Modern Cultivation : The Strongest Couple Bonded by Vampire System

"Hahaha! Now is the time of your death, Apocalyptic Dragon!"

A heroic man clad in gleaming armor laughed heartily, his voice booming across the battlefield. In his hand, he wielded a massive warhammer, its surface radiating a prismatic glow. The air trembled as he pointed it at the colossal dragon before him—its skyscraper-sized body covered in dark, purplish-black scales that shimmered ominously under the twilight sky.

The dragon let out a thunderous roar, its fiery breath distorting the very atmosphere. But the warrior remained unfazed. His warhammer began to elongate, swelling in size until it matched the dragon's massive head. With an earth-shattering swing…

BAM!!! BAM!!!

A flurry of golden stars burst from the impact, swirling around the dragon's dazed expression. Its reptilian eyes spun into spirals of confusion. Now was the perfect moment. The heroic man's body ignited with a fiery aura, his hammer pulsing with dazzling rainbows and celestial energy. 

He hoisted it high for the final blow, a nd then A deafening voice shattered the heavens. "ALEX! Can you stop playing already?!"

Everything turned black. The sky, the dragon, the battlefield—all of it vanished in an instant. His body jerked as the VR safety system forcibly pulled him back to reality.

'Knew it. Even an Apocalyptic Dragon isn't as terrifying as my mom. Who in their right mind forcefully disconnects someone mid-battle? Yeah. Only my mom. I spent ten thousand dollars on the Star Rainbow Hammer to solo the Apocalyptic Dragon, but she spent ten million dollars on the best VR override system just to destroy my whole world whenever she wanted.'

As Alex sat in stunned silence, a sharp smack landed on his head. "Ouch!"

Luca, his mother, stood over him, phone still in hand from where she'd just hit him. "Why are you sitting there like a zombie?" she snapped.

Alex groaned, rubbing the sore spot on his head. "Mom! You shouldn't hit me like that! That's domestic violence! I can sue you, you know!"

Luca folded her arms and gave him a glare so sharp it could cut steel. "Domestic violence? Suing me? Are you serious right now, you shameless brat?" She huffed. "Are you even a man? You do nothing all day but waste time on games! If you're going to play, at least make money from it! What woman in her right mind would like a guy like you?"

Alex sighed. 'Here we go again.'

Luca wasn't finished. "When I first met your father—" And there it was. The speech.

Alex zoned out, staring at the ceiling, mentally filling in the blanks. He had heard this story too many times. The struggle. The hard work. The romance. The 'we started from nothing' tale. It wasn't that he didn't want a girlfriend. But every single one he'd met was only interested in his money. And as for a job… Why? He was born rich.

Seeing her son daydreaming instead of listening made Luca's patience snap. She lifted her foot and—

STOMP!

"AHH! MOM! That hurts!!!" Alex yelped, hopping on one leg.

"I don't care anymore!" Luca declared. "Today, you're getting a job, or I'm blocking your credit card!"

Alex's eyes widened in pure horror. "NOOO! Mom, not my credit card!" He clutched his chest like she had stabbed him. "How am I supposed to buy the latest chapter of my novel?!" 'How else am I supposed to fill the void in my social life?!'

But Luca wasn't budging. "Then, my dear son," her soft voice suddenly sharpened, "find a job!! Don't be a parasite!!!"

"Wait, Mom, I'm not a parasite!" Alex shot back, puffing up his chest. "Didn't you know I was contributing to society? If I didn't buy those chapters or game items, do you realize how many people wouldn't be able to eat? I single-handedly allowed hundreds, no, thousands of people to keep their jobs!Writers, developers, artists—they all rely on players like me! Because of me, they can pay their bills, send their kids to school, and keep the economy going! So, I wasn't just enjoying life, Mom, I was helping people." Alex finished with a proud grin, arms crossed like he had just delivered an irrefutable argument.

Luca stared at him. "...You what?" Her eyes narrowed. "Just how much do you spend every month?"

'Ehm… Mom, that one hammer I bought for a single boss was already 20 times the average person's salary…' But there was no way he was saying that out loud. It might sound like an exaggeration, but it really wasn't. Alex wasn't just rich. He was legendary. In every game he played, he was known as the God of Whales. In the novel community, he was the God Reader. If you got him to read your book, he would drown you in so many gifts and castles that your book would instantly shoot up the rankings.

The amount he spent every month could buy a house in cash. And yet—Even that was nothing compared to his mom. Unlike him, Luca didn't just spend money—she gave it away. Charity foundations, orphanages, free food programs—she spent tens of millions every month helping others. 

That was the difference. She was building a legacy. He was just... maxing out characters in games. Seeing her son go completely quiet, Luca exhaled sharply and delivered her final ultimatum. "Enough nonsense. I'm giving you three days. After that, say bye-bye to your credit card." And with that, she turned and left, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

Alex sat there, stunned. Deep down, he knew she didn't actually care about the money. Their family had enough wealth to last 77 generations. Even with all the ridiculous expenses, their empire kept printing billions every year. No, what really worried her was him. She had seen too many rich kids lose themselves—getting into crime, scandals, or worse. She didn't want him to become one of them.

*** 

BANG! Critical hit! 1,000,000 Damage!!!

Her words hit harder than any boss battle. But Alex? He wasn't ready to face that reality just yet. So, instead of looking for a job… He logged back in. And finally finished off the Apocalyptic Dragon. Sure, his character died, and sure, he lost his precious Star Rainbow Hammer… But he just bought another one. And this time— He succeeded. 

[Congratulations to WhaleGod for becoming the first to defeat the Apocalyptic Dragon!]

Notifications flooded the screen, showering him in glory. Pride swelled in his chest as he opened the global chat. And the comments? They were gold.

"Well, well, well, looks like Mr. WhaleGod just soloed the final boss."

"Who needs skill when you have a credit card?"

"BREAKING NEWS: Whale defeats final boss using the deadliest weapon of all—his wallet."

"I heard he threw so much money at the boss that it died from a paper cut."

"Why grind for gear when you can just buy your way to glory? #WhaleLife"

"Do you think he realizes the real final boss is his monthly credit card statement?"

Alex laughed. Some called it pay-to-win. He called it investing in happiness.