Ghost Billionaire

"Hmph…" Viper snorted. How could he take Rick Tian seriously? The man was as stupid as a peacock in a mirror. He is always loud, proud, and too dumb to realize he was fighting himself!

"Honestly, Young Master Tian… why are you bothering? Just give me the money. There is no way you're winning this."

A few masked onlookers chuckled.

Rick's jaw twitched.

Viper leaned forward and tapped the table. "I'm not here to extend this nightmare. Hand over a pouch of prime crystals now, and maybe I'll let you walk away without losing more face. What do you think, young master? Am I not being very generous here?"

"How sure are you that I am losing?" Rick hissed.

"Don't mind him," Matthew said.

Viper brushed his sleeve off casually. "Oh? It seems that Mr. Ghost isn't ready to give up yet," he chuckled. "Very well… your turn."

Matthew watched the dealer lay down his stone under the lamp. Viper leaned forward, arms crossed, eyes flicking between Rick and Ghost.

He gestured at the slab. "Let's see how Ghost chooses. Let's hope you paid enough for this young master Tian. We wouldn't want to upset your patriarch again, right?"

"You— "

However, before Rick Tian could say a word, Matthew lifted a finger silencing him. Then he watched as the dealer set the stone in the cutter and adjusted it. The blade dropped with a sharp clang. For a moment, nothing happened—and then light bloomed inside the crack.

A pale green glow spread through the stone. Its edges glowed with clarity and depth.

Matthew's breath caught.

Viper straightened. He looked at the gem and then at Rick. A flicker of doubt crossed his expression.

The crowd fell silent. Even some of Viper's crew leaned forward.

A dealer slid the glowing shard and the chips across to Matthew's side.

"It's— "

"It's a High end spirit stone!"

"Wow! How could this guy be so lucky?"

Matthew held out his hand and collected the prize without breaking his posture.

Seeing this, Rick's face immediately lit up. He slapped the table, nearly sending chips flying. "You see this?" he said, eyes bright. "He just picked a high-end spirit stone on the first round!"

Viper's jaw tightened for a moment. He leaned back and tapped the table twice. "Well done," he said slowly, lips curved upward just slightly. "Seems I underestimated you."

Rick turned toward Viper, chest puffed. "You ready to hand over a full pouch now? Or do you need to cry more about it?"

Viper stared at Rick for a few seconds before turning back to Matthew's side of the table. The agent nodded at the dealer, signaling to reset.

Matthew stepped aside and watched as the next slab was brought in. The moment it touched the table, he could feel the energy pulsing underneath.

Rick didn't let go of his lead. "Your turn again, Ghost."

Matthew smirked inwardly as he eyed the next slab. His purpose today was pretty simple: test the limit of his skills. He never expected the result to be this good. He took another slab and handed it to the staff.

Rick slapped the rail hard enough to rattle the chips. "Hope you brought a fat pouch, Viper. You're about to fund my next vacation."

Viper's eyes drifted to the dealer's tray, then back to Rick. "One flash of luck doesn't pay the bill Young Master Tian. Sit down before you trip over your own bragging."

Rick snorted." You shouldn't be worrying too much about me. Instead, you worry how you would pay me. But don't worry, I accept everything. Card or crystal, your choice."

Viper answered by tilting his head toward Galactica. The silver-flower mask stepped forward, silent as ever. Matthew stayed where he was, hands behind his back, feeling the faint threads that seeped from the ore slabs.

Three stones landed. Galactica hovered a palm over each one, then settled on the leftmost piece. Matthew watched him remove it, sensed its weak flutter, and waited. He let the quiet stretch until only the buzz of the overhead lights remained, then pointed to the stone on the near edge. That one throbbed like a steady drum.

Steel whined. Galactica's pick broke first—a low grade spirit stone. A few onlookers hissed in sympathy. A low grade spirit stone is usually considered common in this place.

"Hehehe…" Rick leaned forward, elbows on the rail, but Matthew gave a slight shake of his head. Not yet.

The cutter locked Matthew's choice. Stone dust curled off the blade, then a white flash washed across the felt. When the halves rolled apart, a crystal heart lay exposed—clear diamond core, big as a quail egg.

Gasps spread. Even the floor attendants straightened.

Rick sprang upright, arms flung wide as he started laughing. "Another high grade! That's the swipe right there. So, Viper—cash, wire, or card?"

Viper's jaw clenched. He turned to Galactica. "Explain."

Galactica kept his gaze on Matthew. "He isn't guessing. He's reading the flow. Full awakening. Bring him over or expect steady losses."

Viper's fingers curled on the rail, knuckles pale. He looked ready to speak, but Rick waved an attendant closer. "Settle the stake. Prime-grade pouch plus twenty million. Let's not stall, I'm in a hurry this time." He won! He actually won! Naturally, he is going to celebrate!

The attendant hurried off. Matthew kept the diamond high grade spirit stone between thumb and forefinger, letting the facets catch the light. Then suddenly, he felt a tremor in Viper's aura—a thin crack that widened with each breath.

How weird, Matthew thought. Why did he sense that change in Viper's aura? Matthew closed his eyes for a breath and sank inward. The familiar ember at the center of his chest answered. Earlier that day, the ember felt cloudy, only one-fifth of its shell firm. Now the shell had thickened. Half of the core felt solid, every beat heavier than the last time he checked.

He opened his eyes and studied his fingers. No tremor, no numbness, only a faint warmth under the skin. The warmth traced back to the spiritual medicine that Dr. Muni forced on him.

He was honestly worried that it would eventually kill him. But this? This was different.

He could feel his ability improving. If fifty percent was already this dense, what would sixty feel like? He suppressed a shiver.

Across the felt, Viper's knuckles whitened. Rick bounced on his toes while the cashier counted a fresh pouch of prime crystals. Matthew kept one palm over his jacket pocket, thumb brushing the edge of the diamond. The gem pulsed in rhythm with his core, as if it recognized the change.

Stronger, yes, Matthew thought, but at what cost? A medicine that bolstered a Nexian core by thirty percent in a single day had to pull strength from somewhere else.

Lifespan? Stability? Sanity? He needed answers.

"Oi, Ghost… since you are so good at this, why don't you work for me instead?" Viper's words interrupted his stupor.