That night, in his new mansion, Austin couldn't sleep. The black coin Dr. Vane had left behind sat on his bedside table, pulsing with a faint, oily light.
"System," Austin whispered in his mind. "Analyze the coin again."
[ERROR: SYSTEM CLEARANCE TOO LOW.]
[ADVICE: UPGRADE TO SYSTEM LEVEL 4 TO UNLOCK THE DIVINE ARCHIVE.]
Austin looked at his XP bar. He was so close. To reach Level 4, he needed to perform one more "Miraculous Healing."
He didn't have to wait long. From the floor below, he heard a loud crash and a scream. He ran downstairs to find his brother, Chidi, gasping for air on the floor. His face was swelling rapidly, and his skin was covered in hives.
"Austin! He just ate a peanut cookie... we didn't know!" his Aunt cried, her hands shaking as she tried to give the boy water.
[DIAGNOSIS: ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK.]
[AIRWAY: 80% BLOCKED.]
[TIME TO CARDIAC ARREST: 120 SECONDS.]
Austin didn't panic. He reached into the air, and for the first time, a physical Golden Needle materialized in his hand, glowing with pure white light.
"Hold him still, Auntie!"
Austin struck three points on Chidi's neck and chest with the needle.
[SKILL: DIVINE PURGE ACTIVATED.]
A wave of golden energy surged through Chidi's body, forcing the toxins out of his blood. The swelling vanished instantly. Chidi took a deep, clear breath and sat up, rubbing his throat. "Wow... I feel like I just woke up from a long nap."
[MISSION COMPLETE: SAVE A KINSMAN.]
[REWARD: 2,000 EXP!]
[LEVEL UP: LEVEL 4 REACHED!]
Suddenly, Austin's vision blurred. He felt his consciousness being pulled into a vast, white space. In front of him stood a massive, endless library of glowing scrolls and ancient medical books.
[WELCOME TO THE DIVINE ARCHIVE, HOST.]
A voice boomed through the space—a voice that sounded much more human than the System's usual robot tone.
"Austin. You have proven yourself worthy of the first gate. This Archive contains every medical secret from the last five thousand years—and the five thousand years to come."
Austin walked toward a shelf labeled 'ANCIENT ENEMIES'. He saw a book with the same black coin symbol he had seen earlier.
"Who is Dr. Vane?" Austin asked the void.
[DR. VANE IS A SHADOW MEDIC. HE REAPS LIFE WHERE YOU SOW IT. HE WILL TRY TO TAKE YOUR SYSTEM, BUT THE ARCHIVE IS YOUR SHIELD.]
When Austin opened his eyes, he was back in his room. The black coin on the table was now dull and grey—it had been drained of its power.
Austin stood up and looked out the window at the city of Onitsha below. He now had the keys to all medical knowledge. He wasn't just building a company; he was preparing for a war of gods.