Morgante!

I have been living in this city for as long as I remember. It has always been boring and dull for me because I was smarter than my peers. I felt confined, no matter how I limited myself.

"Young Lord Morgante, we have exchanged the skill manuals in Information Trove. We will have enough IT Starts in one week." One of my followers entered the room and informed me about something I was looking forward to these days.

"Un. You can take your leave." I tersely sent him out. Yes, the only thing I was looking forward to was Information Trove, because of its creator. Miles. That man, as soon as he appeared on the stage on that day, awoke something in me, something I buried for too long. Excitement? Thrill? Danger? I can't say, but I felt alive once again.

Information Trove was a genius idea. Just by exchanging something abstract, Miles become one of the most influential men in the city in one week. Yet that wasn't thrilled or moved me. What I want to know was, how could he come up with the idea, and what he was planning. He was clearly against our operation, yet he allowed us in from the start.

I looked at the plus sign on the wall and prayed to my god. I wasn't doing it because of my belief but to avoid priests to harangue me. I never felt any connection to the religion I grew up with. It must be something with me a great mind. The smarter a person is, the lesser they seek solutions through Religion.

"What are you planning, Miles?" I thought to myself. If I were to acquire the formula of the bathwater first, I could sell it to the city cheaper than Information Trove, but would such an organization let us? 'I don't think so.'

"Jack!" I shouted to my servant. He knocked on the door and walked in.

"Yes, Young Lord."

"Take out an Epic Rank manual from the treasury and exchange it with the Information Trove. After that buy the formula for the bathwater!" I said while thinking. Information Trove limited information could be exchanged to increase their income. We either had to exchange more valuable information or less overtime to buy the manual for the bathwater. All the notables exchanged less valuable information overtime to get their hands first, yet, I don't think Miles would let us win.

"But sir, Elders agreed on giving away worthless manuals to win it with the number," Jack questioned me. He should have known the consequences of that, but that could wait. Still, he had to be punished. He floated from the ground holding his throat. He squeaked as he was begging me for a breath. But my vicious eyes were looking down on him.

"Execute my order, now!" I roared and swung my hand. He hit the door and scud to outside. I had a rare brain developing power element, Greater Mind. Breaking through to Warrior Realm, I awaken Telekinezi powers, and my Combo Element born, Storm of Brain. With it, I can move anything around me, and my thinking ability accelerated tremendously. I was already a genius since my birth, and with my combo element, there was no one in this world that could rival my great mind, including Miles.

After thinking for more than an hour, my loyal servant Jack didn't come back. As I was about to lash out, Elders barged into my room. At first, I flounced from where I was sitting, but when I noticed who they were, I greeted them politely.

"Greetings, Elders."

"What have you done, Morgante!" One of the Elders stormed to me.

"I have done what needs to be done to afflict that arrogant Miles!" I said disdainfully. These Elders had lived thrice I had, yet they cannot see through a simple scheme. If it weren't for me, we would have missed the golden opportunity.

"What needs to be done! Hah! You are just a fool full of yourself." The elder shouted back. I was getting angry. What I had in this world was my great mind and nothing else. I could take all insults except to my mind!

"Calm down, everybody." Great Elder spoke and said, "Why have you exchanged an Epic Rank Skill Manual, Morgante?"

"Miles was going to reduce the price of the formula. At that point, our head start would worth nothing, and every power in the city would acquire the formula. We couldn't follow through on our plan to sell it to everyone after buying it first."

"How can you know such a thing?" Enraged Elders now looked at me with awe once again. This was the look I loved most. This was the reason I was living. Be admired, and be appreciated by my smart.

"I am 20 steps ahead of everyone in this city. I was calculating moves Information Trove can do when they first set the price and discovered their schemes." I said proudly. I am the smartest man in this world, and always ahead of everyone. 20 steps may be an exaggeration, but who cares.

"You are really smart, Morgante-" Great Elder started to praise me. I didn't need to hear it from others, but I still liked it. Especially people with strength and age. But his next word wiped out my smile. "-But this time you lost." What was he saying? How can I lose to anyone when it comes to the battle of smart?

"Wha- What do you mean?" I asked stuttering for the first time in my life.

"Not ago, Information Trove informed every power informed everyone in the city by sending a mass message that the price of the Formula of the Bathwater had reduced." Great Elder said, but at this point, my mind was about to break down. "Do you know how much was the new price?"

"How much was it?" I hardly asked.

"1 IT Star above what we had!"