"I don't know what it was," Smith said quietly, "I buried it in a flower pot. Then I saw the carrot growing from it... it was different. Very different. It had a strange effect on my body."
Smith shrugged, as if trying to downplay the whole thing, but his eyes spoke otherwise.
"So I figured it must be valuable to you."
Lance became interested. Lance's gaze narrowed, and his smile narrowed slightly. "Oh? Bring it here to see it," Lance said, crossing his arms, his voice light but full of unconcealed curiosity.
This guy… has come to deliver the loot to Lance?
"Wait a minute."
This unfinished building, with its bare concrete and rusted iron frame, was Smith's safehouse. Dust billowed gently in the evening breeze, and the orange light of the setting sun filtered in through the unsealed cracks in the walls.
Smith walked to the roof with light steps, like someone who had memorized every nook and cranny of the building. Among the piles of rubble and seemingly abandoned potted plants, Smith approached an inconspicuous corner—a small patch of wildflowers growing without permission.
There, Smith pulled a carrot from an old, partially cracked pot. He wiped it with his bare hands—rough and used to work—and then chewed it with a distinctive crunch, a habit that had become a part of his life.
Simultaneously, Smith bent his knees, dug his fingers into the loose soil, and pulled out a small red stone. He gently wiped it, removing the sticky layer of dirt, then held it tightly for a moment before walking down.
He handed it to Lance. "This is it," he said curtly. "When the witch was dying, she still held onto this thing tightly."
Lance accepted the stone with a raised eyebrow. He turned it in his palm, then raised his eyebrows even higher when he saw that it was no ordinary red stone. With the corner of his sleeve, Lance brushed off the remaining dirt. In the orange light of the sun, the stone reflected a faint sheen like congealed blood. A crystal... about the size of a pinky finger.
The crystal's color was like hardened dried blood, thick and vibrant at the same time. The blood-colored crystal... seemed like something out of this world.
However, what made Lance squint wasn't its color or shape, but rather the faint sensation flowing from within the stone. An aura... no, power. Warm and biting, like something that held both life and death.
This was a magic stone.
A blood-colored crystal... could this be a fragment of Bloodstone?
Lance remembered it. In this secret world filled with shadowhunters, Bloodstone was not an unfamiliar name. In the Marvel universe, there were many vampire hunters, but none as legendary as Blade, the Daywalker. But beyond the mighty Blade family, there was another family that shook the dark side of the magical world—the Bloodstone family.
The first generation of that clan was Ulysses Bloodstone, a hunter who lived hundreds of years ago. One day, by chance, Ulysses discovered a mysterious red crystal that had fallen from outer space—an object even ancient wizards feared to touch.
But it was guarded by a strange entity, an extraterrestrial being bound to the crystal, and when Ulysses's tribe tried to possess it, they were slaughtered one by one by the terrifying power bound to it.
Ulysses, the sole survivor, was furious and desperate. He shattered the crystal in a fit of rage—but one shard pierced his chest and embedded itself inside him.
From that moment on, Ulysses became more than human.
The crystal granted him longevity, incredible strength, and resilience beyond human comprehension. Since then, the shards of the crystal have been scattered throughout the world, becoming artifacts sought after by hunters, sorcerers, and even demons.
And now... one shard is in Lance's hands.
Lance stared at the crystal for a long moment, then nodded slowly, as if coming to a decision.
"This is indeed a valuable object." Lance tucked the Bloodstone shard into his jacket pocket and took a deep breath. With a calm movement, Lance pulled a checkbook from his other pocket, opened it slowly, and began writing out the numbers with a steady hand.
"I'll give you another million US dollars," Lance said to Smith, "so you won't have to eat carrots in the future. Hmm…"
At this, Lance turned to John, who had been standing nearby, awkward and silent. "John, I'll give you another million too. So we won't owe each other anything in the future."
Lance's tone remained light, almost joking, but his eyes held an undeniable firmness—a command disguised as generosity.
...
...
...
Someone once said, "We've given everything just to survive."
Wesley was no exception. His father disappeared, like a shadow erased from the world. His mother died young, leaving the house cold and silent, like an empty cave. Since childhood, Wesley suffered from congenital panic disorder—his chest often felt tight, his breath felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand. His days were filled with erratic heartbeats, as if every breath were a gamble for his life. His life was aimless, like a boat drifting in a sea of fog.
At work, Wesley was constantly bullied by his female boss—a woman with a sour face, unhealthy pale skin, and hateful eyes—who always found an opportunity to belittle him. Wesley lived each day like a broken machine, moving only out of necessity. Then, as if all that weren't enough, Wesley's heart was shattered when he learned that his girlfriend was having an affair with his best friend... and, without a shred of guilt, asked him to pay for her birth control pills.
But even the most destitute have a turning point!
One cold, restless night, Wesley received news that changed everything: He inherited three million dollars from his father—a man who turned out to be a legendary assassin whose name resonated throughout the underworld. Simultaneously, another secret was revealed... Wesley's illness wasn't panic disorder, but a rare gift, like a double-edged sword waiting to be sharpened.
------------------------------
[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
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