INFINITE MONEY - I Will Buy Everything

On the streets of Baloerin City

A sleek, black car of premium craftsmanship cruised steadily along its route, drawing fleeting glances from passersby who couldn't help but admire its steel-black elegance.

Inside the car were three individuals: Adam, Carl, and the driver. None of them had the faintest idea about what had just transpired 4,000 feet above them a moment ago.

Had they known, the car would not have been moving so placidly, and the people on the streets would have witnessed something more akin to a high-speed chase.

As the car glided forward, the tranquil silence was interrupted by Carl, who inquired, "What is your goal?"

Adam arched an eyebrow, responding with a noncommittal hum.

"I said, what is your goal?"

"What is my goal?" Adam repeated, as though contemplating the question himself. "It's to become the strongest."

"And what about after that?" Carl continued, probing further.

"After becoming the strongest?" Adam asked in slight confusion.

"Yes." Carl replied while remaining ignorant to his looks.

"I... I don't know. I haven't really thought about it."

"But what do you think you would do?" Carl persisted, his curiosity clearly piqued.

"Maybe retire and spend the rest of my days on a serene farm," Adam answered, before turning his gaze to the car window and adding in a whisper, "With her."

Carl, intent on deciphering Adam's last words, asked, "What was it that you said at the end?"

Adam didn't answer and instead became annoyed by Carl's relentless questioning and decided to turn the tables. "Why don't you tell me, what is YOUR goal?"

"M-My goal? I-I don't really have any," Carl stammered, clearly caught off guard by the question, as though it struck at something he himself was uncertain about.

"I'm a simple guy with simple needs. I just want to work through my days and eventually retire to a quiet life in a good old retirement home, I think," Carl said, his eyes focusing on the empty space between his hands.

Even though Carl's response seemed straightforward, Adam wasn't convinced. It was evident that Carl didn't truly believe what he was saying.

"Hah… what a mundane answer." Adam said in a monotone voice as if he knew what Carl said was false.

Carl suddenly sat up, looking at Adam as if he had been caught in a lie, but quickly adjusted his expression when he realized Adam was being sarcastic. Yet, Adam, quick to catch on, noticed that brief flicker of discomfort.

He wondered whether Carl was simply being nosy, or if someone had put him up to this.

"Enough about me. I'm just a simple guy with not much going on in my life," Carl said, trying to divert the focus away from himself. "Tell me, what is it that you like?"

"Like... Not much."

"Any hobbies?"

"No."

"Any favorite foods?"

"Meat."

Grasping at something to keep the conversation going, Carl immediately asked, "What kind?"

"Any meat."

Carl's brows knitted together as he replied, "Oh! Good. And what about your killer life?" Adam shot him a sharp look, making Carl quickly correct himself, "I-I meant your past life."

Instead of answering, Adam posed a question of his own. "Tell me, is it the kid who put you up to this task of asking such inane questions, or is this your own venture?"

"W-What are you talking about? Why would the boss…" Carl's eyes widened in surprise before he quickly added, "Y-Yeah, you got me. It was the boss who told me to ask you these questions."

"As you can imagine, anyone would be curious about such a mysterious new employee, so the boss instructed me to learn a few things about you, but nothing too personal," Carl said, scratching the back of his head, trying to appear innocent.

His explanation was plausible enough, and anyone else might have taken it at face value. Adam wanted to believe him too, but something felt off.

Anyone given such an assignment wouldn't reveal their boss so readily. Sure, it was a trivial task, and getting caught wouldn't have been a big deal. But the ease with which Carl gave up his boss's name felt odd. Adam couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

'Is he telling the truth, or is there something concealed in those seemingly innocent words?' Adam mused.

'But why would he try to hide something? And more importantly, why did he give up the kid so quickly?'

'It almost seems like he wasn't giving the kid up, but rather trying to use the kid as a smokescreen to cover something else.'

Adam was getting closer to uncovering the truth, but it seemed fate had other plans.

BING

The car jolted as the tires encountered something, but thanks to its durability, the car and they remained intact.

Everyone in the car felt the jolt as it jumped high enough to attract attention. Carl immediately turned to the driver and asked, "Hey, what was that?"

"That was a road spike."

Hearing this made Adam and Carl frown, and Carl asked, "And I guess that wasn't just there as a formality, right?"

"Unfortunately, no. I suggest you guys buckle up; we might be encountering some issues shortly," the driver said as he pressed a few buttons on the car's dashboard, causing the vehicle to accelerate rapidly.

"Alright," Carl said, nodding to Adam. Both men quickly fastened their seat belts.

Seated opposite Adam in the back, Carl had a clear view of the rear. A few seconds later, he spotted three cars making a sudden turn from a side street and accelerating towards them.

"Guys, I think we have some company in the back."

"Yeah, there's some in the front as well," Adam said, noticing two identical cars maintaining a precise distance on either side of them.

"So what are we going to do?" Carl asked, his voice tinged with urgency.

"What else? Deal with those idiots," Adam suggested, but his words were quickly dismissed by the driver.

"Unfortunately, sir, we can't do that. We're in a foreign kingdom and are prohibited from bearing arms against its subjects without clear justification." The Driver said and he too felt frustrated.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Carl asked, now clearly apprehensive.

"We wait for them to attack us and then respond. Is that the plan?" Adam asked, and the driver nodded at him through the rearview mirror.

"So, you're telling me we're sitting ducks until they try to kill us," Adam said, his tone dripping with frustration.

"Yes, and even then, we'll have to wait for the attack to be severe enough to justify self-defense measures."

"Ahh, f*ck, and now they're pointing their guns at us," Carl exclaimed as he noticed the men in the black vans behind them raising their assault rifles.

"We should duck, NOW," Carl shouted, and not a moment later, a barrage of bullets struck the car.

BANG

BANG

BANG

When the gunfire stopped, Carl cautiously inspected himself and was relieved to find no injuries. The driver then spoke up, "Don't worry, this car is completely bulletproof. It would take even the highest-grade mana bullets to leave a scratch on this baby."

Carl sighed in relief, "That's a reli—"

"Is that a f*cking bazooka!!"