Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System!

The energy in the room was damn near infectious. Everyone was practically buzzing—Tessa, Naomi, and Elena looked like they were about to explode from excitement, and honestly? Parker couldn't even blame them.

They'd been stuck in the training space for three and a half days in real life. Inside that pocket dimension, though? Time had stretched—ten times that.

So, uh… quick math?

35 days.

A month and some change stuck in a high-intensity training hellhole. Yeah, no wonder they were acting like prisoners who'd just been granted freedom.

So the second Parker casually mentioned their shopping dilemma—courtesy of that messy-ass dimensional shift—the girls damn near cheered. Like straight-up whooped, as if they were thankful that reality had decided to hit the reset button on their closets.

Whatever. He was cool with whatever they wanted. He had money, they had enthusiasm, and even Ere looked vaguely impressed, which was rare.

Levi, though?

Inside his head, she was lowkey tweaking.

Parker could feel it—she was holding back some burning-ass question, something that just didn't sit right with her. And finally, the thought slipped out:

[What the hell happened to you?!]

Levi didn't say it outright, but she was thinking it, hard as fuck.

Because ever since Parker awakened, he'd been… different.

Not in a bad way, but in a lowkey creepy way.

He was still himself—calculative, sharp, the Nyxilith she knew—but at the same time, not. Less cold. Less locked up. More… family-oriented? Trusting? Loving?!

What kind of villain upgrade was this?

Levi had known Parker through his past lives, especially the last eight, but this Parker—Parker 109—felt like a collection of every past version of himself, all their experiences mashed into one final form.

Like… the ultimate Parker.

And now, standing in his private-ass mansion, surrounded by people he actually gave a damn about, he felt… whole.

More welcoming.

More human.

Which was insane.

Because let's not get it twisted—he was still a villain. Just… a cooler, more well-adjusted one. Better not put that to a test drive.

****

Everyone was ready to roll.

The whole squad moved toward the living room, preparing to head out, and as they descended the spiraling staircase, they looked…

Insane.

Like some next-level final boss cutscene, except they were the ones about to cause problems.Tessa clung to Parker's arm as they walked, and damn, she looked good. There was a cold detachment in her eyes—sharp, unreadable—but every time she looked at him, there was this glitter of warmth, like he was the only exception in her world.

And around her?

Life—gentle, chaotic, undeniably hers—curled in unseen tendrils, flickering like a mirage. Winter, Time, and Power tangled together in some ridiculous goddess-tier aura that made her beyond beautiful.

His woman's awakening had changed her.

And fuck, Parker liked it.

Now, Tessa wasn't just a powerful ally. She was a walking, talking, time-warping WMD who could probably destroy entire worlds if she really felt like it.

Parker sighed.

At this point, he was less worried about her safety and more worried about who the hell was stupid enough to mess with her.

Up front? Leading the charge? That tiny, unbothered shadow cat—Ere and she wasn't just walking—she was flaunting like she was casually letting the world know she could end lives for fun.

Little pools of shadow danced around her real shadow, twisting unnaturally. Dimensional energy flickered around her like mist, and every step she took, Omni Energy itself responded, pulsing in sync with her movements.

She wasn't just fast—she was beyond this dimension, moving like reality was adjusting itself for her.

Parker sighed. "Could you stop flexing for five minutes?"

Ere flicked her tail, completely unfazed. "No."

Behind them?

Elena and Naomi.

Two of now Parker's most dangerous maids—and damn if they didn't look the part. Elena? An imposing wall of Nephilim might, her very presence grounding as hell. The kind of aura that said: "If something happens, I will be the first to throw myself in harm's way for my prince."

Naomi? A walking nightmare, her entire being steeped in Shadow Embrace and Lunar Power. Unlike Elena, who stood like an impenetrable fortress, Naomi gave off something… different.

Like a promise of violence.

Elena would protect Parker.

Naomi?

She'd make sure anyone who even thought about messing with him wouldn't survive long enough to regret it. Power scaling is a bitch!

Naomi?

She wasn't just dangerous. She was the fucking Grim Reaper in a designer fit.

The first thing you'd feel if you pissed her off? Shadows. Cold, clawing, and merciless, like Death itself had decided, "Yeah, this is your time, bitch." Before you could even scream, the icy pull of the moon would finish the job—one second you're standing, the next, your soul is gone.

It was terrifying. Sacred yet horrifying at the same damn time. A perfect balance of life and death, like a divine paradox wrapped in a woman who could kill you just for looking at Parker wrong.

And with Elena at her side? Parker didn't even need to lift a damn finger if someone came after him.

Even if he was powerless, his protection squad was on demon time 24/7.

35 days in the Training Space, and these two had evolved.

Elena was straightforward—she was built to be a shield, a fortress, a guardian angel who could break you in half. No unnecessary tricks, just raw divine power and instincts that screamed, "Try me, I fucking dare you."

Naomi, though?

Sophisticated.

Unpredictable.

And, most importantly, so damn dangerous that even the strongest Third Tier fighters wouldn't walk away in one piece.

Scratch that.

Parker was willing to bet that Naomi, after just 35 days, could take on Cassidy Reed—who was comfortably sitting in Tier Four—and actually win—like, what even was this level of growth?!

How would he describe Naomi now?

…He couldn't.

Because "next-level danger" wasn't even a strong enough phrase. But if Naomi was a nightmare, then Tessa? Tessa was straight-up unreal.

Comparing them wasn't even fair—it was like putting a Toyota against a damn Lamborghini. Like, yeah, both could move, but one was built different. And holy shit—Tessa had surpassed even him.

HIM.

He stared at her, still trying to process that ridiculous fact.

Sixth. Fucking. Tier.

IN 35 DAYS.

What the actual fuck?!

How was that even possible? How did she just casually become one of the strongest beings in the multiverse while he was out here just trying to keep up?

It didn't make any damn sense.

...Except, deep down, he knew why.

One of the many reasons he was being hunted by literal goddesses and primordials across dimensions.

And now?

Now, Tessa wasn't just a powerful ally but his wife.

If someone saw this lineup, they'd probably think Parker was just some rich kid protected by an overpowered entourage.

False.Even if he didn't use his magic, Parker's raw stats alone were enough to level a small neighborhood.

Like, imagine a single punch from him—just one—hitting someone. The dimensional force alone would probably obliterate a few city blocks before anyone even realized what happened.

So, yeah. Powerless? Fucking hilarious.

"Damn," Naomi muttered, eyeing the squad as they reached the last step. "We look like a fucking problem."

Tessa smirked. "We are a problem."

Naomi adjusted her sleeve. "The problem."

Ere stretched. "Now, can we leave? I have things to do."

Elena blinked. "Like?"

Ere yawned dramatically. "Wouldn't you like to know, heaven bitch?"

Parker sighed.

It was gonna be a long day.

But one thing was clear—his squad was stacked, his protection was guaranteed, and now, he had all the assurance he needed. It was time to go on a trillion-dollar spree. And absolutely no one was stopping him.