St. Monarch University — 9:07 AM, Business Hall
The lecture wasn't even halfway through, but no one cared.
All eyes were on Damon.
He leaned back in his chair, custom suit draped clean over his shoulders, gold pen spinning in his fingers.
His laptop displayed live shipping manifests from Dubai and Tokyo. On the other tab?
A private crypto auction where he was about to win controlling shares in a clean energy front for his underworld empire.
Behind him: Sasha. Still watching.
Three rows across: Arielle. Not speaking.
Far corner: Elina, calm and unreadable.
And just outside the classroom?
A man in a three-piece suit waited.
System Alert: High-Risk Visitor Approaching
Blood Signature Detected — Black Family Level Access
Incoming: Saul Black – Legacy Council Representative
– Role: Bloodline Enforcer
– Status: Threat Masked as Invitation
Recommended Response: Controlled Engagement with Shadow Surveillance Active
Meeting Room — Black Tower, Private Level
Saul Black poured himself a drink from Damon's bar like he owned it.
"Your mother was… a necessary sacrifice," he said without flinching.
"But you? You might be… useful."
Damon didn't blink.
He simply said:
"The only thing I inherited from you people… was rage."
Check-In Complete — Bloodline Challenge (Tier III)
Reward: Blood Sovereign Protocol – Tier I Unlocked
– You can now suppress any lower-tier Black bloodline heir through presence alone
– You gain political immunity inside family territories
– Bonuses to social, financial, and military leverage within legacy circles
New Skill Gained: "Lineage Command"
– When invoked, your bloodline signature triggers psychological submission in all unranked family members.
Saul felt it.
He staggered.
For just a moment — he knelt.
Later That Night — Campus Club: The Citadel
Damon's Entry:
3 luxury cars outside.
Cameras already waiting.
Champagne pre-ordered.
Table framed with gold roses and obsidian ice buckets.
He didn't just arrive.
He made the room reset.
Nova showed up but didn't speak to him.
Arielle danced with a stranger — eyes always drifting.
Elina?
She never moved far.
System Active: Spender's Dominion – Elite Flex Tier II
Spent: $480,000 in under 4 hours
Return: $2.6M (Brand interest + night-market loyalty boost)
Bonus Triggered: "Public Spectacle Surge"
– You are now ranked #1 in campus social hierarchy
– New characters will be drawn to you by reputation alone
Across the City – Phantom Empire Moves
– Shipment of rare arms cleared in Cartagena
– Hacker strike by Zeke froze Virelli's main crypto wallet for 72 hours
– A street crew in Atlanta renamed their set: "Phantom's Sons"
System Auto-Check-In: Multi-Region Empire Control
Reward: $6.2M
New Underground Title Gained: "The Pulse" – Because your moves dictate the rhythm of crime itself.
Final Scene — Private System Room (1:00 AM)
Damon stood at the wall-sized map, shirt off, scarred, silent.
Elina entered behind him. Barefoot. In his shirt.
"You move like you're already a god," she said.
He looked over his shoulder.
"I'm not a god yet."
"But I'm about to throw a party so big… the sky will beg to watch."