REINCARNATED AS THE SUPREME LORD

"Please, please," Benjamin's voice cracked with desperation on the long queue. "Allow me to go first, please....my daughter is sick..she needs urgent treatment."

The Imperial trust Bank buzzed with the usual gentle rhythms of bankers conversations with customers, clattering keyboards, and the hum of the counting machines, but everything blurred in Benjamin's ear. All he could hear was her daughter's ragged breath as Fibrosis sucked away her life.

$50,000!

That was how much Aria's surgery cost. He was just a common cleaner with a meager earning. He needed a loan. That was the only thing he could do now. His family had given him insubstantial excuses, his wife called a minute ago, saying he was coming to help out, but the situation was dire.

He could do something before her arrival.

The man standing in his front looked at him with a pitiful glance as he stepped back. "You can go first." He said kindly.

"Thanks. Thanks." Benjamin's gratitude came out in a rush. Sweats shimmered on his temple down under the light as he rushed to the counter. He tried to steady his voice as he spoke to the uniformed female banker behind the desk.

"Please..I need a loan.. urgently.. please..my daughter is dying. Help me." Benjamin's voice cracked, desperation burning in his throat. His voice drew stares from patrons and workers, but he didn't spare a glance at them.

The banker looked at him in utter distaste. "We don't give urgent loans except based on certain emergencies," He said. "You have to go through the normal proceedings, Sir."

" Please get out of the line if you're not ready," She toned rudely seeing Benjamin's hesitation. "That's how you poor people go about draining banks in the name of loans with sob stories, yet you'll refuse repayment when due"

Benjamin leaned in, pressing on desperately.

"Please," He pleaded. "I'm not lying. My daughter is dying. It's Fibrosis."

Murmuring started rising behind, some staring pitiful gazes, a few cursing under their breath whispering something like; "Let him get the heck out of the line."

The banker, Nessa Crocs, flashing on her badge exhaled sharply, like she was holding back all irritations.

"Alright," She clipped, forcing interest. "If the bank is to consider, what are you using as collateral?"

Benjamin's expression faltered for some seconds. He had nothing. His world froze that moment. Was this how his daughter was going to die? But he remembered he had something— His beat-up fiat 126 car which had been with the mechanic for ages.

His heart lifted slightly. "I have a car..I can use it as collateral." He spoke in a rush.

"Interesting," Nessa nodded in mock satisfaction. "What brand of car?"

"It's Fiat 126." Benjamin replied quickly, misinterpreting her shift, but he was met with the biggest humiliation.

Laughter rang behind him like a tolling bell.

"Fiat," A man laughed sharply, his voice dripping with taunts. "That can't even pass for a car. It's misery!"

"Who in this century still uses Fiat? Poverty is really dealing with this dude's ass."

The mockery continues, each one driving into Benjamin's stomach like a knife, but he stood tall for his daughter, unyielding, staring at Nessa like a lifeline.

Nessa raised a brow, obviously detached from the conversation. "How much do you say you're loaning?"

"$50,000."

Nessa nearly burst into laughter, but she held emotion back, her cheek flushing Crimson.

"That's not going to work, Sir," She said. "Fiat 126 is not worth the collateral to give you $50,000. Please if you'll leave the line..."

Benjamin's anger and frustration exploded. His fist slammed against the counter so hard documents rattled from the counter to the floor.

"What the heck is wrong with you," He screamed. "My daughter is dying....and you all are here laughing! You all are laughing at a man's downfall like it's all a joke!"

The hall hushed, Nessa's eyes widened at his sudden outburst, but there was no crack in her stance.

"$50,000! That's what I need," He yelled, already turning. "I want to see the manager!"

Murmuring floated behind him, securities chasing after him and barking "order, order." But Benjamin didn't stop. Along the hallway as the turned a corner, he brushed shoulder with a man in an expensive suit holding a briefcase.

The briefcase crashed with a heavy thud, spilling out crisp notes. Benjamin didn't wait. His daughter's life was on a slim thread.

"You bastard," The man hissed, crouching to pick the spilled notes. His presence drew envious and astonishing glances.

He stood straighter, adjusting his smooth suit as he finished picking the notes. "What sort of mannerless person enters Imperial bank these days." He hadn't taken two steps when he noticed his card was missing.

It was no ordinary card— It was an imperial card, the kind that contains millions of dollars.

Anger surged through him instantly. Remembering how Benjamin brushed his shoulder without an apology— He must have tactically stolen the card from his pocket and ran.

He spun "Hey, you.." Alejandro's voice rose at the securities authoritatively. "We have a thief in the bank. My card is missing."

The two Securities exchanged glances.

"You deaf," Alejandro shrieked, "That man just stole my card! Arrest him now!"

Benjamin froze, his eyes narrowing on Alejandro in shock. "I..I didn't..what are you talking about?" But the Securities had circled him like wolves, Baton ready in their hands.

"Cooperate, Sir," One said rudely. "We're going to search you."

People stared in their direction, murmur rising.

Benjamin, assured he was innocent of the accusations submitted to the search. Shockingly, a plain matte black card was retrieved from his pants pocket.

His jaw fell in shock. Alejandro, the suitcase man broke into a smug grin.

"I told you he's a thief" He rasped vindictively, snatching the card. "I'm calling the cops right away." He was already pulling out his phone.

The hall buzzed, as negative comments hurled at Benjamin. He stood there lost, unable to comprehend how the card got inside his pocket.

Soon, two cops stormed into the bank, too early with cuffs. "That's the thief," Alejandro's finger jabbed at Benjamin. "People like him shouldn't be allowed in gatherings like this."

Benjamin tried to explain, but the cops didn't give him a slight chance. That was unusual. No questioning. No investigation, Benjamin was cuffed and pushed out like a criminal.

Outside, Benjamin persisted, trying to explain the situation as the cops pushed him into their waiting car. His explanations fell on deaf ears. It was as though everything was concluded. Planned— of course, schemed by the person he would least expect.

Inside the car, one of the men jabbed him on the neck into unconsciousness with a gun butt.

The moment he woke up, he was kneeling at the edge of a quiet bridge, his hands tied behind. The cruel reality of the situation dawned on him as the two cops earlier pointed guns at him. Their uniforms were gone. They weren't real cops. It was a set up. By who?

"What..." Benjamin's heat raced as he comprehended the situation. "Why are you doing this...I told you..I did nothing..I swear.. please."

But the men weren't looking kind. The one who held the gun grinned smugly.

"That's none of our business," He sneered, the gun steady on Benjamin's face. "We got paid for your life, and we're taking it."

Benjamin's eyes furrowed, his thoughts interlacing. Sweats burned down his head as his whole body trembled. "What.. What are you talking about?"

The man took one step closer, gun raised to Benjamin's chest. "Your wife paid to take your life," He grinned— sharp and sly. "Now that you've heard too much, say hello to popsy in hell."

BANG!

Benjamin dropped dead on the quiet road with a bullet lodged deep in the chest. Two men carried his body and tossed it into the sea below.

Inside the water, Benjamin's body drown deeper, sea creatures surrounding him with devouring intents. Suddenly, a faint blue light illuminated in his chest, where he was shot, growing stronger and stronger.

BLAST!

The strange light blasted in waves, rippling shock waves through the sea. The bullet wound healed up, and Benjamin coughed awake under the water.

"Where am I?"