2026-09-14 23:23:19Ethan 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 coming. The medicine. The care she still needed. He had no choice.
“Accept.”
The world dissolved into silver and white. Knowledge poured in like a flood—ancient medicine, strange runes, how to write special symbols, the exact way to breathe for spiritual power, and old martial arts methods. When the trance ended, Ethan sat upright, lungs pulling in clean air like it was the first real breath he had taken in years.
He was no longer only Ethan Rivers.
He was a Healer and Alchemist on the first step of an ancient path.
[Installation complete.]
[User may now begin the first professional challenge.]
Ethan ignored the prompt for a moment. He just breathed, letting the new memories settle. The Nine Heavenly Path cultivation method was already clear in his head. He closed his eyes and began.
Time lost meaning. When he finally opened his eyes again, every internal injury and broken bone had healed. Strength hummed quietly under his skin. His body felt light, almost weightless.
[First Assignment – Alchemist & Healer Path]
Recover fully. Cultivate the Nine Heavenly Paths until the body is saturated with spiritual vitality.
Requirement for advancement to Level D.
Ethan already understood the ranks from the old game he used to play: D, C, B, A, and finally S—Grandmaster. The system confirmed it in the same calm voice.
He smiled, but the smile faded fast. Sophie was still in that hospital bed. The surgery was only the beginning. He needed money for the days ahead. A lot of money.
While searching for a way back up to the road, Ethan noticed a thick patch of unusual plants growing in the shaded soil. Recognition hit him instantly through the new knowledge. These were not ordinary herbs.
Lachoke. Akkeotain. Ledechee. Ostrammon. Ocona. Love Broccoli. River Plum. Mud Pommerac. River Kale. Daydream Onion.
A hidden medicine garden, somehow left untouched.
Ethan touched the Alchemist Bag icon on the screen. The satchel accepted the real leaves without any problem. Inside, waiting as if they had always been there, sat a small cauldron, a refining furnace, and a spirit lighter.
The next mission appeared the moment the herbs were stored.
[Mission: Craft a Tier-One Strength & Healing Pill]
Refine and sell the pills at public auction to establish reputation.
Reward: $1,000,000 upon successful sale.
All required recipes are already integrated via the Nine Heavenly Path Manual.]
Ten pills would meet the requirement. Most of the ingredients grew only meters away.
Ethan’s hands shook with sudden hope. One million dollars. That could cover Sophie’s care for a long time. Medicine. Extra treatments. Maybe even a better room. He could finally stop worrying every time the hospital called.
He set up the furnace on a flat stone. Flames hissed to life. Herbs were measured, crushed, and added in the exact order from the manual. What an ordinary alchemist might spend a full day completing, and an expert two hours, finished in thirty minutes. Ten perfect, faintly glowing pills rested in the cauldron.
Ethan laughed out loud. The sound echoed off the ravine walls. For the first time since the fall, real excitement pushed past the fear.
Climbing out proved almost easy. His muscles responded with new strength and flexibility. In two minutes he stood on the road above, looking down at the place that was supposed to have been his grave.
The system had kept its word.
Ava and Ryan had tried to erase him.
Instead, they had only cleared the path.
Ethan turned toward the distant skyline of the city, the first batch of pills safe in the Alchemist Bag. His heart still raced with the memory of the beating and the long drop, but a new fire burned under it.
Sophie needed him. The hospital bills would not stop. One million dollars from these pills could change everything.
He clenched his fists and started walking.
The real work was about to begin.
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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
