2026-02-14 02:04:34The fallout from the "Global Broadcast" was instantaneous. While the world celebrated the erasure of their debts, the geopolitical landscape was in a state of sheer panic. For the first time in history, a single individual held more liquid power than all the world's central banks combined.
Arlo Thorne stood on the deck of the Aegis Prime, a state-of-the-art stealth carrier he had purchased from a bankrupt superpower's secret shipyard for a cool fifty billion dollars. The salty wind of the North Atlantic whipped his hair, but his eyes remained fixed on the digital map hovering in his vision.
[Ding! System Level 6 Evolution: 15% Complete.] [Status: 'Operation Frozen Sun' Initiated.] [Assets Deployed: 12 Ice-Breakers, 40 Stealth Jets, 5,000 Aegis Elites.]
"Sir," Marcus Vance approached, his heavy tactical boots clanking against the steel deck. "The 'Core' transport is moving fast. They’ve reached the 80th parallel. They’re heading for a dead zone—a place not marked on any map. Our satellites are losing their heat signature."
Arlo tapped his fingers on the railing. "They aren't just hiding, Marcus. They’re going home. To the place where the Syndicate was born."
Elena Sterling walked up beside him, draped in a heavy white fur coat. Despite the freezing temperature, her emerald eyes were burning with a new fire. "Arlo, I’ve been analyzing the Ledger’s encrypted layers. The Blackwood Syndicate wasn't just a business. It was a cult of 'transhumanists.' They believe that wealth is just a tool to achieve digital immortality. My uncle... he was just a mid-level manager."
Arlo turned to her. "And my parents?"
"They were the 'Engineers' of the Soul," Elena whispered. "They figured out how to turn human consciousness into data. That’s what the 'Project Genesis' core is. It’s not a server, Arlo. It’s a hive mind."
[Ding! Warning: Hostile Fleet Detected.] [Identification: The 'Iron Guard' – The private navy of the Northern Alliance.]
Suddenly, the horizon was dotted with the silhouettes of twelve massive destroyers. A thunderous voice boomed over the emergency radio channel.
"Unidentified fleet, this is the Northern Alliance. You are trespassing in sovereign waters. Turn back immediately or be fired upon. This is your only warning."
Marcus gritted his teeth, his hand moving to his sidearm. "They’re blocking the path to the North Pole. The Blackwood Syndicate must have bought their entire government decades ago."
Arlo walked to the command console and grabbed the radio. He didn't sound angry; he sounded bored.
"Northern Alliance, this is Arlo Thorne. I’m not interested in your sovereignty. I’m interested in your survival. In exactly sixty seconds, I am going to buy your nation’s national debt. If you fire a single shot, I will execute a 'Total Liquidation' of your currency. Your sailors will be paid in paper that isn't worth a piece of bread before their shells even hit the water."
On the bridge of the Northern Alliance flagship, the Admiral laughed. "Who does this brat think he is? This is a national navy! Fire a warning shot!"
BOOM!
A massive shell landed a hundred yards from the Aegis Prime, sending a geyser of freezing water into the air.
Arlo’s eyes turned cold. "System. Execute 'The Golden Strike'."
[Ding! Transaction Initiated: Purchasing 100% of the Northern Alliance's Sovereign Bonds.] [Spending: $12 Trillion.] [10,000x Rebate Triggered! $120 Quadrillion credited to Host's account!]
[System Feature: 'Economic Override' Activated.]
Back on the Alliance flagship, every computer screen turned black, then flashed a single message: PROPERTY OF THORNE INDUSTRIES.
Simultaneously, every sailor on every ship received a notification on their personal devices.
“Your pension has been tripled. Your family's debt has been cleared. Your new Commander is Arlo Thorne. Refuse orders from the Admiral to receive a $1 Million bonus instantly.”
The Admiral’s face turned from red to purple. "Fire! I said fire!"
The gunners looked at their screens, then at each other. They slowly took their hands off the triggers. One by one, they stood up and walked away from their posts.
"Sir," a young officer whispered, tears in his eyes. "I just became a millionaire. I’m done fighting for a paycheck that barely buys milk."
The entire fleet of the Northern Alliance went silent. The massive guns that were once aimed at Arlo slowly lowered toward the sea.
Arlo watched as the twelve destroyers broke formation, creating a wide, clear path through the ice.
"Marcus," Arlo said, his voice echoing through the quiet deck. "Buy those ships. I want them as our vanguard. Offer every sailor a position in the Aegis."
"Yes, Sir!" Marcus was grinning now. He had seen wealth before, but he had never seen it used as a weapon of mass pacifism.
[Ding! Mission 'The Frozen Throne' – Phase 1: Complete.] [Reward: 'Sovereign Command' Level 2. You now have the authority to issue 'Thorne Credits' – A digital currency backed by the System.]
Arlo looked back at Elena. "We're not just a company anymore, Elena. We're a nation. And we're going to the North Pole to reclaim what’s mine."
As the Aegis Prime surged forward, breaking through a massive ice floe, a strange green light began to pulse from the northern horizon. It wasn't the Aurora Borealis. It was a digital pulse, rhythmic and cold.
[Ding! Attention: The 'Gods' have noticed you.] [Incoming Transmission...]
A holographic projection appeared on the deck, showing a silver-haired man sitting on a throne of glass. He looked like an older, more refined version of Arlo.
"Welcome, Arlo," the projection said, his voice sounding like a thousand people speaking at once. "You've spent trillions to reach us. But tell me... what is money to a man who can live forever? You've brought the fuel, but we... we are the fire."
Arlo stepped through the hologram, his hand clenching into a fist. "I don't care about your fire. I'm here to take my parents back. And if I have to buy the very air you breathe to choke you, I will."
The hologram laughed. "Then come, little king. The Frozen Throne is waiting. Let's see if your gold can melt the ice of eternity."
The projection vanished, leaving only the sound of the wind and the crashing of ice. Arlo looked at his phone. His balance was now so high it was represented by an infinity symbol.
"Prepare the drop pods," Arlo commanded, his eyes glowing blue. "I'm going in first."
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 12: The Vault of Eternity
The 85th parallel was a wasteland of jagged white peaks and screaming winds, but beneath the permafrost lay the most expensive structure ever built: The Elysium Vault. It was a subterranean fortress, powered by geothermal energy and shielded by five meters of lead-lined titan-steel.High above, the sky was torn apart by the sound of supersonic engines. Twelve black drop-pods, shaped like obsidian coffins, plummeted from the Aegis Prime’s orbital-tier hangar.Arlo Thorne sat inside the lead pod, his eyes closed. He wasn't meditating; he was syncing.[Ding! System Level 7 Evolution: 'World-Editor' Beta Unlocked.] [Feature: 'Asset Materialization' – Within a 100-meter radius, the Host can instantly buy and manifest high-tier equipment from the System Store.]"Impact in five seconds," Marcus’s voice crackled over the comms. "Brace for entry!"BOOM!The pod slammed into the ice, burying itself twenty meters deep. The doors hissed open, and Arlo stepped out into the freezing darkness of an
Chapter 11: The Fleet of the Sovereign
The fallout from the "Global Broadcast" was instantaneous. While the world celebrated the erasure of their debts, the geopolitical landscape was in a state of sheer panic. For the first time in history, a single individual held more liquid power than all the world's central banks combined.Arlo Thorne stood on the deck of the Aegis Prime, a state-of-the-art stealth carrier he had purchased from a bankrupt superpower's secret shipyard for a cool fifty billion dollars. The salty wind of the North Atlantic whipped his hair, but his eyes remained fixed on the digital map hovering in his vision.[Ding! System Level 6 Evolution: 15% Complete.] [Status: 'Operation Frozen Sun' Initiated.] [Assets Deployed: 12 Ice-Breakers, 40 Stealth Jets, 5,000 Aegis Elites.]"Sir," Marcus Vance approached, his heavy tactical boots clanking against the steel deck. "The 'Core' transport is moving fast. They’ve reached the 80th parallel. They’re heading for a dead zone—a place not marked on any map. Our satell
Chapter 10: The Billion-Dollar Silence
The countdown had begun.Inside the Obsidian Tower, the air was thick with the scent of ozone and panic. The Blackwood Syndicate’s elite council—men and women who controlled the fates of millions—were huddled in the war room. They weren't looking at stock tickers anymore; they were looking at the giant digital clock Arlo Thorne had projected onto the clouds above the city using high-powered lasers.00:59… 00:58…"He’s bluffing," Lord Malphas hissed, his fingers trembling as he adjusted his silk tie. "No one can buy every satellite. No one has that kind of liquid leverage. The World Media Association would block the transaction before it even cleared the first server!""Sir," a technician stuttered, his face illuminated by a screen flashing red. "The transaction didn't go through the Association. He didn't buy the companies... he bought the satellites' manufacturers and the insurance companies that back them. He just issued a 'Force Majeure'—a global emergency shutdown of every news fe
Chapter 9: The City’s New Owner
The morning sun rose over River City, but for the local elite, it felt like the dawn of an apocalypse. While the citizens enjoyed a sudden wave of debt cancellations and free internet—courtesy of Thorne Industries—the high-society members of the "Blackwood Circle" were waking up to find their luxury cars towed, their club memberships revoked, and their credit cards declining.Arlo Thorne stood in his command center atop the Grand Imperial Hotel. He was no longer the delivery boy in the muddy jacket. He wore a simple, yet impossibly expensive white silk shirt, watching a dozen monitors showing the real-time collapse of his enemies.[Ding! System Level 4 Feature: 'Market Domination' Active.] [Status: 85% of River City’s commercial real estate has been acquired.] [Current Task: Locate the 'Blackwood Ledger' – The digital list of every corrupt official in the city.]"Sir," Marcus Vance stepped into the room, his heavy boots echoing on the marble. "The Aegis teams have secured the four maj
Chapter 8: The Birth of an Island Sovereign
The morning after the Central Bank collapse, the global economy was in a state of absolute shock. The "River City Miracle," as the media called it, had wiped out the Blackwood Syndicate’s local influence overnight. But Arlo Thorne knew this was just the beginning of a larger retaliation.He stood in the command center of his newly acquired penthouse, watching the 'Global Intelligence Network' screen.[Ding! Warning: The Blackwood Syndicate has moved 'Project Genesis' to a secure, offshore location.] [Detection: Six international assassin teams have been contracted to eliminate the Host. Estimated time of arrival: 12 hours.]Arlo swirled the coffee in his cup, his eyes cold. "If they want to fight on international ground, let’s give them a battlefield they can't survive.""Marcus," Arlo said without turning around. "How much is that abandoned industrial island in the North Sea? The one the UN designated as a 'No-Man's Land' due to legal disputes?"Marcus Vance, standing as a silent tit
Chapter 7: The Trillion-Dollar Withdrawal
The River City Central Bank was a fortress of neoclassical granite and reinforced steel. It wasn’t just a bank; it was the vault of the city’s secrets and the primary laundering machine for the Blackwood Syndicate.At 9:00 AM sharp, the heavy bronze doors swung open. The tellers, dressed in stiff vests, prepared for a standard day of high-interest loans and corporate deposits. They didn't notice the fleet of thirty armored black semi-trucks pulling up to the curb, led by a pristine Rolls-Royce Phantom.Arlo Thorne stepped out of the car. He wore a sharp, obsidian-black suit with a blood-red tie. Behind him stood Marcus Vance and ten members of the newly formed Aegis—men whose presence made the bank’s armed security instinctively take a step back.Arlo walked into the lobby, the 'Aura of the Hidden Tycoon' radiating from him like a physical heat. He didn't go to a teller. He walked straight to the center of the lobby and sat in one of the guest armchairs, crossing his legs elegantly."
You may also like
Fist Emperor Of The Universe
CrazeNovel50.3K viewsMy Sniper System
kuhaku_sora23.1K viewsThe Poor Owner of a Legacy System
Pein34.8K viewsCrash-landed On An Island With Nine Beauties
Zuxian204.2K viewsSTAR ACADEMY
C. Sygil398 viewsMy Arcane System
A knight in skirt 336 viewsSystem Activated: Divine Talent Granted
Yeshua Yin7.0K viewsCrosskill (Steal the System)
Dian Armay9.9K views