I left the compound grinning like a man who just won the lottery—except my prize wasn't money. It was ten promising recruits and a golden ticket to build my own guild packed with A Rank right off the bat.

Master Tang had been true to his word in the end—he agreed to every condition I set. He even laughed when I insisted on the "female and good-looking" part, though he slipped in one final jab before I left.

"You can flirt all you want," he uttered while stroking that ridiculous beard of his, "but don't expect them to fall for your charm so easily. I'm sending women from the orphanage."

At the time, I just chuckled. "I'm very respectful to women. I would never lay a hand on anyone who didn't want me to."

But the more I heard about the place, the more I realized he wasn't joking. The orphanage wasn't just some random charity—it was the same place Alexa came from.

It's basically a training ground. The orphanage raises children strictly and pushes them hard from a young age.

When they awaken—they become combatants who fight for the order.

The normal ones still play vital roles, handling support work like medicine, engineering, logistics, and research. Together, they form the entire system that keeps everything running.

I even heard that some of the wealthier members sent their own children there, just to boost their chances of awakening.

Although its effectiveness wasn't proven, the placebo effect still seemed to help their children perform better in many areas.

Frankly, the whole setup felt a little predatory. But I couldn't exactly blame them.

In a world this harsh, a guaranteed bed and a future, no matter how grim, still beat starving on the streets. Survival had its own kind of morality, and it didn't care much for fairness.

"It's getting late," I mused to myself, leaning against the window and letting the city lights blur.

I wasn't too worried about being ambushed anymore—Master Tang had already made some calls right after our meeting.

By now, Sakamoto should've received the memo loud and clear: I was officially under protection.

And if he had enough brain cells, he better pray I didn't have any other enemies, because he would be the prime suspect by default.

Soon, I reached the mansion and was greeted by the maids lined up at the entrance, their posture straight but their eyes uncertain. They weren't sure if I'd keep them or send them packing.

They had served the Mercer family for too long to be discarded like old furniture. Loyalty like that was rare these days, and besides, they already knew the mansion better than I did. Replacing them would've been both stupid and inefficient—two things I try not to be.

"Don't worry," I announced, louder than usual to grab their attention. "No one's getting fired, so you can all breathe easy. I might've lost the Mercer Group, but I'll make an even bigger and better legacy."

A few of them blinked, then let out tiny, relieved sighs, their stiff shoulders finally easing up.

"Thank you, Master," they bowed in unison. Seems I'd already graduated from young master status.

"Ace," Ellie greeted as I stepped inside. She wasn't alone—Ella was with her, and Alice stood beside them, no longer dressed in her usual maid uniform.

I already promoted her to my personal assistant, which meant she could finally wear whatever she wanted.

As for our relationship, I decided to keep it under wraps for now. There was no point stirring gossip before I secured everyone's loyalty.

First, I would turn this household into a circle of absolute followers—then, when the time came, no one would dare question where Alice stood beside me.

And as for the rest of the maids? Well, Daniel had impeccable taste when it came to hiring. It would be a shame not to… share the appreciation.

Around midnight, I quietly slipped past Ellie's room. The door was slightly ajar, and inside, Ella and Alice were already waiting.

I didn't need to push myself—this was familiar territory, and our connection made everything… smoother.

What happened between us wasn't about proving anything; it was about trust, understanding, and keeping our unspoken hierarchy intact.

By the time I left, the three of them were content, especially after tasting my 'Heaven's Rod'.

I returned to my room, letting a small smirk curl on my lips.

***

***

***

The next morning, I was up before sunrise—not because I suddenly developed a work ethic, but because I had an appointment worth showing up for.

The air was still crisp when I pulled up to the training center. From a distance, I could already tell the place was buzzing with activity.

Half the building was wrapped in scaffolding, and workers moved like ants on caffeine, hammering, welding, shouting instructions.

A fresh banner flapped near the entrance: "Under Renovation— Priority Project."

Yeah, that was us. We paid extra to skip the line. When you want results, you don't wait—you buy them.

Amanda was already waiting by the front steps, leaning against a pillar with her arms crossed. Even in the morning light, she managed to look sharp—polished black coat, hair tied back, the kind of posture that screamed she had been up since dawn making other people nervous.

"Morning, boss," she called out as I approached. "Didn't expect you to be this early."

"Neither did I," I admitted, stretching my neck. "But I wanted to see how fast our money's burning."

She smirked. "Efficiently, I'd say. They started the interior last night. By next week, we'll have the basements would be ready for combat simulations."

I glanced up at the building again. The structure wasn't massive yet, but the skeleton showed promise—reinforced alloy plating, impact-resistant walls, even a separate section that looked suspiciously like a miniature coliseum.

"Not bad," I agreed while eyeing the steel framework gleaming in the morning sun. "When we're done, I want this place to make every other training facility look like a gym for amateur."

Her eyes glinted. "Already working on that. We even hired a few Seekers to test the durability of the new floors. You'd like them—they punch things until they break, then hand you the bill."

"More ways to burn money? Perfect. Tell them to go nuts—I'm worried I won't have enough bills to set on fire," I smirked like a man who was angry with his bank account.

Amanda let out a surprised giggle, clearly not expecting that comeback. The corner of her mouth twitched as she shook her head.

"You really have a way with… words," she said, trying—and failing—not to laugh.

I just shrugged, feeling that familiar spark of amusement. Some habits die hard, and spending money I hadn't earned—or didn't exactly deserve? Way too easy.

"I'll throw in another five hundred million for that virtual simulation you texted me about." I paused, checking my phone for the specs and price on the distributor's site. "Get ten of them."

She raised a brow but didn't argue—she had seen me spend worse.

Besides, this was a worthwhile investment—the VR headgear let newbies familiarize themselves with the Towers before even stepping foot inside.

That kind of advantage could mean the difference between living and dying inside the Tower, where anything could happen.

"When this is done," I continued, "contact a marketing company. I want this place all over the feeds before we even open. Glossy ads, promo videos, fake testimonials—whatever it takes to make us look like the second coming of innovation."

Amanda smirked. "So… subtlety's off the table, then?"

"Subtlety's for broke people," I said, grinning. "We're going for a splash"

After we finished our casual talk, we headed straight to one of the training rooms, already in use. Behind a one-way mirror, we watched two figures in the center.

May was locked in combat with another female Seeker.

Normally, a match like this wouldn't even touch her until her third month of training—but this was my building, and my word was law. Rules? I made them, I bent them, and I broke them whenever I felt like it.

BOOOM!

The fight finally began with a thunderous bang, the force of May's first airwave sending ripples shivering through the enclosed room.

Curious, I asked. "Is it just me, or is that attack way too powerful for her rank?"

"So you noticed it too," A proud smile tugged at her lips. "I think she was misranked. Not really uncommon—those tests were never 100% accurate."

"Her strongest skill alone—Air Shock—is very powerful and only takes a couple of seconds to cast. The downside is the energy consumption is extremely high, but that'll become more manageable once she gains more experience."

"Well, that explains it," I leaned back slightly. "No wonder she's outperforming her rank."

It felt good knowing I had actually managed to recruit her out of all those newbies.

However, it didn't take long before her inexperience became apparent.

As a wind user, her movements were minimal, sending long-range attacks from a safe distance. Smart, but too rigid, making her movements predictable.

Not just that—I also noticed that the wind, though extremely strong at the moment of release, lost about 50% of its speed and momentum by the time it reached ten meters.

Her opponent, a barrier-type Seeker, simply stood firm, summoning translucent blue walls that absorbed or deflected every wind attack.

Amanda murmured, leaning closer to the glass.

"She's keeping the pressure up, but her opponent is a A Rank with two years of Tower experience. May's going to need to get more creative if she wants to break through."

I had to agree with her. What she needed right now was to step out of her comfort zone, and actually follow through.

"Stop the fight!"

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