Ghost Billionaire

"Anything?" Matthew asked Cristoff.

"Still no news," Cristoff said. "The GPS on the car has been turned off. We tapped into our contacts at the police department, but we're keeping it quiet for now."

Matthew nodded. "Continue investigating. Keep this matter discreet. Also, prepare the things I asked you earlier."

Cristoff hesitated briefly. "Young Master, if you need anything else or if you're in trouble, just tell me. I'll do everything in my power to help."

Matthew gave another curt nod, silent for a moment as his thoughts wandered. The reason why he could do all this was not because he was a Nexian. It was because he had money.

The greatest hack truly was having enough money. Without money, none of this would be possible. His jaw tightened as he thought about how, in this life, he needed to grow stronger, not just as a Nexian, but financially as well. Without strength and money, he couldn't protect himself or the people around him.

"Inform me if something new comes up," Matthew finally said as he got up and went to his room. Inside his room, he quickly took a spirit stone and absorbed it. Almost immediately, the ache in his head vanished.

Matthew leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes. With the pain in his head finally gone, he carefully replayed the fight with the two Shapers in his mind.

He knew clearly that without Dr. Muni's guidance, he wouldn't have understood his own abilities. The way he had pinpointed the gaps and weaknesses in their Spiritual Energy flow felt natural, instinctive even, yet Matthew knew it was something he had learned only recently.

He recalled how clearly those gaps appeared, glowing weak points amidst a sea of strength. A nerve cluster, a tendon, a thin line of disrupted energy, each had stood out, impossible to miss.

Matthew focused inwardly, examining his core. It had reached roughly eighty percent solidity, nearly complete. By tomorrow, during the blood moon, his core would fully solidify. He would officially enter the Initiate Stage.

He couldn't help but wonder—would his combat capabilities progress further then?

"Don't get ahead of yourself," the ghost girl's voice interrupted his thoughts. She hovered nearby, arms folded across her chest. "You're still a Reader. Readers are well known for being useless in combat. If they are after you then i'm afraid… they would be ready next time."

Matthew opened his eyes, giving her a flat look.

She continued, undeterred. "Honestly, I thought your ability was just seeing ghosts. But from what you showed back there, it seems you can see through anything with Spiritual Energy—cores, weaknesses, even gaps in their flow. I've heard of this before, but it's very... very rare. You'd be valuable to any clan. Like a living detection device, instantly pinpointing an opponent's weak spot."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "I only just discovered that today."

The ghost girl nodded slowly. "It'll improve once you enter the Initiate Stage. Once that happens, I can't help but wonder what else you'll be able to do."

"You know you could ask the Tian Family for help, right?" the ghost girl said. "With your ability, anyone would want to support you."

Matthew shook his head. And then what? He'd been through enough in his past life to know the truth—people only value you when they need something. He'd learned that lesson the hard way. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

"Well that pride of yours is deadly. Why don't you just go the black market and ask for their help?"

Before Matthew could respond, his phone vibrated sharply against the desk. He quickly grabbed it, his chest tightening when he saw the message flash across the screen:

If you want your friend and driver alive, come alone to the address below. No police, or they're dead.

Matthew stared silently at the screen, his eyes narrowing at the address provided below the message. He knew it was a trap.

His thoughts flashed to Ottep, recalling how the young driver had sacrificed himself to save Matthew in his previous life. Matthew had promised himself that in this life, he would protect Ottep. Yet here he was again, dragging the innocent young man into his own troubles.

He got up, grabbed his bag, and went downstairs.

"I received a text," he said as he handed his phone towards Cristoff.

The butler read the message and frowned. "Tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes," Matthew said.

Cristoff stared at him. "Then… then what do you want us to do?"

"I will go to that place," Matthew said. "Prepare the things that I asked you to and follow my instructions."

Cristoff frowned as he met Matthew's eyes. Then he nodded. "Yes, Young Master."

…

Meanwhile, Viper slammed the folder down onto his desk, papers scattering across the polished surface. He stood abruptly, glaring at Mendez, who stood rigidly in front of him.

"What were you thinking?" Viper demanded.

Mendez swallowed, his shoulders tense. "We underestimated him."

"Underestimated?" Viper's gaze shifted sharply toward Bleu, who remained leaning against the wall, arms crossed, unaffected. "Three Shapers and a Conduit, yet a newly awakened Reader slipped away? How exactly does that happen?"

Bleu straightened slightly. "He knew we were coming. He read their abilities. Gamariel and Troy were reckless."

"Read their abilities? How could someone who just awakened know how to use their ability like that?"

"We—we don't know."

"Was it the Tian Family?"

"No, sir. We checked and were certain that the Tian Family didn't make any moves. It was the teenager. He surprised us. That's all."

Viper turned back to Mendez. "Where is he now?"

"We received news that he is in his family's mansion," Mendez admitted quietly. "But we have his friend and driver. We can use them as leverage."

Viper's jaw tightened visibly. "Fix this. Find Matthew Lindberg. I want him brought here, intact. No more mistakes."

"Yes, sir," Mendez said immediately.

Viper waved a hand, dismissing him. Mendez turned and quickly left the room.

Viper turned his attention back to Bleu. "He's valuable. A Reader with combat ability..." If he was right—which he usually was—Ghost, or Matthew Lindberg, could be one of the chosen few that could be useful when it comes to combat. He wondered how useful his core would be. "Find out his background."

Bleu nodded slowly. "Understood."

Viper sat down heavily, running a hand through his hair. He picked up one of the scattered pages and crumpled it tightly. He knew Matthew Lindberg had something he wanted, and he wouldn't allow incompetence to cost him again.

Just as he was about to relax, a knock interrupted his stupor. "Come in…" he said.

A young man walked in. "Sir, we received a message from the Old Man. He is instructing you to go back to the City as soon as possible."

Viper frowned. "Did he say why?"

"No, sir. But we received news that there will be a gathering. It seems that he wanted you to help with the school recruitment."

Viper rolled his eyes. He knew what his grandfather wanted this time. He simply wanted to show off to his old friends and talk about his marriage. "Don't mind him," he said.

"Yes, sir," the man left without saying another word.

Once alone, Viper's lips curled into a cold smile. The blood moon had finally arrived. The hunt was about to begin—and by tomorrow night, Ghost would become his prey.