The Broke Billionaire's System: Spend to Survive

Operation Rescue Freya

The grinder roared like a starving beast. Johann twisted his body in mid-air, his scarred hands clutching the sharp iron along the corridor walls. A loud thud echoed as his boots hit the steel surface, but he didn't stop. He climbed upward, refusing to become mincemeat inside the company's torture device. He gasped for air, the smell of oil and hot iron brutally assaulting his senses.

"Dammit! I’m not going to die in this giant washing machine!" he shouted, kicking one of the grinder blades until it dented.

Suddenly, the thunder of a helicopter split the air above the building. The sound of giant rotors ripped through the concrete roof, sending a rain of debris into the engine room. Johann looked up, his eyes narrowing against the swirling dust. A rope ladder dangled down from the belly of a helicopter that looked luxurious yet was riddled with bullet holes.

At the end of that ladder, Freya hung on with one hand, her face burning with rage. She fired her pistol at the guard drones trying to close in.

"Johann! Grab the rope!" Freya screamed.

Johann didn’t think twice. He leaped from the side of the grinder, letting the machine tear the back of his pants. He grabbed the rope ladder with hands that shook violently. The helicopter jolted upward, pulling Johann away from the death that had nearly consumed him.

"You actually came!" Johann cried out as he climbed into the open cabin.

Freya pulled Johann into the helicopter, then kicked the cabin door shut. They both collapsed onto the cold floor of the helicopter, their breaths mingling. Johann looked at Freya; she was a mess, but she still looked deadly and beautiful to him. Freya let out a small laugh, a laugh that sounded crazy yet full of relief.

"I couldn’t let you become machine food, babe. Who else is going to pay my bills?" Freya teased, wiping the dust from Johann’s cheek.

Johann returned the gaze with a weary smile. He pulled Freya closer, feeling her heart beating just as fast as his. "You saved me again. I guess I’ll have to give my personal bodyguard a big bonus."

"Save the bonus for when we reach the outskirts of the city. For now, hold on tight because I just stole this chopper from one of Viktor's private heliports!" Freya replied as she stood up and took the controls.

The helicopter soared wildly between skyscrapers, dodging the searchlights sweeping the night sky. Johann looked down; the gold balance in his retina flickered unstably. A notification flashed briefly before disappearing.

[WARNING: HIGH FUEL CONSUMPTION. PURCHASE SAFE FLIGHT PATH? PRICE $10,000,000.]

Johann scowled. "This damn system really has no heart. Ten million just for a flight path!"

"Just buy it, Johann! Don’t be stingy when it's life or death!" Freya shouted, maneuvering to avoid missile fire from the Reinhardt Corp building's automated defenses.

Johann pressed the purchase button in frustration. Instantly, the cockpit display transformed into a golden glowing navigation guide, showing the safest route through the clouds. The helicopter shot forward, nimbly weaving away from Viktor’s pursuit. The battle on the rooftop grew more intense; the sound of magical explosions from below echoed like failed fireworks.

"Look at them!" Johann pointed toward the rooftop where Viktor stood. The CEO looked furious, his hands gathering spheres of purple energy ready to be hurled.

"Get down!" Freya screamed. 

A massive energy ball struck the tail of the helicopter. The engine shuddered violently, spewing thick black smoke. The helicopter began to lose its balance, spinning out of control. Johann fell to the floor, pinning Freya beneath him in a very intimate position. Their legs were intertwined, and Freya’s warm breath brushed against Johann’s face. The dire situation shifted into a strange moment as Johann gazed at Freya’s slightly parted lips.

"We’re going to crash, aren’t we?" Johann asked jokingly amidst the panic.

"Maybe," Freya answered, her eyes locking onto Johann’s. "But at least I’m dying next to the man who can buy the world, even if he is bankrupt right now."

"I’m not bankrupt. I’m just renegotiating with fate," Johann whispered. He kissed Freya’s lips with passion, ignoring the fact that their helicopter was diving sharply toward the ground.

The kiss was intense and deep, as if they wanted to ensure that if they died, they died belonging to each other. Freya returned the kiss, her arms wrapping around Johann’s neck, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them. The warmth spreading between their bodies made Johann feel incredibly alive.

"Buy parachutes! Now!" Freya yelled as she broke the kiss, her eyes darting back to the navigation screen.

Johann quickly opened the system menu. "Dammit, these parachutes are expensive! Two million dollars!"

"Just buy them, you idiot! You can’t kiss me in the afterlife!"

Johann hit the buy button. Two parachute packs appeared automatically on the helicopter seats. The helicopter was now only a hundred meters above the ground. Johann grabbed the parachutes, quickly strapped one onto Freya, and then one onto himself. 

"Jump!" Johann shouted.

The two of them leaped from the cabin just as the engine exploded, slamming into the ground with an earth-shattering boom. The parachutes snapped open with a violent jerk. They drifted through the air, illuminated by the flames of the burning wreckage below. Johann looked at Freya floating beside him, their parachutes close together.

"That was the worst flight I’ve ever had," Johann shouted with a wide grin.

"At least we’re still alive!" Freya called back, her laughter ringing out through the night wind.

They landed roughly in a quiet meadow on the outskirts of the city. The damp earth greeted their bodies as they rolled through the grass. Johann immediately unbuckled his parachute straps and crawled toward Freya. He pulled her into a tight hug, making sure the woman in front of him was still breathing and okay.

"Don’t ever do that again," Johann whispered.

"What? Stealing a helicopter or kissing you while we're falling?" Freya asked with a mischievous smirk.

"Both," Johann replied. He looked up at the calm night sky, far away from the chaos of Viktor’s skyscrapers.

However, that tranquility did not last long. From the darkness of the forest bordering the meadow, dozens of pairs of eyes began to emerge, staring at them hungrily. They were not human eyes, but rather the eyes of magical creatures that had lost all control. Johann felt the system in his vision begin to flicker with an emergency warning he had never seen before.

[WARNING: DANGER ZONE DETECTED. SYSTEM ENERGY UNSTABLE. NEW ENEMIES LURKING.]

"Looks like our party is just getting started again," Freya said as she pulled a knife from her leg holster, her gaze sharp as she stared toward the forest that had begun to rumble.

Johann stood beside her, gripping her hand tightly. He peered into the darkness, waiting for whatever was about to emerge. However, when the figure leading the pack stepped out of the shadows, Johann felt his heart stop in shock. It was not one of Viktor’s followers, but someone he had long thought dead.