"Primary care skill detected. Copy?"
Ethan Gray woke up in a daze. A young nurse, maybe twenty-two, was leaning over him, pressing her palm to his forehead.
The moment her hand touched his skin, a strange voice echoed in his head. His mind froze.
"You're awake?" The nurse smiled, pulling her hand back. The voice vanished instantly.
What the hell was that?
"Where… where am I?" Ethan tried to sit up, confused.
The nurse gently pushed him back. "Don't move. Just lie down."
"Primary care skill detected. Copy?"
The voice returned the moment her hand made contact again. It wasn't sound exactly—it was more like a thought forced into his mind.
Ethan had no idea what was happening, but his gut told him to respond. In his head, he whispered one word. Copy.
A rush of information exploded in his mind. Techniques, procedures, and knowledge about basic patient care… all of it appeared from nowhere. And yet his head didn't hurt. It felt as though he had always known this.
He sucked in a sharp breath. "What the hell? I… I know nursing now?"
Testing a theory, he grabbed the nurse's hand. "Uh… miss, why am I here?"
Again, the voice: "Primary care skill detected. Copy?"
And then, a second message layered over the first: "Copying the same skill again will remove it from the source."
Remove it? As in… take it away from her completely? Ethan let go immediately. He wasn't a thief—at least, not yet.
The nurse straightened up. "You collapsed after saving a child from an accident. Just a mild concussion. You'll need a couple of days to rest. The boy you saved is the son of Mr. Harrison, the company president. He's covering your hospital bill."
Ethan glanced around and realized he was in a private ward. Whoever this Harrison was, he clearly had money.
After running a few checks, the nurse reminded him to avoid heavy activity before leaving.
Minutes later, another nurse came in. Ethan didn't hesitate this time. Copy. More knowledge filled his mind—slightly different from the first set.
"Merge both primary care skills?" the voice in his head asked.
Merge.
A moment later, his knowledge upgraded to intermediate-level nursing. He could probably teach a class now.
Ethan grinned. Not because he wanted to be a nurse, but because this meant something huge—he could copy skills. Any skills.
And that meant he could become the best at anything.
His phone buzzed. He reached for his jeans, pulled it out, and saw the message.
ElegantBaby:Congrats on the new job, hubby!
Ethan's smile died instantly. His jaw clenched.
Lucas, you son of a…
Six months ago, he'd started dating a girl online named Grace. She had been sweet, cute, and always had a reason why they couldn't meet in person or video call. She'd borrowed money for emergencies—illness, family troubles, birthdays. In total, he'd sent her over fifty thousand dollars, much of it on credit.
And this morning, by sheer chance, he discovered Grace was a lie.
Her real identity? His classmate, Lucas West.
Lucas was the golden boy on campus—fluent in multiple languages, captain of the basketball team, vice president of the student council. He had introduced "Grace" to Ethan over text, claiming she was a friend. In reality, he had stolen photos from the internet and played the role himself, milking Ethan for cash.
When Ethan confronted him earlier, he didn't even get the chance to shout. At the campus gates, he spotted a truck about to hit a little boy. Instinct took over—he shoved the kid out of the way, took the hit himself, and blacked out.
And now… now he had a power that could change everything.
Ethan's anger cooled. He thought about Lucas. Lucas had passed the highest English proficiency test months ago. That was a skill worth having.
He called Lucas, telling him he was in the hospital and needed a change of clothes.
Fifteen minutes later, Lucas walked in, tossing the clothes onto the bed. "Wow, a private ward. Fancy. Guess someone's been hiding money."
Ethan ignored the jab, brushing his fingers against Lucas's hand.
"Basic English skill detected. Copy?""Basic billiards skill detected. Copy?"
Billiards? That was unexpected. Still, he copied both. Twice.
Lucas blinked and swayed slightly, as if dizzy. Then his phone rang. "Yeah, I'll be right there," he said into it before hanging up. "Our director wants me to entertain a visiting exec from the States. Wants me to play billiards with him. Rest up, Ethan. I'll see you later."
He left for the entertainment center where his boss was waiting with a tall, middle-aged American named Smith.
"Lucas, glad you're here," his boss said—in English. But Lucas didn't understand a word. The language that had once rolled off his tongue now sounded like gibberish.
Smith spoke to him, but again, nothing made sense.
His boss shoved a cue stick into his hands. "Play him. And win. There's a bonus in it for you."
Lucas bent over the table and froze. He couldn't remember the rules. He couldn't even line up a shot. When he finally hit a ball, it rolled awkwardly into a cushion.
Smith looked unimpressed. "He doesn't speak English. And he can't play. This is a waste of time."
The game ended quickly. His boss glared at him. "What the hell was that? I recommended you because you spoke English and played like a pro. Now you can't do either? Get out of my sight. You're done here."
Lucas stood there pale and shaking. "Why… why can't I remember? This is impossible…"