INFINITY MONEY SYSTEM: Buying My Way to the Watchers' Legion

CHAPTER 2

 

The morning sun cast long shadows across the academy plaza as hundreds of onlookers gathered, eager to witness Marco Deluca's inevitable humiliation. Whispers and mocking laughter filled the air.

"That fool actually showed up!"

"He's about to learn what happens when dirt pretends to be gold."

Isabella Moretti stood at the center like a statue carved from ice, her white hair gleaming in the sunlight. Her expression remained perfectly neutral, though her eyes glinted with cold anticipation of watching another arrogant nobody crumble.

Marco approached with steady steps, reaching into his coat. From within, he produced a leather storage pouch—standard issue for merchants, unremarkable in every way. He tossed it casually to Isabella.

She caught it with one hand, her lip curling in disdain. "Is this your idea of a joke, you pathetic—"

The words died in her throat as she opened the pouch. Golden light erupted from within, bathing the entire plaza in warm radiance. Inside, perfectly organized and gleaming, sat exactly one hundred thousand gold coins.

The plaza fell into shocked silence.

Isabella's ice-blue eyes widened—the first crack in her perfect composure. Her fingers trembled slightly as she ran them through the coins, her mind racing to comprehend what she was seeing. This amount could fund a small kingdom's military for years.

"One hundred thousand gold coins," Marco said calmly, his voice carrying across the stunned crowd. "As promised. I believe we had an agreement, Lady Isabella."

Her shock transformed rapidly into cold fury—not at being proven wrong, but at the implications. She'd given her word before witnesses. An oath from Duke Moretti's daughter was binding. And she'd just promised to accept this... this nobody into her elite legion.

Her jaw tightened. "You actually—" She stopped herself, regaining her composure with visible effort. When she spoke again, her voice dripped with icy contempt. "Having money doesn't make you less worthless, Marco Deluca. The Watchers' Legion requires strength, talent, power. You possess none of these. You'll be nothing but dead weight—a useless burden dragging down my warriors."

Marco met her gaze without flinching. "Money solves problems, Lady Isabella. Your warriors need equipment? I'll buy it. Need training facilities? I'll build them. Need rare cultivation resources? I'll purchase them by the cartload." He smiled slightly. "Everything has a price. Even power."

"You arrogant fool!" Her voice cut like a blade. "Do you think gold coins can replace years of training? Decades of cultivation? You'll die the first time you face a real threat, and I'll have wasted resources keeping a cockroach alive!"

"Then don't waste resources on me," Marco replied evenly. "I'll fund my own development. All I need is membership in your legion."

Isabella's eyes narrowed dangerously. She wanted to refuse, to throw the money back in his face and order him executed for his presumption. But she'd given her word publicly. Breaking it would damage the Moretti family honor far more than accepting one worthless member.

"Fine," she hissed, each word dripping with venom. "Welcome to the Watchers' Legion, Marco Deluca. Try not to die too quickly. I'd hate for my investment to expire before I can recoup it." The predatory gleam in her eyes suggested she had plans for making his life miserable.

As the crowd erupted into shocked discussions, a familiar chime rang in Marco's mind.

[Mission Complete: Flaunt Wealth Before the Masses]

[Reward: 1,000 Luxury Points]

[Luxury Points can be exchanged for cultivation resources, techniques, and power upgrades]

Marco's heart raced. The system was real. Every gold coin spent earning him points toward actual strength. This changed everything.

"Come," Isabella commanded coldly, already turning away. "If you're truly part of my legion now, you'll accompany me to the Manhattan Grand Auction. Let's see how long your fortune lasts when faced with real awakener expenses."

The Manhattan Grand Auction House towered above the city like a cathedral to wealth. Its marble columns gleamed white in the afternoon sun, and armed guards flanked every entrance. Inside, the main hall sparkled with enchanted lights, and plush velvet seats arranged in ascending tiers faced an enormous stage.

Isabella led Marco to a private booth reserved for nobility, her expression smug. "Watch carefully, fool. You're about to learn what real power costs."

The auctioneer, a distinguished man in an immaculate suit, stepped onto the stage. "Welcome, honored guests! Our first item—a mid-grade mana restoration pill. Starting bid: five hundred gold coins!"

The bidding erupted immediately. Within seconds, the price climbed to two thousand gold coins.

Isabella glanced at Marco, expecting to see shock or dismay. Instead, his expression remained perfectly calm, almost bored.

"That pill would take a normal merchant five years to afford," she said coldly. "And it's the cheapest item today. Still feeling wealthy, garbage?"

Marco simply nodded. "Seems reasonable."

Her eyes flashed with irritation. She pulled an ornate scroll from her storage ring—intricate runes glowing faintly across its surface. "This is a B-rank defensive scroll. Worth three thousand gold coins. Consider it a gift, since you'll need protection given your pathetic weakness."

Marco examined the scroll briefly, then handed it back. "Thank you, but no. I prefer to acquire my own resources."

Isabella's hand froze, the scroll still extended. "You're refusing a gift worth three thousand gold? Are you brain-damaged as well as powerless?"

"I have my reasons," Marco replied simply. In truth, accepting charity wouldn't trigger his system rewards. Every coin had to be spent by his own decision.

"Unbelievable," she muttered, shoving the scroll back into her ring. "You're either the stupidest man alive or—" She stopped, studying him with suspicious eyes.

The auction continued. Items worth five thousand, ten thousand, twenty thousand gold coins passed across the stage. Marco watched with genuine interest, mentally calculating.

Then the auctioneer made an announcement that changed everything.

"Distinguished guests, we have a special opportunity tonight. Our anonymous sponsor has authorized a complete buyout option. Any individual who purchases the entire remaining auction at five times the starting price of all items will receive an additional bonus—the legendary Stormcaller Fortress blueprint, capable of accelerating development by decades!"

Isabella leaned forward, her ice-blue eyes gleaming. "That blueprint is priceless. But the buyout would cost..." She calculated rapidly. "At least five hundred thousand gold coins. No one could possibly—"

Marco's hand moved to the enchanted button on his armrest.

"What are you—" Isabella's eyes widened in horror. "Don't you dare, you insane—"

He pressed it.

A deafening gong echoed through the auction hall. Every head turned toward their booth as a massive holographic display appeared above the stage: "COMPLETE BUYOUT - BOOTH #7 - 500,000 GOLD COINS."

The entire auction house erupted into chaos. People stood, shouting in disbelief. The auctioneer's face went pale, then flushed with excitement.

Isabella stared at Marco like he'd grown a second head, her perfect composure shattered completely. "You... you just spent... five hundred thousand..." She couldn't even finish the sentence.

Marco smiled calmly. "You said the fortress development could be accelerated by decades. That seems like a worthwhile investment, don't you think, Lady Isabella?"

For the first time since they'd met, Isabella Moretti was completely, utterly speechless.