The evening air felt cooler as Ethan and Sophia walked slowly across the campus pathway.
Streetlights illuminated the quiet road while a few students passed by, laughing and discussing assignments.
But Ethan's thoughts were focused on something else.
Sophia's question.
"How did you know the market would move like that?"
She had asked it calmly, but the curiosity in her eyes was sharp.
Sophia Bennett was not the type of person who ignored unusual details.
Ethan knew that immediately.
People like her analyzed everything.
Patterns.
Behavior.
Logic.
And right now she was analyzing him.
Ethan kept his voice relaxed.
"I told you earlier," he said. "Pattern recognition."
Sophia raised an eyebrow.
"That answer is too simple."
Ethan shrugged lightly.
"It is still the truth."
Sophia studied him carefully.
"You predicted a short term fluctuation within hours."
She folded her arms.
"Professional analysts hesitate to make predictions like that."
Ethan smiled faintly.
"Most analysts overcomplicate things."
Sophia shook her head slightly.
"Or maybe they are more honest about uncertainty."
Ethan did not respond immediately.
Instead he looked ahead at the quiet campus buildings.
He could not reveal the Wealth System.
Not yet.
Perhaps not ever.
So he repeated a version of the truth that remained safe.
"I study patterns obsessively," Ethan said.
Sophia tilted her head.
"Obsessively?"
Ethan nodded.
"I track market behavior, sentiment changes, liquidity patterns, investor psychology."
Sophia listened carefully.
That explanation sounded reasonable.
But something still felt incomplete.
She asked another question.
"How long have you been studying financial markets?"
Ethan paused briefly.
The truthful answer would not make sense.
So he chose a believable response.
"Several years."
Sophia looked slightly surprised.
"You started early."
Ethan smiled.
"I like understanding how money flows."
Sophia finally nodded.
"That part I believe."
They stopped walking near the library building.
Sophia glanced at him again.
"You are hiding something."
Ethan laughed softly.
"Everyone hides something."
Sophia considered that answer.
Then she smiled faintly.
"Fair enough."
For now, she decided not to push further.
But the curiosity remained.
"Goodnight, Ethan."
"Goodnight, Sophia."
They walked in different directions.
But both of them carried lingering thoughts about the conversation.
Ethan returned to his dorm room a few minutes later.
Marcus was already inside, sitting on the bed and scrolling through his phone.
"You are late," Marcus said.
"Economic debate."
Marcus laughed.
"With Sophia Bennett?"
Ethan paused slightly.
"How do you know?"
Marcus grinned.
"Everyone saw you two walking across campus."
Ethan shook his head and sat at his desk.
Marcus continued teasing.
"Dude, she is basically the smartest person in the finance department."
Ethan opened his laptop calmly.
"I noticed."
Marcus leaned forward.
"So what were you two talking about?"
"Risk."
Marcus blinked.
"You guys debate about risk for fun?"
Ethan smiled slightly.
"Some people watch movies."
"Others analyze markets."
Marcus threw a pillow at him.
"You are weird."
Ethan ignored the pillow and opened several financial dashboards on his laptop.
His focus returned immediately.
The Wealth System interface appeared quietly in his vision.
Current Mission Progress
Target: $1,000
Current Earnings: $742
Time Remaining: 8 Days
Ethan studied the numbers carefully.
He had already made significant progress through freelance consulting and marketing projects.
But reaching the next level required something different.
Investment.
Multiplication.
He opened several market platforms.
Stock market data.
Startup funding news.
And then another category caught his attention.
Cryptocurrency.
Digital currencies were still considered highly experimental at this point in time.
Most people dismissed them as speculation.
Many investors avoided them entirely.
But Ethan remembered something from his previous life.
A few small cryptocurrencies would eventually explode in value.
Not immediately.
But over the next several years.
If he could identify one of those early opportunities now, the return could multiply his capital dramatically.
Ethan leaned closer to the screen.
He began scanning market charts carefully.
Price fluctuations.
Trading volumes.
Community growth.
Technology development.
The Market Pattern Recognition skill activated quietly in the background.
Certain signals appeared brighter in his perception.
Subtle patterns became clearer.
Marcus glanced over from his bed.
"You are studying again?"
Ethan nodded.
"Looking for opportunities."
Marcus laughed.
"You never stop."
Ethan continued analyzing.
Dozens of cryptocurrencies existed already.
Most of them would fail.
Some would disappear completely.
But a few might survive and grow.
The challenge was identifying them before everyone else noticed.
He opened one particular chart.
A small cryptocurrency with very low market attention.
Trading volume remained minimal.
But the technology behind it looked promising.
Ethan checked the development activity.
Several updates had been released recently.
He checked community discussions.
Interest was slowly growing.
He leaned back in his chair.
Interesting.
Marcus walked over and looked at the screen.
"What is that?"
"Cryptocurrency."
Marcus frowned.
"You are investing in internet coins?"
Ethan smiled slightly.
"Maybe."
Marcus shook his head.
"I heard people lose money doing that."
Ethan nodded.
"Many do."
Marcus looked confused.
"So why are you interested?"
Ethan replied calmly.
"Because high risk sometimes hides high reward."
Marcus sighed.
"You sound like the villain in a financial movie."
Ethan laughed quietly.
"Maybe."
But inside his mind the analysis continued.
He compared several cryptocurrencies.
Technology.
Adoption potential.
Market sentiment.
Then the Wealth System interface appeared again.
A small notification blinked.
Opportunity Signal Detected
Ethan focused immediately.
The system highlighted a specific cryptocurrency project.
He opened the data quickly.
Price extremely low.
Trading activity small but increasing.
Development team active.
Community slowly expanding.
The system displayed another message.
Probability of long term value increase: Significant
Ethan's heartbeat accelerated slightly.
This could be the multiplication opportunity he needed.
But investments always carried risk.
Even with strong signals.
He checked his available funds.
After freelance payments and expenses, he had around $300 that could be invested.
Marcus noticed his expression.
"You found something?"
Ethan nodded slowly.
"Maybe."
Marcus leaned closer.
"You are actually thinking about investing?"
Ethan closed the laptop briefly.
"Not blindly."
Marcus crossed his arms.
"So what is your strategy?"
Ethan answered calmly.
"Small risk."
"Large potential upside."
Marcus shook his head.
"You really enjoy dangerous decisions."
Ethan smiled slightly.
"Only calculated ones."
But as he reopened the market chart, another realization appeared.
The price had already started moving slightly upward.
Someone else might have noticed the opportunity.
Timing suddenly became critical.
Ethan leaned forward again.
His fingers hovered above the keyboard.
Should he invest now?
Or wait for further confirmation?
The Wealth System flashed again.
System Advisory
Opportunity window closing rapidly
Recommended Action: Decide within 12 hours
Ethan stared at the message.
A decision now could multiply his capital.
Or destroy part of his progress toward the mission.
Reader Question
What do you think Ethan should do?
A. Invest immediately before the opportunity disappears
B. Wait and gather more information
C. Invest only a small portion of his money
D. Avoid cryptocurrency completely
Comment your answer below.
Your votes, comments, and library collections help the story continue growing.