Stone Kingdom, Stone City.
"Today's the day the legendary immortals arrive in the capital! Word has it they're holding a Recruitment Ceremony to take on new disciples!"
"I heard! But only those between fifteen and twenty years old are allowed to participate."
"Right! Several princes and princesses are going to test their talent today—it's guaranteed to be a grand event!"
The upcoming test was the hot topic at nearly every table in the crowded restaurant, the noisy chatter filling the air.
Marcus listened quietly, taking a bite of his beef.
I reached the capital just in time, he thought, feeling a wave of relief settle over him.
He had traveled for a full month by carriage all the way from a distant, minor town just to make it here. His biggest fear throughout the arduous journey had been missing the ceremony entirely, but fortunately, he had arrived right on schedule.
Marcus finished his meal, paid the bill, and stepped out of the restaurant.
Since the ceremony wouldn't begin for another few hours, he decided to take a stroll through the bustling streets and take in the sights of the imperial capital.
He encountered so many marvels along the way—it was a true eye-opener for him. The food in particular was easily ten times better than anything available back in his home town.
Suddenly, a luxurious carriage rolled into Marcus's field of vision. He stepped aside quickly to clear the path as the surrounding crowd gasped in awe, their eyes fixed on the grand vehicle.
"That's the carriage of the Noble Rugen Family!"
"The Rugen Family! One of the three most powerful martial clans in the Stone Kingdom—famous for their peerless sword techniques!"
Exclamations of shock and reverence erupted all around him, but the noise quickly faded into background static. Marcus completely froze.
In the next second, a crisp, cold mechanical voice resonated directly inside his mind.
[Ding! A female with S-Level Talent has been detected. The 100x Return System is now online.]
[Would you like to bind her as your target?]
Marcus knew instantly what this voice was—it was a System, the iconic cheat power he had read about so often in novels during his first life.
After all, Marcus carried a secret deeper than anyone here could imagine: he was a reincarnator.
Without a second of hesitation, he replied in his heart: "Yes."
[Binding successful!]
[Binding Target: Emma Rugen, Eldest daughter of the Rugen Family.]
[System Rule: Any resource Emma Rugen receives from others will be granted to the host at a 100x multiplier—either enhanced in quality or scaled in quantity.]
[Binding Slots: 1/1 (Break through to higher cultivation realms to unlock additional slots.)]
"This is incredible..." Marcus watched the departing carriage, his eyes sparkling with unchecked excitement.
With an S-Level talent, Emma Rugen was guaranteed to be recruited as a core disciple by whatever sect took her in. She would be showered with rare pills, spirit stones, and high-grade techniques—and every single resource poured into her would ultimately flow right back to him a hundredfold!
"My path to immortality hasn't even officially started yet, and it's already paved in gold" Marcus thought with a silent laugh, stepping into the flowing crowd as he made his way toward the city center where the ceremony was about to begin.
*********************