethan did not hesitate. Years of playing The Grand Master Alchemist in the library, of reading every story about healers and pill makers, of watching the rich family that had thrown his father away, all narrowed into one clear wish.
“I want to become a Grand Alchemist and Healer.”
A long pause. Then the reply appeared, cold and absolute.
[Ancient dual profession—Healer and Alchemist—accepted.]
[Price: permanent severance of primary emotional bond with current partner, Mia.]
[This condition is non-negotiable.]
[Offer expires in three hours.]
Ethan’s breath stopped.
Sever ties with Mia.
The words sat in the air like a knife. They had been together for almost three years. She was the one person who had stayed through the money problems, the nights he came home exhausted from the bar, the long stretch when he had almost given up. The idea of cutting her away felt impossible.
His hands started shaking. What if I say no? What if the system takes everything back? Sophie is still in that hospital bed. The surgery is only the start. Medicine. Care. Days of recovery. If I lose this chance, how do I keep her safe? The fear hit so hard he felt sick for a second.
Before he could protest, a second message arrived.
[Additional reward unlocked: Nine Heavenly Path Technique Manual (AI-integrated).]
[Contents: traditional medicine, ancient runes, symbolic writing, foundational spiritual techniques.]
[Manual integration window: two hours thirty minutes remaining.]
[Failure to complete the profession acceptance will forfeit all prior progress and trigger system penalty.]
Panic flared. The clock was already running.
Ethan’s thoughts spun toward Sophie. The surgery deposit was paid, but the hospital bills would keep coming. He needed real power, real money, if he was going to keep her safe. The rich family that had erased his father still lived in their glass tower. Cousin David walked around like a prince while Ethan and Sophie scraped by. Pharmacy school had been Ethan’s attempt to reclaim something. Money had ended it.
An hour slipped past while he sat frozen on the bed. The three-hour window kept shrinking. In the end he reached for his phone and called Mia five times. No answer.
He pulled on a thick jacket and left the apartment. The wind was sharp. Mia’s building was only a short walk away. The street was nearly empty. An old lamppost cast a yellow circle on the pavement. Ethan paced under it, breath fogging, waiting.
Car brakes squealed. A low, expensive engine purred to a stop a few meters away. A sleek black sports car. The passenger door opened and familiar laughter spilled out—Mia’s laughter, soft and playful.
Two silhouettes leaned together in the front seats. Their mouths met in a long, unhurried kiss.
Ethan stood under the lamppost and watched. His stomach dropped so hard he almost bent over. For a second the world tilted. Heat rushed up his neck and his hands went cold. The one person he had trusted was kissing someone else in a car that cost more than his family made in a year.
He took one step closer, heart hammering, the eye tattoo warm against his skin. Sophie’s face flashed in his mind—pale, still, waiting in that hospital bed. The system’s deadline ticked quietly in the back of his head.
The price it asked suddenly felt both impossible and strangely clear.
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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
