[Congratulations!]
[Quest Completed.]
[You have been rewarded +1 in influence.]
[You have been rewarded the Elixir of Refinement (One-Time Use). You can use it whenever you want, Host.]
Multiple notifications rang in Gray's head as soon as he arrived back at their apartment. He was alone, with Lily going to school.
Gray slumped onto the couch. He exhaled loudly, letting his body get loose for a moment. It was odd for him to have this much free timea after spending years of his life slaving because of work.
Gray leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling.
"So… tutor Chloe Lancaster, huh?" he muttered to himself.
He replayed the entire lunch meeting in his head. More than anything, Gray felt that this was an opportunity, not just a job.
A single step toward something much bigger.
It wasn't going to be hard… at least, he hoped.
Gray sighed quietly and closed his eyes.
Back then, he used to be a good student.
So good, in fact, that he got offers from several good universities—ones most people only dreamed of attending.
With his grades, discipline, and test scores, Gray didn't have to worry about tuition as he grew up. Scholarships came in easily.
He remembered the way his teachers used to praise him.
"You're going to go far, Gray."
"You have a natural head for business. Maybe even CEO someday."
And he believed them.
His dream had always been simple: to study, graduate early, land a stable job, and give his family the life that he deserved.
But life really had a way of destroying even the tiniest hope of a dream.
Three years ago, everything fell apart for him. For his whole family.
Their parents died in a car accident. TGray still remembered the call. The numbness that followed it and the silence in Lily's cries when she was told they wouldn't be coming home.
It wasn't just the grief he had to deal with.
It was the debt that his parents left.
A massive, crushing debt.
It turned out that his father had borrowed money. Lots of it. Gray found the papers tucked away in drawers and boxes, signed and stamped, all legally binding.
He didn't just feel the loss of his family.
But also felt the heavy weight of the debts that he didn't know how he'd pay.
"I didn't even have time to mourn…" Gray muttered, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. "I didn't even get to breathe."
From that point forward, he gave up everything.
He dropped out of university halfway through his first year. Sold things, declined some offers, and even erased his own name from the scholarship lists.
He took every job he could find—day shift, night shift, weekend gigs. He had tried everything.
Sometimes, he could barely sleep for a few hours.
Sometimes, he doesn't at all.
He paid every cent back in three years.
All because he didn't want Lily to grow up with the same problem.
"And now here we are." Gray finally sat up on the couch, dragging a hand through his hair. "Back to zero."
But this time, he had something else.
He had the system. He had a second chance.
Gray's eyes flickered toward the floating notification still hovering in front of him.
[Elixir of Refinement(One-Time Use)
[Do you want to use it now, Host?]
[Yes/No]
Gray stood up and walked to the mirror.
The man staring back at him looked like shit. Well, just a little. He wasn't that handsome to begin with, but now, it looked worse since he looked tired, and it had been a long time since he had taken care of himself.
The only fortunate thing was that because of working, his body was well-built.
"Anyway, let's fix that," Gray said with a breath.
"I'll use it." He muttered before pressing the yes button in front of him.
[Using Elixir of Refinement…]
A warm and invisible wave rushed through his body. It wasn't painful, but it was hot. He felt as if he was out in the sunlight in the middle of the day. The heat swirled through his veins like a silent fire. He could feel its intensity, but it wasn't burning.
It was strange.
Gray stumbled slightly as a surge of energy rushed through his muscles, skin, and bones all at once.
Then he felt something changed.
Gray's posture straightened naturally, as if his spine had realigned itself. The soreness in his joints faded. His skin tingled. Suddenly it became firm, smooth, and bright. The dark circles under his eyes vanished like smoke.
His hair changed slightly too, settling into a more effortless style. It was no longer messy. It was bouncy and smooth. His jawline sharpened, his cheekbones more defined, and even his lips looked slightly fuller.
Gray looked better.
It wasn't an extreme change. It was still him. But it was the best version of him.
Gray stared at his reflection for a long moment.
"Fuck...Holy shit," he muttered.
He tilted his head to the side. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. For once, Gray believed he looked good.
"Nice. This is gonna be useful," he chuckled.
[Ding!]
[Elixir of Refinement has been successfully used.]
Gray let out a breath, running a hand through his now soft and neatly styled hair.
He didn't know what Chloe Lancaster would be like in person because they only met once. He didn't know how the tutoring would go. But at least now, he could stand in front of anyone without feeling small.
Gray straightened his shirt, took one last glance at the mirror, and gave himself a nod.
"Thanks, System," he whispered.
Then the system chimed again.
[Ding!]
[New Mission Alert!]
[Mission: Win Over Chloe Lancaster's Trust.]
[Objective: Impress Chloe with your personality and tutoring skills. Help her improve in at least one subject.]
[Reward: +1 Influence | $5000 | Mystery Box: "Tutor's Advantage Pack"]
Gray raised an eyebrow at that.
'A tutor's advantage pack?'