1 Desperate

Honk—!

The ferry horn blared in Hong Kong Harbor, signaling that a ship was about to depart. Clean white clouds partly covered the shining sun above, leaving just the right amount of warmth for tourists to enjoy the beautiful city's splendor from above water.

Amidst the bustling harbor, a slightly limping young man rushed to board the ship with a classic guitar on his back.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Ni hao, Welcome to beautiful Hong Kong! My name is Jason, please allow me to entertain you with some music!"

Jason pulled the guitar on his back and started to sing a popular song by the new famous American boy singer.

"Baby… baby… ooh, baby…"

Yet despite his seemingly desperate attempt, his singing was not enough to attract any interest from the dozen of tourists on the ship. Seeing his still-empty hat after hours of back-and-forth ferry trips, Jason knew that this simply wouldn't cut it. Therefore, he quickly prepared himself for his other performance.

He took a metal spoon out of his jacket pocket and tapped on the guardrail, making a sound loud enough to attract the ferry passengers' attention.

Clink, clink, clink!

"Ladies and gentlemen! Keep your eyes wide open, you are about to witness magic unfold before your very eyes!"

The ferry passengers on the deck became interested when they heard the word magic. All of a sudden, numerous pairs of eyes gathered and watched the young man's every move with undivided attention.

"I will bend this spoon with just my mind, take a closer look…" Jason said as he held the spoon handle with his thumb and index finger. Then, following the direction of his hand movement, the spoon slowly bent downward.

The passengers gasped in astonishment as they watched the spoon slowly bend and soon enough, the sight of bills and coins being thrown to his hat on the ground evoked a smile on Jason's face.

However, as if the god of luck wasn't satisfied with his performance, a smug-looking man in a black blazer quickly came up to him and checked his pockets.

"Hahaha! Cheap trick, he switched the spoon! This guy is no magician, he's just a lousy street beggar!"

Jason's smile slowly faded into a frown.

Who in the world believed that magic was real? Of course it was a trick, one he was able to perform by virtue of his dexterous hands. Did the man have to embarrass him like that?

"What an ass."

Just as those words barely escaped his mouth, the ferry suddenly shook as it arrived at the port. The impact was enough to throw his limping leg off-balance, pushing him toward the man in a black blazer. Feeling that it was a sign from god, Jason swiftly used his god-given talent and snatched the man's wallet in secret.

"Get the fuck off me, you nasty rat!" The man harshly shoved him away with disgust.

Jason gave a quick apology and hurriedly left the por,t bearing the pain in his right leg. A few seconds after he ran away, he heard the man shout at him from above the deck.

"You fucking thief!! Catch him!!"

The running young man briefly turned and shouted with glee, waving at the man.

"Welcome to Hong Kong!"

Jason might not be fast, but he was agile enough to blend into the crowded streets of Hong Kong. In mere seconds, his figure quickly disappeared from sight. The sun was already starting to set when he arrived at the neighborhood he lived in.

The slums of Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Cramped, run-down, and stuffy. It had become Jason's daily sight.

As he was walking up the painful 20-level stairs, Jason pulled out the wallet he just snatched and calculated the income he earned today.

"1, 2… Tsk! Only $500?! It's not even enough to pay rent, let alone for food and medicine!" the young man unhappily grumbled under his breath.

He stuffed the money into his trouser pocket and threw the now-empty wallet in the trash. His good mood was dampened, and his temper couldn't help but worsen when he remembered a certain dead-drunk gambler who had left him with a lot of debt—his father.

Jason grumbled and lit a cigarette to quell his anger. As he puffed out the cigarette smoke, his eyes involuntarily landed on a bright billboard just a few buildings away. On it was the face of a new rising star, Vivian Tan.

"You are so famous now"

A slight pleasant memory came to fill his mind, enough to calm his nerves. After another puff with his eyes on the board, Jason entered the apartment in a much better mood.

"Mei Ling, I'm home."

The apartment door closed with a thud, but no reply came from inside. All he could see was a dark, empty room.

Jason became anxious.

"Mei Ling…."

Out of nowhere, a figure stealthily approached from a corner.

"Happy 19th birthday!" a young girl suddenly exclaimed with a bright smile, a candle-lit cupcake in hand.

Jason reflexively jumped back a little, but his surprise turned pleasant when he saw his not-so-little sister's face.

He was moved. Even he forgot his birthday because he was too busy making money here and there. His previous disappointment from the lack of income was quickly replaced by a burst of warmth.

Jason immediately gave his sister a big hug, and the two had a little party filled with laughter.

Unfortunately, the festivity was cut short by a sudden phone call.

"Mister Jason Chan, we are calling you today to inform you regarding your mother. She just got another lapse and we need to do another chemo, please come to the hospital right away to handle the administration."

Two bad news struck him in the same sentence; the health of his mother and another urgent need for money.

Seeing the sudden change of expression on her brother's face, Mei Ling also became worried.

"Brother, what's wrong?" she quickly asked right after the call was hung up.

Jason tried to smile to assure her it was nothing for her to worry about, but he only managed to squeeze out a stiff smile. In the end, he decided to lie to put the girl's mind at ease.

"Sorry, Mei Ling, but I forgot something at work. I have to go now."

Before he left, Jason secretly went toward the bookshelves and took all the money he had saved up. 12,000 HK dollars was probably not enough to pay for chemotherapy, but he was ready to beg for some kind of installment payment.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth before sleeping, and don't wait for me!"

After saying those words, Jason rushed to the hospital as quickly as he could, once again gritting his teeth through the pain in his leg.

However, just another intersection away from the hospital, Jason promptly stopped in his tracks. His eyes caught sight of two fierce-looking figures hanging out in the middle of the alley. They had tattoos all over their bodies, and it was clear at a glance that they were not to be messed with.

"Fuck!!" Jason involuntarily cursed. He recognized those two people.

Meanwhile, the two people on the other side seemed to have noticed him as well. The moment their eyes met, the figure with a revealing bull tattoo on his chest walked up to him.

"Got the money, you little bastard?!"

Jason put on a smile. "Brother Bull… I will, I will definitely give you the money, of course. I still have a week before the deadline, right?"

To his despair, the other man took out a steel rod he had hidden behind his body. "Look at your smirking face. We know you have the money today, and we want it."

Unbeknownst to Jason, a huge man twice his size person had already arrived behind him. The man gave him a heavy punch, sending him straight down to the ground.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His limbs, body, and head, the three men made sure not an inch of his body was left clean. They even paid extra attention to his limping leg, kicking and stomping it until they could no longer tell its original complexion.

The incessant, merciless beating continued until he almost lost consciousness, and it was only when he looked half-dead that they let him go. Of course, they didn't forget to ransack his body.

They took all the money and the watch he just got today, in exchange for glaringly obvious bruises all over him.

"Wow, look what we have here. You brought so much, you're making Brother Bull so happy."

"Please… that's for the hospital.."

"Ohh, really? I'm so sorry… you really should've said so."

The bull-tattooed man then threw him a $50 bill. "This is for treating the wounds, kid. You're lucky I'm generous." He laughed before leaving Jason lying on the ground in pain.

Jason's vision was blurry as he watched the three men walk away. He was still able to retain his consciousness, but standing up already tore his body with pain.

Still, he walked with his hands leaning against the wall to support his bruised body.

After gritting his teeth through the pain and pushing himself, Jason finally arrived at the hospital entrance with wobbly steps and blood on his face.

The hospital receptionist received a shock upon seeing him. She was ready to call a nurse to help him, but knowing that it would cost more money he didn't have, Jason rejected it and simply asked about his mother.

After talking to the administration, he was finally able to hear more about his mother's condition. Apparently, the doctor had to put her on hold because of payment and now she was in critical condition and might not pass the night.

"We will put her under surveillance tonight, if her condition stabilizes tomorrow, the doctor will consider another treatment."

There he was, sitting next to his unconscious mother. As his eyes stayed on the person on the hospital bed, memories of his early youth once again resurfaced. Vibrant memories of his younger self with his mother, in a very different life where money was not of concern.

But now… her complexion was almost ashen, and it seemed as if the years had far overtaken her. She had become much thinner than the person in his memories, and even the blue veins under her skin were visible at a glance. The only thing convincing him that she was still alive was her faint breathing and the heart monitor next to him.

Jason felt suffocated. Since when did things become like this? The world had lost all its colors, and it felt as if the world was trying to rob him of his everything.

Wasn't there a god up there who could help him? Couldn't they show him just a little benevolence?

It doesn't have to be a god… anyone…

"Even if I have to renounce god and sell myself to the devil, I will, please let my mother live" he subconsciously muttered. His eyes were blank, devoid of hope.

All of a sudden, his body suddenly shivers as he felt an intimidating aura, followed by an eerie whisper that echoes in his ear,

"Jason… I have heard your desire"

"Who's there?" Jason stood and looked around the wards, but saw no one around.

What came next was a scorching pain that struck his left palm. He initially thought it was from the beating he received today, but moments later, he realized this wasn't the case.

"Arrggghhh!!!"

The pain was completely different; it was as if molten steel was being forcefully pressed onto his palm, trying to meld itself with his hand. Jason reflexively checked his palm when the pain died down, and to his shock, he saw a glowing pentagram symbol at its center.

At the same time, the eerie voice spoke once again

"You shall get what you desire if you can pass the trial"

"Who are you? What are you!?"

What came to his ear this time was a different sound, a mechanical female voice went straight into his mind.

[Your Devil Avatar's trial starts now]