The Sovereign’s Retribution: Daily Login to Godhood

Chapter 06: The Price of Disrespect

The morning sun over Veridian City was pale and cold, filtering through the shattered remains of the penthouse windows. Silas Vane sat cross-legged on the floor amidst the debris, his eyes closed. In his hand, a translucent scroll pulsed with a ghostly light before dissolving into his palms.

[Ding! 'Mind-Read' Skill Scroll (Grade F) successfully learned.] [Effect: Allows the Host to hear the surface thoughts of any target with lower Willpower than the Host. Range: 10 meters.]

"System," Silas thought, his voice echoing in the silence of his mind. "Perform the Day 4 Login."

[Ding! Login Successful!] [Day 4 Reward: 1x 'Aetherius' Limited Edition Hyper-SUV (Phantom Black) & 1x 'Grandmaster of Etiquette' Passive Skill.] [The 'Aetherius' is currently parked in the Grand Valerius VIP garage. Ownership documents are in your inventory.]

Silas stood up, his movements fluid and predatory. The [Grandmaster of Etiquette] skill integrated into his mind, refining his posture and every micro-expression. He didn't just look like a man with money; he looked like a man who had invented the concept of power.

"Sarah," Silas called out.

Sarah Miller appeared from the kitchen, holding two cups of coffee. She had traded her nurse's scrubs for a sharp, navy-blue blazer and trousers she’d ordered from the hotel’s in-house boutique. She looked at the devastation of the room, then at Silas. She didn't ask about the ash or the broken glass. She simply handed him a cup.

"The security team I hired will be here in an hour," she said, her voice steady. "But Silas... we have a problem. To enter the Thorne Gala, you need a formal invitation and a 'verified' net worth of at least a billion. My $500,000 is a fortune to me, but to them, it's pocket change."

Silas took a sip of the coffee. "Then we’ll go get a billion, Sarah. But first, we need a car that doesn't smell like a hospital."

They headed down to the garage. Waiting in the most exclusive spot was the Aetherius Phantom. It was a beast of a vehicle—matte black, with sharp, aggressive lines that looked like they belonged on a stealth fighter. The wheels were made of a dark, shimmering alloy that didn't exist in the real world.

As they approached, a loud, obnoxious laugh echoed through the garage.

A silver convertible roared into the adjacent spot, narrowly missing the Aetherius. A man stepped out, dressed in a loud, salmon-colored suit. This was Victor Vance, the cousin of Silas’s ex-fiancée, Elena. Victor was a man who had spent his entire life living off the scraps of the Thorne family's table.

"Hey! Nurse!" Victor shouted, spotting Sarah. He didn't even recognize Silas at first, his eyes fixed on Sarah’s legs. "What are you doing in the VIP section? Did you finally find a rich patient to sleep with?"

Sarah flinched, her hand tightening on her bag. She recognized Victor; he had come to the hospital a week ago to mock Silas while he was still in a coma.

Victor finally looked at Silas. He squinted. "Vane? Is that you? I thought you were supposed to be a vegetable or a beggar by now. Julian said you were 'disposed of'."

Silas walked toward Victor, the [Sovereign’s Presence] exerting a subtle, suffocating pressure.

[Mind-Read Activated]

Victor Vance’s Surface Thoughts: Wait, how is he standing? Julian said the Cleaner was going to finish him. If Julian finds out he's alive, he'll blame me for not checking the body. I need to get rid of him. Maybe I can provoke him into a fight and have the hotel guards throw him in a hole.

"Victor," Silas said, his voice like ice. "You always did have a big mouth and a small brain."

"You piece of trash!" Victor lunged forward, raising a hand to slap Silas. "You're a crippled loser with no job and no future! You’re standing on private property—"

Silas didn't move. He didn't have to. As Victor’s hand came close, Silas caught his wrist. With a slight twist, Victor was forced to his knees, his face turning purple.

"You're curious about how I'm here?" Silas whispered, leaning down. "Let’s talk about your little 'secret' instead. The $200 million you embezzled from the Thorne construction fund to pay off your gambling debts in the underground casinos? The ones Julian doesn't know about?"

Victor’s eyes bulged. "How... how do you—"

"I know everything, Victor," Silas said, his eyes glowing with that terrifying blue light. "Now, give me your invitation to the Thorne Gala. And then, you're going to give me the keys to your 'private' warehouse on the docks."

"I'll die if Julian finds out!" Victor whimpered, the weight of Silas's presence making it hard to breathe. He looked at Sarah, begging for help, but Sarah only looked at him with cold indifference. She knew Silas was right; this man was a parasite.

"You'll die if you don't," Silas countered.

Victor fumbled in his pocket, producing a gold-embossed card and a set of keys. Silas took them and tossed Victor aside like a piece of trash.

"Sarah, get in the car," Silas commanded.

As they sped out of the garage in the Aetherius, Sarah watched Silas from the passenger seat. She felt a strange, thrilling dependence on him. He wasn't just surviving; he was dismantling their enemies piece by piece.

"Silas," she asked, "how did you know about the embezzlement?"

"The eyes see what the heart hides, Sarah," he replied, looking at the dashboard as a new system notification appeared.

[Ding! Small Twist Triggered!] [Victor Vance was not just a coward; he was a 'Vessel' for a minor demon from the 'Blind Eye'. By taking his invitation, you have unknowingly marked yourself for the Supernatural Watchers.]

[System Warning: The 'Blind Eye' is now tracking your Aether signature.]

Silas gripped the steering wheel, a dark smile spreading across his face. "Good. I was worried this was going to be too easy."