"For most people, yes," Velara agreed. "For Phoenix Guild, it's a standard investment in talent. And trust me, the guild expects a return on that investment."
"No pressure," Max muttered.
"Exactly the right amount of pressure," Velara corrected. "You're level 11 with a unique build and you've already proven you can compete with level 15 players. Imagine what you'll be capable of at level 20, or 30, or 50. That's what the guild sees—potential."
They returned to the lounge, where Max's mother was still engaged in conversation, now with Finance Minister Takahashi and several other prominent figures. She looked up as Max entered and smiled—a genuine, relaxed smile he hadn't seen in years.
Velara leaned close to Max. "Your mom's having the time of her life. Father has a gift for making people feel comfortable."
"Yeah," Max agreed, watching his mother laugh at something the Finance Minister said. "She does look happy."
Prime Minister Yoshida noticed their return and called out, "MaxThorne! Come settle a debate. Takahashi insists that mage classes will dominate endgame content, but I maintain that warriors are the true backbone of any raid. What's your professional opinion?"
Max walked over, and the discussion quickly devolved into good-natured arguing about game mechanics, with some of Japan's most powerful people like they were teenagers in a Discord server.
His phone buzzed. A notification from his bank:
Incoming Transfer Pending: $5,000.00 from Phoenix Guild Holdings
Expected Processing: 24 hours
Max stared at the notification, then slipped the Phoenix Guild card deeper into his wallet where it would be safe.
Five thousand dollars in his bank account by tomorrow.
Five thousand more in a secure vault.
Access to resources, training, and opportunities most players could only dream of.
And all of it came with expectations.
**
Next morning
Max woke up to sunlight streaming through his curtains and the persistent buzzing of his phone. His body felt heavy, like he had run a marathon—though all he had done yesterday was stand in a convention center and meet some of the most powerful people in Japan.
He groaned, reaching for his phone. A notification glowed on the screen:
SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION
Transaction Alert
DEPOSIT: ¥750,000
From: Phoenix Guild Holdings International
Date: December 6th, 2025 – 8:15 AM
New Balance: ¥847,293
Max stared at the numbers.
Seven hundred and fifty thousand yen.
Nearly a million yen in his account.
From a video game guild.
He had seen the $5,000 USD figure yesterday, but seeing it converted to yen—seeing that massive number in his bank account—made it suddenly, undeniably real.
Max sat up, his mind racing. The trial period was two weeks. If he became a full member, there would be monthly salary. There would be earnings from item sales at the reduced tax rate. There would be opportunities for sponsored content, streaming revenue, tournament winnings.
This could actually work.
No—this was working.
He heard movement in the kitchen. His mother was up, probably making breakfast before her afternoon shift.
Max got up, washed his face, and headed to the kitchen.
Yuki stood at the stove, still in her pajamas, her hair messy from sleep. She looked tired but there was something different in her expression—a lightness he hadn't seen in years.
"Morning," she said. "Coffee?"
"Please."
She poured him a cup, and they sat at the small kitchen table together.
"Did you get the notification?" Max asked.
"I did." She pulled out her own phone, showing the same banking alert. "I've checked it five times to make sure it wasn't a mistake."
"It's real, Mom."
"I know. I just..." She laughed, slightly disbelieving. "Yesterday was surreal. The Prime Minister flirted with me, Max. The actual Prime Minister of Japan told me I looked beautiful and offered me a job as 'official guild mom.' I thought I was hallucinating."
"He was serious about that, by the way. Velara confirmed it."
Yuki shook her head, bemused. "What is my life? I work night shifts at a hospital, and now I'm getting job offers from the Prime Minister to babysit rich kids in a video game guild."
"Are you going to take it?"
She laughed. "I don't even know what that would entail. But..." She looked at Max seriously. "This is real, isn't it? This isn't just some bubble that's going to burst. Aetheria Online—it's actually changing the world."
"It already has," Max said.
His mother was quiet for a moment, sipping her coffee. "Then you need to take this seriously. Not just playing around—really treat it like a career. Like your future depends on it."
"I have been—"
"I know. But now it's different. You have resources, backing, connections. Phoenix Guild invested in you. Don't waste it."
Max nodded. "I won't."
"Good." She stood, kissed his forehead. "I'm proud of you. Terrified, but proud. Now eat something before you dive back into that game. I don't care how much money you're making—you still need real food."
Max ate breakfast while scrolling through his phone. Discord was exploding with messages—his guild chat had hundreds of new messages, people discussing raids, strategies, IAOO registration experiences.
His phone buzzed with a direct message from Velara:
Velara:Morning! How does it feel to wake up with ¥750k in your account?
MaxThorne:Surreal. Still processing.
Velara:Get used to it. That's just the beginning. Phoenix has a raid scheduled for tonight at 8 PM—level 15 dungeon, potential mythic drops. You said you'd hit 13 by then, right?
Max checked the date. He had logged out yesterday at level 11. He needed two more levels by tonight—roughly 7-8 hours of focused grinding if he was efficient.
MaxThorne:I'll be ready.
Velara:Good. This one's important. Corporate sponsors are watching. We need clean execution and good performance metrics.
MaxThorne:No pressure.
Velara:Exactly the right amount of pressure
Max finished breakfast, cleaned up, and headed to his room. His mother had already left for work, leaving a note reminding him to eat lunch and not spend 12 hours straight in VR.
He sat in his gaming chair, pulled on the NeuroSync headset, and activated the connection.