"Take Over."
Caesar tried to activate his newly learned Take Over magic. The next moment, he felt a surge of heat flood his body, and his appearance transformed dramatically.
He now had an afro, a mustache, a burly, muscular frame, and thick body hair.
It was just like Satan the joke of dragon ball!
Name: Caesar (Take Over Mode)
Level: 1
Physique: 36
Strength: 29
Agility: 24
Skill: Take Over Magic
Equipment: None
Card Slot: 1
Looking at his new stats, the frustration Caesar had been feeling vanished instantly.
Ugly? Yes. Useful? Absolutely.
He threw a few punches into the air, feeling raw power surge through his limbs, and an idea sparked in his mind.
At his current speed, it might take days to reach the nearest town. But in Take Over mode? He could cut that time drastically.
"This is the perfect opportunity to see how long I can maintain this state," Caesar muttered with a grin. Stretching, he gathered his few possessions and took off like a bullet down the dirt road.
Three hours later, Caesar collapsed, completely drained. His transformation faded, and he reverted to the appearance of a ragged, starving boy.
But it had been worth it.
Three hours of full-speed sprinting in Take Over mode was nothing short of superhuman. Either that, or the soul he'd taken over—Satan himself—was just that ridiculously strong.
Wiping sweat from his brow, Caesar looked up at the port town coming into view.
The Town of Cleveland.
Cleveland was a modest seaside town, peaceful and compact, but with all the essentials a traveler could ask for.
Now, standing on the street in his filthy rags and carrying only a few crusts of bread and some worn-out books, Caesar looked like any other beggar. No one paid him any attention.
But Caesar wasn't about to give up.
He flashed his most charming smile at the older women passing by, deliberately playing the role of a cute, pitiful kid. Whether it was his natural charm or sheer luck, a few of the women actually stopped to chat with him.
During those conversations, Caesar struck gold.
There was a cargo ship in Cleveland that sailed directly to Magnolia!
He was one step closer to Fairy Tail.
The only problem?
The ferry fare was 1,000 J.
That kind of money might as well have been a million to Caesar.
Until he remembered...
The Take Over magic book.
The other books might not fetch much, but a real magic book? That had to be worth something.
Lucy had paid 20,000 J for a single Celestial Spirit key, after all. A Take Over spellbook had to be more valuable than that.
After asking for directions, Caesar said goodbye to his "sponsors" and made his way to the town's only magic item shop.
"Welcome—oh. Never mind."
The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man with gray-streaked hair and a dusty robe, took one look at Caesar and immediately dismissed him.
"I don't do handouts, kid. If you want food, try the restaurant."
"I'm not here for food. I'm here to sell a magic book."
Caesar rolled his eyes, pulled the book out of his rag bundle, and carefully placed it on the counter.
The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, then flipped through the pages.
"Huh... it is a Take Over magic book. I'll give you 2,000 J."
Caesar snorted and snatched the book back. "What, do I look like I don't know anything? That's way too low. If you're not serious, I'll sell it in a real city and get more."
He turned to leave without another word.
"Wait!"
The shopkeeper sighed. "Okay, look. It's a bit dirty, obviously second-hand. I'll go as high as 10,000 J, but that's it."
"Fifty thousand," Caesar said without flinching.
"Fifty—? Are you insane?! At most, 20,000!"
"Fifty thousand."
"Come on, kid! I've got to make some kind of profit here!"
"Fifty."
"Forty-eight?"
"Fifty."
". . . Damn it! Fine! Fifty thousand, you little demon."
"Pay first."
The shopkeeper grumbled but slapped five 10,000-J banknotes onto the counter. Caesar handed over the book and stuffed the money into his pouch.
After Caesar left, the man stared at the door and muttered, "Tch... I'll be lucky to make a 20,000 profit off that thing."
Caesar now had capital—and quite a bit of it, by his standards.
He sold the other books at a local bookstore for some extra change, bought a black outfit from a tailor for 800 J (cheap and stain-resistant), and grabbed a decent meal for 200 J.
With that done, he headed straight for the dock, handed over 1,000 J for the ship fare, and secured a spot aboard the cargo ship bound for Magnolia.
He also paid 500 J for food during the trip. One of the sailors told him the voyage would take three days.
After confirming the schedule, Caesar found his temporary "residence"—a quiet spot near the bottom of the ship's cargo hold.
Alone and finally at rest, Caesar pulled out the coins he'd hidden earlier.
His Gold Finger had been flashing like crazy ever since he got them.
A bright, tacky pop-up window hovered in his interface:
Welcome! First Recharge Gift Available! Limited-Time Offer: Double Recharge Bonus!
Caesar stared flatly.
"Even half-disabled, this Gold Finger still feels like a cheap knockoff mobile game."
He sighed. Still, the connection between his Gold Finger and his combat ability was direct. He couldn't ignore it, no matter how scummy it seemed.
"If only there were refunds for minors. What kind of twisted system shakes down kids for power?"
With a final groan, he pulled out four 10,000 J notes and confirmed the recharge.
In the blink of an eye, the bills vanished from his hand—so fast that even a wizard with lightning reflexes would've missed it.
A new pop-up appeared:
Recharge 400 Spirit Stones → +40 Bonus Spirit Stones! Surprise Gift Pack Delivered!
Caesar stared blankly.
"This exchange rate is robbery…"