The screen showed logos of major corporations alongside guild emblems.
"Phoenix Guild, currently ranked #3 worldwide, has secured a $10 million sponsorship deal with multiple tech companies. Guild members will receive salaries, health insurance, and performance bonuses—treating professional gaming as a legitimate career path."
Max's phone buzzed. A Discord message from Velara:
Velara:Did you see the news? Everything just went crazy. Phoenix is holding an emergency guild meeting tomorrow at noon (game time). All members required to attend. We need to discuss IAOO compliance and what this means for guild operations.
Max stared at the message, then at the TV, where the news had moved on to discussing the geopolitical implications of different nations competing for dominance in Aetheria.
The world had changed.
In less than a week, Aetheria Online had gone from a video game to an international economic system with the backing of every major government on Earth.
The 400 gold he had earned tonight? That was $6,000 real dollars.
His three-month trial to prove gaming could be a career? The entire world had just validated that possibility—and simultaneously made it infinitely more complicated with regulations, monitoring, and severe legal consequences for missteps.
Max's phone buzzed again. This time, his mother:
Mom:Are you watching the news? This game you're playing—it's not just a game anymore. We need to talk tomorrow. This is serious.
Max typed back:
Max:I saw. We'll talk. I promise I'll handle this legally.
Mom:You better. I don't want my son going to jail over virtual swords.
Max set his phone down and stared at the TV, where experts were debating whether this was the future of human economics or a nightmare.
He thought about Night, his unique companion that no one else could see.
He thought about the Phoenix Guild, now a legitimate, sponsored organization with millions in backing.
He thought about the IAOO, creating systems to monitor and control every aspect of the virtual economy.
And he realized: the game had just become far more dangerous—and far more valuable—than he had ever imagined.
Tomorrow, everything would be different.
He turned off the TV and went to bed, but sleep was a long time coming.
**
Next Day
AETHERIA ONLINE – Phoenix Guild Headquarters
Player: Max Thorne – Level 11 Soulbinder
Max materialized in front of an imposing structure he had never seen before—the Phoenix Guild Hall. It was located in a premium district of Veridian Gate, a section of the city that required guild membership just to enter.
The building was massive, easily five stories tall, constructed of white marble with gold hints. Phoenix emblems decorated the entrance, and the doors were crafted from what looked like enchanted crystal.
Two NPC guards flanked the entrance, their armor bearing the Phoenix crest.
[Phoenix Guild Hall – Members Only]
Current Members Online: 847
Max approached the doors, and they opened automatically, recognizing his trial member status.
The interior was breathtaking. A grand hall stretched before him with tall ceilings, massive chandeliers, and polished floors that reflected light like mirrors. NPCs moved about on various tasks, and player members gathered in groups, their equipment universally high-tier and expensive-looking.
But what struck Max most was the atmosphere. This wasn't just a guild hall—it felt like a corporate headquarters or an exclusive country club.
A holographic directory appeared before him:
PHOENIX GUILD HALL DIRECTORY
Ground Floor: Reception, Trading Post, Guild Bank
Second Floor: Meeting Halls, Strategy Rooms
Third Floor: Training Grounds, Dueling Arena
Fourth Floor: Officer Quarters, Private Lounges
Fifth Floor: Guild Leadership Suite (Restricted Access)
A notification appeared:
[Guild Meeting: Main Assembly Hall – Second Floor]
All members required to attend
Meeting begins in 5 minutes
Max headed for the stairs. As he climbed, he passed other guild members—all of them with impressive gear, high levels, and an air of confidence that came from knowing they were among the elite.
He reached the second floor and found the Main Assembly Hall. The doors were already open, and inside was a theater-style room with multiple seating facing a raised platform. Hundreds of players were already seated, their conversations creating a low buzz of sound.
Max found a seat near the middle and settled in, looking around.
That's when he started recognizing faces.
Or rather, avatars that matched faces he had seen in media.
Three rows ahead sat a striking female avatar with long silver hair and elegant robes—Max recognized her immediately. That was Sayaka Ishida, daughter of the CEO of Sony Interactive. He had seen her at press conferences standing beside her father.
To her left sat Takeshi Yamamoto, son of the Minister of Defense. His avatar was a heavily armored warrior with the kind of gear that cost six figures in real money.
Near the front, Kenji Sato—heir to the Sato Technology conglomerate, one of Japan's largest tech companies. His mage avatar practically glowed with enchantments.
Max's stomach tightened. He had stumbled into a guild that wasn't just good at gaming—it was a collection of Japan's elite. The children of politicians, CEOs, celebrities, and old money families.
"Quite the crowd, isn't it?"
Max turned. Velara—Yuki—had sat down beside him, her white-haired avatar as striking as ever. She was smiling, but there was tension in her eyes.
"I didn't realize Phoenix was..." Max trailed off.
"A nepotism machine?" Yuki finished dryly. "Yeah. About sixty percent of the guild are rich kids with connections. The other forty percent are legitimately skilled players who earned their spots. You're in the latter category, by the way."
"Who runs this place?"
Yuki's expression shifted to something complicated. "You're about to find out."
The lights dimmed. The conversations died down.
Two figures walked onto the stage.
They were twins—unmistakably siblings, both with the same sharp features, the same confident bearing. Their avatars were stunning, clearly customized with expensive design work.
The male twin was tall, his avatar based on the Draconian race but refined—elegant rather than brutish. He wore ornate armor that mixed traditional samurai aesthetics with modern fantasy design, all in phoenix colors of red and gold. His username floated above him:
[PhoenixKaito – Level 43 – Blademaster]
Guild Leader
The female twin was equally striking. Her avatar was human but idealized—tall, graceful, with long black hair that seemed to move on its own. She wore a flowing battle dress that combined elegance with functionality, a katana at her hip. Her username read:
[PhoenixAyame – Level 42 – Sword Dancer]
Deputy Guild Leader
Max's breath caught. He knew those faces—he had seen them dozens of times on news broadcasts.
Kaito and Ayame Yoshida.
The twin children of Prime Minister Yoshida.
The most powerful political family in Japan.
"Holy shit," Max whispered.
"Yep," Yuki muttered beside him. "The Prime Minister's kids. They founded Phoenix two years ago, before their father became PM."