EVIL SYSTEM

"Please stop, Mr. Benjamin!" shouted Simon Vales, the security supervisor.

Though his rage seemed limitless, Ben's strength was not. After a few minutes of struggling and fighting, Ben gradually began to lose his energy.

"Simon," Ben whispered after the sudden episode of madness had passed. "I'm fine now, you can let me go."

Simon hesitated for a few seconds but eventually complied and released him along with the other guards.

"Mr. Ben," Simon swallowed hard, "what just happened?"

"Nothing," Ben replied, brushing off his now disheveled and dirty clothes. "If you're so curious, you can check the cameras."

"It wasn't my fault," Ben defended himself. "Next time, please show your men a picture of the whole family. I don't want to go through a similar experience again."

Picking up his backpack from the ground, he walked past the guards, who quickly stepped aside to let him through.

Simon gave orders to provide first aid to the injured guard while he focused on reviewing the security footage.

His eyes widened in disbelief as he watched, staring at the back of the boy who was supposedly just a normie.

...

Ben didn't want to dwell on the matter anymore. He knew there wouldn't be any trouble with the guard. This was a community for the wealthy, and it wasn't unusual for a rich and powerful man to hit his employees. That's why measures were already in place for such situations.

A large compensation and paid vacation.

In some cases, when the owner was particularly cruel, they wouldn't pay a thing and would even take pleasure in mistreating their workers.

Power and wealth made you untouchable by the law.

His grandfather's garden was enormous. Ben had to walk for eight minutes before he could clearly see the grand mansion rising in the distance.

Broooommm!!

Ben heard the loud roar of an engine and, from afar, saw someone on an ATV speeding toward him.

The ATV skidded across the garden, swerving and braking at the same time.

"Ben!!"

Ben smiled unconsciously and opened his arms to greet his cousin.

"Holgram!"

Holgram, a two-meter-tall gentle giant, jumped off the ATV and hugged Ben.

"It's been so long, cousin," Holgram said, patting his shoulder with a warm and genuinely happy smile.

Despite his height, Holgram gave off no sense of intimidation or authority.

He was a lovable person in an oversized package.

Literally no one in the family disliked Holgram.

"Come on, I'll give you a ride," Holgram said, pointing to the ATV. Ben simply nodded and played along, though the house was already relatively close.

When they arrived at the mansion, they hopped off the ATV and entered. Holgram acted as if he were at home, moving with evident comfort and a smile on his face.

Ben, on the other hand, felt awkward; he didn't have a good impression of most of his family.

"Look who we have here!" Holgram announced loudly, his voice cheerful and charismatic as he introduced Ben's arrival.

He meant no harm; that was just his personality—sometimes naïve to the point of stupidity.

Several heads in the living room turned to look at them.

Many eyes fell on him, but a few stood out from the rest.

His three uncles and their spouses.

His eldest aunt, Viviana, was a strict and serious woman. She was not attractive at all—tall and thin, with an elongated face and a perpetually bitter expression.

Her husband, on the other hand, was a stark contrast to her: Julius. A middle-aged man, very tall, with severe obesity but a wide, friendly smile.

He was probably the reason Holgram turned out the way he did.

They had three children, of whom Holgram was the eldest.

Ben's father was the second-born, followed closely by his uncle Ethan.

Compared to his three brothers, Ethan was the shortest of all. Ben didn't know exactly how tall he was since it was a sensitive topic, but he was sure Ethan wasn't even 1.60 meters.

Ethan sat with a neatly tailored tuxedo and looked at Ben with no expression. Of all of them, he left no lasting impression on Ben.

Finally, there was the youngest uncle, Erwin.

He was tall and broad-shouldered, the most talented of his generation. At a young age, he had reached the intermediate elemental rank and had made a good amount of money with his company.

Of all of them, he was the least in need of the inheritance, but Ben knew he would fight for it.

For one simple reason... his wife.

Ruth was a stunning woman. Every time Ben saw her, he felt a primal desire to possess her.

Her body was alluring and seductive, though her face, while not unattractive, wasn't exceptional.

What truly made her unbearable was her personality.

Each of them looked at Ben differently.

Viviana glanced at him briefly before completely ignoring him, as if he wasn't even worth her time.

Julius smiled and waved a hand in greeting.

Ethan looked at him with disinterest but gave a small nod of acknowledgment.

"Another clown for this family circus," Erwin muttered with a laugh.

Ruth, on the other hand, stared at him with evident disgust and a contemptuous glare. She seemed displeased with everything—the furniture, the wine, and above all... his presence.

She didn't look at Ben again, instead focusing on her phone and her wine.

Ben sighed.

"Good afternoon."

The only ones who responded were Erwin and Julius.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Holgram quickly led Ben to a room where he would stay for the time being.

Ben dropped his bag to the side of the room and prepared to take a shower. He was filthy and exhausted after the altercation with the guard.