2026-09-16 20:24:44News of a ten-year-old child shattering the Royal Bank with S-Rank mana spread through the capital like wildfire. By morning, the Vance Guild Manor was surrounded by curious onlookers, street vendors, and imperial scouts trying to get a glimpse of the "Monster Heir."
Inside the grand dining hall, Lucian sat at a long mahogany table that could seat thirty people. He looked tiny sitting at the head of it, kicking his legs back and forth while happily dipping a warm pastry into honey.
Barnaby floated beside him, scanning a stack of blue translucent system notifications.
"You did remarkably well yesterday, young master," Barnaby said with a proud smile. "Your mana core is fully stabilized at S-Rank, and your uncle has officially vacated his estate. However..."
"However?" Lucian asked, his mouth full of pastry.
"The King's men do not like sudden, unregistered power," Barnaby warned, pointing toward the front gates. "And here comes their hound."
The heavy oak doors of the dining hall swung open without a announcement, a tall man in silver armor, draped in a crimson royal cloak, marched into the room. It was Commander Vane of the Royal Tax Enforcement, the Crown's most ruthless asset auditor, behind him walked four heavy palace guards.
"Lucian Vance," Vane announced, his voice echoing off the high ceilings. "By order of the Crown, your sudden acquisition of high-tier mana cores and private holdings has been flagged for Imperial Review."
Lucian dropped his pastry back onto the silver plate, he pulled his wooden toy dragon closer to his chest, shrinking back into his massive chair. "I... I didn't break any rules."
"You disrupted the capital's economy and destroyed a royal institution," Vane said coldly, pulling out an official scroll stamped with the King's golden crest. "The Crown has issued an immediate Magical Hazard Tax, to offset the chaos you caused, you must pay three hundred thousand gold coins to the Treasury within three days. If you fail, the King will confiscate all Vance Guild assets, including this manor."
Lucian's heart sank, three hundred thousand gold? He didn't have that kind of money sitting in a box anymore. The temporary credit limit from yesterday was gone and he didn't know when it bring the next notification.
'Barnaby!' Lucian panicked in his head, his hands shaking under the table. 'What do I do? They're going to take my home again!'
Barnaby's ghost hovered close to Lucian's ear, his voice calm and sharp. 'Do not panic, child, look at your System interface. Yesterday's milestone unlocked your permanent daily yield.'
Lucian quickly pulled up the floating blue screen, keeping it hidden from the guards.
[Merchant God Class (S-Rank): Daily Passive Revenue Unlocked.]
[Daily Yield: 100,000 Gold Coins.]
[Current Balance: 100,000 Gold.]
[System Rule Reminder: Hoarding money yields zero growth. Spending fuels progress.]
'He thinks he's trapping you with a tax,' Barnaby whispered with a sinister phantom grin. 'He doesn't know that giving money away or buying up assets only makes you stronger, ask him what happens if the kingdom runs out of weapons.'
Lucian blinked, his ten-year-old brain processing the advice. He looked at Commander Vane, who was staring down at him with a smug, victorious sneer, confident that a frightened orphan was about to hand over his legacy.
Lucian wiped his sticky, honey-covered hands on his napkin. "Commander Vane?"
"Yes, boy?"
"Where does the King buy all the swords and armor for your guards?" Lucian asked, his voice soft and innocent.
Vane frowned, confused by the strange question. "From the Imperial Blacksmith Guild and the Royal Iron Foundries, of course. Why?"
Lucian tapped his hidden system screen, navigating to the capital's public asset registry.
"Because if I pay your tax, I won't have money left to buy toys," Lucian said, his small face scowling with genuine child-frustration. "So I'm going to buy the blacksmith shops instead."
[Target Identified: Royal Iron Foundries & Capital Blacksmith Association.]
[Execute Direct System Purchase?]
[Cost: 100,000 Gold.]
"Buy them all!" Lucian muttered under his breath.
[Purchase Confirmed: 100,000 Gold Spent.]
[Acquired: 100% Ownership of Imperial Metalworks & Military Supply Network.]
[System Milestone Reached: Supply Chain Monopoly.]
[Reward Unlocked: Blueprint — S-Rank Automated Adamant Golem.]
BOOM!
A wave of golden light rippled out from Lucian's chest, washing over the entire room.
Outside the manor, across the military district, hundreds of magic forge fires instantly turned bright blue, every blacksmith in the capital dropped their hammers as royal ownership seals vanished from their anvils, replaced by the crest of the Vance Guild.
Commander Vane's armor suddenly flickered. A glowing red message popped up on his official royal ledger:
[WARNING: Imperial Supply Contract Terminated. All military iron, weapons, and armor maintenance are now owned by Vance Guild Enterprises. Prices increased by 500%.]
Vane's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He looked down at the glowing red warning, then slowly looked up at the ten-year-old boy sitting at the end of the table.
"What... what did you just do?" Vane stammered, his arrogant composure instantly shattering into pure panic. "You... you bought the Crown's military foundries?!"
Lucian picked up his pastry, taking a calm, happy bite as Barnaby cackled with phantom glee beside him.
"You can take your three hundred thousand gold tax from the rent I'm charging the King for your armor," Lucian said, kicking his legs contentedly. "Barnaby says it's due on Monday."
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Snack Break & The Genius
The floating velvet armchair glided smoothly out of the forest, bringing Lucian to a quiet, shady grassy hill near the center of the maze. While hundreds of older candidates were off in the distance shouting and fighting mechanical beasts, this little corner was completely peaceful.Lucian hopped down from his hovering chair, sitting cross-legged on a blanket near a clear stream to take a rest. Fluffy flopped down beside him, letting out a heavy dog-sigh.Above Lucian's head, his blue status screen hovered quietly.[Daily Yield Unspent Balance: 150,000 Gold.][Time Remaining: 15 Hours 20 Minutes.][System Restriction Active: Fair Economic Value Required for All Purchases.]Lucian reached into his coat and pulled out a box of fruit pastries, but before he could take a bite, a soft, polite voice spoke from behind a nearby oak tree."Um... excuse me, is that a real Shadow Fenrir?"Lucian turned around, standing near the tree was an eleven-year-old girl with big blue eyes and dark braided
The Wilderness Maze
The second trial took place in a massive, enclosed forest known as the Verdant Trial Maze. High stone walls surrounded the trees, and glowing barrier runes floated in the sky above. Over a thousand candidates stood at the entrance gates, listening to the instructors explain the rules.Proctor Vance stood on a raised wooden platform, holding a glowing brass megaphone."The rules of Trial Two are simple!" Proctor Vance shouted. "You have six hours to navigate the maze and reach the exit on the other side. Scattered inside are mechanical beasts holding silver mana-tokens. You must collect at least three tokens to pass. Additionally, you will find System Supply Shrines along the path to purchase basic maps and stamina potions."The crowd of candidates began murmuring nervously, six hours in a dense, monster-filled forest was a long time.Lucian stood near the front gate, adjusting his small travel coat. Fluffy trotted beside him, sniffing the cool forest air.Above Lucian's head, his blue
The Resonance Pillar
The Grand Testing Hall was a cavernous amphitheater of grey marble, its stepped seating packed with nervous candidates. At the center of the arena stood five colossal obsidian monoliths, the ancient Resonance Pillars each wrapped in glowing silver runes designed to measure a candidate's raw mana capacity.Proctor Vance, a stern senior instructor with a scar across his brow, adjusted his pince-nez and barked across the arena. "Next group! Step up to your assigned pillar and channel your maximum spell output into the stone!"Lucian stood in Line 3, clutching his wooden dragon in his pocket. Beside him, Fluffy sat obediently, his dark wolf-tail sweeping the floor.Above Lucian's head, the floating blue window hummed softly.[Daily Yield Deposited: 350,000 Gold.][Unspent Balance: 350,000 Gold.][Time Remaining: 18 Hours 05 Minutes.][System Restriction Active: Fair Economic Value Required for All Purchases.]"Remember, young master," Barnaby whispered, floating near his ear. "Your S-Rank
The Sovereign’s Orientation
Lucian sat up in his massive velvet bed at the top of the Wayward Dragon Resort, rubbing his eyes while yawning softly. Fluffy was already wide awake, resting his chin on the edge of the mattress.The familiar blue system screen popped open above Lucian's pillow, but the numbers inside made his jaw drop.[Daily Yield Deposited: 350,000 Gold.][Unspent Balance: 350,000 Gold.][Time Remaining: 23 Hours 50 Minutes.][System Restriction Active: Fair Economic Value Required for All Purchases.]"Barnaby!" Lucian squeaked, pulling the blanket over his nose. "Why is the box so big today?! Yesterday it was two hundred thousand! Did I do something wrong?"Barnaby floated down from the ceiling, chuckling warmly as he adjusted his ghostly spectacles."Not at all, young master," Barnaby explained, floating over to a translucent ledger. "You see, the System is not a bottomless well of magic, it is an engine. Yesterday, you bought the entire Wayward Dragon resort chain, the capital's transport netwo
The Wayward Dragon Inn
The journey to the Central Province was long, but Lucian spent most of it curled up in a plush leather seat inside a private carriage, clutching his wooden dragon and taking a quiet nap.By late afternoon, the carriage pulled up to the Wayward Dragon Inn & Resort, a massive, three-story stone estate nestled at the base of the mountains just miles from the Royal Academy's border. It was the premier resting hub where incoming noble students, prodigies, and wealthy heirs gathered before orientation week.Inside the grand hall, the air smelled of roasted meats, spiced cider, and expensive perfumes. Dozens of older students mostly fifteen to seventeen years old sat at long oak tables, showing off their spellcraft, discussing high-tier guilds, and boasting about their family lineages.Lucian walked through the heavy front doors, swinging his arms while Fluffy, his giant S-Rank Shadow Fenrir, shrunk down into a sleek black hound to fit inside the foyer. Barnaby floated invisibly beside Lucia
The King’s Invitation
The morning sun filtered through the high stained-glass windows of the Vance Guild Manor, casting quiet golden light across the dining hall, Fluffy, the massive S-Rank Shadow Fenrir, lay sprawled near the fireplace like a giant velvet rug, letting out low, rhythmic snores that vibrated the floorboards.Lucian sat at the head of the long table, swinging his legs back and forth while dipping a buttered roll into hot soup.Above his head, the blue system screen hummed quietly, showing a relaxed 24-hour countdown.[Daily Yield Deposited: 200,000 Gold.][Unspent Balance: 200,000 Gold.][Time Remaining: 15 Hours 42 Minutes.][System Rule: Fair Economic Value Required for All Purchases.]"It's nice having time to eat," Lucian murmured, taking a happy bite. "No rushing, no tummy aches.""Do not get too comfortable, young master," Barnaby said, floating through a decorative armor stand to check the window. "A full day is plenty of time, but the Fair Value Rule means you cannot simply dump two
You may also like
World Evolution
Zero_writer54.4K viewsHero In The Cultivator World
Shin Novel 83.3K viewsKingsman Return
Kuraii161.5K viewsTotem Warrior
Cindy Chen29.6K viewsThe Elven Art of Falling Gracelessly
Kenita90 viewsI Entered Magic Academy With F-Rank Stats
Rianoir726 viewsI Awakened the Apocalypse System
Utunestrokes179 viewsWRATH OF THE ASHEN TWINS: REBORN IN BLOOD
Precious Noah 65 views