2026-09-14 23:22:37Ethan 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 the dark windshield.
The driver’s door flew open.
The hard edge caught Ethan square in the chest and sent him sprawling onto the asphalt. Fabric tore at his knees. Pain flared bright and sudden.
A tall man climbed out—broad-shouldered, wearing a designer jacket that probably cost more than Ethan’s old monthly rent. He moved like someone who trained hard. Behind him, Ava stepped onto the pavement in short overalls that showed long white thighs, high heels clicking against the street. An expensive bag swung from one hand.
She looked different. Sharper. More expensive.
“Ava?” Ethan’s voice came out rough with disbelief.
The man—Ryan—reached them first, catching Ava’s waist. “Honey, who is this? He was peeking at us.”
Ava’s eyes flicked over Ethan and dismissed him in the same breath. “I don’t know him. Just some creep. Throw him out.”
“Gladly.”
Ryan hauled Ethan up by the collar and drove a fist into his stomach. Air left in a violent rush. Ethan folded, yellow bile rising in his throat. The world tilted.
“I—I’m her boyfriend,” Ethan managed. “Who the hell are you?”
Ava’s voice turned sharp. “Don’t listen to him.” She stepped closer, heels striking the ground hard. “Listen carefully, Ethan. Whatever we had ended a long time ago. I’m done with poor people. You couldn’t even take me to a decent dinner. I’m bored.”
She lifted the bag and let it catch the light. “Ryan bought me this after a few weeks. You? You never even came close.” She spat on the asphalt near Ethan’s hand.
Ryan pulled her against him. They kissed openly, deliberately, Ava’s body pressed tight to his. The message was clear.
Ethan, still on the ground, began to laugh.
The sound was raw and unexpected. Ryan’s face darkened. “What’s so funny, loser?”
Ava tugged at his arm. “Leave him. He’s nothing.”
“I want to hear it.”
Ethan lifted his head. Blood and bile mixed at the corner of his mouth. The words came out steady even though his chest ached.
“You’re a little bitch whose pride was bought with a fancy bag. And I, Ethan Rivers, am done. I’m disgusted.”
Ava’s face twisted. She screamed, then threw herself against Ryan’s chest in a performance of tears. “Make him disappear. Please.”
Ryan needed no further encouragement. He was a ranked fighter. The first kick folded Ethan sideways. The second drove the air out again. Fists followed—measured, professional, meant to hurt. Stars exploded behind Ethan’s eyes. The last thing he registered was the taste of blood and the distant sound of Ava’s heels clicking away.
Somewhere in the pain he thought of Sophie. If I die here, who takes care of her? Who pays the next hospital bill? The fear cut deeper than the punches.
Sometime before dawn the black sports car idled at the edge of a ravine outside the city limits. Two figures moved quickly. Something long and heavy, wrapped in a thick blanket, was lifted from the trunk and thrown over the drop. It tumbled once, twice, then vanished into the dark.
“All done?” Ava’s voice was calm.
“All done.”
The sports car’s engine snarled to life and the taillights disappeared around the bend, leaving only the soft, fading sound of tires on asphalt.
At the bottom of the ravine the blanket lay crumpled against rock and scrub. A pale hand slipped free of the fabric. The eye-shaped tattoo on the palm flickered once, then burned with sudden red light.
A clear screen appeared in the darkness.
[Mission completed.]
[Primary emotional bond severed.]
[Profession unlocked: Grand Alchemist & Healer.]
[Nine Heavenly Path Technique Manual ready for integration.]
[See Inbox for full rewards.]
The robotic voice faded.
The hand remained still.
Ethan’s last thought before everything went black was simple and sharp.
Sophie still needs me. I can’t die here.
Whether he still lived was a question the system did not answer.
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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
