Doomsday: The God of Wealth Pays to Win

"Cole, don't think you're impressive just because you've got a little money. Do you think giving me cash is helping me? You're insulting my dignity!"

The searing pain hadn't even faded when memories came flooding back like a tidal wave.

I... was reborn?

Cole stared at the girl before him. She looked innocent and pretty, but her chin was lifted with arrogance.

Sera Kane.

The woman who had consumed most of his life. His greatest love.

At least... she used to be.

He had been obsessed with her, crazed for her, his heart and soul devoted to her.

That wasn't an exaggeration. Everyone at Nyxon High knew: Cole was a rich, love-struck fool.

Sera's family was poor, so Cole paid for her tuition. Whatever she wanted to eat or wear—no matter the price—he bought it for her without a second thought. He turned Sera, once a struggling student who could barely cover her school fees, into a pampered princess living far more lavishly than most.

Then the virtual reality game Doomsday launched.

Strength in the game translated into extraordinary power in reality.

World order collapsed. Earth became hell.

And through all the chaos, Cole still kept Sera safe.

Afraid she'd die while leveling up? He hired top players at great expense to carry her.

She said her gear wasn't good enough? He sold everything he owned to buy her a legendary artifact.

Every opportunity, every piece of equipment—she was always his first thought.

He poured endless resources into her. Blood, sweat, tears.

And he turned Sera—a complete noob who knew nothing—into one of Dracoterra nation's god-tier powerhouses.

He thought true love would beget true love.

He never expected that on the night of their engagement, she would tear out his heart with her own hands.

Cole would never forget that moment.

He asked her why.

Sera held his still-beating heart in her palm. She looked down at him with contempt and sneered.

"Cole, did you really think you could buy my love with money? Did you think throwing resources at me gave you the right to guilt-trip me?"

"You're wrong. I accepted your gifts. That doesn't mean I accepted your feelings."

"I'm not that cheap. Everything I've achieved—I earned it myself through hard work. Your rich-boy attitude makes me sick. You never understood me.

"Only Jax knows my pain. Now he's dying. So I'm giving him your heart. At least you're useful for something.

"Don't worry. Didn't you say you love me? After I give Jax your heart and we get together, I'll hear your heartbeat every single day.

"What do you think? Isn't that a blessing from me? Aren't you touched?"

In that moment, Cole's heart died.

No... that wasn't right. He didn't have a heart anymore.

All those years of devotion. Just self-delusion. A one-man show.

He thought he would die in pain and cold.

But fate had other plans. It gave him a second chance.

"Sera... I gave up everything for you. I devoted myself entirely to clearing your path. Legendary artifacts. Hidden classes. Things other people would kill for.

"And in the end, you said I was insulting you. Looking down on you. Trampling your dignity.

"So in this life... I'll take back everything you called 'charity' and 'insult.' Let's see just how far that worthless pride of yours takes you. And then... I'll repay you in kind. I'll make sure you die in agony."

Ice filled Cole's chest. He pressed a hand to his chest. The phantom pain of having his heart ripped out still lingered.

"Cole! Are you deaf? Did you hear a word I said?"

Standing on the street corner, Sera frowned. She tugged at the bank card in his hand, but it wouldn't budge. Annoyance flashed across her face.

"Don't think I actually need your money. I'm only accepting it to protect your ego and spare your pride, got it? If you don't let go right now, don't bother coming to see me again."

Cole snapped back to the present. He glanced down at the card in his hand.

There were twenty thousand dollars in it—this month's allowance he had planned to give her.

In the past, hearing her say "don't come see me again" would have sent him into a panic. He would have groveled, explained himself, done anything to make her take the money.

But now?

'Spare my pride? Yeah, no.'

Cole's face went cold. He pulled the card back and tucked it away.

"You're right," he said flatly. "Giving you money was my mistake."

"Humph. So you finally get it?" Sera curled her lip. "You have no idea how much I suffered accepting your money. Everyone calls me a gold digger behind my back. They don't understand—I was doing it for your sake."

Cole almost laughed. He slipped the card into his pocket.

"Then rest easy. From now on, no matter what happens, I will never give you another cent. Not a single one."

Sera blinked. Her hand, already reaching for the card, froze midair.

In the past, that kind of threat would have made him smile apologetically and shove the card into her hand.

What kind of trick was this?

She decided he was just playing some trick to get her attention. But she needed money right now. She didn't have time for games.

"I didn't mean it like that," she said. "Just watch yourself in the future. Fine. Since you came all this way, I'll make an exception and take your card."

She held out her hand. Expecting him to place the card right in her palm.

"Get lost."

Cole turned and walked away.

He felt like a complete idiot. How had he been so obsessed with this piece of work? Had someone put a curse on him?

Sera froze again. She never expected the usually compliant Cole to act like this.

Anger crept into her voice. "Cole! Do you think playing hard to get will make me notice you? I'm telling you—if you walk away today, don't ever come looking for me again! And I'll never accept anything from you again; not even if you kneel and beg!"

Cole stopped walking.

Then he turned around.

Sera smiled triumphantly. 'See? All I have to do is get serious, and he folds.'

But Cole just pointed at her feet. His expression was cold.

"Come to think of it, I bought those shoes. Since you're not accepting anything from me anymore, take them off."

"Cole!"

Her face went pale, then red. She trembled with fury.

"Just because you have money, you think you're something special? You think this will make me bow to you? Jax was right. You've always looked down on people like us. I finally see what you really are. Once you give something away, it's mine. You have the nerve to ask for it back?"

"What's wrong?" Cole's lips curled into a sneer. "Having second thoughts?"

"You—!"

Sera's face darkened. She yanked off the four-figure designer shoes and hurled them at his feet. Her whole body shook with rage.

"Cole. Remember what you did today. You could beg me on your knees, and I wouldn't give you the time of day."

"Thank God for that."

Cole let out a mocking laugh, then kicked the shoes beside a nearby trash can and walked away.

Behind him, Sera shrieked.

"I'm giving you one last chance! Get on your knees and beg me, and maybe—maybe—I'll change my mind!

"Cole! Cole!

"You're going to regret this! Do you hear me?! You're going to regret this!"

He treated it like a dog barking.

Compared to wasting time on this toxic drama queen, he had something far more important to do.

Namely—

Top up.

According to the timeline, the Doomsday closed beta would launch in one week.

And for the first ten minutes of that launch, the cash shop would be briefly open.

He needed to raise enough funds before then.