章 1: Chapter 1
The clouds smothered what should have been a bright blue sky of a sunny afternoon, the rain that fell from their convergence as soft as the mood of the various people gathered within a certain high-end graveyard.
"We are here today to commemorate the passing of Darius Stone, a beloved husband, father, and philanthropist whose presence has forever carved a deep memory into the world." An aged pastor began, his voice laden with grief.
"Yet while he has departed the world of the living, his legacy continues on with his great contributions to the welfare of the common man, something even his peers scorned him for openly. Something that we, the common men and women of the world, will forever hold dear in our hearts."
The priest continued extolling the virtues of the recently departed man, his speech and impeccable oration moving the hearts of all listeners. There were about 50 people in total, all in black funeral attire, all looking like they had lost the greatest thing they ever could.
While 50 made it a crowd, this had been the hard limit for this opulent cemetery meant for the topmost echelon. If just anyone would have been allowed in, the number count would have crossed hundreds of thousands.
This wasn't too far-fetched, as the person they were mourning was Darius Stone, the world's richest and most influential man of the 22nd century. He had owned most modern megacorps or had at least had controlling shares for them, also singlehandedly creating a movement that raised the bottom line of poverty from abysmal to being able to get some livable conditions in life.
His influence had not been limited to one particular country, but had been worldwide. More than 90% of sovereign countries had been able to experience this growth thanks to his efforts, hence the label of one of the greatest men of this age.
Present in the cemetery, at the forefront of all mourners, were two women and one young man. They all shared the same features, moderately tanned skin, sharp noses, soft faces, and light hazel eyes.
Anyone could tell that they were siblings from their looks, and an even more perceptive person could tell that they were the children of the recently departed based on their physical age, as well as their position in this ceremony.
The first daughter, Solena, was currently comforting and rubbing the back of the second daughter, Miranda, who was sobbing like there was no tomorrow. Solena knew how much Miranda loved their father since he had always pampered his little princess.
His only son, Martin, clenched his fists and seemed to hold back the tears his sisters were shedding in order to keep the image of a manly fellow, but he could fool no one. In fact, his effort to act tough rather made the other mourners feel all the more depressed, as it was clear this family was suffering from their loss.
"And now, our brother and beloved guardian, Darius Stone, shall be laid to rest beside his wife, Deia Stone, so that they may continue their heartwarming love in the afterlife, together, forever." The aged priest intoned as the ceremony came to an end.
The casket was eventually lowered into the grave, the ornamental design revealing that the price paid must've been beyond the roof. However, no one complained as it was the least this great man deserved.
After the casket was lowered, the people paid their respects to the family and began filing away slowly. Eventually, only the three children of Darius Stone were left at the gravesite, and their demeanor changed the moment the last person left.
"Sigh, why did Dad want us to act so emotional during his death? I don't get it." Miranda, who had been in inconsolable tears just a moment ago, stood upright and pondered while wiping her face calmly.
Solena, now also with a neutral expression, cleaned her eyes and spoke in a cold tone: "Because he wanted us to capitalize on the image he had painstakingly built in order to promote ourselves and make our succession smoother."
Martin sighed and scratched his cheek. "Our father truly thought ahead. He even predicted how the board members would react upon his passing and laid down an elaborate plan on how to deal with each one of them! Amazing!"
Solena nodded and smiled slightly. "Father truly was the most intelligent man. With his guidance, we can easily split the empire he has built up in a way that will prevent any outsiders to acquire so much as a penny."
Solena turned to her brother. "However, Martin, everything depends on you. Can you fulfill father's master plan and take over on the surface?"
Martin scoffed and folded his arms. "Of course, Sol. If I fail even after being trained by father personally, then I might as well just dig a new hole next to him and join them."
Miranda said in a silent voice: "I really wish father could have lived a while longer. It feels so hard without him here, guiding us."
Solena gently caressed Miranda's face and spoke softly. "Father has lived to reach his late seventies and we all know he had grown tired of life without mother. He only persisted this long to give us time to grow."
"I know, but… sigh." Miranda murmured with resignation.
Soon, a well-dressed chauffeur came up to the trio and bowed. "Milady Solena, your husband calls for you. Your son is currently in need of a diaper change."
Solena smiled beautifully when she heard mention of her firstborn son. "Okay, I will be with you shortly."
The chauffeur bowed once more and stood by the side. Solena then hugged her sister and little brother before leaving the scene.
Right after her, Miranda was soon picked up by her fiancé, leaving young Martin to wait for the family's driver to come for him.
The moment the event came to an end, the dark clouds instantly lightened and the rain came to an end. The timing was truly impeccable, but very few would pay attention to it.
After all, if they couldn't even notice that a certain entity had stood with them at the funeral the entire time, they would certainly not notice abnormal weather conditions that had not appeared to give ambient effect to the event, but rather to warn of a potential disaster.
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Author's Note: Hello all readers! Welcome to my second webnovel on this site, Darius Supreme! This story is meant to be a serious novel with a mature and thoughtful MC who tries to survive in a magical world we've all dreamed of with a caveat.
As shown in my review, this novel is targeted at thoughtful readers who can read in between the lines and can figure out neat facts without having to be spoonfed by this author.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where people will see a sign saying 'beware the dog', jump the fence, get bitten by the dog, and try to sue you.
As such, in the author's thoughts of certain chapters going forward, you might notice some commentary from me explaining various things that people missed and decided to complain about. I can't obviously answer each and everyone, I'm not that free after all, so this will have to do.
Thanks!
章 2: Chapter 2
{Welcome to the world of Faust! This is a world of magic, swords, dragons, and fair maidens requiring rescue! A world of dreams, wishes, and fantasies that any living entity would want to partake in!}
{This world is now your home, Darius Stone! In this world, you are the protagonist, the pioneer, the chosen one! Forge a path through chaotic politics, troubled markets, and deadly battlefields to stand at the top and become a Supreme!}
{After all, this is the only way your damned soul will ever have a chance at reincarnation! This special privilege has been granted to you by Vena, The Goddess of Games and Recreation! Make sure your actions in this world impress her, otherwise she will strip you of this opportunity and present it to another evil soul!}
{Good luck!}
These were the first words Darius Stone heard as he woke up. He found himself slumped over a dining table that was as simple as they came, made of hardwood and covered with a very thin cloth.
He looked around and took stock of his environment. He appeared to be in a small cottage that could only realistically support two people living within at the most, with a single bedroom, one kitchen that was merged with the dining room, and one living room of sorts.
There was no bathroom that he could see straight away, so Darius wondered how the residents here took care of their hygiene. He next inspected himself to see if there were any changes.
He was astounded to discover that he appeared to be in the cradle of his youth, at age 13. As far as he could tell, he had the same body he did when he had been on Earth, which was a small comfort.
This meant that he should have his typical slicked-back black hair as well as his trademark spiky bangs, his sharp hazel eyes, and his angular jaw which was what had made him into a desirable bachelor as a young adult.
Darius noticed that he wore a neat, long-sleeved, black cotton shirt and slim-fitting black pants with calf-length black boots that gave him the look of a young nobleman who was taking a stroll through some medieval town.
After taking stock of himself, Darius stood up and walked around the cottage, carefully noting anything of interest and collecting it, placing it all on the dining table where he had 'spawned'.
He then opened the door to head outside and see where he was located. Immediately, Darius was stunned into silence at the sight before him.
He was located in a beautiful glade in the midst of a dark forest, the sunlight barely able to pierce the canopy of leaves as it bathed him in its warm glow. Beside his small wooden cottage was a large pool of sparkling water that looked like the dew of the heavens.
If anything, Darius understood where one was supposed to bathe now. Still, he was totally enraptured by the sights and smells around him, as he came from a life in an urban society.
Anyone from such a place would be rendered speechless and awed by the sight of nature at its prime. Darius continued to absorb this sight for a few more seconds before casually making a lap around the cottage and the glade in general.
After he felt he had inspected it enough, he returned to the dining table and sat down on the chair he had been seated upon when he awoke. Darius silently began to ponder for a bit in silence.
Then, all of a sudden, he began to laugh. It was a startling act that would have made any onlooker stare at him with worry, fearful for his sanity, but there was no one here. Not only that, Darius laughed for a full minute, tears coming from his eyes, the reason for doing so not even apparent at the moment.
Soon, it came to an end, and the young man wiped his eyes and wore a slight smirk. He re-read the warning that had appeared within his vision when he first spawned and then picked up a quill he found.
Luckily, Darius had needed to learn how to use a quill and parchment as part of high society life. It was truly frightening how the true top 1% desperately clung to old traditions and activities from a bygone era, but for once he was glad about this previously useless skill.
He slowly wrote down upon the parchment as his thoughts moved in a flurry, calculations and realizations flashing through his cortex at light speed. Darius' strength had never been physical, always mental.
Eidetic memory, genius-level intellect, and a high emotional quotient had allowed him to easily read people. All of that had bled into the profession he had chosen for himself in his past life, a businessman.
Darius smirked when he thought of that. 'Past life'. Ha. Like he was some protagonist from those anime and web novels his son and nephews loved to consume.
Especially his youngest nephew and first grandson. Those two had loved those shounen anime and Darius had often been pulled to watch it with them. As an old man in his seventies, he naturally had had the mentality of one and had chosen to spend time with his family rather than work, even if it meant doing things he might not enjoy himself as much.
Yet, after he had closed his eyes for the last time, he had woken up in a body that was in the early stages of puberty and was greeted by a screen of notifications telling him a certain Goddess had reincarnated him to be her pet monkey and provide entertainment.
Most people… no, any sensible person would not be calm in such a situation, as only the mentally infirm could maintain their neutrality at a time like this. Darius didn't think he was mad, but his mind certainly was different.
Darius' train of thought was quite… scary. He had been revered worldwide as a man of kindness, solemnity, and honor. Even though the modern world hated the rich, people had nevertheless still loved him and had even nicknamed him as 'Darius Wayne' in relation to that billionaire superhero.
However, there was not a single member of the true top 1% that had climbed their way up by remaining pure and morally clean.
In fact, Darius was quite sure that his soul was blacker than all of the worst criminals in human history, for the things he had done behind the curtain were truly frightening.
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