Omniscient Revenge System

003 Cold Blood, Old Money

The sharp scent of antiseptic stung Seth's nose the moment he stepped into the hospital ward, instantly igniting a surge of pure irritation. 

The sterile smell forced him to remember ten years of absolute torture—endless hospital visits for fake cancer treatments that only poisoned him. Seth clenched his jaw, burying the dark memories. 

Ahead of him, Max lay pathetically on the bed. Bandages wrapped his head, and a thick cast encased his right arm. 

Pathetic indeed, but Seth actually had to try hard not to smile upon seeing him. But of course, it was not enough. The pain Max experienced right now fell completely short compared to the ten years of agony he inflicted on Seth.

Leila sat on the chair beside the bed, wringing her hands nervously. She avoided looking at Max directly, attempting to appear distant.

"I apologize, Max. The incident at the cafe unfolded so fast, I didn't get the chance to help you at all," Seth said. He deliberately put on a fake face of concern.

"But really, what did you do until they chased you?"

Max winced through the pain as he tried to sit up. "I don't know, Seth! They definitely got the wrong guy!"

Seth narrowed his eyes, staring sharply at his traitorous best friend.

"Really? But a friend of mine—I told him about the incident—happened to recognize the facial features of the men who beat you. He said they work as debt collectors for a casino. Do you have a gambling debt, Max?"

Leila's eyes instantly widened. The woman's heart beat so fast that Seth could almost hear it.

[Target Leila experiences mild panic. +2 Points.]

Seth stared at the points with satisfaction—but then felt disappointed. Too small.

[Target Max experiences major panic. +4 Points.]

Seth felt somewhat joyful. Even though the points did not reach his expectations, it was decent enough.

Max indeed looked more panicked than Leila. However, he desperately maintained his lies.

"That is absolute nonsense! They are just former clients who got angry because their stock investments failed! They act completely absurd for targeting me. I already reported them to the police!"

Leila stared at Max suspiciously, but she held her tongue.

[Target Leila's suspicion and stress increase. +3 Points.]

[Target Max experiences major panic. +5 Points.]

Seth nodded slowly, pretending to swallow that ridiculous lie completely.

"Thank goodness if you already reported it to the police," Seth gently patted Max's uninjured shoulder. "I have to step out for a moment. I will accompany Dustin to eat. He complained to me about being hungry."

Dustin looked at his father with a confused gaze because he felt no hunger at all. However, the smart boy simply nodded obediently and followed Seth's steps out of the room.

As soon as he closed the door from the outside, Seth crouched down and whispered into his son's ear. "Dustin, go play in the children's play area at the end of the hallway for a bit, okay? Dad needs to go back inside to grab something."

After Dustin jogged toward the play area, Seth turned around. He leaned his back against the wall right beside Max's door, which he deliberately left slightly open. He sharpened his hearing.

Leila's angry hiss instantly pierced through the crack of the door. "You owe a casino, Max?! How much?! Tell me the truth!"

"I already told you they are just angry clients, Leila! Why do you believe your stupid husband more?!" Max shot back, half-shouting. The man groaned, enduring the pain from his broken ribs.

"Because you look incredibly panicked! Do you remember our plan?! Do you want to destroy the future we built?!"

The blue screen glowed in the corner of Seth's eyes.

[Target Leila's mental stress increases. +10 Points.]

"It's not like that, Leila. Don't believe him!" Max naturally kept denying it.

[Target Leila's mental stress increases. +6 Points.]

Seth smirked widely. He enjoyed the most melodious music in the world.

Suddenly, Leila's voice trembled hysterically. "Whatever! But we have a much bigger problem right now. I am pregnant, Max! It is four weeks along!"

A brief silence dominated the room. Max then chuckled, ignoring his pain. "Pregnant? That is great news, Honey! In that case, you just need to tell Seth that the baby is his. Let that idiot raise my child until this Olympus inheritance business concludes and I take his necklace. Perfect, isn't it?"

Seth clenched his fists upon hearing the bastard's plan. A plan that went flawlessly in his past life. He loved Hubert and raised the boy as his own son.

"I cannot do that, Max!" Leila sobbed, her voice cracking with despair.

"Yesterday Seth told me the results of his medical test. He is sterile! The doctor confirmed he one hundred percent cannot have children anymore! If I say I am pregnant, he will definitely know I slept with another man!"

Max sounded as if someone choked him. The bed creaked loudly as if the man tried to jump up but failed. "Sterile?! H-how is that possible?!"

[Target Leila's mental stress increases. +3 Points.]

[Target Max's mental panic triggers Extreme Psychological Shock. +17 Points.]

The system points kept increasing. Despite getting a decent amount—a total of 44—Seth clicked his tongue softly. He remained unsatisfied.

Destroying their mental states from the shadows felt fun indeed, but Seth desired something far more fatal. Something that would hurt them both even more.

He needed to hoard a massive amount of Points and EXP simultaneously. He wanted to level up fast so the System would unlock new abilities.

A phone vibration in his pocket diverted his attention. Lucian Travis sent a new message. The lawyer shared a meeting location address.

Seth straightened his shirt collar, wiped the smirk off his face, and pushed the hospital room door wide open.

Max and Leila instantly jolted. Their faces turned corpse-pale. Leila hastily wiped her tears and forced a stiff smile that actually looked horrifying.

Seth had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing out loud at their attempt to act normal.

"I am leaving now," Seth said with a deliberately flat tone. He looked at his wife. "I will take Dustin home now. You stay here and keep Max company. Poor guy, his family is far away."

"Yes... of course." Leila gladly accepted the task.

Seth turned around and strode down the hospital hallway. He would pick up Dustin and entrust his son to a reliable friend.

He completely refused to leave Dustin with a snake-hearted woman like Leila. After that, the time had come to meet Lucian Travis.

***

A sharply dressed head butler was already waiting for Seth in front of the massive oak doors.

"Mr. Corbyn? Please come in. You are expected," the butler said in a polite yet rigid tone.

Seth stepped inside. The main hall of the castle was staggeringly magnificent. The ceilings were incredibly high, boasting a giant crystal chandelier in the center. 

He knew Olympus meant wealth, but what he just saw was still beyond what he had imagined.

However, it wasn't the grandeur that halted Seth's steps, but the two people standing at the far end of the room.

Lucian Travis stood there, still in his crisp, professional suit. And right beside him, a frail old man sat in a wheelchair.

Deep wrinkles mapped the old man's face, his body looking as fragile as a dry twig that could snap in the wind. Yet, the eyes beneath his drooping eyelids were as sharp as a hawk's.

As Seth stepped closer, Lucian cleared his throat, preparing to make a formal introduction. "Mr. Olympus, allow me to introduce—"

"No need, Lucian," a hoarse but authoritative voice cut the lawyer off.

A trembling, wrinkled hand rose from the wheelchair's armrest. The old man stared straight into Seth's face.

His sharp eyes slowly welled with tears, scanning every inch of Seth's facial features with an intensity that made Seth unconsciously hold his breath.

"This one is genuine..." the old man whispered, his voice trembling violently. "Those eyes... that jawline... identical to Lonan. He is truly my grandson."

Seth immediately wanted to visit an ENT specialist—feeling like his ears were malfunctioning. Because there was absolutely no way this strange old man had just referred to him as his grandson.

But then… It made perfect sense. The reason why Max wanted to possess the necklace became crystal clear.

But Seth showed absolutely no reaction, merely staring as the old man approached. Only the faint whir of the wheelchair's motor broke the silence.

The old man kept gazing at Seth's face, an expression of deep emotion etched into his wrinkles, his eyes visibly welling with tears. "You didn't know... you didn't even know I existed."

His words stuttered, thick with emotion, but Seth couldn't feel a shred of the same sentiment. He was still drowning in confusion and suspicion. 

"You are my grandfather? My grandfather is dead." Seth felt he only had one grandfather, and the man had passed away alongside his grandmother when he was twelve.

"He was your maternal grandfather. I am your father's father. Alistair Olympus." The old man stated his name.

"I don't know my father. My mother never told me who he was." Seth wasn't entirely sure if that was true, as his mother had died giving birth to him.

His grandparents had never mentioned it either. Seth had asked once, but his grandfather simply cursed that his father was a bastard who refused to take responsibility. That answer killed any desire Seth had to seek his father's identity.

That very reason—his father's abandonment—was exactly why Seth felt completely unmoved, despite meeting his flesh and blood.

In his previous life, perhaps Seth would have been more forgiving, but not now. Instead, he wondered why it took Alistair thirty-one years to finally look for him.

"You are angry," Alistair stated as a fact after seeing Seth evade his touch. He had tried to reach for Seth's hand, but Seth stepped back.

"Yes." Seth answered clearly and honestly. He wasn't going to easily forgive anyone right now. Especially a family that hadn't cared about his existence for thirty-one years.

Alistair's smile turned bitter. "My apologies. I only discovered you existed after Lonan's death two years ago. We found a hidden diary in his safe... he left no trace behind, other than the design of the necklace in your mother's possession ."

Lucian, who had already taken a seat, revealed the necklace, now resting inside a luxurious velvet box.

"The necklace is simple, but it belonged to your father—a gift from his mother, crafted by her own hands. Because of that, it is the only one of its kind."

Seth didn't comment, but the gears in his brain were rapidly turning. "So you searched based on who possessed that necklace?"

"Yes. And, of course, a DNA test. The necklace could easily have fallen into a stranger's hands. But you met both conditions. The necklace and the DNA. We are indeed family." Alistair's face brightened again.

Seth still harbored deep suspicions. He focused his cold gaze on the old man.

'System, use the Omniscient Eye on him.'

[Warning: Target possesses an extremely high social status and threat level. Host currently possesses 48 Points. Proceeding will only yield a Low-Tier Secret.]

Seth clicked his tongue inwardly. He vividly remembered the ridiculous chocolate cake secret he extracted from Lucian. 

Wasting his hard-earned points on another useless piece of trivia—like finding out this ruthless billionaire secretly enjoyed knitting or collecting vintage stamps—would only infuriate him further.

'Cancel it,' Seth commanded, instantly shutting the blue holographic screen down. He had to rely on his own wits for now.

"Wait. I didn't provide any samples," Seth stated, narrowing his eyes. He had no recollection of giving away any bodily fluids.

"You drank tea in my office, Mr. Corbyn." Lucian chimed in from his chair.

"Bastards." Seth felt slightly cheated. That tea Dustin had refused wasn't just a courteous refreshment. No wonder Lucian had glanced at it—he was waiting for Seth's saliva to coat the rim of the cup.

"Forgive us for the deception. It was to prevent fraud. We have tested several individuals who, in the end, only caused trouble." Lucian nodded, a professional apology for taking the sample without permission.

Seth narrowed his eyes, staring down at Alistair. "Are there a lot of people who want to be your grandson? "

"Of course. I am Olympus." Alistair gave the short answer as if that single word explained everything.

"You own Olympus Corp? "Seth wanted to be absolutely sure, even though the name itself made it obvious.

"Yes."

The puzzle pieces finally locked together in a perfect, horrifying picture. He finally understood what Max had truly done in the past.

Max was close to Olympus—he works with a lot of wealthy people. He knew Alistair was searching for a grandson, and he recognized the token, the necklace.

Instead of telling the truth to the rightful owner, Max chose to steal it and masquerade as Alistair's long-lost grandson—leaving Seth to rot in the dark until his dying breath.

"HA... HA... HA!" Seth laughed—loudly, but incredibly hollowly and discordantly. Goosebumps erupted across his skin as he realized Max's crimes were far, far worse than he had ever known.

"No wonder... no wonder..." Seth muttered, staring at the floor. His hands clenched into fists, trembling slightly—suppressing the embers of vengeance in his heart that had just ignited into a roaring inferno.

[Target: Max Wagner]

The fury was so monumental that the system once again detected the enemy, flashing in a burning, bloody red.

"What do you mean 'no wonder'?" Alistair looked at Seth, visibly confused.

Seth shook his head, wiping his face to force his focus back to the present reality.

"So what is your plan?" Seth asked Alistair.

"To make you an Olympus. And if you are willing—I want you to live here with your family." Alistair gestured to the lavish mansion around them.

"Lonan didn't have any other children until his death. I live here alone right now. Just me and the servants. You are my only true family—there are relatives, but none are my direct descendants."

Alistair took a deep breath, then extended his hand—but this time, he waited for Seth to accept it, no longer trying to grab it presumptuously.

Seth stared at the wrinkled hand—hesitating as he weighed his options. It wasn't that he didn't want the wealth and power, but he knew his life would irrevocably change after he shook that hand.

He no longer knew exactly what the future held—not all of it, certainly, because this path would undoubtedly lead him to a different destiny.

But it couldn't possibly be worse. Wealth and power were literally being handed to him, and he was free to wield them.

Seth reached out, grasping Alistair's wrinkled hand. "I accept. I suppose it wouldn't be too bad to have a family again."

Alistair smiled warmly. "Thank goodness. I can finally announce to everyone—"

"No. Not yet." Seth cut him off immediately. He had already formulated a plan, and it could not fail. "If possible, I want to do something first. There is a matter I must settle."

"What matters? I will handle it. The resources of Olympus are limitless," Alistair offered without hesitation.

Seth nodded. "I will ask for your assistance, indeed, and I will explain it later. The point is, I don't want the news of my return to spread right now."

Alistair still looked perplexed, but he nodded.

"I understand. But I still have to introduce you to the rest of the extended Olympus family. To be perfectly frank—without a direct heir, my position is currently vulnerable." Alistair shared his burden, sounding almost pleading.

"I don't mind, as long as it doesn't leak to the outside." Seth needed that secret kept securely away from Max.

"I will arrange it," Lucian chimed in again. "And what kind of assistance do you require? I am the one who usually handles all of Mr. Olympus's problems."

Seth remained silent, staring at the lawyer, until Alistair suddenly laughed. "Good. You don't trust others easily. Even an old man like me wasn't spared from your suspicion. I am satisfied—you are sharp and intelligent."

Seth's reluctance to open up immediately to Lucian—and to Alistair earlier—was apparently viewed as a positive trait. Not arrogance.

"Lucian is my most trusted confidant. He knows he will die if he ever betrays me. You can tell him whatever your problem is."

Alistair spoke of death with absolute nonchalance—as if discussing the weather. This made Seth realize that Alistair's hands weren't entirely clean either.

Which made perfect sense. It was impossible for someone to be generationally wealthy without ever crossing into the shadows.

But that was a relief—Seth had no intention of playing clean either.

"Please. I will note down your requirements, Mr. Corbyn." Lucian offered his services once more.

This time, Seth didn't refuse the cooperation. It was simple—he didn't need money; he only needed their acting skills.