All Chapters of INFINITY MONEY SYSTEM: Buying My Way to the Watchers' Legion: Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
71 chapters
CHAPTER 21
"You're going to get yourself killed."Marco looked up from the fortress blueprints spread across his desk. Fiora stood in the doorway of his new warehouse headquarters, her arms crossed, her green eyes sharp with concern. Behind her, the renovation crew's hammering echoed through the building—the first wave of workers had arrived at dawn, and the warehouse was already transforming."Good morning to you too," Marco said dryly. "Come in. Close the door."Fiora stepped inside, pulling the door shut behind her. The hammering faded to a distant rhythm. "I'm serious, Marco. Dominic's betrayal has everyone on edge. Lord Vincent knows about your system. Isabella's deadline is sunset. And you're sitting here looking at blueprints like nothing's wrong.""Nothing is wrong." Marco leaned back in his chair. "Dominic is a coward who sold us out because he was afraid of his father. Lord Vincent is a bully who's used to crushing people who can't fight back. And Isabella's deadline?" He smiled. "Isab
CHAPTER 22
"You've been avoiding me."Marco looked up from the stack of renovation reports spread across his new desk. Isabella stood in the doorway of his warehouse office, her white hair catching the lamplight, her ice-blue eyes fixed on him with an intensity that made the air feel heavier."I've been busy," Marco said. "The Undercroft is in six hours. I'm preparing.""You've been avoiding me," she repeated, stepping into the room. "Ever since our conversation about Lord Vincent. About the Royal Intelligence Service. About...""About you being scared?"Her jaw tightened. "I'm not scared.""You are." Marco stood, walking around the desk until he was face to face with her. "And that's fine. I'm scared too. The Undercroft could kill me. Lord Vincent could destroy everything we're building. The King's spies could arrest us both tomorrow." He paused. "Being scared isn't weakness, Isabella. It's honesty."Isabella's composure cracked—just slightly, just for a moment. "I don't know how to do this.""
CHAPTER 23
"The mysterious sponsor has been identified."Marco looked up from the stack of Undercroft preparation notes spread across his desk. Morwen stood in the doorway of the warehouse office, his shadowed face barely visible beneath his hood. Behind him, the night sky pressed against the windows—midnight was approaching."Finally," Marco said, setting down his quill. "Who is it?"Morwen stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "Princess Seraphina. The King's exiled sister."Marco's blood went cold. "The King's sister?""The same." Morwen's voice was low, careful. "She was banished five years ago for attempting to overthrow her brother. Everyone thought she was dead—executed in secret, murdered by the King's agents, something along those lines. But she's been alive this whole time, hiding in plain sight, building a network of allies.""And she chose me.""She chose your system." Morwen pulled a folded parchment from his coat. "This is everything I've been able to uncover about her
CHAPTER 24
"You look terrible."Marco looked up from the stack of Undercroft preparation notes spread across his desk. Isabella stood in the doorway of his warehouse office, her white hair catching the lamplight, her ice-blue eyes sharp with concern. Behind her, the night sky pressed against the windows—midnight was two hours away."Thank you," Marco said dryly. "Your bedside manner is impeccable.""I'm not here to be charming." Isabella stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "Morwen told me about Princess Seraphina. About her offer."Marco's hand stilled on the parchment. "He wasn't supposed to—""He's my spymaster too." Isabella crossed her arms. "You don't get to make decisions like this alone, Marco. Not when they affect the entire legion.""I wasn't trying to—""You were." She cut him off, her voice sharp. "You were trying to protect me. To shield me from the hard choices. And I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't need protection. I need a partner."Marco set down his quill.
CHAPTER 25
"You want me to do what?"Marco looked up from the stack of Undercroft preparation notes spread across his desk. Isabella stood in the doorway of his warehouse office, her white hair catching the lamplight, her ice-blue eyes wide with disbelief. Behind her, the night sky pressed against the windows—midnight was two hours away."I need you to recruit an Adept-rank awakener," Marco said calmly. "Someone loyal. Someone who isn't afraid of Lord Vincent or the King's spies."Isabella stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "You're insane. Adept-rank awakeners don't just grow on trees. They're the elite—the top one percent of the top one percent. They have their pick of employers, and none of them are going to work for a commoner with a fancy system.""Then I won't offer them gold." Marco stood, walking around the desk. "I'll offer them something better.""What?""Purpose." Marco met her gaze. "The Watchers' Legion isn't just another mercenary company. It's going to change the w
CHAPTER 26
"You want me to recruit who?"Marco didn't look up from the stack of intelligence reports spread across his desk. Fiora stood in the doorway of his warehouse office, her green eyes wide with disbelief, her arms crossed in a posture that was equal parts defiance and curiosity."Kaelen," Marco said calmly. "The retired general. He's already agreed to join the Watchers' Legion.""No." Fiora stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "Not Kaelen. The other one. The Adept-rank awakener you asked Isabella to find."Marco finally looked up. "I didn't ask Isabella to find anyone.""Then why is she meeting with a known mercenary captain at the Silver Eagle tavern?" Fiora pulled a folded parchment from her coat. "Morwen's been tracking her movements. Three hours ago, she entered the tavern's back room. She hasn't come out."Marco stood, his heart rate ticking up. "Mercenary captain?""Name's Kaelen. No relation to the general—different spelling, same pronunciation. He runs the Iron Wol
CHAPTER 27
The Undercroft's second level was warmer than Marco remembered—or perhaps the Fire Elemental's presence was affecting the temperature. He stood at the edge of the chamber where he'd left her, the red glow of the walls casting strange shadows across the stone floor.She was waiting for him."Three hundred years," the Elemental said, her voice echoing off the walls. "That's how long I've been trapped in this place. Three hundred years of watching the academy's students come and go. Three hundred years of hoping someone would free me."Marco kept his distance. "Why haven't you freed yourself?""The wards are keyed to human mana. I can't touch them without destroying myself." She stepped closer, her form flickering like a candle flame. "But you can. You have the system—the Infinity Money System. It's the only thing in this world that can bypass the wards."Marco's blood ran cold. "How do you know about my system?"The Elemental smiled—a sad, bitter expression. "Because I was the one who b
CHAPTER 28
The estate's training yard was empty when Marco arrived before dawn. The morning star hung low on the horizon, casting pale light across the frost-covered grass. He had slept only two hours—his mind too full of plans, contingencies, and the ever-present ticking clock of the King's deadline.Kaelen was already there.The retired general stood at the center of the yard, his practice sword held loosely in one hand. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and deliberate. He didn't open them as Marco approached."You're up early," Kaelen said."So are you.""I don't sleep much." Kaelen opened his eyes. "Nightmares.""About Blackwood?""About everything." The general turned to face him. "You want to know why I really joined your legion? Why I left the mountains after a decade of hiding?"Marco nodded. "That's why I'm here."Kaelen was silent for a long moment. Then he walked to the weapon rack and selected a practice blade, tossing it to Marco. "Spar with me. If you land a single hit, I'll
CHAPTER 29
The warehouse was quiet when Marco returned from the palace. Too quiet. His footsteps echoed off the newly reinforced walls, and the workers who had been renovating the space just hours ago were nowhere to be seen. Vargas stood near the entrance, his massive frame tense, his hand resting on his sword.“What happened?” Marco asked.“You have a visitor.” Vargas’s voice was tight. “She’s in your office. She asked for privacy.”Marco’s blood ran cold. He walked toward the stairs, his mind racing through possibilities. When he pushed open the door to his office, he found Princess Seraphina sitting in his chair, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders, her ember-bright eyes fixed on him with an intensity that made the air feel heavier.“You met with my brother,” she said.“News travels fast.”“News is my business.” She stood, walking around the desk. “You offered him a deal. Access to his System Cores in exchange for destroying his enemies. Including me.”Marco didn’t deny it. “I’m playi
CHAPTER 30
The night was cold and silent as Marco made his way back to the warehouse. The meeting with the King had gone as well as could be expected—three days to retrieve the System Cores, or death. But something felt wrong. The streets were too quiet, the shadows too still.Vargas fell into step beside him. "We're being followed.""I know." Marco didn't look back. "How many?""Three. Maybe four. They're good—whoever hired them didn't send amateurs."Marco's hand moved toward the scroll pouch at his belt. "Can you handle them?""I can try." Vargas's voice was grim. "But they're Adept-rank. All of them."Marco's blood ran cold. Adept-rank assassins didn't come cheap. Someone with serious resources wanted him dead."Lord Vincent?""Probably." Vargas glanced back. "They're closing in. We need to move."They broke into a run.The alleyways of Manhattan became a blur as Marco and Vargas sprinted through the darkness. Behind them, footsteps echoed—relentless, unhurried. The assassins weren't chasing