VOIDBLADE: THE LAST SWORD OF THE END

Two Weeks and Four Days Later

"So, this is Forren City..."

The sheer scale of the place left me in awe. Forren City lived up to its name as the Free City. Everywhere I looked, there were vibrant markets, various races with unique customs, and an endless variety of food, clothes, and goods. People bustled through the streets — Green Tribe, Blue Tribe, Red Tribe, Yellow Tribe — all different cultures and colors of humanity, each with their own way of life.

I glanced around, already feeling a sense of wonder. I needed to find a guide and then secure a house. There was so much to do.

Jin (my guide, though I had met him under… questionable circumstances) was by my side. I had caught him trying to steal a purse earlier — but, in a twist, I decided to help him instead. He promised to assist me in exchange for food, and thus, our strange partnership began. Jin had been living on the streets of Forren since he was a child, never knowing his parents. He had been with an old man, the only person who cared for him until he passed away when Jin was eleven. Since then, Jin had survived by any means necessary, including petty theft.

"Big bro," he said, pulling me from my thoughts. "Where can I find a sturdy, quality house with a nice view?"

I chuckled, feeling a rare sense of responsibility wash over me. "Mm... Let me think about it for a moment." I glanced at him. "I'm 17 now."

Jin blinked, then stuttered, "Wait, so you're the older one? Aren't you like...?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "I'm 19 years old now. You can call me big brother from now on, and you'll be living with me. Got it?"

Jin's face went slack. "Seriously? You're not joking?"

"Yup, really. You're my junior now. Let's go buy a house and prepare for what we need."

A wide grin spread across his face, and he bowed dramatically, "I'll stick with you for the rest of my life, big brother, I swear!"

"Good," I said, a smile tugging at my lips. "Now, hurry up, let's go."

---

40 Minutes Later

"Big bro, they sell houses here!" Jin announced excitedly.

We arrived at a place that seemed like it sold high-quality homes. The house guide greeted us as soon as we walked in.

"How may I assist you?" the salesperson asked.

"I'm looking for a sturdy house with a gym to buy. I don't mind the cost," I said confidently.

"Of course, sir. Here's a list of available options. Please, take your time."

Jin pulled at my sleeve. "Oi, look at the prices! The cheapest one is 55 million money!"

I skimmed through the options, stopping on one that caught my eye. "I prefer this one, Jin. It has a pool, a fitness center, and it's very cozy."

Jin's face fell as he looked at the price. "134 million? Big bro, that's way too expensive! I've never seen that kind of money before…"

I patted him on the back with a grin. "Don't worry about it. Your big brother's got this."

Jin gave me a doubtful look, but I could see a flicker of hope. "Really? You're that rich?"

"Of course. Just watch," I said as I walked to the counter. "We're buying this one."

---

Moments Later

After the payment was made, we were handed the keys and documents. The house was officially ours.

---

Inside the House

"Wow… this is even nicer than I imagined from the pictures!" Jin exclaimed, his eyes wide as he explored the place. "I can't believe we really own this."

I looked around, a sense of pride swelling in my chest. "This is our home now. Next week, we'll go shopping and prepare everything we need."

---

Meanwhile, at the Hesly Family Mansion

Inside the mansion, the elders of the Hesly family were in a heated meeting.

"So, the foolish brat sold his property and ran away without anyone noticing. I have to admit, I give him credit for his courage," Elder One commented, a hint of admiration in his voice.

"But did he catch on? Did he somehow figure out we were the ones who poisoned his parents before their deaths?" Elder Five asked, suspicion thick in his voice.

"Poisoned them?" Elder Seven interjected, confused. "How come I didn't hear about this?"

"Enough!" The family patriarch, known simply as The Backer, slammed his hand on the table. "That kid's clever. I contacted my underground team, but they couldn't find any trace of him. The only thing we know is that he sold the property. We can't take on the management agency directly, and even if we pooled all our resources together, it wouldn't do a thing. This is frustrating."

"This boy ruined our chance to become billionaires," Elder Three sighed, shaking his head.

Elder Two, always the pragmatist, cleared his throat. "Forget the land. We'll need to find another way to sustain our businesses, and perhaps future opportunities will present themselves."

The meeting closed with uncertainty hanging in the air. Their plans to get rich had been dashed — for now.

---

Two Months Later, at Emile Hesly Villa

"Big bro, I've been thinking," Jin said, as we sat together in the villa. "You've got all this money, but what if you invested it? There's this new game coming out soon, and the stocks are going through the roof. They say it's going to be worth trillions soon."

I raised an eyebrow. "A game? I thought you hated them."

"Well, it's not just any game. It's going to be huge. The founder is still anonymous, but it's gaining traction fast. This could be our shot at more money," Jin explained. "The game's set to launch on 2nd February 2028, and people are already calling it the next big thing."

I thought about it for a moment. "Alright, let's take a chance. How do we invest?"

"We'll need to buy a game pod and then we can either buy gold or just wait," Jin said, pulling up some information.

---

The Next Day

I looked at the available game pods, feeling both excited and skeptical. "Okay, let's do it. Order the finest set."

---

A Few Hours Later, Delivery Complete

The robotic delivery was quick and efficient. The pods were already set up. I looked at Jin. "Alright, we're going to invest and see how lucky we get."

Jin raised an eyebrow. "So, only you're going to invest?"

"Yup, and you're going to help me set it up. Let's see if this gamble pays off."

---

Inside the Game Pod

After following the prompts, I created my account. "Emile Hesly," I typed, deciding to go with my real name for now.

---

[Congratulations, players, on your first entry.]

[Do you wish to create an account? Yes/No]

"Yes."

[Choose your name]

"Emile Hesly."

[Notice: Nickname will be chosen after talent awakening.]

---

[Investment Option: Open]

"Type the amount."

"20 billion money."

[Congratulations, player, for investing two trillion gold coins.]

I blinked at the amount. "Wait, what? Two trillion?! How did that even happen? Oh right… 1 money equals 100 gold coins."

---

[Specialized full set equipment will be given upon your role. Good luck.]

---

"I'm a trillionaire in the game now, and I've just made myself a fortune in real life!" I laughed, feeling both incredulous and amused.