Starkcom Hotel:
The hotel is one of the many businesses owned by the biggest business group in Astoria.
"This is the first time I am seeing it, and the view is indeed heavenly as described," William remarked, gazing at the magnificent hotel.
He then started walking inside. According to the information he got online, someone he knew was actually working here.
"Good day, sir, welcome to Starkcom hotel. May I know how I can be of help to you?" The receptionist asked without even looking at William as she was focused on the monitor in front of her.
"Julian," William smiled and let out.
The receptionist looked up, how did this person know her name?
"William??" A surprised look appeared on her face as she found this face extremely familiar.
"Yeah, it's me, Julian, long time no see."
"Oh, William, it's actually you. What are you doing here?"
"I am here for something important," William answered with a smile as he felt the hateful tone in her voice.
"You are here to look for a job, right?"
"Na, definitely not that, I am here to see the owner of this place."
"See the owner of this place? You mean Mrs. Clarion?"
"That is her name? Yeah, I would like to see her."
Julian had a frown on her face. To see such an important figure, one must be rich and have great influence. But this man standing in front of her was as plain as an average cleaner.
"William, did you lose all the intelligence you had? If you want a job, we have a board of staff for that. You don't have to see Mrs. Clarion to get a job.
If you really want a job, I will help you. With my connection, you will get your job as a cleaner faster."
William smiled, "Julian, are you going to treat me like this? Remember, I helped you in school. If it wasn't for me, you would have dropped out during the final year exam."
Back in high school, William was the brightest student. Clarissa and Julian were both his classmates, and he has helped both of them equally.
"What? Just because you helped me during the exam, you expect me to bow to you?"
"No, not that, I was just reminding you. Anyway, I mean it, I want to see Mrs. Clarion."
Julian frowned, "Not every Dick and Harry can see Mrs. Clarion. You must be wealthy and have great influence to see her, and you clearly lack all that.
Let me repeat, if you really want a job, I will use my influence to make you get a job faster."
William's smile faltered, and he took a deep breath, trying to keep his frustration in check. "Julian, it's not about the job. I need to speak with Mrs. Clarion about something personal."
However, Julian proved to be really stubborn. She argued with him, not knowing she was actually doing what William wanted her to do.
"What is going on here?" A muscular man walked towards both of them and asked.
Julian's expression turned from that of crazed to a calm one as she looked at this man with respect.
"Sir, this man is here to get a job but he doesn't want to follow the normal route of getting a job. Instead, he wants to see Mrs. Clarion."
The muscular man looked at William with a frown. "Young man, is this your first time getting a job? If it is like that, then let me explain to you.
In every firm, we have boards of staff who take care of these."
William smiled calmly, "You actually misunderstood me. I am not looking for a job but here for business. The only person I want to do this business with is Mrs. Clarion. By the way, my name is William."
The muscular man didn't understand William. However, he still stretched his hands out for a handshake, "Penber James."
During their handshake, Penber tried to exert strength on William's hand, but William smiled and used more strength, almost crushing Penber's hand.
Penber looked up at William and smiled, "Alright, since you want to see Mrs. Clarion, I'll take you to her, but it better not be a joke as I would personally strangle your neck if it is."
Penber's attitude turned around when he discovered William was strong enough to withstand his tight clutch, a technique he has used in the past to test the strength of his enemies.
At a beautiful office, a gorgeous lady with long blonde hair and pearl blue eyes, adorned in a classy suit with a pair of glasses that made her look extremely amazing read the documents on her table.
"Mrs. Clarion, someone is here to see you." Penber's voice came from the door.
"Let him in." She replied calmly.
Penber and a plain-looking William walked into the office. Her eyes squinted, why was such a plain-looking person here?
"Penber, you know I don't allow just anybody inside my office, right?"
"Ah, Mrs. Clarion, he said he has business to discuss with you."
"Business." Her eyes turned to William.
"Yes, I would like if we are the only ones in the room, Mrs. Clarion."
Clarion turned to Penber and nodded, and he left the room.
"The privacy you want is settled already, up with it."
"Ah, Mrs. Clarion, you don't have to be that cold to a future investor."
"Humph! You should be lucky you were allowed in my presence. I'm still wondering how you got in here since you don't look anything like someone who can discuss business with me."
Clarion is powerful, and her family are top shareholders of Starkcom. She was not someone to joke with.
"Looks doesn't determine wealth, Mrs. Clarion."
"I know."
"Anyways, tell me how much is the biggest share in this hotel." William let out, resting his back on the chair, a confident smile on his face, one that made Clarion squint her eyes.
"If I find out this is a joke or some prank you plan to display online for some senseless fans, I swear I will chop off your fingers one after the other and feed it to dogs."William felt a chilly aura spread around the room as Clarion released a very strong energy."Answer my questions," William demanded confidently. In the past, he would shiver and run away from such powerful and wealthy people, but now...He is the wealthiest man on earth! He couldn't be afraid as long as money is involved.Clarion settled down when William spoke, since he didn't run away after her threat, she began to trust him a little."The highest share in this hotel is 40 million dollars, which is 20% of the company. We only accept shares from 5 million and above. If you plan to invest anything less, I'm sorry, we will have to throw you away."A smile crept on William's face, the price wasn't so big after all."Great, I will invest one hundred million dollars.""One hundred thousand dollars?" Clarion thought s
"I told you he was nothing more than a thief and a leech." Florence yelled at the top of her voice."If you would have listened, you wouldn't be this hurt now. Mr Donald is interested in you and even volunteered to help you get a contract with Starkcom, if I were you, I would have accepted.William is really handsome but in a world where Money and Magic rules, William is nothing."Florence didn't stop badmouthing William ever since they left that room. Right from day 1, she had always disliked William for being a pretty boy with no money and power.She always suspected that he there to steal her money and he has already done it. She felt pity for her friend.Clarissa didn't reply Florence, no matter what others say, she believes William wouldn't do such a thing, if he needed to amount of money, he would tell her about it."Well, since you don't want to talk about that failure of a husband, how about we talk about the contract."Clarissa still didn't reply so Florence snatched the docu
William thanked Clarion sincerely for her help as he left the hotel with Monalisa, the lady who would be taking him to the most expensive gift shop in Astoria."Mr William, you left your car at home?" The secretary asked with a smile."Actually, I don't have one yet." William smiled wryly and scratched the back of his head, he had so much money now however the thoughts of buying a car hasn't arrived in his head.Monalisa looked at William, her black eyes filed with surprise. Such a big shot didn't have a car?She didn't ask further and ordered a quick ride online, the can arrived and droved them smoothly to Lovebirth House, the home of fascinating gifts.The guards outside the magnificent place wanted to stop William but stopped after noticing the classy lady with him."This man is lucky, he has such a beautiful and wealthy woman even though he is poor. Handsomeness is really important for a man." They thought."Welcome to Lovebirth House, what kind of gifts would you like to buy and
"Florence, I told you your husband is a cheater and a thief. Guess who I saw when I went to buy gifts for my boyfriend today? William! I saw William with another beautiful lady buying gifts. Can you imagine that? He hasn't even left for up to a day and he is already out there with a different woman," Florence exaggerated. Clarissa was looking at her, not even knowing what to say. Florence was her friend as well as her secretary, and she is aware that she dislikes William for stealing her glow. However, why would she go this far to lie? "Florence, I won't believe anything you say." she replied"Clarissa, this time you really have to believe me, I saw him there, she was going to buy gifts for William." "Please, I am very tired now, I need a nice sleep so I wouldn't mess up my meeting with Mrs. Clarion tomorrow." Florence decided to shut her mouth since Clarissa looked tired. However, she would not stop until she exposes William. "By the way, are you sure Clarion is going to see yo
Clarissa returned home and passed the goodnews to her family, who took her news as a joke till they saw the signature!!"Is this a joke? Do you think you can scam us with fake signature?" Charles could not agree to this term, is this was real, he would be losing something he cherishes, his position.Lady Storm held the documents and scanned the signature with her eyes.If this was legit.And this equally mean her plan to break the bond between her daughter and that miserable husband of hers has shattered."Clarissa!" Lady storm called."Yes, grandma." Clarissa replied calmly even though she was pissed at Charles' remark."How much did you pay the scammer to give you these fake signatures? I can't lie, it looks legit, that means you have paid them a huge amount of money.""What do you mean?""These signatures, who did you pay? Signatures can be forged, especially those of famous people like Clarion. Tell me, who forged these for you?""Grandma, Lady Clarion signed it herself, why don't
"You returned!You thief, are you here to beg grandma to forget the deal"Charles ran to meet William and grabbed him by the neck."Speak now, tell us how you spent the money, don't lie." He continued.William looked at the hand grabbing his shirt and a cold frown appeared on his face."Get your hands off me this instant." He declared coldly."You, do you think you can talk to me like that, you are indebted to my family and you are also weak, without any powers."William continued to smile, although he hasn't unlocked magic yet, he still has super strength.He looked at Charles and shook his head, then he turned to Lady storm who had a frown on her face."If he keeps holding me like this, how am I going to say what i have to say?"Lady Storm looked at Charles and shook her head.Charles gritted his teeth angrily, "Fine, because of grandma, I'll let you go for now.""Good." William let out as he arranged his shirt."William, start narrating how you used up the money you borrowed from u
William looked at everyone as they displayed their most surprised expression at the amount of gifts he had purchased. Out of everyone, the most surprised was Charles who could not believe what he heard."Five million? How did you get your hand on five million? Have you been stealing from our family? I know you are a thief but I never knew you were this bold to reveal your act."William looked at Charles ranting, it was as though he was looking at a fool.Well, at this moment, he doesn't want to make his wealth known to the family."I used the money you gave me to visit a casino, Mother Luck smiled at me and I got more than five million in profit even though I lost more than that.However, I discovered that I haven't bought my queen any gift and that is the exact thing I did."Then William turned to Clarissa who couldn't help but blush at his words."I did it because of you, Clarissa, and also, congratulations for getting the deal signed with Starkcom Hotel." He smiled.However, everyo
Charles was the most shocked person in the room right now, he looked at his defeated hands and then slowly at the cold-smiling William.'How did this happen? I used my Rank 1 Elite strength and he defeated me? How is that even possible? Is he hiding his powers? No, it can't be, if he even had a tiny amount of mana in him, Grandma would have noticed it.'He looked at William again, it was as though he was looking at a totally new man."Master Charles is so kind, he gave William a chance to win." Florence clapped her hands.Charles looked at her, he wanted to refuse, just now he didn't hold back at all but yet William defeated him."If Master Charles was really serious, not only would he beat William in arm wrestling, his strength might even crush those feeble hands of his." Florence continued with her nonsense.Lady Storm had no way to save her son's face anymore, he lost the challenge himself and would have to face every other th
The world had changed, but it was slowly mending. The scars left by the apocalypse were deep, and the memories of those harrowing days would never truly fade, but humanity was resilient. Two weeks had passed since the hunters had emerged victorious from the Death Tower, and in that short time, the earth had already begun to heal.The sky was a clear blue, the clouds soft and white, drifting peacefully above a world that had been plunged into darkness for so long. The air, once thick with the stench of decay and the virus that had plagued humanity, was now clean and fresh, a reminder of the life that had been restored. Birds, absent during the apocalypse, had returned, their songs filling the air with a sense of normalcy that had been absent for far too long.The government, once crippled by the chaos, had reestablished itself. Leaders who had survived the ordeal stepped forward, determined to rebuild the world that had been nearly destroyed. They worked tirelessly, organizing effo
William blinked as the light surrounding him began to fade, the familiar, comforting warmth of reality returning to him.The oppressive darkness and twisted landscape were gone, replaced by the cool air and the solid ground beneath his feet.He felt the weight of exhaustion settle over him, but with it came a profound sense of relief. He had won.As his vision cleared, William found himself standing at the entrance of the Death Tower, the same place where their perilous journey had begun. He wasn’t alone. Around him, the surviving hunters appeared, emerging from their own battles, their faces a mixture of disbelief, exhaustion, and profound relief.They were fewer in number—much fewer. What had once been a group of sixty had been reduced to a small, ragged handful. They looked at each other, their eyes wide with surprise and then, slowly, with growing joy as they realized what had happened. They had survived. They had made it out alive.Carson was the first to speak, his voice hoars
William stared at the figure before him, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the twisted reflection standing just a few paces away. The smirk on the doppelganger's face was chilling, filled with an arrogance and darkness that William recognized but had never embraced himself. This was not just a reflection; it was something far more sinister. "Who are you?" William demanded, his voice steady, though the unease gnawed at him. "Why do you look like me?" The doppelganger tilted its head slightly, the smirk widening. "I am the Dark One," it said, its voice a distorted echo of William's own. "The force behind the apocalypse, the one who brought chaos and ruin to your world." William’s eyes widened in shock, and then narrowed in anger. "You... You’re the one who unleashed the zombies, who turned the world into a living nightmare?" His grip tightened on his sword, the blade beginning to glow faintly with the power of his blood magic. "Why? Why would you do something so monstrous?
After venturing into the portal, the fate of all the hunters were left in their own hands. Each of them were sent to a new world to face a different challenge. A large numbers of the hunters died the moment they appeared!Some fought with their last bits of strengths, the zeal to survive pushing them further. Nevertheless most of them were unable to wrestle against their own fate. Some like Carson and Gregor survived. A lot faced unfortunate deaths, their fates ended! This was the job of the death tower after all. ....Mark found himself standing in a desolate wasteland, the ground cracked and barren, with jagged rocks jutting out of the earth like broken teeth. The sky above was a swirling mass of dark clouds, and the air was thick with the smell of sulfur. There was no sign of life, no movement, only the oppressive silence of a world that had been long abandoned."Where am I?" Mark muttered to himself, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his sword. He looked aroun
Gregor awoke to a world of fire and smoke. The ground beneath him was hot, the air thick with ash and the smell of burning flesh. He groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, his body aching from the strain of the previous battles. But as he looked around, he realized that he was alone.“Carson? William?” he called out, but his voice was swallowed by the roar of the flames that surrounded him.He was standing in the middle of a volcanic wasteland, the ground cracked and scorched, with rivers of molten lava flowing through the fissures. The sky above was a dark, stormy gray, with ash and embers swirling in the air like a deadly blizzard. In the distance, he could see massive volcanic peaks, their slopes glowing with the intense heat of the lava flows.There was no sign of his comrades, no trace of the others who had fought by his side. Gregor clenched his fists, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the situation. “Where am I? What is this place?”But there was no time for a
As the hunters leaped into the light, they felt a sudden, jarring sensation as if the very fabric of reality had shifted around them. The blinding brightness enveloped them, and for a moment, it felt as though they were floating in an endless void. But then, just as quickly, the sensation ended, and they found themselves standing on solid ground once more.The light receded, and with it, the warmth that had surrounded them. Each of them opened their eyes to a new reality—one that was far from the serene landscape they had glimpsed before. Instead, they were plunged into separate worlds, each one a twisted, chaotic reflection of the challenges they had already faced. And worst of all, they were alone.Carson blinked, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He was standing in a dense forest, but it was unlike any forest he had ever seen. The trees were gnarled and twisted, their branches clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the
The robotic voice barely finished speaking when the ground beneath the hunters began to tremble violently. Before they could react, the floor cracked open beneath their feet, creating a gaping tunnel that spiraled downward into darkness. Without a moment’s hesitation, William shouted, “Into the tunnel! Move!”The hunters, their instincts honed by the countless battles they had fought, didn’t waste time questioning. They jumped into the tunnel, their bodies sliding down the smooth, obsidian-like surface as the walls blurred past them. The descent was steep, and the sensation of speed was dizzying, but none of them allowed fear to take hold. They knew that whatever awaited them at the end of this tunnel was the final challenge of the tower.The tunnel seemed to stretch on endlessly, the darkness oppressive and suffocating. But far ahead, a faint light appeared, growing brighter as they drew closer. The sight of it brought a spark of hope to the hunters—they were nearing the end.Howeve
In the inferno purgatory, Willaim and the hunters heard a very loud shriek that pierce through the core of emotions and inflicts all sort of negative emotions, including fears. William quickly pun around, his eyes scanning the horizon for the source of the noise. The flames flickered and danced in the distance, casting long shadows across the cracked ground, but there was nothing else in sight.But then the shadows began to move.From the darkness between the flames, figures began to emerge. At first, they were little more than dark shapes, but as they drew closer, their forms became clearer. They were tall, towering over the hunters, with long, tattered robes that billowed around them like smoke. Their faces were hidden beneath deep hoods, but their eyes—glowing a sickly green—burned with a cold, unholy light.Each figure carried a massive scythe, the blades glinting wickedly in the firelight. They moved with a slow, deliberate grace, their skel
As William stepped through the portal, the world around him dissolved into a blur of light and energy. The sensation was disorienting, as if he were being pulled through a tunnel at breakneck speed, but it lasted only a moment. When the light faded, he found himself standing in a place that defied all sense of reality.The ground beneath his feet was blackened and cracked, as if the very earth had been scorched by an unrelenting fire. Flames flickered and danced across the landscape, casting an eerie, orange glow that bathed everything in a hellish light. The air was thick with heat, and the smell of sulfur and burning flesh hung heavy in the air, making it difficult to breathe.All around them, the landscape stretched out in a twisted, nightmarish expanse. Jagged mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks wreathed in fire and smoke. Rivers of molten lava snaked through the land, their glowing currents radiating an intense heat that made the skin prickle. And everywhere they l