"Finally…"

Leonard stared at the ceiling of his room for a long while. His body felt heavy, as if every muscle in his body was aching from the long day. But his chest? His chest was still filled with determination that refused to die down.

'We did it,' he thought. 'We really pulled it off. This shop… It's no longer just a dream. It's alive now.'

As soon as he said those words, a familiar screen appeared before his eyes.

[Ding!]

[Mission Completed.]

[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully established your shop and stabilized your income stream.]

[You have gained +1 luck]

[You have been rewarded 1x Bronze Mystery Box.]

[10 gold coins has been added to your wealth.]

The ten gold coins appeared neatly in Leonard's hand. His eyes sparkled as its reflection stared back at him.

[For completing this mission, you have gained the new status: "Beginner merchant".]

[You have been rewarded 1x Gambling Den boost.]

[This boost will attract a large crowd to your gambling den for one full day. Customers will arrive in groups, drawn in by unseen influence. However, you can only use it one time, Host.]

Leonard's eyes stayed on the glowing words before him. The ache in his muscles didn't vanish, but suddenly it didn't feel as heavy.

"A whole crowd… for one day," he whispered under his breath.

The corner of his lips moved upward. He let out a loud laugh, covering his face with one hand.

"Hah… damn it, that's good. That's really good."

In his mind, he could already picture how good this boost was. What's more was the thought of earning a huge amount of money in just a night made his chest pound.

'You really did it this time, system.' The smile on his face widened even more at that thought.

He should think of the day when to use this properly. Using this as soon as tomorrow might be good, but he didn't think it would be beneficial. After all, their business has just opened today, so for sure, there were more people who would want to try it out willingly.

'I should keep this for the meantime and look for when I can use it.' Leonard muttered.

'System Interface.' After a second, Leonard turned to check his full stats.

- - -

Name: Leonard Runesforth

Age: 19

Status: Beginner Merchant

Wealth: 21 gold coins & 241 silver coins.

Luck: 1

Mystery Box: 1x Bronze Mystery Box

Skills:—

- - -

Leonard's eyes lingered on the numbers.

21 gold coins and 241 silver.

His lips pressed together, but the big smile he was trying to hide broke through anyway. He couldn't help it. Not at all

"That's a lot," he muttered, the words tasting sweet on his tongue.

He leaned back deeper into his pillow, staring at the ceiling again. A small laugh escaped from his lips.

"Now, I'm truly getting rich."

He turned his head to the side, eyeing the fabric pouch that was lying onhis bedside table. It was fat and full of coins.

"This is just the start," Leonard whispered, his hand curling into a fist. "If I can make this much now, then I can make more. Much more."

Then his gaze turned to his bronze mystery box.

"Alright… let's see what's inside you."

[1x Bronze Mystery is available.]

[Would you like to open it now?]

"Yup."

[Opening Bronze Mystery Box…]

The holographic screen in front of him disappeared for a moment, and above his body, a blinding light appeared.

The golden light swirled above him, spilling across his ceiling and walls. Leonard's eyes widened as he sat up straighter on the bed. His heart drummed hard in his chest, and his hands curled tight on the sheets.

'Come on… come on, is this it?' he thought, his smile stretching wider. 'With my luck up, this has to be something big! A weapon? A treasure? More coins?'

He licked his lips, getting excited at it.

"Give me something good. Something big."

The light finally burst apart.

[Ding!]

[You have received 1x Ordinary Stone.]

A small dull gray pebble dropped into his palm.

Leonard froze. His smile twitched, then fell completely. He stared at the stone, his hands trembling as if he couldn't believe what he was holding.

"What the hell is this?" His voice cracked in disbelief.

The stone sat there in his hand. There was no glow, no shine, or hidden powers from it.

It was just a stone… the kind that he could find anywhere out there in the street.

Leonard's jaw fell open for a second before he threw the stone on the floor, crashing out.

"You've got to be kidding me," he groaned."+1 luck, my ass! This is what you call luck?"

His chest rose and fell quickly; his mind was screaming curses at the system and at the damn stone. He was ready to receive good items.

And yet, here he was… holding a stone.

"I can't believe this," he muttered, the fire in his eyes burning even more.

"System… open the shop."

[Shop interface opened.]

[Available Items:]

[Bronze Mystery Box = 40 Gold Coins or 200 Silver Coins]

[Silver Mystery Box = 70 Gold Coins or 350 Silver Coins]

[Gold Mystery Box = 100 Gold Coins or 500 Silver Coins]

Leonard's eye twitched at the list. The Bronze Mystery Box sat there, taunting him with its price.

"400 silver… huh?" he muttered, staring at the number. It felt like an irrational move. But at this moment, he didn't care about being rational.

He clenched his teeth.

"You think I'm scared of losing?" He barked out a laugh that sounded more like madness than joy. "I'm a gambler. You think a stone's enough to stop me?"

Without another word, Leonard slammed his confirmation.

"I'll buy the bronze box!"

[Ding!]

[400 silver coins deducted.]

[Bronze Mystery Box acquired.]

The pouch of coins on his bedside table visibly deflated, its fat shape shrinking in an instant. Leonard didn't even flinch. His eyes were bloodshot with frustration.

"Alright, system… let's do this again. Come on, show me your worst."

[Would you like to open the Bronze Mystery Box?]

"Yes," Leonard hissed, his lips curling. "Open it. Right now."

Once again, light flared above him, swirling and crashing into the small room. The golden glow painted his walls as Leonard leaned forward. His eyes were burning with fire of determination.

"Come on, system… give me another stone. I'll spit in your face."

The light intensified, then burst apart with a chime.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host!]

[You have received a Skill: Golden Fingers.]

Leonard froze. His mouth hung open, his grin twitching into disbelief.

"Wait. A… skill?"

A new window slid open before his eyes, glowing brighter than the rest.

[Golden Fingers – Active Skill]

[Your hands possess unnatural dexterity, capable of working on their own instinctively if you wish to. Whether crafting, repairing, gambling, or handling delicate tasks, your hands will move with precision beyond normal human limits. Even in chaos, your fingers will know what to do.]

[Mana Cost: 2 every 15 minutes]

Leonard blinked once. Then twice. He held up his hands, staring at them in stunned silence. His fingers twitched slightly, moving as though they suddenly became alive with energy.

".Holy shit."

But the system wasn't done.

[Ding!]

[New feature unlocked: Mana.]

[Mana is the spiritual energy that fuels skills. Without mana, skills cannot be activated or sustained. The more skills you gain, the more important mana will become.]

[Your current mana: 20/20.]

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