Liam had just taken his bath and was now resting on the bed inside the master suite of Dark Dragon Villa.
The bed was absurdly softâsofter even than the one in Bellemere Mansion. The texture was smoother and lighter. He pressed a hand into the mattress, watching it sink and rise in slow motion.
He had no idea what material it was made of. Cotton? Silk? Foam? He doubted any of those could achieve this level of comfort.
Then again, this was a world where magic, monsters, and awakened Hunters existed. It wouldnât be strange if even bed materials came from the remains of magical beasts.
"Fantasy world, fantasy furniture," he muttered quietly, smiling to himself.
He turned his attention to the spoils from his night stroll. Lucy had already tallied everything up.
97 E-Rank monster cores, 21 D-Rank monster cores and 1 C-Rank core. Their total value came to $588,000.
It was, by all accounts, a profitable night.
To most Hunters, that was a small fortune. Same as to those in his home world. But Liam knew better. The moment you factored in the cost of repairing equipment, replacing armor, restocking weapons, paying guild fees, and medical coverageâit wasnât much at all.
The economy of this world was strange. Inflation had twisted everything after the Great Awakening. Ordinary goodsâfood, furniture, clothingâwere cheap but still far more expensive than it was fifteen years ago.
But anything related to Hunters was worth a small fortune. Weapons. Armors. Mana potions. Monster parts.
Even land had become an untouchable luxury. With safe zones being few and far between, territory within city walls was priceless.
He sighed quietly. "Same story in every world. The rich adapt faster than the rest."
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft chime from his phone. The notification tone echoed lightly through the room.
Liam reached for it and saw an incoming message from Blaire Novak. The email contained a neatly formatted list of personnel profiles, accompanied by a short message:
"Proposed Estate Staff for Dark Dragon Villa â Maids and Security Personnel. All candidates are verified awakened with complete background checks."
He skimmed through the attachments. Three maids. Two guards. One driver listed as "on-call."
Their rĂ©sumĂ©s were impressive, but he didnât trust paper alone. Not in a world like this.
"Lucy," he said.
"Yes, Master?"
"Run verification on all five names. Cross-check government records, Hunter Association data, and banking trails. I want full backgrounds."
"Understood."
Liam stared at the ceiling, letting his mind drift back to last nightâs battle and the image of the wasteland flashed across his thoughts.
He had moved through them like wind through grass. None had lasted more than a heartbeat.
According to Lucyâs post-analysis, nearly all the monsters he faced had been D-Rank, except for one C-Rank among them. But Liam had barely felt a difference. Heâd cut through the horde without the slightest resistance.
He wasnât arrogant enough to believe he was invincible. He understood that part of it was because of his nano-exosuit and Silverleafâs reinforced edge. Without them, it mightâve been a real battle instead of a one-sided massacre.
Even so, he had confirmed one thingâthe combination of his current body, telekinesis, and the exosuit put him well above anything considered normal in this world.
Twenty monsters, twenty-five, fiftyâit didnât matter. Heâd handled them all without breaking a sweat.
"If this is the lower limit... what happens when I push further?" He grinned.
The thought made his pulse quicken slightly. Both out of excitement and curiosity.
"Master," Lucyâs voice returned. "Verification complete. All five profiles match official records. No anomalies detected. They are legitimate employees contracted through J.P. Morganâs Private Client Network."
"Good," Liam said. "Approve them."
He typed a quick reply to Novak, confirming acceptance and requesting their arrival by morning.
Within minutes, Novak responded.
"Understood, Mr. Scott. Iâll personally escort them to the property at nine oâclock."
Liam placed the phone back on the nightstand and exhaled softly. He rolled onto his side, the bed molding around him like warm water.
The rhythm of his breathing slowed, and sleep took him almost instantly.
***
When he opened his eyes again, sunlight streamed gently through the tall windows.
The digital clock on the wall read 8:27 A.M.
He stretched once, the bed sheets rustling softly under him.
"That," he said to no one in particular, "was one of the best sleep Iâve had in years."
He took his time getting out of bed, showered, and dressed. Since his clothes were still cleanâhis telekinetic field had shielded him the entire time since he arrived in this worldâhe simply put them back on.
While he can go back to Earth and change, but he canât he because of how time passes between each world.
"Iâll have the maids buy some new clothes later," he said to himself.
As if on cue, the intercom chime rang through the villa.
A small screen lit up beside the wall, showing a black SUV and a sleek sedan parked at the estate gate. Novak was right on time.
Liam pressed the release switch, and the iron gates opened smoothly, revealing the long driveway that wound up toward the villa. The vehicles rolled in and stopped before the entrance.
Liam left his room and descended the stairs quietly.
The car doors opened, and the group stepped out.
Blaire Novak was exactly what Liam expected. He looked polished and composed. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, dressed in a sharp gray suit that fit perfectly. His movements were confident but measured.
"Mr. Scott," he greeted warmly, extending a hand. "Good morning."
"Good morning," Liam said, shaking it. "Youâre right on time."
"I try to be punctual," Novak said, smiling. His eyes flicked briefly around the property before returning to Liam. For the briefest moment, surprise flashed across his faceâthe disbelief of seeing someone so young standing in front of an estate like this.
Liam noticed but said nothing. It reminded him of his meeting with Daniel.
"These are the staff weâve prepared for you," Novak said, gesturing behind him. "Three maids and two guards, all awakened. The head maid, Claudia, is E-Rank and has prior experience managing private estates. The other two, Mia and Freya, are F-Rank. The security personnelâThomas and Reedâare both E-Rank, previously military."
Liam gave a small nod. "Good choices."
The five stood at attention, their postures straight, eyes respectful.
"Youâll find them reliable," Novak continued. "And all are bound by confidentiality under the Private Banking code. Youâre safe with them, Mr. Scott."
Liamâs lips curved slightly. "Safety isnât something I worry about," he said, "but I appreciate the thoroughness."
Novak chuckled softly, perhaps unsure if it was a joke.
As they spoke, Liam gestured slightly, and a small backpack resting on the nearby sofa rose into the air and drifted toward him.
Novakâs expression flickeredâhis professional mask briefly cracking at the display of telekinesis.
Liam caught the bag midair and handed it to him.
"Sell these," he said.
Novak accepted it carefully, still maintaining composure.
"Of course. Iâll handle it personally. The money will be transfered to your account."
"Good."
"Will there be anything else, Mr. Scott?"
Liam thought for a moment. "Not for now. Just make sure the estate staff have everything they need to manage the property efficiently. Iâll handle any other arrangements myself."
"Understood." Novak bowed slightly. "Iâll take my leave then."
Liam nodded, and Novak and his driver returned to their vehicles, heading back down the driveway.
That left Liam alone with his new staff.
The head maid, Claudiaâa tall woman with calm brown eyes and a professional bearingâstepped forward.
"Sir, would you like us to prepare breakfast?"
"Yes," Liam said. "And later, youâll need to purchase some clothes for me. Casual and formal. Iâll give you the specifications."
"Understood, sir," Clara said, bowing slightly before turning to give silent signals to the others. The two guards moved to patrol the perimeter while the maids dispersed into the villa.
Liam stood by the window, watching them begin their work. He plans to return to home after breakfast, as it would soon be daybreak. But before he returns home, he has to sign-in.