Cassian rose early the next morning, the suit hanging neatly in his wardrobe. He didn't wear it today. Not yet. He had plans first.
His mind was sharper than it had ever been. Dates. Prices. Opportunities. All of it is clear thanks to the system's gift of Perfect Recall.
'In 2002, most people didn't even understand how big Google or Apple would become. Amazon is laughed at. Bitcoin is a toy. They'll never see me coming.'
The panel lit up.
[Daily Quest: Take your first investment steps → Reward: £20,000. Portfolio Growth Buff +5%]
Cassian's lips curled faintly.
'Perfect timing.'
The bank clerk looked up when Cassian approached the counter. She had served him once before, when he was just another poor student setting up a basic account.
Now his suit was pressed, his watch gleamed faintly, and his smile carried weight.
"I'd like to set up an investment account," Cass said smoothly.
The clerk blinked, then nodded quickly. "Of course, sir. Do you already have an amount in mind to deposit?"
Cass slid a form across the counter. On it was a modest number—just enough not to raise eyebrows. He couldn't reveal the scale of his knowledge yet. Not here. Not now.
Inside his head, his memory replayed exact stock prices.
Apple. 2002. Barely scraping by, mocked for failures. iPhone is still years away.
Amazon. Stock at $15. Years away from becoming a global empire.
Google. IPO coming in two years.
Cass signed smoothly, investing across the three. Enough to be quiet. Enough to start.
[Quest Complete: Take your first investment steps]
[Reward: +£20,000. Portfolio Growth Buff +5%]
Cass's chest warmed at the numbers ticking up.
'Slow and steady. But when the time comes, I'll turn these embers into an inferno.'
From the bank, he walked the streets of Manchester, eyes sharp. Shops, buildings, and corners he remembered from his past life.
Some of them had become million-pound properties by 2010.
Others had crashed, rebuilt, reborn.
His gaze settled on a shabby terrace listed by a struggling realtor. He remembered it vividly. In his last life, it had sat unsold for years before finally being snapped up by a developer and transformed into luxury flats.
The panel shimmered again.
[Opportunity Detected: Property Acquisition]
[Special Offer: Acquire this Salford terrace for £120,000 → Reward: Title Deed + Renovation Credit]
Cass smirked.
'Generous. The system wants me to start building foundations early.'
He stepped into the office. The realtor, a tired man in his fifties, glanced up. Cass's confident smile and clean posture did the rest. Within half an hour, contracts were signed. A house deed rested in his hand.
[Acquisition Complete: Two-Bedroom Terrace, Salford]
[Reward: Renovation Credit + Property Manager's loyalty]
Cass tucked the document neatly into his folder and walked out, the city humming around him.
'First, a home for my parents. Then an empire.'
That evening, Cass returned to the Vale house. His mother was at the sink, his father rubbing tired shoulders after another long shift.
They looked up when Cass placed the deed gently on the table.
"What's this?" Elaine asked.
"A house," Cass said simply. "Ours. Fully paid."
His father blinked in shock. "Cass… are you serious?"
Cass only smiled. "Renovations will be finished before Christmas. You won't be living here much longer."
Elaine covered her mouth. Tears welled.
"Cass… how—"
"Don't ask," he said softly. "Just know that this time, you'll live the way you always should have."
Inside, his thoughts were colder.
'The Ashfords sneered at us like we were dirt. When they see us walk into one of their gatherings with more wealth than they ever dreamed, they'll choke on it.'
The next day, Cassian finally donned the suit. The black fabric hugged him perfectly. The tie knotted effortlessly beneath his steady hands.
He looked in the cracked mirror. His reflection no longer looked like a boy.
The aura of refinement the system granted seemed to radiate from him. Even he could feel it.
[Aura of Refinement Activated]
Cass tilted his chin slightly.
'This suit isn't just clothing. It's armour. From now on, I walk into every room like I own it.'