The night air was cool as Ethan stepped out of the Twilight Hotel. He didn't head straight home. Instead, he walked slowly toward the parking lot, each step heavy with thought.
Mary's words still echoed in his mind — about Lena, Adam Vale, and the quiet, ruthless war happening around him.Everything he thought he knew had been flipped upside down.
He sat behind the wheel of the Mercedes, started the engine, and just… drove.
No direction. No destination. Just the road.
The city lights stretched around him like veins of gold, flowing endlessly through the dark. Music from the radio played softly, the rhythm almost lost beneath the hum of the tires. His thoughts swirled — of Lena's tearful confession, of her sacrifices, of the years they had spent together at St. Helens.
She had always smiled for him, even when the world sneered. She had never complained, not once.And yet, she had still left.
Now he understood why. She hadn't run from him — she'd run to save him.The realization left him both relieved and wounded, a strange ache that sat between joy and sorrow.
"Why does being right hurt more than being wrong?" he muttered under his breath.
After a while, he slowed the car beside a quiet park. The lot was almost empty, the lamps casting soft halos of light on the wet pavement. He parked, turned off the engine, and leaned back in the seat.
The silence was comforting. For once, he didn't have to act strong or calculating.
He stepped out and walked toward the trees, breathing in the scent of rain and earth. A soft breeze rustled through the leaves as he found a bench near the edge of a small lake. The water shimmered faintly under the moonlight, calm and glassy.
He sat there for a long time, eyes fixed on the reflection of the sky.
Everything he had built so far — the money, the strength, the system — suddenly felt small against the weight of what he had just learned.Lena's love had shielded him for three years.Adam Vale's hatred had cost his family their home.And the Vice Principal of St. Helens was preparing to erase him completely.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. "This isn't just about money anymore."
The familiar glow appeared before his eyes.
[Money Deck System – Status Interface]
Host: Ethan IverBalance: $6,000,000System Points: 25Card Draws Available: 6Exchange Rate: 1 SP = $100,000
System Cards:♣ Clubs – Grind for Strength♦ Diamonds – Earn Real Money♥ Hearts – Locked♠ Spades – Locked
Attributes:Strength – 7Agility – 7Endurance – 7Intelligence – 3Perception – 3
System Upgrade: Version 2.0 requires 100 System Points
Ethan stared at the floating data, the numbers reflecting in his eyes.
"So much, yet still not enough," he murmured.
He swiped through the system windows, checking for anything new.Nothing.
Shop: LockedFriends/Partners: LockedSkills: LockedSpecial Skills: LockedDraw Skills: LockedLuck Draw: Locked
He leaned back on the bench and sighed. Everything that could give him an edge was sealed behind barriers.
His gaze lingered on the exchange rate. If one point equaled a hundred thousand dollars, then his six million could only buy him sixty points. That would give him eighty-five total — still short of the hundred needed for the upgrade.
Not enough. Not yet.
He rubbed his temples, frustration slowly building.
"If I can exchange points for money," he thought aloud, "why not the other way around?"
He tried it. The system blinked in response.
[Exchange Denied – Insufficient Conversion Ratio]
He clicked his tongue. "Of course."
Logic, it seemed, didn't apply to this system — only its own rules did.
He hesitated before opening the card menu. Six draws available. Each one a possible door — or a trap.
He had learned something important about the system: when he truly needed something, it responded. But the odds were always balanced. A fifty-fifty chance — gain or loss, power or danger.
The casino mission had only succeeded because he'd known the people involved… and because of Mary. Without her, he might not have made it out intact.
Ethan closed his eyes briefly. "I need more strength. More control. If Adam Vale wants a war, I can't face him empty-handed."
The holographic deck shimmered before him, cards swirling slowly in a circular formation.
[Draw Cards?]Available Types:♣ Clubs – Effort Missions (Physical Growth, Power, Discipline)♦ Diamonds – Money Missions (Finance, Deals, Risk)
He stared at the two glowing symbols.
The diamonds promised quick wealth, but little progress.The clubs demanded sweat, danger, and struggle — but gave him strength and points in return.
He exhaled slowly. "I need power, not more money."
He tapped ♣ Clubs.
The cards began to spin, light gathering at the center like the eye of a storm.
[Drawing Mission Card…]
He watched as they blurred into a glowing ring — numbers, letters, and suits flashing too fast to follow.
[Selection Range: 2♣ – K♣][Auto-Rotation Active…]
The faint hum of the system filled the air, each pulse syncing with his heartbeat.
Ethan knew what came next — the higher the card, the harder the mission. But there were still mysteries he hadn't solved.He had never drawn an Ace, Jack, Queen, or King before. He didn't even know which way the scale ran — whether Ace meant weakest or strongest.
He stared, lost in thought as the light intensified.
And then—
"Watch out!"
A voice rang out from the path.
Before Ethan could react, something collided with him. Hard.
He staggered backward as a body slammed into his chest. The system's glowing interface vanished, dispersing into flickers of light. Both of them toppled onto the grass, the impact knocking the breath out of him.
"Ow—" he grunted, pushing himself up slightly. "What the—"
He stopped.
The woman who had fallen onto him was trembling, her hands clutching his shirt. Tears streaked down her cheeks, her hair disheveled from running.
Ethan blinked, stunned for a second. Recognition hit him a heartbeat later.
"You…"
It was her — the sales assistant from the luxury boutique, the one who had treated him like a person when everyone else had looked at him like dirt.
Back then, she had been calm, confident, professional. Now, she looked terrified.
Her wide eyes met his, glimmering with tears. "Please… help me."
Ethan froze.
Her voice was trembling, her breathing uneven. He could see the faint outline of a bruise near her wrist — as if she'd been grabbed recently.
"What happened?" he asked quietly.
But before she could answer, she turned her head sharply toward the park entrance.
Ethan followed her gaze. Two men in dark coats had just stepped through the gate, scanning the area. Their movements were deliberate — not random.
The woman's grip tightened on his sleeve.
"Please," she whispered again, "don't let them find me."
Ethan exhaled slowly, his pulse steadying as instinct kicked in.
The system flickered once more, faint light outlining his vision.
[Mission Generated Automatically]Type: ???Objective: Protect the Target.Time Limit: Unknown.Reward: Hidden.
He stared at the glowing message, then at the frightened woman in front of him.
Looks like the cards had chosen for him after all.