INFINITE MONEY - I Will Buy Everything

William paused, reflecting deeply on his life choices and pondering where he might have faltered. He couldn't pinpoint many mistakes, and the few he did identify seemed too trivial to have led to his current predicament. So why was this happening to him?

He was aware that the chief harbored feelings for him, but he had always believed those emotions would eventually fade if he didn't encourage them. He had been careful not to reciprocate, so why was she singing such an enigmatic tune?

What could possibly be the reason?

She likely knew that her song would draw him out, yet she continued. Was she simply forgetful, or was this an intentional trap?

William lingered there for a moment, the rhyming escalating as he desperately sought a solution. Finally, as the bizarre yet unsettlingly truthful rhyming came to an end, an idea surfaced.

He quietly retreated up the stairs, then descended loudly, making his presence known. "Ahhh, now that was a deep sleep! To think I'd sleep for an entire day— that's quite something. But now I'm hungry. Thankfully, I've got a chief who cooks the most delicious food," he declared, hoping the chief would hear him and cease whatever she was up to.

As anticipated, there were clattering noises that William surmised were utensils dropping to the floor, followed by an uneasy silence. Just as he was about to start moving again, he heard hurried footsteps, indicating she was quickly preparing something.

William exhaled a sigh of relief before casually making his way downstairs. Instead of finding what he had expected, he discovered the kitchen was completely deserted, save for several plates with their lids on. He glanced around, but the chief was nowhere to be seen—she seemed to have vanished into thin air.

'I suppose she thought I overheard her and ran off in embarrassment. At least now I don't have to confront what happened earlier— so that's a relief,' William thought.

He approached the plates, lifted the lids, and smiled. "Ahh, Carbonara." He consumed the food steadily, savoring each bite, then patted his belly and stayed there to rest. Unbeknownst to him, a burp escaped, causing him to startle himself.

"Perhaps I should stop eating like this for a while," he mused before heading down to the underground facility where Clawdia was overseeing the workers, who were moving at a frantic pace, driven by their fear of her.

'Maybe I should keep her here and assign her the role of manager,' he considered, nodding thoughtfully.

William approached the large tiger, who quickly turned her head, sensing someone familiar. Realizing it was her master, she rushed to him and nuzzled against him, asking, 'Master, are you alright?'

"Yes, I am. I noticed you weren't by my side today and figured you might have left out of concern for my pain. Thank you for that, Clawdia— it was very helpful." William said, stroking her muzzle, which made her visibly content.

Clawdia beamed with happiness, her assumptions validated. 'It's alright, master. But are you truly okay now?' she asked, her tone laced with concern.

William nodded, "Yes, I'm perfectly fine. Here, look at this." He stretched and flexed his hands and feet, performing several different motions to demonstrate to the large tiger that he was indeed in good health.

Finally, after several minutes, he succeeded in convincing her that he was truly well. She nodded and followed him as they descended further into the facility, eventually arriving at a large room that felt somewhat distinct from the others.

Inside, they found only a handful of workers, some engaged in their tasks, others transporting large containers. Without paying them much heed, William walked with Clawdia until they reached a large, heavily secured door.

He signaled to the guard, who began unlocking the door slowly. As it opened, they found the massively large centipede still deep in slumber.

William gazed at the centipede for a moment before noticing Delmar standing before it, lost in thought. William approached, careful not to interrupt his contemplation.

"It's quite beautiful, isn't it?" Delmar remarked, seemingly to no one in particular, but William understood. He murmured in agreement and replied, "It certainly is. Have you discovered anything about this…?"

"Her… It's a she," Delmar corrected.

"Alright, her. Have you uncovered anything about her?" William asked.

Delmar shook his head. "Aside from some general information— that she might be close to ten thousand years old, or perhaps even older, and that she can hear us."

William's curiosity was piqued. "Hear us? Subconsciously?"

Delmar nodded. "Yes, much like a person in a coma. They can't move or do anything, but they can subconsciously hear what's going on around them, and if they wake up, they might remember some of those things."

"Fascinating. Alright, what I came to say is that I'll need some time alone, so don't send anyone or look for me until I say I'm available, okay?"

"Understood, boss. Anything else?"

William shook his head, giving the centipede another glance, sensing something about her but unable to pinpoint what it was. Then he turned away and began walking back, Clawdia following closely.

"Alright, I'm going to level up now, so don't disturb me, even if it's something urgent," William said as they walked away.

Delmar nodded. "As you say, boss." He remained silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the gigantic centipede. Then, a realization struck him, and his eyes widened in shock. "What the actual f*ck!" he exclaimed, spinning around to look back at William who had already left.

Unaware of what had just transpired, William returned to his room and locked the door before addressing Arthur, "Arthur, I'm going to level up again, so you know the drill."

[Of course, sir. I'll tighten security and ensure that no one disturbs you during the process.]

"Good AI." William said before closing his eyes and focusing on the items he would need to level up. After a minute or two, in the darkness of his mind, he saw three items floating there, though they were blurry and difficult to identify.

He concentrated, and the items gradually became clearer until he could discern their names. Returning to reality, he opened the system and typed in the names, purchasing all three items.

[Light-Hearted Pill – Awakening Material - Light - Rare - Cost (20 Silver)]

[Darkness Enchantment Pill - Awakening Material – Darkness - Rare - Cost (20 Silver)]

[Dragon's Fire Pill - Awakening Material – Dragon – Very Rare - Cost (2 Gold)]

William scrutinized the awakening materials again, noting something peculiar about them. All of them were pills, each emitting a different kind of glow. One radiated a white light, another was a sticky black substance, and the last resembled a smoldering piece of coal.

'Does something change every time someone levels up, or is it just different at certain levels for everyone?' William wondered, before shrugging and swallowing the pills— finding the last two particularly difficult to ingest.

After what seemed like he had eaten the worst medicinal pills in his life that he wanted vomit out of him, he finished.

'I really didn't think the last one would actually burn inside my mouth.'

He shuddered at the pain before he closed his eyes and began the process.