The wind screamed in Ethan's ears as Raven leaned the Ducati so low that his knee nearly scraped the asphalt. Behind them, the roar of the three attack helicopters grew deafening. Their searchlights cut through the dark like the eyes of giant, angry gods.
"Ethan! The bridge is open! We're going to hit the railing at two hundred miles per hour!" Raven yelled over the engine. "If you have a plan, do it now!"
Ethan didn't panic. His mind, enhanced by the System's intelligence points, was working at a hundred times its normal speed. He swiped his hand through the air, and the blue holographic interface of the God-Level Prodigal System materialized, invisible to Raven but glowing fiercely for him.
[Ding! Chase Time: 4 Minutes.]
[Earnings: $40,000,000.00 accumulated.]
"System!" Ethan shouted in his mind. "Open the 'Emergency Logistics' tab. I need a way to clear the sky. Now!"
[Emergency Logistics Menu Loaded.]
[Item: 'Aegis' Drone Swarm (12 Units) — Price: $150,000,000]
[Item: 'Titan' Portable EMP Launcher — Price: $80,000,000]
[Item: 'Icarus' Jet-Propulsion Kit for Motorcycle — Price: $50,000,000]
"Buy the Aegis Swarm and the Icarus Kit!" Ethan commanded. "And pay for 'Instant Quantum Delivery'!"
[Ding! Spending $200,000,000.00.]
[Processing... Approved!]
[Delivery Status: 5... 4... 3...]
Above them, one of the helicopters opened fire. A stream of 50-caliber bullets chewed up the pavement inches behind the Ducati's rear tire.
"They're shooting!" Raven hissed, swerving violently. "Ethan, we're dead!"
"No," Ethan said, his voice dropping to a low, cold growl. "We're just getting started."
Suddenly, a series of high-pitched whirs filled the air. From the roof of a nearby skyscraper owned by the Clarke family's hidden holdings, twelve sleek, silver drones shot into the sky like arrows. At the same time, a heavy, metallic crate slammed onto the back of the moving motorcycle, magnetically locking onto the frame.
[Icarus Jet-Propulsion Kit: Installed.]
[Aegis Drone Swarm: Online. Target: Hostile Air Assets.]
"Raven, don't stop!" Ethan yelled. "Hit the ramp!"
"Are you crazy?! It's a sixty-foot gap!"
"Trust the money!"
Raven gritted her teeth, tucked her head down, and twisted the throttle to the stop. The Ducati screamed as it hit the rising edge of the drawbridge.
At the exact moment of takeoff, Ethan slammed his thumb onto the 'Activate' button on the newly installed kit.
WHOOSH!
Two massive blue flames erupted from the sides of the motorcycle. The bike didn't fall; it soared. It defied gravity, cutting through the humid night air like a cruise missile.
Below them, the river looked like a ribbon of black silk. Above them, the helicopters tried to follow, but they were suddenly intercepted.
The twelve Aegis drones swarmed the lead helicopter. They didn't fire bullets. They moved with suicidal precision, flying directly into the chopper's tail rotor.
BOOM!
The lead helicopter spun out of control, exploding in a ball of orange fire that lit up the entire harbor. The other two pilots flared their birds back in panic, trying to avoid the tiny, relentless killers.
The Ducati slammed onto the other side of the bridge, the suspension groaning as Raven fought to keep it upright. They skidded for fifty feet before she regained control, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"What... what was that?" she stuttered, looking back at the burning wreckage in the sky. "Where did those drones come from?"
"I told you," Ethan said, checking his watch. "I have a very high-end delivery app."
[Ding! Escape Quest Progress: 60%.]
[Earnings: $60,000,000.00 accumulated.]
"Don't slow down, Raven," Ethan warned. "The Yan family isn't going to stop at three helicopters. They've got a billion dollars on my head. Every hitman from here to the Capital is looking for this bike."
"I know a safe house," Raven said, her voice regaining its professional edge. "It's a fortified bunker in the Industrial Zone. If we can get there, we can disappear."
"No," Ethan said. "We're not hiding. If we hide, they think I'm afraid. I want the world to know that the Clarke name is back."
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. It was Luna Valentine.
"Luna, are you safe?"
"Yes, Boss. I'm at the Mall. The security teams are on high alert," Luna's voice was calm but tense.
"Good. Listen carefully. I want you to buy every billboard, every digital screen, and every radio frequency in the city for the next hour. I don't care about the price. Pay ten times the market rate if you have to."
"What do you want me to put on them?"
Ethan's eyes cold, reflecting the neon lights of the passing buildings. "Put my face on them. And a message: 'To the Yan Family: You want my head? I'm at the Grand Plaza at midnight. Bring your entire army. I'll be the one sitting on the throne made of your money.'"
Luna gasped. "Boss, that's suicide! They'll send everyone!"
"Let them come," Ethan said. "I have a billion-dollar budget to spend before sunrise, and I'm going to spend it on their funerals."
The Grand Plaza, 11:55 PM.
The heart of the city was eerily quiet. Usually, the plaza was filled with tourists and late-night shoppers. Tonight, it was a ghost town.
But high above, on the 100-foot-tall LED screens that surrounded the square, Ethan's face stared down at the empty streets. He looked calm, arrogant, and terrifyingly rich.
A black convoy of twenty SUVs pulled into the plaza, forming a semi-circle. Master Yan stepped out of the lead vehicle, his face twisted in a mask of pure fury. Beside him stood a man in a tactical vest, holding a Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifle.
"Where is he?" Master Yan hissed. "He said he'd be here! Where is that little rat?"
Suddenly, the music began to play. It wasn't a battle march. It was classical music—The Blue Danube—pumping through the plaza's massive surround-sound system.
A spotlight hit the center of the plaza.
There, sitting in a gold-plated throne that hadn't been there ten minutes ago, was Ethan Clarke. He was wearing a brand-new, charcoal-gray suit that shimmered with micro-diamonds. In his hand, he held a glass of hundred-year-old cognac. Raven stood behind him, her hand on the hilt of a katana, her eyes scanning the rooftops.
"You're late, Master Yan," Ethan said, his voice amplified by the plaza's speakers.
"You arrogant brat!" Master Yan screamed, pointing a finger at him. "Do you think a fancy chair will save you? Look around! My men have this entire square zeroed in! One word from me, and you'll be nothing but a red stain on that gold seat!"
"Is that so?" Ethan smiled. It was a cold, predatory expression. "You think you're the only one who brought an army? I told you, Master Yan... everything has a price."
Ethan snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, the doors of the surrounding skyscrapers—the banks, the hotels, the office towers—all opened at once.
Thousands of men stepped out. They weren't wearing the Yan family's uniforms. They were wearing high-end tactical gear with a silver lotus emblem on their chests.
[Ding! Asset Acquired: 100% Ownership of the 'Global Mercenary Alliance'.]
[Status: 5,000 S-Rank Mercenaries have arrived at the scene.]
The snipers on the rooftops weren't aiming at Ethan. They were aiming at Master Yan's men. Red laser dots suddenly appeared on the chests of every single one of Yan's guards.
Master Yan's breath hitched. He looked around, his knees trembling. "What... what is this? How did you hire them? The Alliance only works for national governments!"
"The Alliance works for their owner," Ethan said, standing up from his throne. He walked toward Master Yan, the S-Rank 'Aura of the Sovereign' making the air around him feel heavy and suffocating. "And as of five minutes ago, I am the Chairman of the Board."
Ethan stopped three feet from the legendary Master Yan.
"You spent your whole life building a legacy of 'Ancient Wealth,'" Ethan sneered. "But you forgot one thing. In the face of unlimited wealth, your legacy is just a bargain-bin antique."
Ethan reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of $100 bills. He flicked them into the air, the money fluttering around Master Yan like yellow leaves.
"Kneel," Ethan commanded.
"You... you can't talk to me like—"
Ethan's hand moved like lightning. He grabbed Master Yan by the throat and forced him downward.
"I said, KNEEL."
With a sickening thud, the "God of Wealth" from the Capital was forced onto his knees in the middle of the plaza, surrounded by his own defeated army.
[Ding! Ultimate Face-Slap Successful!]
[Reward: +100 Attribute Points.]
[Reward: S-Rank Skill 'Absolute Command' Unlocked.]
[Current Balance: $5,000,000,000.00 (New Daily Budget Unlocked)]
Ethan looked down at the broken old man. "This was my first day as a prodigal, Master Yan. You should be honored. You're the most expensive thing I've bought today."
Suddenly, Raven's radio crackled. Her face went pale.
"Ethan... we have a problem."
Ethan turned around. "What is it?"
"The System... it's not just a spending app, is it?" Raven whispered, looking at her tablet. "Look at the news. The global markets are crashing. Every time you spend a billion, a major bank in the West is collapsing. You're not just spending money, Ethan... you're draining the world's economy."
Ethan looked at the blue screen. A new notification was flashing in a dark, ominous purple.
[Ding! Level 2 System Evolution Triggered.]
[The 'World-Eater' Protocol is now active.]
[New Goal: Spend $100 Billion to purchase the 'First City' or the world economy resets in 48 hours.]
Ethan looked at his hands, then at the city skyline. The game had just changed. It wasn't about revenge anymore.
"Well," Ethan said, a dark glint in his eyes. "I guess I better go shopping for a country."