[CEO's Cheat Sheet]
Hostile Takeover: Taking over a target company or asset without the consent of its management.
Penalty Invoice: A bill for a fine issued due to a breach of contract or property damage.
Revista's breathing sounded like gravel being forcefully ground. The muscular man fell face-down on the warm stone floor, clutching his head as if it were about to split open. The Abyssal Curse was not only burning his body but also eroding his sanity from the inside.
Stephanie stared at the red System screen that kept flashing a merciless countdown.
[Time remaining: 5 Hours 50 Minutes.]
"Vespera!" Stephanie called out in a sharp tone that brokered no argument. "Keep the fire burning. Do not let the room temperature drop by a single degree. Titus, Rufus, come here."
The two thugs ran over with pale faces, terrified of both the screaming silver-haired monster and the cold-eyed woman commanding him.
"Tarkus, your former boss," Stephanie said quickly. "Where is his headquarters, and how much cash does he usually keep in his safe?"
Titus gulped, shocked by the question. "H-His base is in the Lumberjack Village, about an hour's walk from here through the forest. He's the local collector for the Black Gold Guild, Boss. He must keep at least a hundred silver coins in there from this week's extortions."
Stephanie's eyes glinted coldly. One hundred silver coins. That's equal to 1000 WP. Exactly the amount needed to buy the curse suppressant, with a little leftover for tomorrow's operational costs.
"Perfect," Stephanie sighed.
She looked down at Revista, who was groaning in agony. She knelt and gently stroked the man's sweat-drenched silver hair, a gesture that surprisingly looked very protective for such a petite woman.
This man is my highest-yielding asset. I will not let a curse bankrupt him.
"Hold on a little longer," Stephanie whispered near his ear, her voice softer now. "I'm going to secure the funds to fix you up. Don't you dare die before I get back."
Revista could only growl weakly, his large, trembling hand gripping the hem of Stephanie's dress as if absolutely reluctant to let her go. Stephanie gently but firmly detached his grip. She didn't have time for drama.
She turned and walked briskly toward the main hall, followed by Titus and Rufus.
"Vortigern," Stephanie called.
The giant ice wolf stood tall in the ruined hall, its pristine white fur fluttering in the freezing wind blowing through the broken gates. Stephanie took the heavy iron chain still attached to the wolf's collar and wrapped it around her own hand like a leash.
"Titus, Rufus. You will be my guides," Stephanie said as she nimbly climbed onto Vortigern's broad back. "We will run. If you fall behind, my wolf will have you for lunch."
Lumberjack Village.
Tarkus was sitting heavily in front of the roaring fireplace in his tavern, which doubled as the Black Gold Guild's local branch office. The fat man, wearing multiple gaudy gold rings on his thick fingers, was laughing loudly while chugging cheap beer with five of his armed lackeys.
"Those three idiots haven't returned from the castle yet?" Tarkus chuckled, wiping foam from his mouth. "Maybe they froze to death alongside that banished princess. What a shame, the Guild could have sold her for a high price at the underground brothel to cover that 500 Gold debt."
CRASH!
The thick teak wood door of the tavern shattered into a dozen flying splinters, sent flying into the middle of the room by an incredibly forceful impact. The howling blizzard instantly swept in, extinguishing the fire in the hearth.
Tarkus and his men jumped to their feet, drawing their swords in panic.
From behind the swirling cloud of snow dust, a giant white monster stepped in gracefully. Vortigern growled low, baring fangs made of solid ice. Behind the terrifying beast, Titus and Rufus stood panting, looking like walking frozen corpses.
However, what made Tarkus's eyes widen in absolute horror wasn't the monster, but the delicate noblewoman sitting calmly on the wolf's back.
Stephanie smoothly dismounted from Vortigern, patted the snow dust off her expensive, albeit ruined coat, and walked toward Tarkus's table as if she owned the entire building.
"Are you Tarkus?" Stephanie asked flatly.
"Y-You... Princess Stephanie?" Tarkus stuttered, taking a terrified step back at the sight of the giant wolf whose shoulder reached his chest. "H-How did you tame a Frost Wolf?!"
"I didn't come here for an interview," Stephanie cut in smoothly.
Property damage, trespassing, and threatening my employees, Stephanie's mind tabulated the offenses. Time for a hostile takeover.
"Your dogs broke my gate last night and terrified my maid," Stephanie said, her voice dripping with the icy authority of a true aristocratic ruler. "In my world, that requires immediate compensation. Consider this a penalty invoice. The total is one hundred silver coins."
Tarkus fell silent for three seconds before bursting into loud, nervous laughter, looking at his armed men for support.
"One hundred silver coins?! For a broken piece of wood in your dilapidated castle?!" Tarkus spat on the floor. "You're crazy, Princess. You might have one pet monster, but we have six poisoned swords. Boys, kill her and gut that wolf! Its pelt alone is worth a fortune!"
Tarkus's five lackeys lunged forward with a battle cry.
Stephanie didn't even blink. She merely tilted her head slightly.
"Vortigern. Clear the room."
Awoooo!
Vortigern darted forward like a guided missile. As a Tier 5 monster accustomed to surviving the harshest environment on the continent, these clumsy village thugs were moving in slow motion to it.
It only took ten seconds. The wolf crushed the first thug's arm with one bite, slammed two others into the stone wall until they passed out, and bit the fourth thug's steel sword in half before pinning his chest down with a massive, heavy paw.
Tarkus fell backward onto the floor, his face deathly pale. A warm, foul-smelling liquid pooled beneath him as he watched his entire crew get completely flattened in the blink of an eye. Vortigern's drooling, razor-sharp jaw was now hovering mere inches from the fat man's face.
Stephanie walked casually, elegantly bypassing the groans of the injured thugs, and stopped right in front of Tarkus.
"I repeat," Stephanie said, her gaze shifting to the heavy iron safe in the corner of the room. "I'll be seizing the contents of that safe as your penalty fee. Hand over the key, Tarkus, or my wolf will just pry it from your dead hands."
Tarkus cried out in terror. With trembling, sweaty hands, he reached into his pocket and handed over the bronze key.
Stephanie walked over and unlocked the safe. Inside were neat stacks of silver coins, the Guild's collection money for the month. She touched the pile of wealth with a satisfied smirk.
[Ding! Real Currency Detected!]
[Would you like to convert it? Total Estimated: 1250 WP.]
Convert everything, Stephanie ordered the system. And instantly buy one dose of the Abyssal Suppressant.
[Purchase Successful. WP Balance: 250 WP.]
[Item placed into Temporary Inventory.]
Stephanie slipped a small, glowing vial of silvery liquid into her coat pocket.
"Thank you for your generous cooperation, Tarkus," Stephanie said as she turned around, her tone sickeningly polite. "Tell your bosses at the Black Gold Guild that if they want to do business in Winterhaven, the tax rate just went up."
She climbed back onto the wolf. "Let's go back, Vortigern. We have a very expensive asset to save."
[Nymphaearoot the Author]: Boss mode activated! Who needs a knight in shining armor when you have a giant wolf and CEO-style extortion tactics? But, is there enough time left to save Revista? Hold your breath for the next chapter!