Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System! - Chapter 258

Chapter 258: Three days—Parker as a Simple Man
“Ah, lonely,” Parker yawned, sprawled across the bed like a depressed Victorian maiden staring at the ceiling. Three and a half goddamn days. That’s how long it had been since the girls and Ere disappeared into the training space, leaving him to his own devices—which, ironically, did not include any actual devices.

No phone. No laptop. Just vibes.

[You’re almost there, Master! Keep up!] Levi chirped in his head like an overly enthusiastic life coach.

Parker exhaled, long and dramatic. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” This whole thing was way harder than he expected, but at least he had a TV—a massive 150-inch beast that could probably double as a window if he tried hard enough.

Sometimes, he watched the news. Sometimes, he flipped through entertainment updates like he actually cared about which celeb was beefing this week. But real estate reality shows? Those were his guilty pleasure. That Toronto real estate one? Low-key addicting.

And yet… even with a god-tier TV, video games, and literal knowledge dumps from the system, something was missing.

His phones.

His laptop.

His connection to the outside world.

“I swear I’m gonna finish this stupid challenge,” he muttered, staring at the ceiling like it personally owed him an explanation.

[Y’know, you didn’t have to—]

“Stop right there, Levi.”

This was supposed to be a mental cleanse, a little tech detox before the inevitable chaos. And sure, he kinda liked it. The peace. The quiet. The absolute lack of notifications dragging him into bullshit.

But still.

“Damn, I miss my fucking phones.”

The mansion’s had landline rang in these three days.

Which was already creepy as hell because who the fuck still called landlines? Even worse—who even had the number? Helena, apparently.

Parker had just stared at the ringing phone for a second, half-expecting it to start whispering ancient curses or some shit. He finally picked up, and—yeah, her voice was weirdly polite. Too polite.

She asked if he was ready to meet the Origin Families.

He said no.

And she accepted it.

No ominous threats. No cryptic riddles. Just respect.

Which somehow made it even worse.

Anyway, he pushed that out of his mind. He had other shit to focus on. Like the fact that—

[Ding! Spent $100M. Earned $1 billion in cashback!]

Ding!

[Host has bought NovaCast Entertainment!]

Parker sat up so fast he nearly threw himself off the bed.

“Holy shit, she finally did it!” Cassidy had finally sealed the deal. NovaCast was his. His own goddamn entertainment agency.

“Levi, show me the paperwork!”

Instantly, a neat stack of digital documents materialized out of his inventory in his hands. Damn, that never got old. He flipped through them, and yeah—Cassidy was a fucking genius.

“90% ownership? And this Callista’s getting 10%?” Parker smirked. Cassidy had been generous. Honestly, he would’ve been fine with tossing Callista 5% and calling it a day. But he got why Cassidy structured it this way. Make Callista feel valued, keep her locked in, but never let her forget who really owned the place.

Even better, Infinity Holdings was the only other shareholder—meaning Cassidy repped him completely. Clean. Simple. Untouchable.

Parker leaned back, tossing the contract onto the nightstand. “Yeah, this’ll work.” He wasn’t planning on micromanaging. Let them run the business. He’d fund the shit out of it, step in when needed, and otherwise? Easy money.

****

Parker had just come to terms with his financial situation—not that he was broke, but damn, $41.277 billion felt… small. Like, what the hell had he been doing? Holding onto money like some chump who didn’t know how to spend? That wasn’t his style. He needed to move, make plays, and wreck shit.

The Cashback function, though? Useless bastard. He was expecting the system to hit him with that sweet, sweet rebate, like getting a $400 million building and pocketing the rest in straight cash. But nah, no dice.

[Master, it’s random and doesn’t work every time you make a big purchase!] Levi chirped, ever the helpful assistant.

Parker sighed. No shit.

Whatever he still smiled things were going his way. He needed to update the Avenger about Sophisticated Space and lock down those buildings. Just as he was about to move—

“What’s got my man smiling like that?”

That voice.

Unexpected. Amused. And way too damn familiar.

He turned, and there they were. Tessa, Elena, Naomi… and Ere. Finally back. Finally here.

And they were different. Strong.

Tessa – her presence alone twisted the space around her, a paradox of life, winter, and sheer psychic dominance. The air felt sharp—like standing too close to a blade that could slice without warning.

The moment she stepped forward, Parker could swear time itself shuddered, the room flexing like it was trying to keep up with her. Chronokinesis. A power that made her feel both untouchable and like she could erase your whole existence with a flick of her fingers. Not yet.

The way she carried herself? Casual as hell. Like she wasn’t even aware she could fold most people into yesterday.

Elena on the other hand didn’t need to glow to be divine. It was in the way she stood—like a Nephilim war goddess who’d fought on the frontlines of some celestial battlefield and didn’t have the time for bullshit. Aegis Authority wrapped around her like an unseen fortress, and Parker felt it. Heavy. Unmovable.

You could throw a damn meteor at her, and she’d probably just stare at it. No aura flare, no flashy theatrics—she didn’t need them. Her power was in her absolute fucking presence.

There was Naomi—quiet. Not in a weak way, but in a “you won’t notice I’m there until it’s too late” way. Shadow Embrace meant darkness curled around her ankles like it knew she was its master. Lunar gave her this eerie glow—like moonlight trapped in human form.

If Tessa was a storm and Elena was an avalanche, Naomi was the night itself. Unpredictable, slipping in and out of awareness like a whisper through the dark. She smiled slightly, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

And then, there was…

Ere –

Parker’s eyes landed on Ere, expecting… something. A flicker of energy, a hint of power, anything.

Nothing.

She was just Ere. Same lazy stretch. Same golden eyes blinking up at him. Same smug little shit.

Except Parker knew better.

To most people, she was just a tiny black cat, chilling like she had no business here. But to someone trained—to someone who knew what to look for—she was the most terrifying thing in the room. Because she had no presence. No energy signature. No tells. Even gods flexed their power, even beings like Elena carried weight, but Ere?

She was a void. A living shadow that just existed. The kind of being you only realized was dangerous when it was too late.

Parker exhaled.

“So… y’all came back with a glow-up, huh?”

Tessa smirked. “Oh, don’t tell me you’re feeling left out?”

Elena cracked her neck. “Should we test it out?”

Naomi’s lips twitched. “Wouldn’t be fair. He’s still recovering from that L.”

Parker rolled his eyes.

Ere rolled her eyes, “Damn, not even a ‘hello’ after so many days? Alright. Whatever. Unless, y’all wanna throw hands, speak with a bow to Master. Or let’s see how it goes with me beating the shit out of you.” Well, this was not necessary and came out of nowhere. Really unnecessary.

Ere yawned, hopping onto the desk. “We just got here. Can we not start breaking shit yet?”

Tessa chuckled, stepping fully into the room. “Not yet. But soon.”

Parker grinned.

Now that they were back, it was time to wreck.