Ethan's eyes snapped open.
He was still in the same warehouse—bloodstains on the floor and the cold sting of concrete beneath his back. He saw the ropes, now lose, lying beside him.
His heart was pounding, but the pain in his body had vanished. No bullet wound. No bruises. Not even a scratch.
"Was it all a dream…?"
He sat up slowly, scanning the empty space.
—DING!
A glowing blue panel blinked into existence.
[Welcome back, Host.]
[You just went through System Restoration Phase. This is the only time you enjoy this perk.]
Ethan blinked. "Halo… right?"
[Correct. You may now operate normally.]
He exhaled. "Then answer this—how do I even use the money you gave me? It's not like I'm carrying a trillion-dollar briefcase."
[Simple.]
[For small purchases—just imagine the amount and reach into your pocket. The exact bills will appear.]
[For larger transactions, use the System Credit Card. It will work at any ATM and all official machines.]
A sleek silver card appeared mid-air and dropped into Ethan's lap. His name was etched across it in sharp black letters: Ethan Wolfe.
"Not bad," he muttered. "You really thought of everything."
[Naturally.]
He pushed himself to his feet and left the warehouse. Ten minutes later, he stepped onto the main road. It was already late night. A few cars rolled by.
Ethan raised a hand, and a cab screeched to a halt.
"14th and Willow. Please make it fast." He said while getting into the cab.
The driver nodded and drove off.
Almost half an hour later, they stopped in front of a run-down apartment.
"That'll be $3.75," the driver said.
Ethan smirked. "Sure."
He imagined a hundred-dollar bill and reached into his pocket.
A crisp $100 note appeared instantly in his fingers. He handed it over.
"Wha… you sure?" The driver was about to return the change but just then Ethan spoke again.
"Keep the change."
"R….really?" The driver stammered. He was totally over the moon. Getting almost a 90$ tip was nothing less than lottery for him.
"Yes." Ethan smiled politely looking at him.
He stepped out and—
[Transaction: $100 deducted.]
[EP Gained: +0]
[Reminder: Donations and overpayments are not eligible for EP rewards.]
Ethan frowned. "Wait. I gave him a hundred."
[Only the exact payment is considered a transaction. Which is 3.75$. The rest is treated as a donation. No EP for generosity.]
"…So I just threw away $96.25."
[Correct.]
"But what about the $3.75? Aren't I suppose to get some ep for that?" He asked in confusion.
[No fractional EP either.]
"You! Are you playing tricks with me?" Ethan felt a bit irritated.
[Nope. That's how it is.]
Ethan sighed. "Fine."
He climbed the stairs and then got inside the apartment with his spare keys. When he got inside, everyone were already asleep. He went in his room and collapsed onto his bed, and passed out in minutes. He was dog tired from both the betrayal and the second chance.
The night passed by without anymore incidents.
The Next Morning….
Knock. Knock.
A soft voice followed.
"Brother…?"
Ethan's eyes opened slowly. "Yeah…?"
"It's Mom. She's coughing again… it won't stop."
His heart sank.
He rushed out of the room and marched toward his mother's room.
His mother lay on the bed, pale and struggling to breathe. Jamie and Anna stood nearby, terrified.
Ethan knelt down and checked on his mother's condition.
"We're going to the hospital. Now."
His mother said in a trembling voice, "Don't… w-we can't afford any hospital treatment right now."
She already knew how hard Ethan's life had been—how much he struggled just to earn a little money.
She didn't want to become a burden and make things even harder for her son.
Ethan gently stroked her hair and said, "Don't worry about anything, Mom. Please."
Ethan grabbed the System Card and a jacket. "Both of you, come with me."
They rushed out and called for an ambulance.
The three of them carefully helped their mother into the ambulance together. Then, with sirens wailing, the vehicle sped off—racing toward the city's best hospital, Silvercross Medical Center.
The ride felt like a blur.
At the hospital entrance, Ethan didn't wait in line. He walked straight to the front desk.
"She needs immediate help," he said.
The nurse nodded. She called for two orderly with a hospital bed.
Ethan's mother was carefully lifted onto the hospital bed and wheeled into the examination room.
A nurse had already called the duty doctor, who arrived moments later and began the checkup without delay.
Ethan, Jamie, and Anna stood nearby, tense and silent, watching every movement with worried eyes.
Seconds turned into minutes.
And finally, after checking and confirming the results, the doctor turned toward them and said calmly:
"Your mother's been diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer. It hasn't spread yet—but she'll need surgery immediately.
The full cost, including ICU stay and post-operative care… comes to around $40,000."
"I'll pay. Whatever it takes."
His tone left no room for argument.
"You can pay in installments or—"
"No." He handed over the silver card. "Swipe it."
The doctor gestured to the nurse, who quickly brought over a card swipe machine.
The doctor swiped the card through the machine.
BEEP.
APPROVED.
[Transaction: $40,000 deducted.]
[EP Gained: +86]
[System Status Update]
[Host: Ethan Wolfe
Current Level: Newbie (0)
Strength: 2
Stamina: 1
Speed: 1
Perception: 1
IQ: 2
Magic: 1
Total Evolution Points (EP): 86
Available Credit: $999,999,959,900]
From inside the examination room, his mother looked up with teary eyes.
"Ethan… where did you get so much money?"
He paused. Then gave a soft smile.
"I awakened," he said quietly. "Just like Dad once did."
A half-lie… but it would do.
His mother smiled, eyes glistening. Even through the pain of her illness, two tears of joy slipped from her eyes.
Jamie clung to his side, and Anna squeezed his hand.
For the first time in years… Ethan didn't feel powerless.