One thing is clear—the Lionheart family is ridiculously rich.
My uncle gave me 10 billion credits. Ten. Billion. Credits. What the hell?
Sure, considering my parents' contributions, it's probably not much. The family's guild makes billions every month, so I guess this was just pocket change to them. But to me? A former deadbeat corporate slave who spent my life grinding for scraps? This kind of money was world-breaking.
"Master, we have arrived," Sebas announced with a light bow.
After packing my things and collecting the money, I didn't linger at the estate. I left that very day, boarding a train to Magic City. Twelve hours later, we finally arrived.
Magic City was a stark contrast to the Lionheart family's sphere of influence. Known as the City of Dreams, it was a place where strength and ambition mattered more than bloodlines. Here, anyone could rise to the top, regardless of their origins.
The city wasn't under the control of the 12 supreme families, who ruled most of the human boundary. Instead, it was governed by three five-star guilds, each built by self-made commoners who clawed their way to the top. That independence made Magic City unique—and the perfect place for me to develop.
The Four Major Powers
The current human boundary was divided into four dominant forces:
The 12 Supreme Families - Aristocratic powerhouses with deep histories and influence.The Human Boundary Defense Force - The front-line fighters against the abyss, more military than political.The Grand Council - The ruling body, boasting five SSS-class awakened, making it the most powerful.The Free Union of Awakened - A coalition of independent guilds, rivaling the families in strength.
Magic City, protected by the Free Union, was a safe haven from the 12 families' influence. It was one of the most prosperous states, rich in dungeons and resources, and it operated as an independent state.
This autonomy and wealth made it the perfect launchpad for my plans.
I used a chunk of my fortune—2 billion credits—to buy a prime building in the city center. As I stood before the sleek, modern structure, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. For the first time in this new life, I wasn't surrounded by judgmental eyes or suffocating family expectations.
Still, my thoughts drifted to Mira.
Man, I wish I could've brought her.
Mira had been my maid since I was 13. She was gorgeous, seductive, and, well, we'd shared more than just professional moments. Before I left, there had been regret in her eyes—genuine sorrow that made me second-guess her intentions.
But could I trust her?
She had been appointed by my cousin, which raised red flags. What if she'd been planted to spy on me? Mira might've been loyal, but for now, I couldn't risk it. Besides, she was too much of a distraction. I'd sort things out with her later.
The Game Plan
With my new home secured, it was time to focus. I called up my status screen.
Status:
Class: Gigolo
Strength: 12
Stamina: 10
Agility: 11
Constitution: 9
Skills:
A-Level: Charm (Passive) - Increases attraction of the opposite sex by 20 points.S-Level: Exchange (Active) - When performing a transaction with the opposite sex, gain attributes, skills, or items depending on the exchange type.S-Level: Yang Body (Passive) - Awakened Yang physique. Dual cultivation grants strong energy and converts Yin into experience points.
Weapon Art: None
Not bad. My physical stats are above average for an awakened—most hover around 8. Training paid off.
But that "F" potential ranking still didn't sit right with me. In the novel, classes with S-level skills were ranked S. SS-level skills earned SS rankings, and SSS-level skills? You guessed it—SSS.
The protagonist of the novel shattered this system when he merged with the dragon bloodline, upgrading all his skills to SSS with one EX-level skill. But that was protagonist-tier nonsense. My class, with two S-level skills, should at least rank S. Someone tampered with this, no question.
Fine. Let them underestimate me.
I wasn't bound by the original timeline. Forget the protagonist's story—I'd make my own path.
Step 1: Overpowered Opportunities
I racked my brain, recalling the novel's power-ups.
The Merchant Alliance Founder's Skill
Gregory Bezien, the future leader of the Merchant Guild Alliance, stumbled upon a ???-graded skill in a hidden cave. It turned out to be a 10x amplification ability. His original skill guaranteed a 1x drop rate from monsters he killed, but with the amplification, it became a 10x drop rate. Overpowered.
Gregory's skill allowed him to dominate the materials market, controlling 30% of all resources in the human boundary.
The Succubus Bloodline
Yoohee Yang, the future leader of the underworld, was a succubus-bloodline assassin ranked SS. Her bloodline pushed her power to SSS-level in practice. In one chapter, she reminisces about her partner—the one destined to awaken the Incubus bloodline. I knew exactly where that bloodline was hidden, and I planned to claim it.The SSS Class Change Scroll
This item was the definition of broken. It allowed any class to evolve to its ultimate version. In the novel, the protagonist wasted it by using it on himself, despite already being ridiculously overpowered.
The scroll was hidden in an antique shop in Magic City, locked in a black chest. No one ever opened it because they didn't want to risk its random contents. Except for the protagonist, who conveniently had dragon bloodline instincts to identify its value.
Well, guess what? I'm opening that chest first.
I leaned back, a grin spreading across my face.
Magic City held the keys to rewriting my destiny. If I played this right, I'd seize the power-ups and carve out my own story.
The Lionheart family might've cast me out, but they hadn't buried me.
Not yet.