I, Lord of Prayer

—The Genie.

In well-known ancient stories, the genie is a mythical creature that resides in a magic lamp. The holder only needs to rub the lamp three times to summon the genie who can grant three wishes.

Soren secretly observed the mysterious figure shrouded in white mist, but found no trace of the "genie lamp" nearby. Based on the other person's words, he guessed that the other person was not the genie from a fictional story, but was just using this title to help him understand quickly.

He racked his brains to recall the aristocratic etiquette he had learned, placed his right hand on his chest, bowed, and tried to remain as calm as possible: "It is an honor to meet you, Genie. May I ask why you invited me here?"

Zhou Chen smiled and said, "I'm just opening the door to welcome the guests."

Opening the door to welcome guests? What does that mean? Soren was completely bewildered. Before he could continue thinking, he heard the "genie's" voice reminding him: "You have a strong desire in your heart that you want to fulfill, which is why you came here unintentionally."

It wasn't the "genie" who actively pulled me here; rather, I arrived here unintentionally, and the "genie" opened the door and invited me in. But I was clearly sleeping at home... Was it entanglement of source matter or some kind of strange supernatural phenomenon? Soren quickly figured out the relationship between them, but he didn't believe it completely and remained extremely vigilant.

He asked rather nervously, "Excuse me, Genie, I have some very important matters to attend to. May I go back?"

"Of course."

Zhou Chen held up one finger and said slowly, "But you have to tell a story, preferably one you've personally experienced. If your story is interesting enough, I can grant you an equivalent wish."

The story… Soren pondered for a moment. It seemed that the other party would not let him leave easily, but it didn’t seem like a big deal to just tell a story.

He didn't pay attention to the other party's "trivial wish." In his view, every step of this scammer's operation was to lure him into a trap. Even if he told a wonderful story, the other party would definitely make excuses that it wasn't interesting enough and would never grant his wish.

After thinking hard for a while, Soren sadly realized that he seemed to have no ability to make up stories at all. He stood there awkwardly, like a student who was called to the podium by the teacher and asked to introduce himself, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Feeling the genie's calm gaze, his heart began to race, and he couldn't help but feel anxious. If he couldn't tell the story well, would he never be able to go back?

Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Genie, I want to tell you a story about myself."

Zhou Chen nodded slightly without saying a word.

Soren took a few deep breaths and began to speak slowly:

  

"Long ago, my family was one of the wealthiest families in the old Paris region, but after my great-great-grandfather passed away, the family business began to decline rapidly. By my father's generation, it had fallen so low that it no longer even qualified to attend high-society gatherings. Many emerging families dared to challenge us, making my family a laughingstock in the social circle. (Performance)"

"When I was little, because of my family, no one wanted to play with me. Then, at a party, I met Karina, who was a year younger than me..."

Hearing this, Zhou Chen was stunned. So "Miss Karina" is a real person. I thought she was some anime character or virtual streamer... Is it really okay to use that kind of account name? Aren't you afraid of the awkwardness if she finds out...?

He maintained his enigmatic persona on the surface, listening quietly.

"...She was kind, unlike others who thought I was a poor, low-class boy. We gradually became friends, and later we even went to the same school, the same class, and were deskmates many times...To be honest, we had been dating for a long time."

A smile involuntarily crept onto Soren's lips, but it quickly faded, replaced by melancholy, helplessness, and a sense of calm.

"But later, when the family urgently needed funds to operate, it was betrayed by its business partner, leading to bankruptcy overnight and the entire family being completely swallowed up."

That night, a group of assassins stormed into my house and killed my parents. I escaped through a secret passage and became a homeless stray. Karina's family forbade her to have anything to do with me anymore and even locked her up.

"Fortunately, I unexpectedly awakened and became an Ascended Being, which gave me a certain ability to protect myself. After escaping my pursuers, I shamelessly used my family's past connections to find an alchemy master and asked him to teach me alchemy."

After becoming the teacher's student, I became a registered apprentice of the Alchemy Association. Coupled with my status as an Ascended Being, my enemies dared not do anything to me anymore. Those who once mocked and looked down on me began to fear and fawn over me. Karina's family also allowed her to contact me again.

I originally thought Xiao Yan was the one whose fortunes changed drastically over the next thirty years, but I never expected you to be the one who changed so drastically... Zhou Chen thought to himself.

After a pause, Soren said in a deep voice, "I want revenge, I want the recognition of the Karina family, and more importantly, my father told me before he died that behind the decline and destruction of the family lies a secret that spans a hundred years. If I don't have the ability to protect myself, I will die from that secret one day."

"Oh?" Zhou Chen sat up slightly, showing interest.

Seeing that he had piqued the genie's interest, Sauron breathed a sigh of relief and continued:

"Legend has it that my great-great-grandfather was just a poor boy before he became rich. One day, he accidentally saved a mysterious person. The person was grateful and gave him great benefits and helped him become an Ascended Being."

After becoming an Ascended One, his great-great-grandfather quickly accumulated a large sum of start-up capital, established his own company, and with the help of a mysterious person, it developed smoothly.

Later, after a banquet, the mysterious man found him completely drunk and asked how he would repay the help he had given him over the years. Under the influence of alcohol, the great-great-grandfather generously said to take whatever he wanted. Then, the mysterious man revealed a triumphant, playful smile, instantly sobering the great-great-grandfather up.

"Later, the mysterious man disappeared. My great-great-grandfather searched for him for a long time but could not find him. Until one day, the Stars came to him and told him that the mysterious man did not actually exist, but was just a clone or phantom created by alchemy."

Interesting… Zhou Chen tapped the armrest of his chair, listening intently.

"The Stars will tell my great-great-grandfather that the mastermind is a member of a hidden organization and a fourth-tier Ascendant, and everything he does is for the purpose of advancing."

The other party's extraordinary ability is "unequal exchange," where the clones they create will randomly seek out targets, offer gifts, and in return, collect extremely high prices.

The greater the benefits gained, the higher the price to pay, even more terrifying than usury, because in the end, it doesn't just take away money, but something far more important.

Soren's voice unconsciously rose a few decibels as he angrily said:

"For example, at the height of our family's power, he stole all our family's luck!"

This is why his family declined rapidly until it was destroyed.

Clap clap clap... Zhou Chen clapped his hands lightly and exclaimed, "This story is very good."

"I'm glad you like it." Soren smiled modestly.

Zhou Chen maintained his mysterious and profound image, speaking casually, naturally, and without a care in the world:

"—Then, tell me your wish."

My wish... Does he really intend to grant my wish?

Soren paused, hesitated for a moment, and tentatively said, "I want to regain the fortune that I should have."

Zhou Chen tapped the armrest of the chair, reminding him, "Equivalent."

Equivalent... Does he think my story isn't worth that price? Or is it that he can't do it?

Soren thought to himself, "I want a Screaming Ash Tree core."

"Based on the value of your story, I can only give you one chance."

"An opportunity... is also acceptable."

Soren nodded in agreement. He desperately needed the Screaming Ash Tree Core, and he was also very curious about how the other party would give him that opportunity.

"That's all for today."

Zhou Chen severed the connection, watching Soren's figure slowly disappear, and smiled gently:

"If you still have wishes, remember to prepare an equivalent story."

"..."

Soren did not answer; his consciousness sank into darkness in silence.

After the other party left, Zhou Chen didn't have time to explore and hurriedly returned to the real world through meditation.

After opening his eyes, he picked up his phone, took a screenshot of the alchemical items on the reward list, opened the shopping platform, found "Miss Karina, I really like you so much", and sent the screenshot there.

The accompanying text reads: "Do you need any of these alchemy materials? If not, I'll get something else."

at the same time.

In a rented room in old Paris.

Soren woke up at his desk, subconsciously wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth. Before he could recover from what had just happened, his phone vibrated.

He opened it and his pupils suddenly contracted. A bone-chilling cold instantly shot from the soles of his feet up his spine to the top of his head.

How is this possible? How is this possible!

On the screen, a message sent by Zhou Chen was clearly displayed, and in the screenshot, there was the Screaming Ash Tree Core that he needed most right now!

"This is outrageous, this is impossible... this is simply impossible..."

Sauron bit his fingernails, incredulous. It was too much of a coincidence to be true; how could such a coincidence exist in the world?

Could this be the opportunity the "genie" spoke of?

His hands trembled as he typed: "Why are you asking me if I want these things? Where did you get them?"

Meow Meow Team's Big Fish: [Of course, I'll sell to regular customers first. I'm too lazy to haggle with others. Since you're an alchemist, I'll ask you if you need anything first. These items are my rewards for completing the quest.]

What kind of mission is it?

Meow Team Catches a Big Fish: [Confidential.]

"When did you complete the mission?" he continued to press.

Meow Team Touching the Big Fish: [Uh... was there a problem last night?]

Last night... a sense of horror enveloped Soren, and when he came to his senses, he was covered in cold sweat.

"He completed his mission last night, received his reward shortly after, and then came to ask me, a regular customer, if I wanted to buy alchemy materials... right within minutes of my encounter with the 'Genius'..."

Sauron's mind was in complete turmoil; he was certain that this was the opportunity the genie had spoken of.

But this is too absurd. Based on the delivery time of the last package, the recipient is very likely on another continent thousands of miles away. If the genie can influence such a distance, wouldn't he be a real god?

And how could such a coincidence happen? Is this manipulation of luck? Or manipulation of fate?

Or is it the real, unreasonable fulfillment of desires?

"There are only a handful of true gods in the world. The genie might be a demigod, or even a fifth-order being..."

Soren wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, took a deep breath to calm himself, and temporarily put aside the idea of ​​reporting to the Star Council.

The "genie" was too mysterious and too powerful, so he dared not act rashly.

Perhaps, he is currently being watched by the other party.

Just thinking about it sent chills down Sauron's spine.

·

·

"If I can't keep him in check and he reports it to the Stars Society, I'll have to tone it down to avoid getting in trouble."

Zhou Chen sighed inwardly, never expecting that a subconscious action would cause such a mess.

He recalled the events of the past:

After extending his consciousness along the bubble, he was taken by a blinding white light to a place filled with white mist. There was only a beautifully designed fountain, but no water, and nothing else.

Sensing that someone was about to be guided there, he hurriedly conjured a parasol, a table, chairs, and a teacup using his mind...

"I wonder what kind of place that is. The fountain without water looks like a wishing well, but it's missing water... What's the story behind the wishing bottles?"

Just then, my phone vibrated and I received a message saying, "Miss Karina, I really like you."

After learning that "Kalina" was a real person, Zhou Chen felt a little strange whenever he saw the name—it turned out that the other person was neither a simp nor a crazy anime fan, but someone who was showing off their love!

I desperately need that Screaming Ash Tree Core! It's crucial to my becoming an alchemist!

"A fixed price of 600,000 is considered a normal market price," Zhou Chen typed.

Okay, whatever you do, don't trade it to anyone else. I'm going to borrow money. Wait for me!

Zhou Chen then opened Jiang Che's chat window to confirm the reward he wanted to claim.

"I request to exchange my flint pistol and screaming ash kernel."

·

·

evening.

Zhou Chen carried two boxes back to the dormitory, one containing a flint pistol and the other a screaming ash tree kernel.

The former is ornately decorated, like a collectible, and is loaded with specially made alchemical bullets that are extremely lethal. It is also engraved with an alchemical matrix that targets evil creatures, causing double damage.

The latter is a gray fruit pit that doesn't look unusual at all, but as soon as you hold it in your hand, you'll hear a chilling scream.

Soren Berg said he went to borrow money, but he hasn't replied yet. Zhou Chen doesn't know if the other party will report him to the Star Council. Considering the mystery and special nature of the Wishing Bottle, he thinks there won't be too much of a problem—as long as he doesn't do anything too reckless and expose himself too much to the Star Council.

Not long after, my phone vibrated; it was a message from the dark web.

Birdman finally made contact... Zhou Chen opened the message, and he could feel Birdman's joy between the lines.

"Damn it, you did a fantastic job on that! Iron Python is furious! I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"

"I've prepared a big gift for you. Come pick it up tomorrow, and I also have a new task for you."