As soon as he stepped through the door, Michael was hit with the stench of decay in the air.
Using the dim light from the bedroom TV, he looked around. The room was an absolute mess, littered with trash. The floor was covered in layers of grime, and most of the furniture was broken. A cabinet had toppled over, making Michael frown in disgust.
He walked forward, heading into the bedroom. Upon entering, he saw the TV flickering with a dull glow, showing an old movie. The addict, Jerry, was lying on the cluttered bed, clutching a pillow and fast asleep.
Around the bed, there were crumpled pieces of paper and garbage. On the bedside table, there were unknown drugs and used syringes.
"Jerry!" Michael's voice was cold.
"Huh?" Jerry was immediately jolted awake. He shot up from the filthy bed, his eyes wide with terror. "No! Don't come closer! Tell Boss Cahill, don't kill me! I'll pay him back!"
He let out a hoarse, desperate scream while flailing his hands.
'Cahill?' Michael furrowed his brow. The name seemed familiar.
But he quickly brushed it aside and focused on the task at hand.
"I'm not here to collect money. I'm a Time Merchant." Michael's voice was low, raspy, and magnetic, carrying an air of authority.
He was using his time manipulation ability, not only to disguise his voice but to make it even more intimidating.
His gaze, hidden in the shadows, pierced through the mask like the eyes of the Grim Reaper!
"I can control the lives of others. I control time!"
He stretched out his hand toward the flickering TV screen. "Time Dilation."
In an instant, the images on the screen slowed down, the once-fluid scenes turning into a slideshow. The sound warped and elongated, filling the room with a deep, droning hum.
Michael's first target was someone with poor survival chances and desperate financial conditions.
And Jerry, clearly, fit the bill perfectly.
At the same time, Michael knew that if he simply told Jerry he wanted to buy time directly, the man would likely think he was a fraud.
So, Michael decided to demonstrate his power—also as a way to assert his dominance.
Jerry was stunned. He glanced at the TV, then back at Michael, his chest heaving with panic.
"Time Merchant...? What do you want from me?" Jerry's eyes widened in confusion.
Michael said nothing, instead, he waved his hand. "Jerry, this is your remaining time."
Name: Jerry Miller
Age: 31
Remaining Lifespan: 8 years, 241 days, 17 hours, 2 minutes
Jerry's pupils dilated as he saw the screen. The name was his, and he only had 8 more years to live?
Seeing his own lifespan laid out in front of him was a shock that words could barely describe.
"Are you… the Grim Reaper??" Jerry's body trembled. What did it mean to encounter the Grim Reaper? Did this mean he was about to die?
Jerry braced himself against the bed, unable to stop shaking, slowly inching away from Michael.
"No, I'm here to make a deal with you." Michael's voice was devoid of emotion. "Aren't you short on money? You can trade a year of your life for money with me."
At those words, Jerry froze, his face stiff, staring up at Michael in disbelief. His sluggish mind started processing what was being offered. Michael patiently waited, knowing that the man would agree.
Michael continued in a calm tone, "The price of your lifespan depends on your income, status, and the value you can create... If your annual income is less than $100,000, I'll buy your time for $200,000."
"Annual income… I…" Jerry's eyes widened. After hearing Michael's offer, a glimmer of greed flashed in his gaze, and he began to try to raise his own value.
"Stop!" Michael raised a hand, coldly cutting him off. "Don't try to negotiate. Your value is $200,000, in exchange for one year of your life."
Jerry shut his mouth, lowering his head, lost in thought.
$200,000 was a huge sum for him, enough to let him indulge in drugs and live a life of reckless abandon!
Finally, he looked up, making up his mind. "I agree. I'm willing to trade one year of my life for $200,000. Where's the money?"
Jerry's face was full of expectation.
"The money is right here. One year of your life, for $200,000." Michael reached into his bag and opened it. He handed it to Jerry, the heavy weight of the cash rustling through the paper and fabric, the sound of the bills unmistakable.
Jerry's eyes lit up as he looked at the bag.
An average person in M Country earns only about fifty thousand dollars a year, and this price is four times that amount.
For someone like him, whose annual income barely reached $5,000. $50,000 was a far-off dream. So, this deal was an absolute steal!
However, just as Jerry reached out to grab the bag filled with money, Michael swiftly pulled it back.
Michael looked at him and said, "Before we make the deal, we need to sign a contract."
"Contract? Where is it? I'll sign it right now!" Jerry said without thinking.
Michael smiled faintly and reached into his pocket, retrieving the voice recorder he had prepared earlier. He switched it on. "It's not a paper contract, but a verbal one. From now on, whatever we say will become part of the agreement."
"Are you ready?" Michael's voice lowered, almost taking on a ceremonial tone.
Jerry struggled to swallow, his cheek twitching with a surge of nervous tension.
"First, you must not tell anyone about this transaction, nor reveal the existence of the Time Merchant." Michael began, each word clear and precise.
"Second, you are not allowed to investigate the Time Merchant in any way."
"Third, you must not do anything that could harm the Time Merchant's interests."
"Any violation of these terms, and I will not only take back the lifespan I sold to you, but I will also reset your entire lifespan to zero!"
These words were Michael's own improvisation, and a deliberate precaution. His safety was paramount, and he couldn't allow anyone in this transaction to grow greedy or suspicious of him.
Jerry, frightened, nodded repeatedly, unable to speak. After all, how could he dare defy the Grim Reaper?
"Jerry, do you agree?"
"I agree! I promise I will never violate the contract!" Jerry nodded fervently.
Michael gave a slight nod, handing him the money. At the same time, his hand swiftly brushed across Jerry's body.
Whoosh~
One year of Jerry's life had been claimed.
Michael's eyes widened, a faint smile of satisfaction spreading across his face.
Meanwhile, a single white hair appeared in Jerry's greasy brown locks, and a new wrinkle formed on his haggard face... It happened so subtly that Jerry didn't even notice. One year had been shaved off his remaining eight years of life.
The transaction was complete. Michael was about to leave when he suddenly remembered that Jerry seemed to owe money to someone in the underworld. He turned back and spoke again: "This is not my concern, but I'll remind you, Jerry—debts should be paid."
Jerry was a junkie, and the people he owed money to were likely dangerous drug dealers. One careless mistake, and he could end up as a corpse on the street one day. Michael didn't care whether Jerry lived or died, but the guy might make a good repeat customer.
Jerry didn't say a word, but just nodded repeatedly. His gaze locked on the money bag.
Michael turned and left, activating Time Acceleration at ten times the speed. In an instant, he disappeared.
Once he was gone, the room returned to normal. The TV continued playing without any disruption, and Jerry was left stunned. "When did he leave?"
From his perspective, one moment Michael had been speaking, and the next—he had vanished like a fleeting shadow.
"I never thought there would be such a mysterious existence in the world... Well, never mind that. With this money, I can indulge in drug use for the whole next year!" Jerry clutched the bag of money and laughed contentedly.
…
After leaving Jerry's house, Michael deactivated Time Acceleration.
With a triumphant expression, he said to himself, "Perfect, my first transaction was a success! On top of that, all my savings are gone. It looks like I need to quickly find a buyer and sell the lifespan I've acquired."
However, Michael wasn't in a rush about this.
Remaining Lifespan: 1 year, 29 days, 11 hours, 35 minutes, 11 seconds.
Michael, who originally had only a little over twenty days left to live, can now live for another year! He has successfully extended his life!
A look of ecstatic relief and survival satisfaction flashed in Michael's eyes.
He pulled out his phone and checked the time. "It's four in the morning…"
The sky was beginning to lighten. He hadn't slept all night, and a deep fatigue and weakness began to wash over him.
"Before the next transaction, I should get some rest." Michael muttered to himself. When he got home, the first thing he did after taking off his mask was sit down at his computer and save the recording from the voice recorder.
This was the contract for his first transaction.