Harold's voice cracked before the first word even escaped. "S-sir, please, it's not what you think!"

I didn't back down. I leaned in, my presence pressing down on him, ratcheting the tension until every bit of his composure was on the verge of cracking.

He raised both hands, palms out, as if he spotted an invisible gun. I almost felt sorry for him because a bullet would've been mercy compared to the price of crossing me.

"I swear, this wasn't my decision. The branch manager just informed me."

"Who made the offer?" I pressed harder.

"It's the Mythical Guild. I had no authority to refuse it."

Amanda frowned. "The Mythical Guild? From Milestone City?"

Harold nodded so fast his glasses nearly flew off.

"Y-yes! Them! They're planning to expand here. Apparently, they've already purchased the surrounding buildings. They want an entire block for themselves—one massive base of operations. That's why the bank raised the price."

I wasn't familiar with the name, so I glanced at Amanda. "Who the hell are they?"

She sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "The Mythical Guild. They're the same level as the Phoenix Guild."

"Another Tier One?"

"Yeah," she said, her tone darkening. "Normally, big guilds only set up in one or two cities at most, but rumors say Mythical has been expanding really fast. They've already planted bases in four cities, maybe five."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's insane. How the hell are they affording that?"

My mind raced as I tried to recall what my lawyers had told me about guild operations. They weren't experts, but they'd compiled a document so I could get a grip on it.

Even for someone like me, expanding into other cities wasn't simple. Tier One status alone cost tens of billions, and each new branch required a one-billion deposit just to get permission. The rules weren't fair—they were designed to trap most guilds in their home cities.

The reason for this boiled down to resources: though Towers were dangerous, they were also rich in materials and minerals, so rules were needed to prevent monopolies.

Amanda lowered her voice. "Because they're not doing it alone. Word is, they've got backing from DarkRock."

That fucking name again.

If they were backing Mythical, then they were already deep into the Dark side of things—money, politics, and whatever else they were messing with these days.

Because with DarkRock, there was never "just business." There was always rot under the gold.

"Boss, I think we should back down. You're just getting your footing here, and it won't do us any good to piss off a group with that status." s

She was right. I didn't like the idea of dealing with them either.

Besides, if I angered them and they decided to take it out on my future guild members, I'd be screwed. I couldn't protect everyone twenty-four-seven—not with most of them spending half their lives inside the Towers.

Just as I was about to back down, my system finally made it's iconic entrance.

[DING!]

The familiar sound made my eye twitch. It had been quiet for a long time, and now it chose this moment?

[Mission: Hold your ground. Buy this building at all cost and show the Mythical Guild that you are not to be bullied.]

[Be more domineering in every interaction (use intimidation, decisive action, and financial power). Show them why you were chosen to wield the Degenerate System.]

[Reward: Avatar Card]

I read it twice because the system had the nerve to time its sass for maximum inconvenience.

'Of course,' I muttered under my breath. 'Of course you'd show up now, you manipulative piece of...'

More and more, I was starting to believe that some jerk was actually behind my system—messing with me for fun and handing out missions just to see how far he could push my sanity.

Either way, the reward was too damn good to pass up.

"Talk to your manager again," I said slowly, letting each word land like a hammer. "And tell him I'm offering one billion."

Harold's mouth opened, closed, and opened again like a fish out of water.

A billion wasn't pocket change, even with my kind of bankroll. But it was nothing I couldn't earn back once my guild started running.

An Avatar Card, on the other hand? That was a different beast. Practically a guaranteed power-up, the kind that could change the game entirely. No amount of money could replace that.

I tapped my fingers on the table, already picturing the look on the Mythical Guild's faces when they realized who they were dealing with.

"What are you waiting for? Call him now," I ordered. "And tell him this—if he doesn't sell it to me as the highest bidder, I'll personally call the main office and make sure they know exactly how he refused to sell it to me at double the price."

His eyes darted, and he snatched up his phone, fingers fumbling as he dialed a number.

"Sir… Mr. Mercer is willing to buy the building for one billion. That's right—one billion, ten digits," he stammered into the receiver, his voice trembling at the sheer number spilling from his mouth. "Yes… I'm not kidding, and—"

"Give me the phone." My shadow twisted, snatching the device from his trembling hands.

"This is Ace Mercer. I'm buying this building, and I won't take 'no' for an answer. Prepare the paperwork — I'll be there in person to pay. Try to stop me, and you'll regret the day you met me."

I ended the call off before he could answer.

"Harold—come with us to the bank." I stood up, and saw him glued to the chair, every muscle locked. "I said—now!"

"Yes, sir!" He shot up, the chair scraping, fingers twitching as he shoved the phone into his pocket.

Amanda walked beside me. "Boss, are you sure about this?"

"About what?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"You know… fighting this out with the Mythical Guild. I heard their guild master is an S-Rank, infamous for squeezing smaller guilds dry."

Honestly, I didn't want to add another enemy to my list, but my system thrived on chaos—it got bored if I wasn't constantly stressed out.

"Don't lose sleep over it. We're not one of those weak little guilds. If they want to play with fire and burn cash, I'll throw in gasoline in mine, and I'll still be standing when their flames die out."

"Boss—you're that rich?" Harold blurted, awe making his voice wobble. He'd even started saying "boss" to act chummy with me.

I shrugged, casual as if I were talking about the getting a new shoes. "Enough to buy this whole district—and still have billions left over."

Amanda blinked, one eyebrow shooting up. "Wait… what?"

Harold's jaw practically hit the floor. He fumbled with his notes, glanced at me, then back at Amanda. "B -billions? You mean… more than enough to buy, uh… everything here?"

That was a complete lie, but it's not like they knew the real numbers in my bank account.

Besides, I had enough money to lie about my fortune a hundred times over—and everyone would nod like fools just to get on my good side.

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