The echo of approaching footsteps reverberated across the marbled floor of Skyreach International's private dueling chamber. The spectators—corporate heirs, underground tycoons, digital lords, and political descendants—sat in velvet balconies, sipping rare liquors while waiting for the opening clash in the Billionaire's Arena. It wasn't just a match.
It was war, cloaked in spectacle.
Jason Lin stepped forward into the arena under the spotlight's white blaze. His obsidian suit shimmered with nanothreads woven by Aether Lux Technologies—the very company he now secretly owned through a proxy acquisition made just hours prior. The System's notifications were quiet now, but Jason could feel its presence—a constant rhythm in his mind like a second heartbeat.
Across the field stood Julius Crane, the scion of Crane Conglomerate—an arrogant bastard with a smile carved by wealth and ruthlessness. Julius held a diamond-inlaid AI baton and smirked like he already owned the outcome.
"This is your debut, Lin," Julius called out, his voice smooth like poisoned honey. "Do try not to bleed on the floor. It's antique marble from Caligula's villa."
Jason offered only a slight smirk. "I'll try not to ruin your family's last legacy."
A collective gasp swept through the balconies. The insult had teeth. Julius snarled but recovered quickly. The arena's digital perimeter shimmered as combat protocols activated. This wasn't physical combat—it was something far more dangerous: strategic economic warfare, gamified for entertainment and destruction.
[Billionaire's Arena Simulation: Match Start]
A translucent interface unfurled in the air between them.
Asset Draft Phase Initiated…
Julius selected first.
"Crane Seaboard Shipping. Asset leverage x3. Applied to Naval Freight Routes: Pacific Quadrant."
Jason narrowed his eyes.
System Prompt:
"Opponent activated Logistics Domination Protocol. Counter-strategy available: Acquire seafloor cable rights beneath Pacific trade lanes."
– Cost: 50 Million USD equivalent
– ROI: 180% projected in 24 hours
– Additional Unlock: 'Data Chokehold' strategy against Crane Seaboard
Jason executed the command in his mind. Instantly, a burst of blue code shimmered in the arena, representing submerged investments being made in real-time. Spectators murmured in awe.
"Whoa. He just countered Crane's play with data infrastructure," whispered one observer. "That's Level 3 strategy."
Jason spoke calmly, "Try playing the long game, Julius. Boats are worthless if you don't control the cables they sail above."
Julius flinched. That wasn't just economic—it was symbolic.
Phase 2: Intellectual Property Showdown
Jason tapped into one of his hidden aces: NeuroMorph Pharmaceuticals—a biotech startup that had recently filed a dozen patents in neural mapping for regenerative therapy. Through System-aided foresight, Jason had acquired it an hour before its discovery of an age-reversal enzyme hit the dark bio-markets.
Julius responded by deploying Crane BioMeds, dumping five billion in synthetic heart cloning rights.
But the System chimed in again:
"Deploy Patent War Protocol: Accelerated Filing Blitz – 27 disputed territories and 19 subcategories."
– Outcome: Crane BioMeds placed under 90-day legal freeze
– Stakeholders panic selling projected within 2 hours
– Reputation damage: Moderate
Jason activated it with a flick of his mental interface.
Across the chamber's virtual screen, thousands of micro-patent filings flooded into the simulation, overwhelming Julius's biotech plays. The crowd went nuts.
"Holy hell! Lin's suffocating him with legal innovation density!"
"Who is this guy? That's Blackroom-level economic warfare!"
Julius's face contorted into rage, but the match wasn't over yet.
Phase 3: Legacy Disruption
In this phase, players could target historical holdings, family-owned assets, or lineage-linked corporations—essentially attacking the foundation of the opponent's wealth.
Jason hadn't planned to use this phase so early in his career. But the System had unlocked a hidden card—an AI-generated dossier on Julius's grandfather's secret Swiss banking violations tied to wartime profiteering.
Jason whispered, "Crane Vault 317."
Julius froze. "You bastard. You wouldn't dare."
Jason raised one hand, and a visual opened in the sky—a projected documentary teaser showing grainy black-and-white footage of Crane's ancestral crimes, recently authenticated and filed into the SimArena under the "Legacy Integrity Clause."
System Confirmation:
"Legacy Collapse Triggered. Julius Crane's lineage asset class drops by 67%. Emotional backlash: High. Stakeholder trust index plummeting."
Julius screamed and launched a desperate counter.
"I'm invoking Phoenix Protocol! Selling all non-liquid holdings for emergency resource acquisition!"
It was a rare move—one that could stabilize or obliterate his position.
Jason waited… until the System notified him that the emergency funds had been routed through a high-frequency trading cluster he had quietly bought via shell companies.
System Alert:
"Opponent's Phoenix Protocol intercepted. Julius's assets rerouted to your shell firm [Obsidian Delta Holdings]."
Jason delivered the finishing blow.
"Thanks for the donation, Julius."
A screen appeared in the air, showing Jason's firm now owning 78% of Crane's Phoenix Protocol liquidation.
Julius collapsed to one knee.
[Simulation Complete: Victor – Jason Lin]
The chamber went wild.
The balconies exploded in roars and disbelieving cheers. Several elite families whispered among themselves, adjusting their assessment of the newcomer. Jason Lin was no longer an unknown billionaire.
He was a threat.
Cassie Yan, watching from the VIP box, crossed her legs and sipped her wine.
"Interesting," she murmured. "The way he dissected Crane… It wasn't just money. It was art."
Backstage: After the Match
Jason stood before the viewing console, sweat lining his forehead despite his composed exterior. The System rewarded him with a flood of notifications.
System Reward
– +480,000 EXP
– Acquired: Title [First Blood Billionaire]
– Unlock: Exclusive Access to Arena Tier 2
– Bonus Unlock: [Underground Investment Circuit – Now Accessible]
But more than the digital gains, he saw something more valuable.
The fear.
Julius had limped out of the chamber. His reputation in tatters, his investors in chaos, and his family's legacy now tied to a scandal Jason could leak at any time.
Jason turned to his silent advisor—Dominic—the ex-merc turned corporate tactician.
"Next target?" Jason asked calmly.
Dominic smirked. "Cassie Yan. But she's not like Julius. She won't fall for brute strategy."
Jason nodded. "Good. I'm tired of prey."
Meanwhile: In the Shadows
From a dark observation deck above the arena, an older man with silver eyes watched the match's aftermath.
He leaned toward a figure in a crimson robe beside him.
"He's real," the older man whispered. "The rumors weren't exaggeration. The System chose him."
The robed figure nodded. "And now that he's drawn first blood, he must be watched. Or harvested."
A metal claw clicked against the floor.
"Let the Council know," the robed man said.
"Jason Lin has entered the game."
System Prompt – Hidden Quest Triggered!
Quest: "Blood and Billionaires – Enter the Underground Investment Circuit"
– Objective: Gain control of three black-market conglomerates
– Timer: 72 hours
– Reward: Unlock Genesis Fund Protocol
– Risk: Permanent Financial Collapse if detected
Jason's eyes burned with purpose.
The game had only just begun.