Leveling Up With My Deviant System

The First Target

Cassandra hadn’t asked any questions due to the urgency in Micheal’s tone. They left the association headquarters and walked towards another part of the city. Soon, they stood in front of a modest two-storey building with a rather Victorian-esque style.

“Let’s go in.” Cassandra said to him.

Micheal nodded quietly. He looked composed on the outside, but his mind was raging with thoughts, and his heart quaking with pleas.

A young lady in a simple gown–the receptionist–ushered them to the waiting room upon entering. She explained that the manager would be with them in a moment.

Micheal sat patiently, his palms clasped together.

When the manager arrived, she greeted them with an amiable smile. After all, it was the wealthy folks in the tower that often sought the househelp service.

In her hands was a thick-width book that she opened with grace. She explained to Cassandra, whom she assumed was the rich folk in this case, seeing as Micheal was still a teenager, “As you can see, we have a vast collection of young men and women. We have documented their personalities and skills, so you may surf through and select those who fit your preferences. Then, if they haven’t been hired by a household, you can summon them for a quick interview.”

Micheal immediately grabbed the book from the woman’s hands, causing her to glance at him with disdain.

Cassandra chuckled dryly.

Micheal paid both of them no attention. His eyes scanned through page after page, searching for the familiar name of his sister.

Not here…

Not here either…

Dammit, where is she…

Just as he neared the final pages, his eyes widened and his fingers halted.

A soft laugh escaped his lips at that moment. Without the slightest hesitation, he pointed to a name–Kara Baker–and said, “I want her.”

The manager glanced at Cassandra in confusion. Was this boy the one seeking to hire a maid?

She forced a smile and looked at the name. After a moment of recollection, she said, “Ah, I believe she already works in a household. Would you consider someone else?”

“No.” Micheal’s tone was firm. “I want her. I won’t accept anyone else.”

Cassandra quickly added, “Sorry, but we’re dead-set on this girl. Is there no way for her to switch households?”

The manager gave them both a deep stare. She said, “Usually, it’s possible to offer a better contract to the maid or servant. But, in this case, the person she works for is one of the tower’s VIPs.”

One of the tower’s VIPs? Micheal had a terrible premonition. His eyes were resolute as he said, “And who is that?”

The manager gave him a baffled look. “I’m sorry, that’s private information I’m not allowed to disclose.”

“How about now?” Micheal had already reached into his inventory to pull out an entire bag of Moonstones.

The gems poking out of the pouch flashed before the woman’s face, causing her eyes to flicker with greed.

She stammered, “W-well, when you put it like that…” She quickly received the bribe. “The VIP she works for goes by the name of Lord Tywin Astor.

“Tywin Astor…” Micheal repeated softly, his face turning red with rage.

That’s Mia’s father!

Cassandra noticed Micheal’s shadowed expression. Before she could inquire about anything, he said in a dangerously low voice, “How much will it cost to get her out of there?”

The manager fiddled with her fingers. “Ah, well, It might be a bit difficult, considering the person she’s working for–”

“Nevermind.” Micheal suddenly rose to his feet. He said to Cassandra, “Let’s go. I’ll grab her myself.”

Cassandra’s eyes widened. She parted her lips to speak, but closed them. She stood up and followed him as they left the place, with the manager calling heavily behind them.

When they were out, Cassandra finally asked, “What do you plan on doing? Don’t tell me you want to head to a whole VIPs home to grab a maid?”

“That maid is my sister.” Micheal shot her a stern look.

Cassandra’s mouth gaped. “I’m sorry… I didn’t know.”

Micheal let out a grunt. “She’s probably being used like a slave there. I promise you, Mia, if my sister is hurt…” He clenched his fists, turned to Cassandra and said, “Do you have information on where the VIPs are staying?”

She nodded heavily.

“B-but, the place is going to be heavily guarded! I don’t know how you plan on infiltrating, but it’s going to be very difficult.”

Micheal raised a puzzled brow. “Infiltrating? I’m going in through the front. Who dares to stop me?”

Cassandra’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t understand the words of the mad teenager in front of her.

Micheal sighed and added, “However, first, I’d like to obtain a mask. I don’t want those bastards to know it’s me just yet. Anyway, let’s go.”

…

Soon, guided by Cassandra, Micheal arrived in front of a sprawling estate. It was so expansive, It must’ve been six times larger than his own mansion. There was a lonely road leading to the multiple buildings in the heart of the estate, and Micheal could spot four guards patrolling the gate.

He scoffed. On his face was a white mask with tiny slits for eyes and a wide-curved smile. It was both unsettling and intimidating.

“Wait here.” Micheal said to the lady beside him.

In the next instant, wearing his hooded cloak, he vanished from his spot.

Well, not really vanished. But he had moved with so much speed that Cassandra’s eyes failed to track him.

Micheal scaled the giant gate with ease and landed on the private property. The guards were stunned at this strange figure’s appearance, and quickly rushed to apprehend him.

Micheal weaved between them like mist, landing heavy blows to the back of their heads. The guards fell to the ground without any resistance whatsoever.

“Nighty night.” Micheal turned and continued on.

His figure flashed across huge distances, and he reached the main house in no time. Similarly, guards were crawling around here. Micheal approached the ones who stood by the entrance.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Stop where you are!”

Seeing his unsettling mask, the guards immediately became apprehensive. They each reached into their inventories, pulling out various weapons.

Weak… Micheal scoffed inwardly. Not bothering to draw his own weapon, he lunged forward with terrifying speed.

“What the hell?!” One of the guards yelled when the intruder appeared behind him.

Micheal slammed the man into the ground, knocking him out. He grabbed another guard’s arm and twisted with relative ease, before hurling him across the lawn.

An axe sliced the air beside Micheal, who had promptly dodged. He glanced at the burly man and rushed forward, sending a knee to his abdomen. The man folded like paper instantly, falling to the ground with bulging eyes.

The last one, upon seeing how his colleagues had been dismantled, wanted to run. But Micheal grabbed his collar in the blink of an eye and slammed his face into the wall. Dropping the limp figure, he calmly opened the large double doors and walked in.

A large hall came into view first, which Micheal assumed was used to host parties and banquets. Using the knowledge of his own house’s layout, he checked the numerous living rooms.

An elderly maid was the first to notice him. She wanted to scream, but Micheal calmly raised a finger to his mask’s mouth. She trembled in fright and quickly ran in another direction.

Micheal ignored her and stepped into the fourth living room. His gaze immediately fell on a familiar face. She had a head of blonde hair, a petite figure, and a rather beautiful face. Her heart, however, was anything but.

Mia Astor was eating from a bowl of fruits, laughing wildly with whoever it was on the other end of the system’s screen. That wasn’t what caught Micheal’s attention, however.

His gaze narrowed behind the mask. Mia’s legs were placed on the head of a frail girl wearing clothes that looked dangerously close to rags.

And that girl… was his sister.

Micheal stepped forward.

Mia finally noticed the masked figure’s presence. She frowned and demanded, “Who are you? What are you doing in my house?”

Micheal kept approaching.

Mia scoffed. “Do you even know who I am? You dare approach someone as powerful as myself?”

She tried to kick the frail girl away as she stood up, but Micheal appeared before her in the blink of an eye, grabbing her foot with ease. His grip was so strong that she couldn't shake him off no matter how much she tried.

Mia, at that moment, realized the infiltrator was way more powerful than she had initially believed.

“Guards!” she yelled in fright.

Micheal laughed from behind the mask. He said in a deliberately gruff voice, “Oh, little princess, no one is coming to save you. Not for another minute, at least.”

But one minute was enough.

Micheal reached into his inventory and pulled out Sharia’s blade.

Mia’s eyes widened with horror.