The sun had just begun to set over Sue City, painting the horizon with streaks of orange and purple. The campus buzzed with weekend chatter—students heading for parties, study groups forming in cafes, lovers sneaking away into quiet corners. But for Jackim, the evening carried a different weight.
It was the night Sandra's boyfriend, Derrick, had chosen to throw his latest "status party." Derrick wasn't just another rich boy—he was the son of a mid-level politician, someone who enjoyed flexing inherited power as much as his wealth. And tonight, Derrick wanted to prove one thing: that he was leagues above Jackim.
--
Inside the lavish ballroom of the Grand Crest Hotel, students gathered under golden chandeliers. Music pulsed low, waiters carried trays of wine and champagne, and conversations blended into a low, constant murmur.
Derrick stood near the center, wearing a white designer suit that screamed excess. Sandra clung to his arm, her smile bright but her eyes darting—always, always searching for Jackim.
When Jackim finally walked in, accompanied by Kelvin, the room shifted. Conversations softened, then hushed. Eyes turned.
He wasn't wearing designer clothes—just a simple black shirt and slacks—but the calm aura around him made him seem untouchable. Even without effort, he commanded attention.
Kelvin whispered, "Bro, you realize half the people here came just to see you get humiliated, right?"
Jackim smirked faintly. "Then let's not disappoint them."
--
As the evening progressed, Derrick made sure the microphone found its way to his hand. Standing proudly at the center, he clinked his glass and said with exaggerated charm:
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining me tonight. It's not every day we celebrate growth, success, and the beauty of working hard to build our future. As you all know, I recently acquired my very own luxury apartment downtown. Twenty floors high, modern, sleek, worth a good six hundred thousand dollars."
He paused, letting the applause wash over him. Sandra kissed him on the cheek, though her glance flickered toward Jackim for a second.
Derrick continued, "I know most students dream about one day owning a place of their own. Well, dreams can come true if you're smart, ambitious, and not… pretending to be something you're not."
The last line was coated with venom, directed straight at Jackim. The room chuckled nervously.
Kelvin clenched his fists, whispering, "This clown…"
But Jackim stayed still, swirling the drink in his glass. His eyes were calm, but the System inside his head stirred awake.
"Host, new task issued."
Jackim's mind sharpened. "Go on."
"Brag: 'A single apartment? I own properties bigger than castles.' Reward: Real Estate Emperor Skill (Lv.1)."
Jackim's lips curved upward slightly. Properties bigger than castles…?
Kelvin noticed the smirk and frowned. "You're planning something, aren't you?"
Jackim didn't answer. Instead, when Derrick finished basking in his applause, Jackim casually raised his glass.
"Congratulations, Derrick," he said, his voice carrying effortlessly across the hall. "An apartment is nice. But really, why stop there?"
The crowd froze. Derrick's smile faltered.
Jackim leaned back in his chair, his tone calm yet sharp as a blade. "After all, a single apartment is just… too small. I prefer properties bigger than castles."
A hush fell over the ballroom. For a moment, no one spoke. Then laughter erupted.
"Haha! Did you hear that?"
"Castle-sized properties? Who does this guy think he is, a king?"
"Maybe he's been watching too many fantasy dramas."
Even Derrick chuckled, though it sounded strained. "Oh, really, Jackim? A castle? Where's this magical kingdom of yours, then?"
Sandra's eyes burned with something else though—doubt mixed with curiosity.
---
The System chimed: "Task completed. Reward granted: Real Estate Emperor Skill (Lv.1). Inventory updated: Villa – Valeria Estate."
A notification buzzed across multiple phones in the room. One of the guests gasped. "Wait—check the news feed!"
Everyone's attention turned to their phones as headlines began to appear across local property sites:
"Young Mysterious Buyer Acquires Valeria Estate: 50-Acre Castle-Like Villa on the Hillside."
Photos accompanied the article—massive stone gates, sprawling gardens, fountains, a villa with turrets and towers straight out of a fairytale.
And beneath it, in black and white: Registered Owner: Jackim Ochieng.
The ballroom exploded with chaos.
"No way—this has to be fake!"
"But the papers are verified… look, it's official registry documents."
"Holy… that's worth millions! A hundred apartments wouldn't match this!"
Kelvin's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Bro… you… you actually own a castle?"
Jackim merely took another sip of his drink, eyes never leaving Derrick.
---
Derrick's face went pale. His confident smirk shattered, replaced by disbelief.
"This… this is impossible! He's a fraud! There's no way—"
But before he could finish, a group of senior students—some from wealthy real estate families themselves—confirmed it aloud.
"It's real. Valeria Estate is the most expensive private property in this region. My father tried to bid for it last year but lost. I didn't know the buyer was… him."
All eyes turned back to Jackim.
Sandra's hand slipped from Derrick's arm. For the first time, she looked at Jackim not with scorn or regret—but with raw desire.
Jackim caught the look and his smile widened ever so slightly. He knew what she was thinking. But he also knew the System rewarded him more for resisting temptation than indulging in it.
--
Later in the evening, Sandra found her chance. She approached him while the crowd still buzzed with excitement, her perfume heavy in the air.
"Jackim," she whispered, "I… I didn't know. About you. I was wrong before." Her voice trembled with fake sweetness. "Maybe… maybe we could—"
Jackim cut her off with a soft laugh. "Sandra, some people regret when the lights shine on someone else. But you? You don't regret leaving me. You regret losing your chance to brag about me."
Her face flushed red with shame and anger. "You—"
But he turned away before she could finish, leaving her trembling in silence.
--
Conversations in the ballroom changed completely. Students who had once mocked Jackim now tried to curry favor.
"Hey, Jackim, we should hang out sometime!"
"You must need good company in that huge villa, right?"
"Man, teach me your ways!"
Kelvin, amused, whispered, "See how fast the wind changes? Yesterday you were a fraud, today you're their hero."
Jackim shook his head. "They'll change again tomorrow. That's the nature of people chasing status."
The System hummed approvingly in his mind. "Host, the higher your brag, the deeper their submission. Continue."
---
Meanwhile, Derrick sat in a corner, his hand gripping a glass so tightly it shattered. Blood dripped down his palm, but he didn't even notice. His pride, his identity, everything had been crushed.
"This isn't over," he muttered darkly. "Jackim thinks he can humiliate me? I'll show him. I'll destroy him even if it takes everything I have."
The shadow of hatred flickered in his eyes.
---
As the night drew to an end, Jackim stood and prepared to leave. Whispers followed him like a trail of fire.
"He owns Valeria Estate…"
"A castle! Can you believe it?"
"Derrick's nothing compared to him now."
Lina, who had been silent the whole evening, found herself staring at him again. Her heart pounded strangely. She didn't care about castles or cars—but his unshakable calm, the way he turned every insult into triumph, fascinated her more than she dared admit.
Kelvin slapped Jackim's shoulder as they stepped outside. "Bro… you've officially broken the campus. No one will look at Derrick the same way again."
Jackim tilted his head toward the night sky. Stars glittered faintly above, and for the first time, he sensed something heavier moving in the background—forces beyond campus gossip, beyond jealous rich boys.
The System's voice whispered: "Host, your real estate empire is only beginning. But beware. Greater wealth invites greater enemies."
Jackim's smirk returned. "Let them come. The higher they climb to reach me, the harder their fall will be."
And with that, he walked into the night, the glow of his new empire just beginning to cast its shadow.
---