I stood there, watching Grubbs sneer at my father. The man represented everything wrong with the Great Market Realm—arrogance fueled by a little bit of petty power. He had no idea that the "old man" he was insulting was now his ultimate employer.
"Theon, stay out of this," my father, Fedric, whispered. His voice was tired, the sound of a man who had been beaten down by the system for too long.
Grubbs stepped closer, smelling of cheap cigars. "You heard the boy, Vance. He's got a big mouth. Maybe I should fire you right now just to teach him a lesson about how the world works."
I didn't flinch. Instead, I looked at my watch. Three... two... one.
Right on cue, the radio in Grubbs's car crackled to life, and his phone began to scream with a high-priority alert. Grubbs frowned, pulling the device from his pocket.
"What now?" he grumbled. He swiped the screen, and I watched his face go from a smug red to a ghostly, translucent white.
"What? A total ownership transfer?" he gasped into the phone. "To who? The Vance Trust? Who the hell is—"
He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes darted from the phone to the nameplate on our mailbox, then back to my father.
"Mr. Grubbs?" my father asked, confused. "Is something wrong?"
Grubbs didn't answer. He looked like he was about to vomit. The alert on his screen was clear: The Awiebo Refinery has been acquired. All management is to stand down pending review by the new majority shareholders: Fedric and Miraz Vance.
The Hidden Hand
"I... I have to go," Grubbs stammered. He didn't even look at us. He scrambled back into his car, nearly tripping over his own feet, and sped away as if the Dungeon itself were chasing him.
My father blinked, staring at the dust cloud. "What was that about?"
"Maybe he realized he's a jerk, Dad," I said with a shrug. "Let's go inside. I want to see Mom."
Inside, the house felt small but warm. My mother, Miraz, hugged me so hard I thought my ribs might crack. We sat down to a simple meal of stew, and for a moment, I almost forgot I had trillions of dollars in a void account.
But then, the "Boss Lady" called.
My phone vibrated on the table. The caller ID showed a heart emoji next to the name Ela. I felt a cold sweat prickle my neck.
"Hello?" I answered, trying to sound like I was lounging in the village.
"Theon," Ela's voice came through, sharp and buzzing with energy. "You won't believe what's happening. I just got a call from a legal firm called Future Trust. They told me I've been appointed as the CEO of a new conglomerate called Future Life."
"Wow, really?" I said, feigning the most "dense" voice I could muster. "That sounds... big. Is it like your other job?"
"It's massive, Theon! They transferred 200 billion dollars into the operational account. Two hundred billion! I have the power to buy half the city! And the best part? The board of directors told me I have total autonomy. I can build the world I want for us."
"That's amazing, Ela. You deserve it."
"I do," she said, her voice dropping into that possessive, low tone that always made my heart race. "And now that I have this power, I'm going to make sure no one ever touches you. I'm hiring a private security team for the house in the village today."
"Wait, no! Ela, that's too much—"
"It's already done," she said firmly. "I'm the CEO, Theon. I make the rules now. And when you get back next week, we're moving. I bought a penthouse in the city. You're staying with me."
I looked at my father, who was happily eating his stew, unaware that he was a multi-billionaire. I looked at my mother, who was mending an old shirt.
"Okay, Ela," I whispered. "Whatever you say."
The First Step of the Shadow
After the call, I stepped out onto the porch. Silas had sent me a message.
Silas: The Refinery management is in a panic. They think your father is a hidden mogul. How do you want to handle the 'reveal'?
Theon: Don't reveal anything. Tell the lawyers to say the 'Vance Trust' is a silent partner. Let my parents keep their jobs if they want, but give them 'Consultant' titles and a million-dollar monthly 'stipend' disguised as a pension.
I closed the phone and looked toward the horizon, where the Monsters Den loomed like a dark cloud. I had the money. I had the business. But I still didn't have the strength.
"System," I thought. "Open the shop. I need to buy that martial skill. If I'm going to be the Shadow Husband of the Empress, I can't just be a man with a bank account. I need to be a god."
[Ding! 1,000 Destiny Points spent.]
[Integrating: 'Dragon's Breath Internal Arts'...]
A surge of heat exploded in my chest, flowing through my veins like molten gold.
Integrating the Dragon's Breath Internal Arts felt like swallowing a sun. My muscles tightened, and for the first time, I could feel the "flow" of the world—the vibration of the earth and the hum of mana in the air. I wasn't just a man with a bank account anymore; I was a weapon.
"If I want more Destiny Points," I mused, looking at my parents sleeping peacefully in the next room, "I have to do more than just make them rich. I need to change the lives of the thousands who suffer like we did."
I tapped my phone, calling Silas. "Silas, set up a charity fund. Name it the Vance Foundation. Use it to build hospitals and schools near the Dungeons. I want every orphan and sick worker to have a chance. That should stir the pot of fate."
"A noble move, Sir," Silas replied. "But we have a situation. Now that the Awiebo Refinery has shifted ownership and the Future Life group has appeared out of nowhere, every bigshot in the country is scrambling. I have a desk full of Supreme VIP Black Cards sent by banks begging for your business."
"Forget the bigshots for now," I said. "And the banks? Why join one when we can own one? Buy a mid-sized bank with a solid reputation. Remodel it into the Future Bank. It will be the heart of our empire. Discuss the details with the CEO. She needs her own Black Card—the kind that has no limit."
Moving the Foundation
The biggest challenge wasn't buying a bank; it was convincing my parents to leave their home. I called Ela to plan the "extraction."
"Theon, I've already picked out a villa for them," Ela said over the phone, her voice full of excitement. "It's in the 'Green Zone' of the city, right near my new office. It has top-tier security and a garden for Mom."
"They're stubborn, Ela," I warned. "They think they're still needed at the refinery."
"Leave that to me," she said with a playful, yet sharp tone. "I'm the CEO now. They can't say no to me."
A week later, at the end of my visit, a fleet of sleek black cars rolled into our dusty village. The neighbors peered out of their windows as the doors opened. Ela stepped out, looking every bit the "Empress." She wore a tailored purple suit and dark glasses, her aura so commanding that even the village elders bowed their heads.
"Mom, Dad," Ela said, walking up to the porch and taking their hands. "I've been appointed CEO of the Future Life Group. My first act was to secure your retirement. The refinery is in good hands, but I need you in the city. I can't focus on running a conglomerate if I'm worried about you living so close to the Dungeon."
My father looked at the cars, then at me. I just gave him a "dense" shrug.
"If our girl is the big boss now," Fedric said, his eyes misty, "I suppose we shouldn't get in her way."
The Empress and Her Shadow
The drive back to the city was silent and comfortable. My parents marveled at the leather seats and the built-in mana-coolers. Ela sat next to me, her hand resting firmly on my knee. She didn't let go once.
"Here," she said, handing me a sleek, matte-black card. "The bank agent sent these for the family. It's a Supreme VIP card. You can buy whatever you want, Theon. Anything."
I looked at the card. It was the same one I had secretly ordered Silas to give her. I feigned a look of awe. "Wow, Ela. This looks expensive. Are you sure I won't go broke using this?"
She leaned in, her perfume filling my senses. "You couldn't go broke if you tried. I'm making sure of that."
As the city skyline appeared, dominated by the new Future Life towers, I felt the System ping in my mind.
[Ding! Destiny Changed! Your parents have moved from the 'Path of Poverty' to the 'Path of Longevity'.]
[Reward: 5,000 Destiny Points.]
[New Shop Items Unlocked: 'Shadow Guard' Summoning & 'Aura Concealment' Art.]
I smiled. With Aura Concealment, I could practice my martial arts right under Ela's nose, and she'd never know her "little brother" was the strongest man in the room.
"Welcome to your new life," Ela whispered, looking at the city she now partially owned.
"Welcome indeed," I replied, my eyes fixed on the shadows where I would build her throne.