A Mountain Worth 150 Billion
The auction hall faded behind them.
Golden lights.
False smiles.
And one very unlucky protagonist.
Alex and Raiden Shogun left side by side, fingers still loosely intertwined.
Outside, the night air was cool.
Raiden smoothly took the driver's seat, her posture elegant even while adjusting the mirrors. Alex sat beside her, leaned back, eyes closed—as if the world had already bored him.
The car glided onto the road.
System Notifications
Inside Alex's mind, the familiar mechanical voice rang out.
System Notice:
Host cut off Kael Ravencroft's opportunity regarding the Mountain Land.
Kael Ravencroft's luck reduced by 500.
Host gains 5,000 points.
System Notice:
Host cut off Kael Ravencroft's opportunity regarding a Champion-Level Pokémon.
Kael Ravencroft's luck reduced by 500.
Host gains 5,000 points.
Alex calmly checked.
System Points: 96,000
Protagonist Kael Ravencroft Luck: 2,000
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
So close to the bottom.
A Quiet Message
Alex took out his phone, typed a short encrypted message, and sent it.
To: Evelyn Runcandel
The mountain land contains an evolution-stone mine.
Estimated value: 150 billion dollars.
Send.
He locked the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.
No explanation.
No emotion.
Just facts.
Raiden Notices
Raiden glanced sideways.
"Don't stress yourself too much, darling," she said softly, eyes still on the road.
Alex chuckled.
"No, honey," he replied lazily.
"It's not stress."
Raiden raised a brow slightly.
Then Alex added casually—
"The land I bought… that mountain alone is worth about 150 billion dollars."
Sudden Stop
The car screeched to a halt.
Raiden slammed the brakes.
She turned her head slowly, staring at Alex like she'd just heard a god-level joke.
"…Is that true?"
Alex opened one eye.
"Yes."
Raiden went silent.
Then Alex continued, completely calm—
"And so far, we now have two such assets."
Raiden blinked.
"…Two?"
Alex nodded.
"One is the dungeon land we got as compensation from the Valencrest incident. They still don't know what they lost."
Raiden swallowed.
"And this mountain… is the second?"
"Yes."
He turned his head to look at her.
"Combined value—around 250 billion dollars worth of Pokémon evolution stones."
The car was completely still.
Raiden took a deep breath.
Then another.
"…That's not a business," she said slowly.
"That's a monopoly."
Alex smiled.
"Exactly."
Future Plans
Alex straightened slightly.
"I want a detailed plan for this new venture," he said.
"Extraction, security, market control. Use Runcandel Group resources."
Raiden nodded without hesitation.
"Leave it to me, honey."
Her eyes shone—not with greed, but with excitement.
"This will change the entire Pokémon economy."
Alex closed his eyes again.
"Good."
Raiden restarted the car.
The Runcandel Mansion loomed in the distance.
Behind them—
Kael Ravencroft still believed he had escaped disaster.
Ahead of them—
An empire quietly expanded.