Omniscient Revenge System

004 Setting the Stage for Ruin

Seth took a moment to type out a text message before getting into the car that would take him home from his grandfather's mansion.

'Max, what about the document? I still need to sign it. And the necklace. Still in my hand.'

The reply came almost instantaneously.

'Sure! And you're going to give it to me?'

'Yeah. It’s not a big deal.'

'Thanks, Mate. You really are my best friend.'

Seth scoffed as he read the words 'best friend'—the blatant hypocrisy made him nauseous. Max's lies were too repulsive to digest.

"I will become your absolute worst nightmare, Friend," Seth muttered, sliding his phone into his pocket.

[Main Mission Update: Major Retaliation Route Initiated...] 

[Target Locked: Max Wagner] 

[Potential Reward: 150 Points + 150 EXP.]

Seth smiled fiercely. A level up and a massive amount of points awaited him. This would be a magnificent feast.

***

The scent of butter and maple syrup filled the small kitchen. Seth calmly flipped the last pancake on the pan, occasionally glancing toward the bathroom hallway.

He smiled as he heard the sound of drawers frantically opening and slamming shut from behind the slightly ajar door.

"Honey... have you seen your black comb?" Leila called out from inside. She tried to keep her tone gentle, but Seth easily caught the hidden panic beneath it.

[Target experiences mild frustration. +1 Point.]

The woman had been ransacking the bathroom for ten minutes just to find a single strand of hair. Of course, she struggled. Seth had deliberately cleaned the bathroom, the bed, and the entire house—and then hidden his comb—since last night.

Now, he only needed to sit back and enjoy the little show of his wife desperately following her lover's orders.

"Maybe it fell behind the sink. Why do you want to find it anyway?" Seth answered casually, placing a plate of warm pancakes in front of his son. "Eat while it's warm, Dustin."

[Target's desperation slightly increases. +1 Point.]

Dustin nodded and smiled as Seth patted his head. No matter how bad things got, Seth would never let the chaos touch Dustin.

[Target feels trapped in a ridiculous situation. +1 Point.]

Leila finally emerged from the bathroom. Her blonde hair looked a bit messy, and she wore a heavily forced smile. She walked over and affectionately wrapped her arms around Seth's neck from behind.

"I just want to wash all the combs today." Leila made up a ridiculous excuse so he wouldn't suspect her strange behavior.

"Oh..." Seth merely murmured in response. He sat down, deliberately breaking the embrace that made his back itch.

He pretended to cut the pancakes so Dustin could finish faster.

"You've been so cold to me lately, Seth," Leila whispered. She didn't give up, pressing her chest against his back. The two soft mounds pressed right against his nape.

In his previous life, this touch would have warmed his heart. Now, it only brought an overwhelming wave of nausea. He had to suppress his instinct to slam his wife to the floor.

He immediately turned his head when he felt Leila's hand reaching for his hair—clearly intending to pluck a strand directly.

Seth turned, putting on a perfectly exhausted face. "I'm just out of energy, Leila. Sorting out the capital loan documents from Max really drained my mind. But thankfully, I will settle everything today."

Upon hearing Max's name and the word 'loan,' Leila's eyes flashed with fleeting disdain—her lips even curled into a smile. It looked like a sympathetic smile, but to Seth, it was pure mockery.

"Oh, I see. My poor, dear husband," Leila said in a sickeningly sweet tone. "You must be exhausted."

Leila targeted Seth's hair again, slipping her fingers in, but Dustin saved him.

"Dad! Done!" Dustin cheered with a full mouth.

Seth stood up instantly, finding his perfect escape.

"Good boy. Let's go; we need to leave now. Uncle Max is waiting," Seth said while ruffling Dustin's hair.

"You're meeting Max?" Leila pretended not to know. Seth saw right through her act.

"Yes. I promised to sign the document and hand over the necklace today." Seth brought Dustin inside to get ready.

Before leaving, Seth pretended to adjust his shirt collar in front of the small mirror near the kitchen.

With swift, practiced movements, he slipped his black comb back onto the sink counter—hiding it halfway behind a medicine bottle so it wouldn't look suspiciously obvious.

‘There, fetch your bone, you stray dog,’ Seth thought with a faint, mocking smile. He fully intended to hand over his hair, but he refused to make it too easy for her.

[Side Mission Accomplished: Minor Psychological Terror (Leila)] 

His actions yielded a pathetic reward from the system—just a tiny bit of points, simply because the torment was too trivial. But it didn’t matter. Seth just wanted to enjoy the moment.

He had easily predicted Leila's move. He realized that in his previous life, Max must have faked the Olympus DNA test. And Max would have found it impossible to pull off without Leila providing the genuine sample. 

Hair was the easiest option, as Leila couldn't possibly collect his saliva without raising suspicion.

"I'm leaving now," Seth called out, leading Dustin outside.

Even before the front door clicked shut, he caught a glimpse of Leila sprinting back toward the bathroom—undoubtedly to resume her desperate search for the comb.

And this time, she would find it, complete with a few strands of Seth's hair on it. Just as she wanted. Just as he planned.

*** 

A quiet atmosphere filled the corner cafe. Max already sat at a corner table, though he looked entirely pathetic. A thick white bandage still wrapped his head, and a medical sling supported his cast-encased right arm. 

He sat rigidly, clearly wincing every time he shifted his weight due to his cracked ribs. Yet, the greedy bastard had forced himself out of his hospital bed for this exact moment.

His eyes immediately locked onto Seth as he arrived with Dustin.

"You brought the documents?" Max greeted. He forced a wide, friendly smile, even though his bruised cheek visibly twitched from the pain.

"Here. Check the revised numbers yourself," Max carefully slid a document folder across the table using his uninjured left hand. "Five percent interest rate, just as you asked."

Seth briefly scanned the paper, picked up his pen, and signed his name smoothly at the bottom of the agreement.

"Thanks, Max. This capital loan will really save my business," Seth said amicably.

His eyes immediately darted to Seth's pocket. "So... the necklace?"

Seth reached into his jacket, pulled out the obsidian necklace, and slid it over the table.

"Take it. Borrow it for as long as you need," Seth offered without hesitation. "The necklace means nothing compared to your capital loan assistance, Max. I will always remember your deeds."

‘And all your crimes,’ Seth added in his mind—still maintaining his warm smile.

Max puffed out his chest with pride. He grabbed the necklace with slightly trembling hands, his eyes staring at the jewelry with a greedy glint he could barely hide. He truly believed the small obsidian stone would brighten his future.

"Hey, relax, Mate. We're best friends. I will always help you." Max gently stroked the pendant.

Max executed his lies and fake friendliness flawlessly. That was exactly why Seth had never suspected his betrayal in the past. Max quickly pulled the signed document back, barely containing his excitement.

"Thanks. Well then, I have to go now." Seth stood up.

After waving goodbye, Seth turned and walked out of the cafe. However, he didn't actually leave. He stood in the blind spot just outside the cafe window, watching closely.

Just as expected. The moment Seth disappeared, Max immediately dashed out of the cafe. He hastily pulled out his phone while running toward his car. He ran right past Seth's hiding spot—completely failing to notice him.

"Leila! Bring that idiot's hair to Lucian Travis's law firm right now. I'll make an appointment..."

A cold smile spread across Seth's face as he caught the first half of Max's sentence before the man got into his car.

Seth took out his own phone and sent a quick text to Lucian. 'The bait has been swallowed. The target is heading your way.'

A reply arrived within seconds. 'I am ready, Mr. Corbyn. Should I call you Corbyn or Olympus?' Lucian was apparently confused and decided to ask.

'Whatever you want.' Seth refused to entertain such trivial matters right now. He only wanted to focus on his plan.

***

Inside the meeting room of the law firm, Lucian Travis offered the man before him a friendly, professional smile.

"So, Mr. Wagner," Lucian folded his hands on the mahogany table. "Could you explain how you knew Mr. Alistair Olympus was looking for his grandson?"

Max cleared his throat. He adjusted his posture to look elegant, desperately trying to mask his nervousness. He had prepared this lie perfectly.

"My boss is good friends with Mr. Olympus. One day, I accidentally overheard their conversation at the office," Max began, weaving his web of lies with a melancholic expression.

"When I heard the description of the inherited necklace, it shocked me. The necklace sounded exactly like my mother's."

Max stared straight into Lucian's eyes, continuing his act. "I asked my mother about it that very night. Through her tears, she finally confessed... that the father I never knew was an Olympus. He was the man who abandoned her while she was pregnant."

Lucian nodded slowly. Deep down, the senior lawyer almost wanted to applaud how neat and convincing this man's lies were.

Had he not met the genuine heir a few days ago, Lucian would have certainly believed him.

"A deeply moving story," Lucian replied flatly. "However, per Olympus procedure, we still require a DNA test. We will take a saliva sample—"

"How about hair?" Max interrupted quickly, as if he had anticipated this.

To avoid any suspicion that he was handing over a forged sample, Max knew he had to make it look spontaneous.

He raised his hand, deliberately feigning the motion of plucking a few strands from his scalp with a slight wince.

Simultaneously, his other hand smoothly reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a small plastic ziplock bag that already contained Seth's hair—the exact sample Leila had delivered earlier.

With a practiced sleight of hand, he seamlessly pretended to drop the 'freshly plucked' strands into the bag.

"Here," Max said, handing it over confidently.

Lucian accepted the plastic bag without asking too many questions. "Very well. We will process it. Please await further news from us, Mr. Wagner."

"Thank you." Max shook Lucian's hand. He smiled with relief, absolutely convinced his deception went off without a hitch.

Max strode out of the skyscraper like a king who had just conquered the world. At the corner of the street, Leila waited for him anxiously beside his car.

The moment she saw Max's confident smile, she threw herself at him. Max caught Leila and kissed her lips ravenously, celebrating their victory. Their loud cheers even made pedestrians turn their heads.

"We did it, Babe! Soon, this world belongs to us!" Max's laughter boomed. He stared deeply into Leila's eyes. "You don't regret throwing your husband away for me, right?"

Leila scoffed disdainfully. "Regret? Seth is far too weak, naive, and completely devoid of ambition. Even if Olympus acknowledged him and took him back, that idiot would just give all his wealth to charity or spend his whole life being controlled by that old geezer."

Leila traced Max's chest with her fingertips and clicked her tongue flirtatiously. "But with you... we will rule everything, Max. We will dictate the laws."

"Clever girl." Max grabbed Leila's waist and opened the car door. "Should I drop you home now, or—"

"I don't want to! I want to go to your apartment," Leila refused, pulling Max's tie until their noses practically brushed. "Seth said he wouldn't be home yet. We can stay together until tonight."

"Perfect!" Max closed his car door with joy.

"What about the baby?" Leila asked with concern. They still didn't have an escape route for that sudden pregnancy problem.

"If we have Olympus's money… We don't need Seth anymore. We can get married, Leila. You can safely have the child."

Leila smiled widely and hugged Max's arm. "YES! Our future together will be absolutely perfect!"