God of Contracts: Strongest Businessman

Elian's world tilted. He shot to his feet, eyes wide with shock. "WHAT?!"

The question hung in the air, though rhetorical. Elian hoped against hope for a "Just kidding" from Julia, but her serious, neutral expression quashed any such expectation. He didn't doubt her words for a second. He knew his mother well.

But then Elian thought of the earlier conversation.

Maybe not that much but well enough to know that she isn't one to do such jokes or useless talk. Julia has always been someone straightforward who abhorred lies and deceits so he was more than certain that she was telling the truth.

Realizing this, Elian wrestled with a surge of emotions. Anger flared momentarily but swiftly ceded ground to self-loathing, frustration, and regret.

Elian didn't trust anyone outside his nuclear family and Lys so he never expected anything from anyone else, even his own relatives. So the betrayal didn't sting as a personal wound, but rather because of its far-reaching consequences.

Primarily, it threatened to debilitate the family precisely when they were most vulnerable. With the looming dungeon challenge, they were targeted by the nobility and possibly other influential entities.

What truly sent Elian's blood to an icy boil was the chain reaction this betrayal could trigger. For their enemies, the hardest part was always the first recruit; after that, loyalty became a domino effect, easily toppling one after another. Soon, their family could be riddled with turncoats, their ranks infiltrated like a termite-infested wall.

Worse, a plague of distrust would fester within their own walls. Every glance, every word, laced with suspicion. It wouldn't just be betrayal; it would be their family fracturing into warring factions, a festering wound draining their already dwindling strength.

A sliver of self-doubt pierced Elian's anger. Perhaps the blame wasn't his alone, but neither was he innocent. Their defection, likely orchestrated within days of Marcus's death, spoke volumes. They'd weighed him up, this unknown quantity, a young recluse tinkering in his lab. What deterrent could such a boy be?

Frustration coiled in his gut. What if he'd shown his hand? Revealed the hidden depths of his talent, the fruits of his isolation? Would trust have held firmer in the face of his proven strength? He didn't know, but the gnawing regret of his naivety was undeniable. He'd been lost in his experiments, oblivious to his family situation.

No matter how he sliced it, his detachment from family affairs had played a role in this precarious dance. His family, teetering on the edge, bore the brunt of his negligence.

Elian couldn't bear the weight of inaction, the knowledge that his passivity had jeopardized his family. But what recourse did he have? He had to act, but the weight of the dungeon already threatened to crush him. Now, his fractured family added another boulder to the Sisyphean task. His earlier hope of delegating this crisis to subordinates evaporated.

Elian's mind churned, desperation whispering dangerous ideas at him, each more reckless than the last. Before he could plunge down that shadowy path, a voice cut through the storm raging within him.

"Elian," Julia's hand rested on his shoulder, her tone laced with both worry and authority. "I hope you know your father wouldn't want you to shoulder this burden."

"Yes, but what other choice is there?" Elian's voice cracked, defiance curdling into desperation. "Do I just watch the family crumble away like dust?"

Julia met his gaze, her own unwavering. "Your father," she spoke with quiet but fierce determination, "would rather see the family break than watch you break under the weight of it all."

"So I give up?" Elian spat, anger and despair twisting his features. "Everything he built, just gone? And I'm supposed to go on as if nothing happened?"

"Tell me, what's your plan? Hm? What can you possibly do? You're too feeble to make a difference. Maybe it hasn't dawned on you yet, but the new dungeon alone holds enough sway to shift the entire Kingdom's power dynamics. Everyone from Baronets to the King has their eye on it, and that puts the Thorne family in their crosshairs. Do you honestly believe you stand a chance against the entire Kingdom, coupled with some treacherous kin? I don't entirely fault those turncoats; they made a logical choice," Julia spat, her words cutting deep.

She didn't relent. "Even if you were to eliminate every traitor and noble in the realm, the next generation would still thirst for the dungeon, and new traitors would emerge. Human greed cannot be quelled. Quit this childish fantasy and face reality. Give up."

"Facing off against the entire Kingdom?" Elian murmured, his voice low yet audibly contemplative. The statement triggered a thought, and Elian couldn't help but dwell on it.

After a brief pause, he nodded resolutely, as if arriving at a crucial decision. "Mom, you're right. I hadn't grasped the gravity of the situation."

Julia's expression faltered as Elian continued, his tone unwavering. "However, I must apologize. I'll defend my family's interests with every fiber of my being, regardless of who opposes me-be it the nobility, the Kingdom, or even the cosmos itself." Elian's smile deepened, carrying a sense of unwavering determination.

Julia's expression soured. "Even if it costs you your life, I won't interfere. You understand that, don't you?"

"Of course, otherwise, where's the challenge?" Elian replied with a grin.

Julia, whose expression had remained neutral throughout the conversation, almost cracked a smile before adding, "You have three months. Hopefully, you'll still be alive by then. But if I don't see any progress, I'll intervene forcefully to end this insanity."

Elian's lips twitched at the seemingly impossible deadline, ready to protest until Julia interjected, "There's no room for debate. On the contrary, if by some miraculous twist you manage to turn things around in the next three months, not only will I fulfill the promised surprise, but I'll grant you a gift of your choice-regardless of its nature or value. I'm even willing to procure a book on Quantaflux for you."

Maintaining his smile, Elian swallowed his objections and replied, "Thank you in advance for the gift, Mom."

He felt a surge of genuine joy, having previously checked the price of such a book in his Knowledge bank and discovered it was valued in the billions of Karma points.

"Confident? I can't wait to see what you are planning," Julia remarked before abruptly announcing, "I need to step out for a moment. See you at the ceremony tomorrow."

Elian was left utterly speechless by this sudden turn of events. It wasn't the first time she had changed her tune so abruptly, but Elian doubted he'd ever grow accustomed to it. Despite his desire to linger and continue their conversation, he understood that if he didn't take his leave, his mother wouldn't hesitate to forcibly usher him out -- a lesson he'd learned from past experiences.

With a resigned shake of his head, Elian stood up from his seat. "Tomorrow, then," he affirmed, turning to acknowledge the unseen presence of Sylv. With a courteous bow, he expressed his regrets, "I apologize, but I anticipate being occupied for a while, and I won't be able to commence our lessons anytime soon."

Sylv: 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO'

The spirit wailed in despair as he watched Elian take his leave. Fuming with blame, Sylv turned to Julia, his incorporeal form seething with accusation. "It's your fault!" she exclaimed, her ethereal voice filled with frustration and indignation.

"What did I do? I attempted to persuade him to give up, didn't I? Not my fault he's obstinate," Julia retorted.

"Really? Wipe that smile off before spinning tales," Sylv countered, perturbed.

"I'm smiling? Truly?" Julia contained her amusement, internally buoyed by the conversation with her son. She wasn't sure what sparked this change in him, but she welcomed it, cherishing the newfound confidence she saw.

Despite her desire to stay and observe Elian, she had pressing matters to attend to. "Let's go, Sylv. We can't waste time. I don't want to miss whatever Elian is planning."

"Alright, alright," Sylv acquiesced.

In an instant, the two vanished from the room, as if they had teleported out of the residence.