His expression darkened.
Right now, it wasn’t even about the money anymore. He had more than enough cash to shut me up — heck, he could probably buy a whole new family if he wanted to.
What was stopping him was pure, undiluted pride. He just couldn’t handle the idea of paying hush money to me — his wife’s little accident. The bonus prize from her playing around with other men.
"Let’s talk later. I need to think about this first," he ordered.
Seeing him lose patience, I stood up with more confidence.
"Father, please think about this carefully. I’ve awakened my power now—I’m sure I could become an asset to you too."
Daniel slowly raised his head, giving me that signature CEO glare. The same look that’s ended more careers than old age ever did.
"Are you an S-rank?"
I shook my head. I didn’t even have any ability yet, aside from a slightly stronger body.
"Then your awakening means nothing to me or the company. Leave, I have more pressing matters to deal with. Unlike you, I don’t have time to waste."
"Of course, Father," I said, bowing slightly. "Wouldn’t want to interrupt your deep thoughts."
He didn’t reply, which I took as a sign of me winning this debate.
And with that, I left before he remembered I still existed.
***
***
***
Ellie was already waiting in the hallway when I left the study room.
"What happened?" she asked.
I didn’t reply immediately.
Now that I knew about the cheating, I couldn’t help but suspect Daniel had something to do with his wife’s death. After all, crimes of passion like that weren’t uncommon.
It made my heart ache, a lingering echo of Ace’s buried feelings slipping through. Slowly, the pain turned into anger.
’Calm down,’ I told myself, inhaling and exhaling slowly.
This was bad. Even though I had control over this body, letting emotions like that surface was dangerous. If I didn’t learn to control them soon, I might end up doing something reckless.
My guess was that once I finished all the unfinished business of this body’s previous owner, he would finally find peace. Then this body would truly be mine—free from all those unnecessary attachments and emotions.
All the more reason for me to stay here and gather more evidence.
DING!
[Find Proof of Daniel’s Connection to His Ex-Wife’s Death]
Another mission popped up as soon as I pieced that information together.
Just as I suspected, the system adjusted to my thoughts. It gave me missions based on the current situation, pushing me into scenarios I normally wouldn’t enter without any reward.
At first, I thought they were random, but I had a strong feeling there was a hidden meaning behind all these objectives.
[Reward: Acting Card – Asura Grade]
The next notification made me stop dead. Asura Grade?
I didn’t even know what that meant, but it sounded way too cool to be weak. Probably something like "God of Beating People Up" or "Demon King of Acting." Either way, I was sold. If the name alone didn’t scream power, then I don’t know what did.
"Ace" Ellie’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
"It’s nothing, Father just asked me about my condition," I smiled, not wanting to delve further into the topic.
With that in mind, I went back to my room. It was just as I remembered—spacious, with its own living room, a 100-inch OLED TV, a two-door fridge, and a nice balcony overlooking the large pool in the courtyard.
I stepped out onto the balcony to breathe in the fresh air. This kind of lifestyle was something only the ultra-rich could afford.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t fully enjoy it because now I had to worry about getting kicked out.
Still, it definitely beat being stuck in that hospital bed.
’Alright, let’s see...’
I muttered, lying back on the mattress as the holographic screen flickered to life above me.
’Acting up Card.’
Not wanting to overthink it, I clicked on the Acting Card, and in the next instant, I was pulled back into the simulation.
My hands rested on her delicate shoulders, her skin warm beneath my fingertips. The woman shivered as I masterly take advanta... heal her.
"It’s alright," I said smoothly, trying to sound professional despite the grin tugging at my lips. "Just part of the exorcism ritual."
Her breath was getting more intense. My touch moved lower, careful, deliberate — close enough to test the line between ritual and harassment, but not enough to cross it.
"This is..."
I paused, realizing something strange was happening. Little by little, faint glowing lines appeared across her body — traces of her meridians and Ki, flowing like streams of light. It wasn’t my own skill; it was the monk’s ability at work. My level of mastery wasn’t anywhere close to this yet.
If I could use this technique in real life, I could pinpoint an opponent’s energy flow and block it completely — neutralizing them before they even had a chance to fight back.
This technique was definitely above my level, but finishing the simulation should at least give me hints. Who knew doing it manually would actually come with hidden perks?
I followed the glowing lines with care, tracing the streams of Ki as they pulsed faintly beneath her skin.
Each movement of my hand guided the flow, loosening the knots of energy that blocked her circulation.
When I reached her thigh, the glow flared brighter and the synchronization rate shot up like fireworks. A good sign — I was definitely hitting the right point... literally.
Guess the monk forgot to mention this cultured part of the ritual.