Chapter 3: The Shadow
Ela spent the whole evening glowing. She kept looking at her new phone and then at me, her eyes bright with a mix of relief and a strange, lingering hunger. We ate a "celebration dinner" of expensive takeout she ordered, but her gaze never left me for long.
"Theon," she said, leaning across the small table. "I still can't believe it. This investor... it's like a miracle. I can finally give you everything."
"You already gave me everything five years ago, Ela," I said, keeping my voice steady.
She reached out and squeezed my hand, her grip almost too tight. "I'll never let anyone look down on us again. Especially you. If any woman tries to crawl toward you now that we have money, they'll have to go through me first."
I gave her a dense, brotherly smile, but inside, I was shivering. System was right. She's not just protective; she's staking a claim. Every girl who had ever tried to talk to me in college had vanished or "moved away" after a short chat with Ela. I used to think she was just looking out for my studies. Now I realized she was guarding her territory.
If I didn't have this System, I would have spent my whole life oblivious to the fact that the "Princess" of our house wanted to be my Queen.
The Destiny Shop
That night, while Ela slept soundly for the first time in years, I sat on the edge of my bed and called out.
"System, open the Destiny Shop. I need to become the man who can stand behind her."
[Ding! First-time access granted. All initial purchases are discounted to 1,000 Destiny Points.]
A holographic menu flickered in the dark room, categorized into neat rows:
Combat Skills
Intelligence Skills
Tech & Blueprints
Medicines & Alchemies
Armors & Artifacts
I looked at the Combat section. Part of me wanted to become a master martial artist immediately, but then I looked at the kitchen where Ela had been counting cents just hours ago. In this world, a sword can kill a man, but a Business Empire can crush a nation.
"Let's go with Intelligence," I whispered. "I'm a graduate, sure, but Earth's logic doesn't always apply to this supernatural market."
[Ding! Intelligence Section Open. Three options available:]
Academic Genius (Mid-Tier): Master all sciences and mathematics.
Business Acumen (God-Tier): Unique Perk: Can be shared with one linked individual.
World Language & Supernatural Script: Read ancient runes and speak every tongue.
"Number two. No question," I said. "Share the link with Ela."
[Ding! God-Tier Business Acumen integrated. Integrating with Target: Ela Vance...]
[Success. You and Ela now possess the 'Eye of the Market'. You can see patterns, predict crashes, and spot opportunities that even the oldest Merchant Sects would miss.]
I felt a sudden rush of clarity. The way the world worked—the flow of dollars, the value of mana-stones, the hidden corruption in the local trade guilds—it all laid bare in my mind like a map.
The Week of Freedom
I needed to move. I couldn't build an empire while Ela was watching me like a hawk. Tomorrow was Saturday, her first day off as the new Director. She'd want to spend every second with me.
"Ela?" I called out the next morning as she was making breakfast, looking more beautiful than ever in a silk robe I'd had the bank agent send her.
"Yes, Theon?" She turned, a spatula in her hand and a soft smile on her face.
"I was thinking... since you're so busy with the new job, I should head back to the village for a week. Mom and Dad haven't seen me in a while, and Fedric's back has been bothering him. I want to help them out around the house."
Ela's smile faltered. The air in the room felt slightly heavy. "A whole week? I just got this new position. I wanted to take you out, buy you some real clothes, maybe see a show..."
"I'll be back before you know it," I said, putting on my best 'innocent little brother' act. "Besides, you need to focus on the office. You're a Director now. You have a reputation to build."
She sighed, her shoulders dropping. "Fine. But you call me every night. If I find out you're talking to any village girls, I'm driving down there and dragging you back by your ear. Understand?"
"Crystal clear," I laughed, though a sweat drop rolled down my neck.
Hiring the Hand
I left an hour later, but I didn't go to the bus station. I walked into the city's elite "Headhunter Guild." If I was going to be the shadow husband of the Business Empress, I needed an assistant.
"System," I thought. "I need a worker. Someone loyal, someone brilliant, and—most importantly—he cannot be a woman."
I wasn't taking any chances. If Ela found a beautiful secretary around me, she'd probably burn the city down.
[Ding! Searching for 'The Perfect Steward'...]
[Target Found: Silas Vane. An ex-financial genius of a fallen Great Family. He was betrayed and left for dead. He values loyalty above his own life.]
I walked toward a quiet park bench where a man in a tattered but clean coat sat feeding birds. He looked broken, but his eyes were like flint.
"Silas Vane?" I asked.
He didn't look up. "If you're here to collect a debt, I have nothing."
"I'm here to give you a debt," I said, sitting down beside him. I handed him a Titan-Grip phone. "I want you to be my hands in the light. I have twenty-five billion dollars and a sister who needs to become an Empress. Do you want to help me rewrite the fate of this world?"
Silas looked at the phone, then at me. For the first time in years, the fire in his eyes sparked.
"What's the first move, Sir?"
"Buy the Awiebo Refinery," I said, my voice cold. "My father works there. I want him to own the place by sunset."