"Clean kill!" Zen said, his voice carrying relief and pride. "Two minutes forty seconds on the enrage. That was close, but we did it."
Velara was grinning ear to ear. "That was intense. I haven't had that much fun in a dungeon since beta."
Even SilentEdge seemed impressed, nodding slightly. "Good coordination."
Kira said nothing, but he was staring at the DPS meter—specifically at Max's name sitting at the top.
Max dismissed Night quietly, the shadow warrior dissolving back into his shadow.
[LEGENDARY LOOT DETECTED]
A chest materialized where Malkor had fallen, glowing with golden light.
"Legendary drop," Zen breathed. "We will roll to split the loot properly."
He opened the chest, and items appeared:
[Staff of the Crimson Oracle] – Legendary
Two-Handed Staff
Magic Attack +145, Intelligence +25, Fire Damage +65%
Special Ability: "Flame Incarnate" – Transform into a fire elemental for 30 seconds, +100% fire damage
Level Requirement: 15
[Shadow Reaver's Cloak] – Epic
Back Item
Defense +35, Agility +15, Critical Chance +12%
Special Ability: "Umbral Fade" – Become invisible for 8 seconds, cooldown 60s
Level Requirement: 12
[Ring of Eternal Flame] – Epic
Accessory
Intelligence +12, Fire Resistance +25%, MP Regeneration +20%
Level Requirement: 14
[2,000 Gold]
"Holy shit," Kira whispered, his eyes locked on the staff. "That's... that's probably worth $25,000 real money."
"It's yours if you want it, Kira," Zen said. "You're our main caster."
For once, the mage seemed speechless. The staff went straight to his inventory.
The cloak went to SilentEdge—perfect for her Shadowblade build.
The ring went to Kira as well after a roll-off between him and Velara.
Everyone got their share of the 2,000 gold split—400 gold each.
But more importantly, a new notification appeared for Max:
[GUILD INVITATION]
Phoenix Guild invites you to join as a Trial Member
Benefits: Guild chat, Guild bank access (limited), Participation in Guild events
Trial Period: 2 weeks
Accept?
Zen turned to Max. "That performance earned it. You kept up with players five levels higher than you, and your DPS was insane. I don't know how you're doing it with Soulbinder, but whatever your build is, it works."
"Your burst phase was stupid good," GiantTitan admitted. "I thought Kira would top charts, but you beat him."
Velara walked over and clapped Max on the shoulder. "Told you guys he was legit."
Even Kira, holding his new legendary staff, seemed to have lost his earlier hostility. "Yeah, okay. I was wrong. Your class isn't trash." He paused. "That aura thing still freaks me out though."
"Noted," Max said dryly.
SilentEdge studied him with those cold green eyes. "You're hiding something. Your damage profile doesn't match any known Soulbinder build. But..." She shrugged. "I don't care. You pull your weight, you're useful. That's all that matters."
Max looked at the guild invitation prompt.
Two weeks trial membership. Access to one of the top guilds in the world.
But also more judgement. More questions. More chances for someone to figure out his secret.
Then he thought about his mother, working night shifts at the hospital, trusting him to make this work.
Max selected ACCEPT.
[Welcome to Phoenix Guild]
[Trial Member Status: Active]
[Guild Chat Unlocked]
"Welcome aboard," Zen said, extending his hand.
Max shook it, feeling the weight of what he'd just agreed to.
***
Max pulled off the NeuroSync headset, his body heavy with exhaustion. The dungeon run had taken nearly three hours, and his mind was still buzzing with adrenaline from the boss fight.
He stood slowly, his legs protesting, and headed to the kitchen for water. As he drank, he noticed the living room TV was on—his mother must have left it running before heading to work.
The news channel was playing.
Max was about to turn it off when the headline caught his eye:
"EMERGENCY UN SUMMIT CONCLUDES: AETHERIA ONLINE DECLARED INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ZONE"
He froze, water bottle halfway to his lips.
Max grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.
A news anchor—a middle-aged woman—sat at her desk, her expression grave and serious.
"—unprecedented decision that has shocked economists worldwide. In a joint session held earlier today, the United Nations Security Council, in cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, has officially recognized Aetheria Online's virtual currency as legitimate legal coin."
The screen cut to footage of the UN assembly hall, packed with representatives from nearly every nation on Earth.
"The resolution, passed with a vote of 183 to 12, establishes the 'Aetheria Economic Framework'—a regulatory system governing all transactions within and relating to Aetheria Online."
Max sank onto the couch, his eyes fixed on the TV.
The anchor continued: "Under this framework, one Aetheria Gold is now officially exchangeable to $15 USD. This makes Aetheria Gold the world's first internationally recognized virtual currency with legal backing from all major economic powers."
The screen displayed a complex chart showing exchange rates between Aetheria Gold and various real-world currencies—Yen, Euro, Yuan, Pound Sterling, and dozens of others.
"But the implications go far beyond currency exchange," the anchor said. "The UN has established the International Aetheria Oversight Organization—or IAOO—a new regulatory body with unprecedented authority."
The screen cut to footage of a press conference. A stern-looking man in a suit stood at a podium, flanked by flags from multiple nations.
[Director-General Klaus Richter – IAOO Founding Chairman]
"As of midnight tonight," Richter announced in British English, "all financial transactions related to Aetheria Online must be conducted through IAOO-verified channels. Each member nation will establish at least one Authorized Trading Headquarters—ATH facilities—where players can legally buy, sell, and trade virtual assets for real-world currency."
Max leaned forward, his heart pounding.
"Any transaction conducted outside these official channels will be classified as Class-A International Economic Crime," Richter continued, his voice hard.
"This includes unauthorized gold farming operations, black market item sales, and account trafficking. The penalties are severe—equivalent under international law to human trafficking or organ trade."