The black sedan moved through the neon-drenched streets of the luxury district. Inside the leather-bound cabin, the partition was up, creating a private sanctuary.
Elena turned to Charles, her expression a mix of awe and a lingering, sharp suspicion. "You didn't just buy a seat at the table tonight, Charles. You humiliated Arthur Miller and forced Julian Thorne's hand. Do you have any idea how dangerous Julian is? He doesn't just own shipping lanes; he owns the people who write the laws."
"He's a man with a problem," Charles said, his gaze fixed on the city lights. "And men with problems are the easiest to deal with. They have a price."
"It's not just money with the Thornes," Elena said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "There are rumors. About his daughter, Lyra. They say she hasn't left their estate in three years. They say she's... changing. Not just sick. Changing."
Charles looked at Elena. The Charisma Passive made the air between them feel heavy, charged with a magnetic pull. "And you? What's your price, Elena? I saved your company. I bought your building. What do you want now?"
Elena's breath hitched. She was a woman who had spent her life negotiating, but she felt like she was playing chess against a grandmaster who was playing a completely different game. "I want to know how you do it. The money... it doesn't move like normal capital. It's like the world just gives you what you want."
"The world is a machine, Elena," Charles said, leaning closer until he could see the gold flecks in her icy blue eyes. "I just found the manual."
He reached out, his hand trailing from her shoulder to the nape of her neck. Elena didn't flinch; she leaned into the touch, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "I'm in your debt, Charles. But don't think that makes me your toy."
"I don't play with toys," Charles murmured. "I invest in assets."
Before she could respond, the car came to a smooth halt. They weren't at his hotel. They were at the gates of the Thorne Estate—a sprawling Gothic mansion tucked away in the hills, surrounded by iron fencings that looked more like a cage than a decoration.
[DING!]
[New Environment Detected: The Thorne Sanctuary]
[Warning: High concentration of 'Unstable Energy' detected.]
The Hidden Lab
Julian Thorne met them at the door. He had stripped off his suit jacket, appearing older and more haggard than he had at the club. "You're late, Reed. And you brought the Vance girl."
"She's my partner," Charles said simply.
Thorne grunted and led them through a series of hidden corridors behind a library. They descended into a subterranean level that looked less like a medical lab and more like a high-tech temple. Rows of servers hummed beside glass vats of shimmering, iridescent fluids.
In the center of the room was a pressurized glass chamber. Inside, a young woman—Lyra—lay on a bed of white silk. She was beautiful, but her skin had a faint, translucent glow, and her hair seemed to drift in the air as if she were underwater.
[Predator's Eye Active]
[Target: Lyra Thorne]
[Status: Afflicted by 'The Silver Blight' (Mana Overload)]
[Cure Cost: $100,000,000 (System Extraction)]
Charles felt a jolt of adrenaline. This wasn't just a "modern" world. The System was showing him the truth: magic existed, but it was a disease for those who couldn't control it.
"She's dying," Thorne said, his voice cracking. "The doctors call it a blood disorder. The occultists call it a curse. I've spent four hundred million dollars trying to stabilize her. Nothing works."
Charles walked up to the glass. He could see the "Blight" moving under her skin like silver mercury.
"I can save her," Charles said.
Thorne spun around, his eyes wild. "You've been in my circle for an hour! I've had the best scientists from Zurich and the best shamans from Tibet. You're just a man with a deep pocket!"
"I'm a man who can buy anything," Charles countered. He looked at the System. He had roughly $84 million. He was $16 million short of the "Cure Cost."
He needed a purchase. Fast.
He looked around the lab. "This equipment. All of it. The servers, the vats, the research data. Who holds the patents?"
"I do," Thorne said, confused. "But it's worthless if she dies."
"I'll buy the entire research division and this facility right now," Charles said. "Eighty million dollars. Cash."
Thorne looked at him like he was a madman. "Eighty million? That's nearly your entire net worth."
"Sign the transfer, Julian. Or watch her fade."
Thorne didn't hesitate. He pulled up the digital transfer on the lab's main console. Charles pressed his thumb to the scanner.
[DING!]
[Massive Purchase Detected: $80,000,000 (R&D/Real Estate)]
[Commencing Spin...]
The golden wheel appeared, but this time it was different. It glowed with a violent, crimson light, sensing the high stakes.
[Multiplier Result: 3x!]
[Calculation: $80,000,000 x 3 = $240,000,000]
[Processing Rebate...]
[New Balance: $244,180,000]
The rebate hit his account like a thunderclap. Charles didn't even blink at the number. He immediately navigated to the System's 'Market' tab, which had just unlocked.
[Purchase: 'Silver Blight Neutralizer' (System Extraction)]
[Cost: $100,000,000]
[Confirm?]
Charles hit Confirm.
[Spinning for Rebate on System Purchase...]
[Multiplier Result: 2x!]
[Rebate: $200,000,000]
Charles almost laughed. He had just spent $100 million to save a girl, and the System gave him $200 million back for the "trouble." His balance was now a staggering $344 million.
In the real world, a pulse of golden light erupted from Charles's hand. He stepped toward the glass chamber and placed his palm against it. The silver veins in Lyra's skin began to vibrate, then slowly, they were sucked toward the point where Charles touched the glass, vanishing into nothingness.
The monitors flatlined for a second, then began to beep with a steady, healthy rhythm. Lyra's hair settled. The translucent glow faded into a healthy, rosy hue. Her eyes fluttered open—clear, deep violet eyes.
She looked directly at Charles.
[DING!]
[Bond Initiated: Lyra Thorne]
[Affection Level: 50/100 (Soul-Bound/Life Debt)]
[Note: Lyra Thorne possesses 'Arcane Sensitivity'. She can see your System Interface.]
Thorne fell to his knees, sobbing. Elena stood in the corner, her hand over her mouth, looking at Charles as if he were a god walking among men.
Charles pulled his hand back, feeling the raw power of the System coursing through him. He turned to Thorne. "I own the research now. And I think Lyra needs a change of scenery. She's coming with me."
Thorne didn't even argue. He would have given Charles his soul in that moment.
Lyra sat up, her gaze never leaving Charles. "I saw the wheel," she whispered, her voice like a silver bell. "You... you're the one who plays with the numbers."
Charles smiled, a dark, triumphant expression. "I'm the one who owns the house, Lyra. And the house always wins."