I am Rich!

<Ding! Ding!>

<Hidden Quest: Bonds of Steel and Iron…completed>

<Cassandra's Harem Slut title has been upgraded to Lover>

<A Bond of Steel has been formed. The host no longer to doubt Cassandra's loyalty> 

<Harem Lover (title): Harem Lovers provide a passive boost of 1,000 ero points per day. And unlike Sluts, will only lose their title if abandoned by the host>

<Hidden Quest: One-Man Brothel…completed>

A series of system prompts echoed in Mithras' mind. He ignored them, focusing on Cassandra who silently sobbed on his shoulder. 

"Here…" With her face still pressed on Mithras' chest, Cassandra raised her right hand, revealing a crystal-blue card that shimmered with dazzling energies. 

Without hesitation, Mithras took the mysterious card, his eyes widening at the astronomical reserves of Sid he sensed inside. 

"A Sid Card with a balance of…2.2 million crystals! Rich! I AM RICH!" Like a greedy little goblin that had just gotten its hands on a treasure chest, Mithras stroked the crystal card on his cheek, forgetting about Cassandra for a moment. 

The average price of a five-bedroom mansion in the capital was about 30,000 ener crystals! 

The average price of a luxurious carriage was 5.000! 

Ten for an ordinary slave, 100 a month for a skilled bodyguard! But he had 2.2 million! 

He was rich! 

"You really took it." Watching Mithras salivate at his newly gained wealth, Cassandra stared slack jawed, unable to believe that Mithras actually took the money. 

"Oh but of course. I will never refuse a beauty's hard-earned cash, so don't hesitate to bring me more money. I will only love you more for it!" Mithras replied without hesitation, kissing his Sid Card with hearts and stars in his eyes. 

In that instant, Cassandra couldn't help but wonder if by preventing Mithras from owning wealth and property growing up, she'd not contributed to turning him into a gold-digger. 

"Moving on. How will you respond to the Queen Mother's offer?" Cassandra asked, causing Mithras to snap out of his gold worship and regain a serious look. 

"Tell the Queen Mother that we accept her offer," Mithras said in a casual tone, making Cassandra's fists tighten in frustration. 

"Don't worry. I do not plan to become anyone's husband anytime soon. Like I said, the Queen Mother doesn't really care about Honoria's future. She just wants someone she can control by my side. Marriage is a convenient excuse—not a necessity. 

Let's play along for a minute and use the wedding as bait to bring the pieces for my heist together," Mithras said and leaned towards Cassandra's ear, whispering the details of his plan. 

"Risky. If we succeed, the future is ours. But if we fail, we will lose everything." Now aware of Mithras' plan, Cassandra's eyes stretched wide open—a mix of shock and fear lighting up her eyes. 

Mithras wasn't just greedy for wealth. The Human Aphrodisiac wanted to build his powerbase as soon as possible so he'd be in a position to rescue his sister. And he indeed had the plan to build that powerbase in record time. 

But for that plan to work, several factors had to align in a single night—including elements that Mithras couldn't possibly control. 

"We're already at the gate of no return. No matter the path we choose moving on, the Queen Mother will try to kill you. You're growing too fast. The only reason Vel'Asha is showing forbearance is that she can't tell if you've received the support of a Superior Being or are just relying on a miraculous treasure. When she realizes that I am your drug, you're dead.

And sadly for us, the Queen Mother is too strong for a direct confrontation," Mithras pleaded his case. His words making Cassandra's eyes narrow into a frown. 

"I can't defeat her?"

"No. Absolutely not. Praise the Lord for my Exalted Sense. That bitch is a Blood Longevity tier Guru, and I'm not sure she's human," Mithras said in a calm and serious tone, and speechless before the news, Cassandra reeled back. 

"A Superior Being? Sage, demoness, demigoddess or dragoness?" Cassandra asked immediately. Standard monsters and humans couldn't go beyond the Golden Palace rank. To reach Blood Longevity, one needed Superior Blood—meaning Sage, Demon, Divine or Dragon Blood. 

Those were the entities that stood at the summit of the Spiritual World. What could a woman of that level be doing in the Blood Smelting Kingdom? 

"That's the problem. I can't tell. She's using a powerful mantra to cover her true race—a mantra that I can't see through. It doesn't help that Honoria too seems to be in the good graces of a Superior Being." Mithras dropped another bomb. 

"Honoria? That doesn't make any sense. Under the eyes of Vel'Asha, where and how would she have gotten the opportunity to contact a Superior Being?" As Cassandra reached this point, the matriarch spun 180, looking in the direction of the royal palace. 

"No way…" 

"You can smell it? Glad to see those years of tempering in my Wrathful God Fire weren't for nothing. 

Now you see why we need to make a bold move? The royal family of this nation is a lot crazier than we imagined. And if we don't prepare for war, we will all be lambs and pork chops when they're ready to light the kingdom on fire.

So let's strike while the iron is hot and secure the haul that will guarantee our future.

There's no need to be afraid. Now that my powers have awakened fully, our enemies will be playing the game of life at nightmare difficulty," Mithras said with a gentle smile, and after storing his Sid Card, pulled Cassandra into a kiss. 

Meanwhile, in the Queen Mother's chambers, Vel'Asha sat on a scarlet and gold throne, stroking a snow-white cat while Gaiseric knelt at her feet. 

"Mother, I'm confused. You've always been a decisive and efficient woman. So why did you not help me kill Cassandra right there? Why are you giving her a way out? That woman went from the ninth level of Inner Accumulation to the eighth level of Great Expansion, crossing a full rank…in one night!

Who is to say that in three days, she won't be at the Golden Palace? I know you can't kill her because of the curse but you could have just—" Barely had Gaiseric reached this point that the Queen Mother's grip on her cat tightened, and with a series of loud shrieks, the feline burst into flames, turning into a dark vulture. 

"SILENCE!" Vel'Asha snapped at her son, and aware that he should never challenge his mother when she lost her temper, Gaiseric prostrated himself on the ground, not daring to look up. 

For the split of a second, Vel'Asha's dark hues turned into a yellow pair of feline eyes. Gaiseric didn't see this—not that he would have dared to mention it.

"I don't care about Cassandra. There is something horribly wrong going on here, and I will get to the bottom of it. If the secret behind Cassandra's rise can help us save your father, that's the priority.

So Gaiseric, don't forget the big picture," Vel'Asha explained, and with a wave of her hand, sent Gaiseric out of her chambers.