âThe Lamp God.
In the well-known old story, the Lamp God is a mythical creature dwelling within a Divine Lamp. Its owner need only rub the lamp three times to summon the being, who will grant three wishes.
Soron secretly observed the mysterious figure shrouded in white mist but saw no "Divine Lamp" nearby. Considering what the figure had just said, he guessed this wasnât the Lamp God from fictional tales, but someone who had simply borrowed a title he would easily understand.
He wracked his brain to recall the noble etiquette he had learned, placed his right hand over his chest, bowed, and did his best to remain calm. "Itâs an honor to meet you, Mr. Lamp God. May I ask why youâve invited me here?"
Zhou Chen smiled. "I am merely welcoming a guest."
âWelcoming a guest? What does he mean?â Soron was completely baffled. Before he could ponder it further, he heard the "Lamp God" remark, "You have a strong desire in your heart, something you desperately want to achieve. That is why you came here, though you did not intend to."
âSo the "Lamp God" didnât pull me here. I came here by accident, and he just opened the door to let me in. But I was asleep in my own home... Is this an Essence entanglement? Or some other strange Extraordinary phenomenon?â Soron quickly pieced together the sequence of events but wasnât fully convinced, remaining on high alert.
He asked, his voice laced with apprehension, "Excuse me, Mr. Lamp God, but I have some very important matters to attend to. May I return?"
"Of course."
Zhou Chen raised a single finger and said unhurriedly, "But you must tell a story. Preferably, one youâve personally experienced. If your story is interesting enough, I can grant you a wish of equivalent value."
âA story...â Soron mused. It seemed the man wouldnât let him leave so easily, but just telling a story didnât seem like such a terrible price to pay.
He paid no mind to the offer of some "equivalent wish." In his view, every move this con artist made was designed to lure him into a trap. Even if he told a magnificent story, the man would surely find an excuse, claiming it wasnât interesting enough, and would never actually grant his wish.
After a long moment of serious thought, Soron came to the sad realization that he had no talent for making up stories. He stood there in awkward silence, like a student called to the front of the class to introduce himself, unable to utter a single word.
Feeling the Lamp Godâs calm gaze on him, his heart began to beat faster. He grew anxious. âIf I canât tell a good story, will I be trapped here forever?â
Finally, he gritted his teeth. "Mr. Lamp God, Iâm going to tell you a story about myself."
Zhou Chen gave a slight nod but said nothing.
Soron took a few deep breaths and began his tale:
"Long ago, my family was one of the wealthiest houses in the Old Paris region. But ever since my great-great-grandfatherâs death, the family business went into a steep decline. By my fatherâs generation, we had fallen so far that we were no longer even invited to high-society gatherings. Many new-money families felt bold enough to trample on us, and for a time, my family became the laughingstock of our circle."
"As a child, no one wanted to play with me because of my familyâs status. That is, until I met Kalina at a banquet... She was a year younger than me."
Hearing this, Zhou Chen was inwardly stunned. âSo "Miss Kalina" is a real person? I thought she was some anime character or a VTuber... Is it really a good idea to be so open about it? Arenât you worried itâll be awkward if she finds out?â
Outwardly, however, he maintained his profound and mysterious persona, listening in silence.
"...She was very kind. Unlike everyone else, she didnât see me as some low-class, poor boy. We gradually started spending all our time together. Later, we even went to the same school, were in the same class, and sat next to each other many times... To be honest, weâve been in love for a long time."
A smile touched the corners of Soronâs lips, but it quickly faded, replaced by an expression of melancholy, resignation, and finally, a quiet calm.
"But later, when our family was in desperate need of funds to keep the business afloat, we were backstabbed by a partner. We went bankrupt overnight, and our entire house was devoured.
That night, a group of assassins stormed our home and murdered my parents. I barely escaped through a secret passage, becoming a homeless stray. Kalinaâs family forbade her from ever seeing me again, even locking her away."
"Fortunately, I had an unexpected awakening and became an Ascender, gaining the ability to protect myself. After evading my pursuers, I brazenly used what was left of my familyâs old connections to find an Alchemy Master and begged him to teach me the art of Alchemy."
"Once I became his student, I was a registered apprentice with the Alchemy Association. Between that and my status as an Ascender, my enemies no longer dared to touch me. The very people who had once mocked and despised me began to fear and flatter me. And Kalinaâs family, they permitted her to see me again."
âI thought Xiao Yan was the definitive "scorned-youth-gets-revenge" protagonist, but it looks like youâre the real thing,â Zhou Chen snarked internally.
After a pause, Soron continued in a low voice, "I want revenge. I want to earn the approval of Kalinaâs family. But more importantly... before he died, my father told me that behind our familyâs decline and destruction lies a century-old secret. He said that if I couldnât protect myself, that secret would one day kill me, too."
âOh?â Zhou Chen straightened up slightly, his posture showing a flicker of interest.
Noticing he had piqued the Lamp Godâs interest, Soron breathed an inward sigh of relief and continued,