Hey, Butler."
"What is it, Young Master?"
"Tell the maids to get two guest rooms ready. They need to help those girls to bed—make sure it's the female staff, strictly. I'm going to be busy in the cultivation room, so don't let anyone knock unless the house is burning down."
"Understood, Young Master."
Marcus didn't wait for a reply. He headed straight for his private room, the heavy door thudding shut behind him. The place smelled like old incense and expensive tech, but he barely noticed. He just wanted to see what he'd won.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, his shadow flickering against the wall. "Alright, System... show me the goods."
[System rewards granted.]
It wasn't a gentle feeling. Marcus felt a sudden, hot snap in his veins—like his blood had turned into boiling liquid gold. He gasped, his vision blurring as his heart hammered against his ribs. It felt like his skin was too tight for a second, then... pop. Everything went clear.
[Breakthrough: 5th Layer of the Mortal Realm!]
[Bonus: Mercy shown to hostile targets.]
[Title Progress: 'Son of Destiny' status confirmed.]
(Not bad,) Marcus thought, wiping sweat from his forehead. He clenched his fist, feeling a heavy, solid weight behind his muscles that wasn't there before. (With this, I won't just fight demons—I'll erase them.)
[Familiar 'Merlin' upgraded: Level 3 Beast.]
[New Skill: Telepathic Link unlocked.]
[Rewards: 200 Destiny Points / 1 Life-Saving Pill.]
Then, the interface glitched, flickering red.
[Upgrading to Independent System...]
[90%... 100%.]
[Upgrade complete. I'm a partner now, not just your personal Google. Try not to be too pathetic, Host.]
Marcus let out a dry laugh. "So you've got an attitude now? Great."
Before he could argue with the machine, a high-pitched scream tore through the house.
"Ahhhhhhh! Where the hell am I?!"
Marcus groaned, pushing himself up. "Butler! Bring them down here!"
He walked out to the living room just as the two girls were coming down the stairs. Isabella looked like she was trying to be polite, but Seraphina looked like she was ready to set the curtains on fire. She was red-faced and shaking.
"You!" Seraphina pointed at him, her voice cracking. "You changed my clothes, didn't you? You creep!"
"Relax," Marcus said, not even looking at her. "I didn't touch you."
"There is nothing to relax about! I wake up in a mansion wearing a different outfit—what did you do?"
The Butler stepped in, his voice like ice. "Miss, please. The Young Master gave strict orders. The maids handled everything with professional care. No man entered your room."
Marcus leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Exactly. I'm rich, Seraphina, not desperate. Check your ego."
Seraphina opened her mouth to snap back, but nothing came out. She just stood there, twitching.
"Thank you," Isabella said, stepping over and ignoring her friend's tantrum. "For saving us. Truly."
"See? Isabella actually has a brain," Marcus said.
"But why?" Isabella asked, looking him in the eye. "We tried to kill you. Why bother?"
"I felt like it. Call it a whim."
"Well, I'm still pissed," Seraphina muttered, looking at the floor.
Marcus walked toward her. He didn't rush, but he let his 5th Layer pressure leak out just a little. The air in the room got heavy. Seraphina actually shivered when he got close.
"Some people are just ungrateful," Marcus said, his voice dropping low. "You're alive because I allowed it. If you'd rather go back to that hole and rot, the door is right there."
Seraphina went quiet. Real quiet. She didn't look him in the eye anymore.
"So," Marcus said, breaking the silence. "What's the plan? You leaving or what?"
"I don't know," Seraphina said, her tone suddenly changing. She did a weird little hair flip and tried to look seductive, leaning toward him. "Maybe we just stay here for a bit? This place is nice."
"Stop that. You look like you're having a stroke," Marcus said flatly.
(Is he blind?) Seraphina thought, fuming internally. (I'm a literal goddess and he treats me like a nuisance!)
Isabella ignored the drama. "You've done a lot for us. I'd like to be friends, if you'll have me."
(System, can I trust her?)
[I'm a System, not a therapist. Don't ask me for social tips. It's a waste of my RAM.]
Marcus smirked. "You really are human now, aren't you?"
"She's worth keeping around, Master."
Marcus jumped. "Who said that?"
"It's Merlin. You named me, remember?"
"Oh. Right. The telepathy thing."
"I've got 'Fate Sense' now. Her destiny is tangled up with yours. Don't let her walk away yet."
"Fine," Marcus said, turning back to Isabella. "I'm Marcus Jean. We can be friends."
Isabella actually smiled, a small blush hitting her cheeks. "Nice to meet you, Marcus."
"Yeah, yeah, you guys are cute," Seraphina cut in, trying to regain the spotlight. "I guess I'm in too. Friends, right?"
"No comment," Marcus replied. "Hold on, my phone's buzzing."
While Marcus stepped away, Seraphina started touching the gold-trim furniture. "So you're actually this loaded? Is that why you acted like I was nothing?"
Marcus looked back over his shoulder. "No. You're just not worthy of my table yet. Work on that."
Seraphina stamped her foot so hard the floor vibrated. "I'm staying here just to annoy you now!" She stormed back upstairs.
Isabella's phone rang a second later. She answered it, but as she listened, the color drained from her face. She looked like she was going to faint.
"Miss... your grandfather... he's stopped breathing. You need to come home. Now."
"What?!" Isabella's voice was a whisper. "I'm on my way!"
To be continued!!!!