Elena leaned against her bedroom door, eyes fixed on the thrush skeleton on the windowsill. The tiny camera in its eye socket fed her a live feed of the hallway—she'd waited until 3 AM, when the Yuans' house fell silent.
A shadow moved. Qinghuan Yuan stepped into the living room, his movements deliberate. He twisted a table leg, climbed onto a chair, and hauled a stack of books off the top shelf. Behind them, a panel in the bookshelf slid open, revealing a narrow passage. He vanished inside, returning minutes later with a armful of small, sealed jars.
Elena tensed. That was the vault entrance—hidden in plain sight. She'd guessed it was there, but seeing it confirmed sent a sharp thrill through her. She stripped off her pajamas, pulling on dark clothes and gloves, then activated [Shadow Veil]. Her features shifted—she now looked exactly like Ethan: same slouched posture, same cold eyes.
She slipped into the living room. The bookshelf panel was still ajar. She stepped through, leaving the thrush skeleton to guard the entrance—its camera would alert her to any noise.
The passage opened into a hidden room, walled with crates. This was the "junk room" the Yuans had bought next door, gutted and turned into a vault. Elena recognized the crates—last life, she'd seen them dragged into Ethan's new villa, Olivia and Qinghuan laughing as they counted gold inside.
She pulled a stack of large plastic bins from her backpack—stolen from a convenience store earlier—and pried open the first crate. Gold coins spilled out, glinting in her phone's flashlight. She shoveled them into the bins, then sealed the lids and mentally stored them in her in-game inventory. Empty crates went back in place, stacked neatly to hide the gap.
Ten minutes later, the vault was empty. She slipped back through the passage, reset the bookshelf, and vanished into her room. She deactivated [Shadow Veil], collapsed onto the bed, and slept—finally, without the weight of unfinished revenge.
She woke at 6 AM, lacing up running shoes. Today was the day Yitong Su—Ethan's new girlfriend—would visit. Yitong was a beta player too, a healer in Ethan's future "harem" in the male-led power fantasy. Elena needed to see her: not just to scout the Su family, but to test [Thief God] on a player with real power.
By 11 AM, Ethan was at the door with Yitong. She was tall, in a tailored dress, her smile polite but distant—nothing like the simpering "support character" she'd become in Ethan's story. Elena greeted them with a bright grin, her hands tight behind her back. She'd already slipped a small knife into her sleeve—just in case.
Lunch was a blur of small talk. Olivia gushed about the Su family's wealth; Qinghuan asked Yitong about her "hobby" of gaming. Elena waited, her finger hovering over [Take One]. When Yitong lifted her wine glass to toast, Elena struck.
Steal Attempt Failed!
Penalty: 10% HP Lost.
Her vision flickered. She'd forgotten—player targets had higher resistance than NPCs. She grabbed a piece of jerky from her pocket, chewing quickly to restore HP (meat boosted her regeneration to 4 points per minute).
"Are you okay?" Yitong asked, her brow furrowed.
"Just hungry," Elena said, forcing a laugh. She tried again, this time when Yitong reached for a bread roll.
Steal Attempt Failed!
HP: 70% → 60%.
Frustration coiled in her chest. She'd need to get closer. She stood, offering to refill Yitong's water. As she leaned over, she activated [Take One]a third time.
Steal Successful!
Loot: 3 Luck Points.
[Forget-Me-Not]Activated: Target will not recall Luck loss for 12 hours.
Elena's breath hitched. Luck—unresettable Luck. Most players gained 5 points per level, but Luck was fixed at character creation. Stealing it was unheard of—yet [Thief God]had pulled it off.
She sat back, hiding her grin behind her napkin. Luck would make her steals easier, her escapes cleaner. It was a game-changer.
But the Yuans weren't done. After lunch, they retired to the living room to "discuss wedding plans." Elena slipped away, activating the thrush's camera. She heard snippets: "villa," "Su money," "Ethan's talent."
She'd heard enough. She drove to a nearby alley, changed into a burly man's disguise ([Shadow Veil]again), and returned to the Yu house. She drank a Minor Invisibility Potion—30 seconds of invisibility, 10-minute cooldown—and pulled the stolen key from her pocket.
The front door clicked open. She slipped inside, her boots silent. The living room was empty—they'd moved to Ethan's bedroom. She darted to the bookshelf, slipping through the passage to the vault.
But this time, she didn't stop at the vault. She pried up a loose floorboard, revealing a hidden cache of documents: deeds to the villa, bank account numbers, even a list of "contacts" in the game—other beta players Ethan planned to recruit.
She stuffed the documents into her bag, then returned to the living room. The Yuans and Yitong were still talking. Elena crept to Ethan's side, activating [Take One]four times in quick succession.
Steal Successful!
Loot: 2 Strength Points, 1 Agility Point, 2 Luck Points.
HP: 60% → 20%.
She stumbled back, grabbing a wall for support. She'd pushed it too far—her HP was critical. She fumbled for a Minor Healing Potion, chugging it. HP jumped to 50%.
"Elena?" Ethan called, turning.
She froze. The invisibility potion had worn off. She forced a smile. "Just checking if you needed anything. I'll be in the guest room."
She fled, slamming the door behind her. She'd gotten what she needed: the Yuans' wealth, Ethan's contacts, and Yitong's Luck.
As she drove away, she checked her status screen:
Luck: 3 → 8Strength: 5 → 7Agility: 7 → 8HP: 50%
She smiled. The Yuans were broke. Ethan's plans were in her hands. And Yitong—unaware her Luck was gone—would soon find her "perfect" healer build falling apart.
The game was no longer Ethan's. It was hers.
She pulled over, tossing the Yuans' documents into the glove compartment. Next stop: the black market. She'd sell the gold, buy better potions, and plan her next move.
Ethan and the Su family thought they held all the cards.
Elena laughed. They had no idea what was coming.