Reincarnated With The Degenerate System

Chapter 266: Establishing My Status

"Do you need my service again?" Mily asked, her expression blank as she stepped into my quarters. It seemed she didn’t fully move on from our little... previous passionate encounter."Not this time. Maybe tonight, when my brother is asleep."

Her eyes landed on James, who was playing a console game. She gave him a soft smile—one that made him flush, awkward under the gaze of such a pretty woman.

I couldn’t blame him—someone like her might as well be a celebrity in this era.

"Maybe you can set my brother up with some friends—give him someone to play with. I’ll pay well for it."

It came out wrong, but I didn’t have the energy to correct myself.

She paused for a second, then said, "If that’s the case... how about enrolling him? There’s actually an academy for anyone under fifteen."

"Sign him up, then," I ordered.

"That’s the thing, Mr. Leon. It’ll cost a lot, and you’re not exactly loaded after your initial spending spree."

"Hey, it’s not me being financially irresponsible. Everything here is just ridiculously expensive. I mean, who would’ve thought buying steak could bankrupt me?"

"Mr. Leon, it’s hard to raise cows after the world went to hell. Eating fresh food is a luxury here. Even in Diamond Rest, only the top one percent can afford steak—and they rarely do."

"You should’ve warned me," I sighed. "Don’t worry, I’ll go to the Mayor and ask for more money."

Her expression changed. "You can’t do that. The others will get pissed at you."

"When you said ’others,’ you mean the other Second Phasers, right? Let me guess—they’re also your customers?"

She didn’t say anything, which answered my question.

"Mr. Leon, you might be strong, but I assure you—there are other Second Phasers stronger than you. They’ve been here longer and earned more merits."

"Oh, really? Then go on—tell me who’s the strongest here."

Seeing that I wasn’t taking her seriously, she sighed and leaned closer, her voice dropping slightly as if she were sharing a secret.

"Right now, the top three..." she began, eyes lighting up as she spoke, "is Arron. He’s a Second Phaser who can carry a hammer the size of an average human. He was six-foot-five before, but after reaching Second Phase, he grew to seven feet."

I raised an eyebrow. Not bad, but still weak.

"The next is Rajid," she continued. "A dagger user. After his Second Phase, he can move so fast... he’s rumored to be as fast as a car."

I smirked. "That’s it?"

Her expression softened, and for a moment I noticed something in her eyes—admiration.

"Finally... Hans. He’s a swordsman. His Second Phase allows him to predict movements... they call him the one with the eyes of gods."

I caught the lust in her voice when she said his name.

"So... that’s your holy trinity? Guess I’ll have to see if they live up to the hype."

She blinked, a little taken aback, but I could tell she wanted to explain more.

"Take me to the Mayor’s house—now."

She raised an eyebrow, her blank expression softening just a little. "Mr. Leon... calm down. It’s not that simple. The guards at the mansion—"

"I don’t care about the guards. I’m not asking. I’m telling."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. For a moment, she hesitated, like she was weighing whether to argue or obey.

Finally, she let out a defeated sigh. "Fine. Follow me. And don’t do anything stupid along the way. Mayor Harrison doesn’t like surprises."

Roughly ten minutes later, we arrived at a large mansion. I called it a mansion because it truly was—its massive windows and towering pillars made every other building nearby look tiny in comparison.

A perfectly manicured courtyard stretched out in front, complete with a swimming pool that gleamed under the underground lights.

Right away, the guards stopped us. Rifles raised, they moved with the precision of trained soldiers—ex-military, no doubt. Their presence alone made the mansion feel even more intimidating.

"No one is allowed to enter without permission. State your reason."

I raised both hands, keeping my tone flat. "My name is Leon. I’m a Second Phaser, and I’m here to visit the Mayor."

The moment they heard the words Second Phaser, the guards stiffened.

One of them immediately ran off to report it. Two minutes later, they finally stepped aside, allowing us to pass.

The Mayor greeted me in his living room, flanked by ten others who looked every bit like hardened fighters—scars, calloused hands, and eyes that had seen too much.

"Everyone, this is Leon—the new recruit I told you about," Harrison broke the silence.

Before I could say a word, a guy vanished from his seat and reappeared in front of me, daggers flashing in his hands.

"Idiot."

BANG!

I slapped him hard, sending him flying backward. He smashed through the glass window, shards scattering in every direction, and landed with a splash in the pool.

"Oh, sorry about that. I thought a mosquito was about to bite me, so I slapped it away. Didn’t realize it was a person."

The man climbed out of the pool, his face red with anger. He wasn’t in any real danger—not because he was tough, but because I chose to hold back.

"Amazing," Mayor Harrison clapped his hands slowly. "How can you be this strong without even eating alien meat yet?"

I turned to him and casually sat on the empty chair.

"It’s not really rocket science. I just awakened something with a higher starting point... and a higher ceiling."

"To make it simple, think of everyone as rocks. When our power awakened, most just became shinier rocks... but mine turned into a diamond."

I tilted my head toward the man still dripping pool water.

"As for the guy I slapped..." I glanced at him. "In my opinion, his brain turned into mud."

His face twisted. It looked like he was about to attack again, but he never did.

Too bad. I was planning to make an example out of him to show everyone who’s really in charge.