Bem-vindo à Loja de Habilidades!

Chen Xuan had the same dream once again.

It was a dream he’d had since childhood.

In the dream, there was a small yet exquisitely decorated room, resembling a hotel reception or perhaps a shop. A coffee machine sat on the bar, its rich aroma almost palpable. Wooden shelves lined the walls, stocked with familiar snacks. In the center stood several glass display cases, always filled with what he desired most—once it was miniature racing cars and game consoles, now it was money and time.

Yes, even his dreams had become so pragmatic.

He’d had this dream so many times that he developed an unconscious awareness that he was dreaming. He could wander freely, scrutinizing every detail, even making himself a cup of milky coffee with the machine. Regrettably, dreams were just dreams—he never tasted the coffee, nor could he tear open the snacks’ wrappers.

He was always just one step away.

Either he would wake up, or the dream would shift elsewhere.

What left the deepest impression on him was a tin box on the bar, etched with strange symbols and patterns, the keyhole fashioned into a lifelike eye. Through that eye, he could see a string of ever-changing numbers—a countdown, it seemed. The box was always locked. Perhaps when the numbers reached zero, it would open by itself.

But… who cared what treasure the box in a dream might hide?

Even if it was a check for financial freedom, it was still just a dream.

He was twenty-six this year, and at last, the countdown had reached its end.

Click.

The moment the numbers hit