In the spacious, minimalistic penthouse, Drake Chwe peacefully sipped tea while watching the sunrise from his indoor garden. He had strangely woken up early, even though he'd fallen asleep late after drinking."Drake.""Oh, good morning, Aunt Ling," he greeted."Good morning too," she responded with a smile, glad to see Drake finally relaxing. "Anyway, can I wake Eleanor up? She has an early schedule at school today.""Sure," he nodded. "Hmm, why my room?"Aunt Ling paused, even before turning the knob of Drake's room."Huh? She's not in her room, so I thought she slept with you.""No, she went to bed earlier than me," Drake said, placing his cup down and also checking on Eleanor's room. "Where did she go?"Anxiety instantly gnawed at them both. Aunt Ling immediately ran around the house, checking all the rooms.Meanwhile, Drake took out his phone and checked Eleanor's transaction history, which was connected to his phone."Taxi? Police? Hotel?" he read the transaction recipients alou
In the wide plains just outside the bustling urban area of Magrao City, Drake had purchased several hectares of land to serve as his sister's final resting place. It was a vast expanse of land, resembling a serene meadow with just a single villa and a glass garden situated at its center.Still deep in mourning for their loss, they gently laid Eleanor on a bed of flowers at the heart of the wide glass garden.Drake, overwhelmed by grief, couldn't help but ponder, "Why won't you help Ely, like you've always helped me?" He persistently tapped the holographic screen of the system, desperately hoping for a response that would bring his sister back to life.However, no matter how fervently he pleaded, the system remained obstinately silent, and the miniature temple failed to materialize, dashing his hopes.Gazing at his sister's pallid face, he commented, "You look so beautiful, Ely. It would be even more prettier if you could smile for me."The aesthetics of the flowers and the garden fail
At the DearBeak Co. office, Rebecca Luansing observed her nephew mingling with their employees, seemingly without a care in the world. He interacted with everyone using his vibrant, flashy persona."Ling said he's eating well and resting at home," she murmured to herself. "That's a good sign, but it's still strange. He can't move on that easily."Aunt Beck adhered to Drake's directives, channeling all her energy into making DearBeck Co. the number one and a thriving enterprise. She also found herself puzzled by Drake's ability to juggle his responsibilities as Vice President."Is he pushing himself too hard?" she wondered, unable to shake her concerns and worries.The employees and Drake were engaged in lively conversation and shared hearty laughter until they abruptly stopped and straightened up when they noticed Aunt Beck approaching."What were you all talking about?" she inquired with curiosity. "It sounded like you were having a lot of fun.""Oh, madam, we were just discussing ou
Drake Chwe did his best to search in and out of the city for the miniature temple, but to his dismay, he never found a trace of it. It felt as though time passed both quickly and slowly, the gradual approach of despair over losing his sister weighing heavily on his heart."Why are you here? The month isn't due yet," Drake said, crossing his arms. He regarded Linda Chwe with disdain, noticing that she had gained even more weight since their last meeting."I... I couldn't find a way to come up with the money to repay you," Linda replied weakly."You can't find the money, but you look quite healthy," Drake remarked."Of course, I have to stay well so that I can earn well," she reasoned."So, what brings you here? If you're asking for an extension, the answer is no.""No, I'm not asking for an extension."Drake was taken aback by the maniacal gleam in Linda's eyes as she smiled.He asked, "What, then?""Can you lend me more money? I'm confident I'll win this time and can definitely pay yo
Drake Chwe, despite being numb from all the tragic events that happened to him, held onto a tiny glimmer of hope in his heart – a hope embodied by the miniature temple."Ely's death was so sudden. This can't be the end," he thought as he boarded a plane headed for Canman City. He also knew of three people who were aware of the system, so he believed that by tracing Zack and his minions' path, he might have a chance to revisit the miniature temple."I'm not scared, not at all," he tried to convince himself, but his body betrayed him with involuntary shivers at the mere thought of stepping back into the city where he came close to death, surrounded by killers.If only his system allowed him to purchase items for added protection. But his restrictions were still in place, and he have to wait for two more days before he could access anything in the system. However, he couldn't afford to stay idle."I'll be fine. They don't know I'm alive," Drake reassured himself.Drake chose to stay at t
At the hotel, Drake Chwe eagerly watched the countdown on the system, moments away from having his new restriction lifted. He had been looking forward to this, eager to take further action against those he sought revenge on."Congratulations, your restriction has been lifted. Do you need to make any transactions?" the system asked.He nodded and tapped "yes" on his holographic screen. "I'd like to learn more about Zack White," he requested."You've already purchased Zack White's information. Could you please specify the type of information you're looking for?" the system replied.Drake frowned, remembering the extensive and detailed summary he had received. It had been helpful for examining Zack's business transactions, but less so for uncovering Zack's connections with Zanjo and Grace Stone, especially without a clear direction on where to look and which timeline to investigate. "I need a more direct answer about what I should focus on," he insisted."The Tribute system doesn't curre
Inside the car, Drake Chwe cried helplessly as a nightmare unfolded before his eyes. He couldn't tear his gaze away from Rebecca Luansing, who had unconditionally protected him.Despite her blurry vision, Aunt Beck could see the terror in Drake's face. Coughing blood, she asked, "Drake, is that the temple you're referring to?" as she pointed at the holy glow slowly emerging on the sidewalk. Drake glanced at it for a moment, confirming that the miniature temple only appeared when someone was near death."Yes, that's it. Try to pray at it. Offer anything while I'll heal you! You'll be fine!" he exclaimed. He hurriedly purchased tons of potions and began to heal Aunt Beck. But just as she was not yet fully recovered, another bullet was fired at their car, and this time, it struck Aunt Beck's temple."No, no!" Drake rushed to pour more potions on her, but they had no effect."System! Stop giving me defective items!" he yelled."User Drake, the potion you purchased is not defective. Potion
Waking up at Merlyn's apartment after his harrowing encounter with his gunmen, Drake found himself in what felt like another nightmarish scenario. He was gearing up to confront Merlyn about the ridiculous conversation he overheard on the balcony, but something even more unsettling caught his attention: his own reflection."Why do I look like this?" he wondered aloud, baffled by his own image. His eyes were weary, adorned with dark circles underneath, making him resemble a tired panda. His skin appeared parched and pallid, as if it had never known hydration, and his hair was a mess. Unkempt facial hair concealed Drake's normally handsome features, a consequence of the exhausting life he had endured.It was as if he was peering at his former self in the mirror, serving as a stark reminder of the wretched existence he had before."Congratulations! You have returned to the past!" Drake reread the notification he had received a while ago. Standing just outside Merlyn's door, he was more fo