Divine-Class Awakening: I Can Steal From Gods!-Chapter 23: Filthy Rich

Snot kept looking at him with that same amused expression, like Neo’s irritation had become the most entertaining thing in the room.

Then, as if the shouting from a moment ago had not happened, he said, "You disappeared right after we got out. I didn’t even have time to ask for your contact. Even Vivienne asked where the white-haired guy had gone. You know how annoying that was for me?"

Neo answered without much interest. "I didn’t have a phone that time."

Snot repeated it at once. "Didn’t had a phone?"

Neo realized the mistake only after the word left his mouth. He corrected himself with a short pause. "... I do now. Bought it a little while ago."

That was all Snot needed.

"Good. Give it here."

Neo had barely started reaching into his pocket before Snot had already taken the phone.

It happened so fast that for a second Neo simply watched him. One second the device was still in his hand, and the next Snot was already holding it and typing his number in with complete confidence, like there had never been any question about whether permission mattered. A few taps later, he handed it back.

"There," Snot said. "Now you can’t run off that easily."

Neo took the phone and looked at him.

Snot was strange. Loud, intrusive, far too comfortable with people he barely knew. Even so, there was something direct about him Neo did not dislike. Beneath all the talking, Snot seemed more grounded than he first looked.

The brief contact had been enough.

[Soul-Window]

Name: Snot

Age: 16

Soul Core: Ember

[888/1000 Ember]

Class: Blood Assassin

Rank: Legendary

Description: A legendary assassin class that reads the language of blood. Through blood resonance, it can sense fear, killing intent, emotional shifts, wounds, instability, and danger. With greater mastery, the user can manipulate blood itself as a weapon, extension, or means of control.

It passed quickly.

Legendary.

And useful in ways that went far beyond simple killing. Tracking. Reading weakness. Sensing danger before it fully took shape. A class like that could decide a fight before blades ever crossed.

The same thought came to him that always did when he saw something valuable.

Kill him. Take it.

It lasted only a moment.

Then it was gone.

Snot talked too much, but he was not stupid. More than that, Neo found himself preferring the idea of keeping someone like him alive and close rather than taking the class now and losing the person attached to it.

Even so, one dry thought still crossed his mind.

’If he ever does something truly stupid, I can kill him later.’

"The next customer," the receptionist called.

Snot stepped forward at once. Neo followed right behind him.

Snot reached the counter first and set a box down on it with a casual ease that did not match the amount of money sitting inside.

"I want to sell all of these," he said.

The receptionist gave him a professional smile. "Please place them on the counter and show me your identification."

Snot slid his card over, then opened the box.

The Soul Cores caught the light at once, dozens of yellowed spheres laid out together in a way that made their number feel more real than it had inside the Breach. One hundred and forty-two. Neo had known the number already, but seeing them lined up like that changed something. They no longer looked like spoils from a fight. They looked like money.

While the receptionist began counting and scanning them, Neo asked, "You’re really selling all of them?"

Snot glanced at him. "Yeah."

"You don’t want to use some?"

Snot let out a short breath through his nose. "I want a lot of things. Rent is one of them. Food too. And I’ve got other stuff to pay for." He leaned one elbow on the counter. "Not everyone can turn every good thing they get into power. Sometimes you have to stay alive first."

Neo went quiet.

The answer was simple. It was easy to think only in terms of growth, classes, Souls, and what could make him stronger. But the world did not move on strength alone. People still had bills, rent, and costs waiting every month whether they had grown stronger or not.

The receptionist finished the count and looked up.

"We’ve confirmed one hundred and forty-two Soul Cores," she said. "All Ember rank. At one hundred Creds per core, the total comes to fourteen thousand two hundred Creds."

She paused, then added in the same smooth tone, "If you’d like, we can round it to fourteen thousand and donate the remaining amount to our partnered foundation."

"No thanks," Snot said no hesitation.

"Understood."

’The prices are completely different from Zone 0. Soul Cores are badly underpriced there compared to the big cities.’

She tapped the final confirmation into the system, then handed his identification back. "The funds have already been transferred to your account. Is there anything else?"

Neo watched Snot take the card back without even glancing at it.

Fourteen thousand two hundred Creds.

Snot tilted his head toward him. "Yeah. My friend’s next."

The receptionist turned to Neo.

"Your identification, please."

Neo handed over his identification.

The receptionist took it, glanced at the details, then looked back at him. "How can I help you?"

"I want to sell a Soul Relic."

That earned a slightly different look from her.

The Hollow Saint Vestments appeared in his hands, dark cloth and layered armor settling into shape with a muted shimmer. It looked like something that had once belonged to a holy figure and then been left to rot from the inside out. The lines were refined, but there was something wrong in the whole design, as if devotion and corruption had been stitched together into the same piece.

The receptionist examined it quickly, but not carelessly.

"Epic rank," she said after a few seconds. "Mainly suited for magic-oriented classes. Strong mana affinity, good spell stability, solid resistance against spiritual interference." She lifted her eyes to him again. "It’s valuable. Though within the Epic category, this would be considered a more standard piece rather than an exceptional one."

Neo only cared about one thing.

"How much?"

"One hundred and fifty thousand Creds."

"Pardon me?"

The receptionist must have seen it on his face, because she asked in the same calm tone, "Would you like to sell it?" 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Yes," Neo said at once. "Please."

"The funds have been transferred. Thank you for your visit. Next, please."

Neo took the card back, but he stayed on the small display attached to it a moment longer.

150,105 Creds.

The number remained there, unmoving.

He had never had access to that much money in his life. Not even close.

It did not feel real at first. Then it did, and the realization hit harder than he expected. With that amount, the city outside no longer looked completely untouchable. Not his, not even close, but no longer impossible either.

And under that came the quieter truth.

Killing Nep had paid off.

He had taken a powerful class. He had gained an Epic relic. And now he could read what classes people had, how strong they were, and what they could become before deciding how to deal with them. The contact requirement was annoying, but not permanent. Soul Reader could grow.

Snot walked beside him as they moved away from the counter. "I really wasn’t expecting you to pull out an Epic item," he said. "That’s insane, honestly. You definitely got some attention in there."

Neo barely registered it. His mind was still on the number.

Then Snot bumped his shoulder lightly. "Come on. Let’s go eat something. You’re inviting."

Neo looked at him.

He had wanted to see the city anyway. Doing it with someone else was not the worst idea. And knowing Snot better had value.

"I wanted to look around first," he said.

Snot grinned. "Good. We can do that. But you’re still paying. You’re filthy rich now."