The WealthTap System: Rising from Rags to Riches

"Huff Huff Huff…" 

Cathy\'s ragged breaths renounced in her big spacious room again, many familiar bodies standing or seated nearby as she coughed uncontrollably.

Seeing her discomfort, Chris who was sitting on the bed next to her, quickly rushed towards her. Gently patting her back as he soothed her, "Shh, it\'s fine Cath. I am here. Take a deep breath, are you alright?"

"Ch…ris. Chris… why didn\'t you save me earlier?" Cathy\'s mouth opened, tears began to roll down her face, remembering the nightmare she just watched.

"Cath I…"

"I… It was so scary… I want to forget it again… make me forget it, Chris…"

"Cath…"

"They… there were more girls there… they were treated even worse than me…"

"Yes, we have saved them too."

"Chris… he tricked me, that Caster… he tricked me. I… was too naive… forgive me"

"No! It wasn\'t your fault! It was mine!"

"No… it was mine… brother." Cathy\'s tears fell uncontrollably, her head was buried in Chris\'s shoulders as she tugged on his shirt and cried her heart out.

Chris didn\'t even know how to soothe her, never before had Cathy broke like this. Never has she cried like this, never has she suffered like this… 

"Cathy. I am sorry I didn\'t protect you on time. Forgive me, please." Chris hugged her and murmured softly.

"You saved me on time, brother… if you were a little late… I would have killed myself." 

"What?!"

"They… those bastards had a room where they dragged the girls in, torture them like toys… I would have rather killed myself than be dragged there." 

"Cath! Stop. You are fine now… please stop." Chris wiped the fear on his face, hugging Cathy tightly again.

"I… want to be alone." Cathy pushed Chris away, laying back on the bed as she covered her face with the blanket.

"..."

"Please, brother."

"...out." Chris murmured softly, having no strength in his voice to make everyone leave the room. How could he do so when he was reluctant to leave himself?

He remembered the doctor reminding him that Cathy\'s mind is weak now, he couldn\'t afford her to take any risk… 

"I want to be alone. Please all leave unless you want me to go myself." Cathy\'s voice cut off his train of thought, throwing him in a deep pit of despair as he heard her chilly cold tone.

It was as if… she despised their presence. She couldn\'t stand the mere breath of them and listen to any of their words.

"Cath if you want to talk about anything you can do…" Chris held back his raging emotions and murmured in a soft voice, while getting up from his as he gestured everyone to leave too.

"Sister… I…" Cassie muttered in a weak tone, shivering under Cathy\'s lifeless cold gaze. It wasn\'t the coldness of a murder… It was the coldness of futility.

Like Cathy didn\'t care anymore about anything, she had lost all meaning to life. Chris was sure that if this went on, it would surely lead to a very bad after effects.

But, there was nothing he could do. Cathy was adamant about having some time alone, and he knew better than to force a cornered mouse.

In the end Chris pulled everyone out of the room except a maid he assigned for Cathy. After all, he can\'t leave her completely alone, can he?

… 

"Chris! What had happened?! You should have called me man!" Max shook Chris\'s body violently as he looked at him in worry. 

"Called you? You were in the university for fucks sake, how would you have come there on time?" Chris swatted his hands away and shrugged. 

"Yeah so? Weren\'t you in the university too?" Max started as if it was obvious.

"I… wasn\'t. My new friends decided to bunk the university and visit Mariana Beach."

"Damn! You are at that level of friendship already?! My class is full of fucking nerds! All they know is study!" 

"Heh, in mine there are more than a dozen troublemakers. Have fun with the nerds, nerd. Is this what they say, birds of a feather flock together?"

"Bastard! Only reason I didn\'t submit a class change is that there are more than 30 hot girls in my class, and only 10 are males."

"Ohh~ did the change of the cities make our savage Maxxie a simp?"

"Basard!"

"Hahahaha"

Chris laughed heartily after winning a bickering round with Max. But he knew this was just a fake laugh, a laugh to mask his worry and grief.

After all, he knew that his and Cathy\'s survival was nothing less than a miracle. A miracle that he couldn\'t, and never wanted to count on again.

"You two sit and drink some tea, I will be back." Chris pushed Max and Cassie on the sofa gently to make them sit down and then walked towards his own room.

The B-Grade Pill. He couldn\'t forget the only resource he possessed to make his power flare up.

He needed to get stronger. Much more stronger.

A faceless cloudy beast suddenly flashed in front of Chris\'s eyes as he chuckled. Yes. He wanted to become that strong. As strong as that monstrosity so he can escape its clutches.

With new found resolution, Chris walked into his room, opening his cupboard as he cake face to face with a medium sized well fortified vault.

It was a reinforced titanium vault that was really difficult to break into, well. Not like Chris cared since he preferred online banking much more than hard cash.

It was easier to manage and was much more profitable.

Chris entered the code and scanned his fingerprints to open the door and chuckled manically looking at the bead-like smooth red coloured pill that sat gently in the vault, hiding its vast power it held within.

Chris quickly entered the bathroom and took a nice leather belt to act as his gag. After all, he had learnt his lessons last time that the awakening was nowhere near a refreshing and pleasurable process.

Sighing deeply, Chris took off his clothes and stood in the bathtub, turning on the shower as he popped in his awakening pill. 

The smooth pill swiftly entered Chris\'s mouth, spreading a sweet and gently warmth in his body as it slid down his food pipe towards his stomach.

For a second Chris even began to doubt that he had eaten an awakening pill. The effects this time were too foreign compared to the last time. 

They were way too nice.

However Chris\'s wishful thinking came to an end as the pill suddenly popped in his stomach, causing his whole body to go stiff while his cells basked in the overflowing energy that was thoroughly trapped in his thin stomach.

It felt as if it pushed and exploded in his stomach, threatening to tear apart the membranes to escape from the confinements. 

However Chris gritted his teeths and tried his best to persevere and control this energy to not escape. It spread in his veins, running across his body in an instant while the stomach reservoir began to deplete.

Chris was beginning to feel strong already, of course he knew this was just a misconception and false hope since all this energy he felt was due to the energy being supplied by the pill.

If he was tested without the busting energy vein, the improvements were… way better than expected!

Chris fell on his knees, clutching his stomach in agony as he grunted and groaned in pain while biting tightly on the belt. So tight that even his bite marks were registered on the pure leather exotic belt.

In the hurry and excitement, he even forgot to use a less precious item to use as his gag.

But, Chris was in no condition to worry about a stupid belt when he felt his cells heating up and his stomach on verge to burst apart.

He tried to channel more mana in his body, but of course, he wasn\'t able to concentrate well and the channeling kept getting interrupted.

The cool water kept dripping on his body, washing away any sweat, grime, impurities and sticky goo that his body released during the ongoing breakthrough.

And finally, after hours and hours of torture, or so did the last thirty minutes felt like to Chris who had already cleaned up the bathtub\'s dirty water and taken a quick shower before jumping into the tub and submerge in relaxing warm water… 

Relaxing while hoping that his dear sister will be safe and come to her senses soon.