Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Everything about Gregory Nicholls spoke of a rapacious, untrustworthy individual. His greed and gluttony knew no end, evident by his paunchy figure and flabby neck. It made him sound like he was gargling his word.

A bottomless gourmand of many vices.

Distasteful as he was, though, his skill with numbers and ability to keep a business of usury going was tried and true.

Many of the names he interacted with were fierce, insidious, and vengeful. They would skin him fat from muscle at the slightest whiff of him doing wrong by their already… questionable business.

Gregory welcomed the threesome into his office, where expensive curios hung along the walls and sat upon gilded shelves, the outer layer plated in thin, ornate metal. Its gold resembled gold, but it bore slight differences.

Kieran and his duo behind him sat on the plush, embroidered armchairs.

As expected, the gluttonous gourmand had a meal on his large desk. A roasted pig resembling the man in its… girth, its mouth filled with a ruby, glossy apple.

Oddly enough, when he sat and enjoyed his meal, Gregory had the decorum of a genteel aristocrat. His decorous and modest movements seemed forced like it was something he was practicing and not innate or intimately familiar to him.

The way he savored his food, however… and made euphoric expressions with each bite, that much was genuine, impossible to fake.

Patting his mouth with a husky chuckle, he spoke.

"I believe your team told me you'll make a tremendous deposit? How tremendous are we talking about here? Six? Seven figures?"

Kieran simply grinned in response, letting the grandeur of his earnings speak for itself. Silently, he opened the earning menu of his streaming account, where a large portion of his funds remained unreleased for… certain reasons.

Unlike Gregory's usual customers, Kieran's income came from legal methods, not requiring further laundering.

Gregory blubbered, stammering incoherently while taking in the number before him. His eyes widened until they threatened to pop out of his rotund head.

"H-hundreds of millions? All alone? By yourself? The gaming industry is that ludicrous?"

In real-time, Gregory watched as the dollars rose at a rapid rate. It came in as donations, many of them voicing how his absence is affecting them, their daily entertainment… gone.

Potential sponsorships too.

There were other largely successful streamers, but they just weren't Kieran. They couldn't get the crowd's blood boiling—their emotions roiling—like he could. There was a gripping, unique exhilaration to the dangerous way Kieran's class operated.

"Gaming? Probably not. But it pays pretty well when you're the star of a new part of an industry and become an object of idolatry. Some want to be you, some simply want to be recognized by you, and of course, some loathe you, jealous and envious of what they can't do."

Suddenly, Gregory's meal didn't seem as appetizing. The numbers before him made him salivate in a way food couldn't accomplish.

Not directly? Perhaps thoughts of the food he could buy with the influx of wealth drove Gregory.

After a pause, Kieran thought to clarify.

"If we're being honest, as quickly as this money appears in the account… it will be leaving. I don't intend to spend anything on myself. Every last drop will be going toward business expenses. Everything is in early development, so we must move swiftly before others catch wind of what I'm doing. They'll want to hamper my acquisition of assets. Limit my influence and stop it from expanding further."

It was like the fire in Gregory's eyes went out immediately. If he couldn't profit from such a large injection of wealth, what good was it to him? There was absolutely no value in this gratuitous deal.

Kieran noticed the change in Gregory's expression. His excitement now dulled.

"Caelum Lenders will not bother ourselves with a gimcrack deal like that. It'd be like the money never existed in the first place!"

Technically, not wrong, but Kieran thought otherwise. This was a hub of illegal practice, an atelier of usury.

"You'd think I was talking to an upstanding financial ethics practitioner, not a sordid businessman of a twisted institute. Is your age starting to affect your cunning?"

Offended, Gregory looked at Kieran, slaw-jacked and taken aback.

"I'll have you know, I am in perfect health. Tip top shape with an acute mind."

Allan's lip turned up in disgust, a murmur escaping his mouth unwittingly.

"I doubt that, behemoth. You must sweat grease."

Kieran was of a like mind but chose to keep it professional, focusing on the business aspect rather than Gregory's distasteful appearance.

"Whether the money vanishes or not should be of no concern to you. Your ability to procure it alone increases your buying power exponentially. That, by far, is of more value than money. If you handle the business account, you will see funds like that… frequently."

The argument was sound, but Gregory still needed to be sold on the matter. Dubious skepticism was winning inside his criminal mind.

So, Kieran pressed on.

"Are deals in your world not predicated upon the good faith of rumor and reputation? As misguided and unbelievable as it is, favors are the true currency of your world. Not to mention the benefit to your image. It'll seem like you're uniquely talented at maneuvering and hiding funds. The staggering misdeeds that bruit around the criminal world are what make or break legends. In short… I can make you seem like a legend."

Gradually, Gregory's brow began to arch, festering intrigue encroaching upon that earlier skepticism. It was like the young man before him was well-informed about the criminal world. Too informed, maybe.

"…Who are you?"

"Me? I'm just a rising star of the gaming and streaming world, who understands that the contrast between the Underworld and the moral world is a myth. The former simply wears its corruption like a luxurious suit."

Any playfulness previously present in Gregory's eyes had vanished. He was alert and felt a tad… dangerous.

"You talk a good game. How do I know these aren't just empty promises? Do you want me to take what you say at face value? What collateral can you put up? There is no security in the field you're prospering in."

"I can put up several things. Myself, for example. I could always act as a Bloodhound for Caelum Lenders. There's also the fact that my interest splinters into many different fields. A last and probably never to be chosen resort is a stake in what I'm trying to create. All of that puts me at risk, so I'd also need something in return."

Gregory evaluated the offer. Even without longevity, prudent financial decisions could make the need for future income minimal. At least, he hoped it was that way.

He wasn't educated in what a successful Zenith Online gamer needed. None of the costs, rarity, or consequences were known to him. Though the earnings were an absolute killing, the expenses were equally monstrous.

More than that, Kieran was an inimitable outlier. A lot of his wealth came directly from his closeness to Scar.

But if he listed something tangible as collateral for this service, it offset Gregory's worries.

But, something dawned on Kieran.

"We're treating this like I'm asking for a loan. I'm not encroaching upon your worth. All of the risk comes out of my pocket. What I desire is your name in my endeavors."

"The name Caelum Lenders alone is an expensive commodity. That is why we need something if you're to operate under the aegis of our faith. Usually, it's a percentage of what you feed through our channels. But you're robbing us of that."

Kieran interjected.

"That's rich. I'm robbing the robbers? Does that mean we're doing a positive disservice?"

"I'm serious, kid. It goes against my nature as the Underworld's Gluttonous Gourmand to starve myself in a deal. Something has to give."

"Fine, I'll relent. There are two options I can give: you can extract your regular rate from what I bank here now… or you can starve for a few months to enjoy a never-ending feast later on."

"Regular rate. The Gourmand does not starve himself."

"As you wish."

It never occurred to the greedy man that the second option could have provided inexhaustible riches. But Kieran could appreciate a man that chose to abide by their principles despite the temptations.

Hours of paperwork signing ensued.

The process was more meticulous than legal institutes, but the way these particular contracts were enforced… didn't occur in court. The threat of court was only there to intimidate ignorant parties.

Toward the end, Kieran slid the land and building purchase documents across the table. Gregory immediately understood why he wanted Caelum's name.

"You sly bastard. Their finances are also handled by us. You're knowingly forcing us into a conflict of interest?"

"Was handled, you mean. I'm sure their business is now valueless in your eyes; a cash cow bled dry. I don't think—I know you'll pick us in the end."

Gregory hated that Kieran was right. He was, without a shadow of a doubt, going to choose the new, supple option.

"We'll have our agents dispatched to handle and assist you. I look forward to a delicious relationship."

There it was… that grim, disgusting grin that left your skin crawling.