Raen looked at the shimmering number on the offer screen:
500,000 LuxInvestor: Unnamed
He hesitated only for a moment longer… then tapped the accept icon.
The panel chimed softly. Transaction complete.
"Good choice," the woman said, rising from her seat. Her presence felt immediately different — not cold or playful, but sharp and purposeful.
"Come with me. Let's talk somewhere less performative."
Raen followed her through a side door and down a hallway, leaving the other two judges behind. The assistant bowed as they passed.
Upper Tower – Private Office, KairoTech Capital Branch
The elevator ride was silent — and fast. By the time Raen caught his breath, the doors opened into a sleek, minimalist office overlooking the neon sprawl of Veridia City.
A single nameplate rested on the desk:
SAELYN VIRE
She walked to the floor-length window, arms crossed.
"I was waiting for someone to submit something like that," she said. "You didn't build a project. You started a new lane of infrastructure."
Raen remained standing, uncertain. "You're… not a government rep, are you?"
She smirked. "No. I work in what you might call… flexible capital."
He raised a brow. "So like a venture investor?"
She turned back to face him, arms crossed.
"I run the East Quadrant's highest-risk, highest-yield fund under KairoTech Capital. My team watches competitions, underground networks, encrypted repos — anything that smells like potential."
Raen's eyes narrowed. "And just like that, you invest five hundred grand into me?"
Saelyn sat down behind her desk, tapping a few keys.
"You think that's a lot?"
He blinked. "I mean—"
"For someone who might rewrite interface ecosystems, develop scalable neural models, or restructure how data platforms sync with urban systems?" She leaned forward, smiling.
"You're a bargain."
Raen sat down slowly.
She continued, "This isn't charity. I'll only reach out when I have high-pressure, complex jobs — security contracts, system overhauls, possibly even black ops infrastructure."
Raen blinked. "Wait. Black ops?"
She held his gaze. "Nothing illegal. But nothing that goes through public audits either. If I call, you solve the problem. No questions. You'll be paid on delivery — and paid well."
Raen leaned back in the chair.
"This is insane," he muttered. "Three weeks ago, I was boosting noobs in PvP for 40 Lux an hour…"
She chuckled.
"And now you have five hundred thousand sitting in your LuxLink wallet. Welcome to high leverage, Raen."
He stared at the window behind her — at the city lights pulsing below.
"I don't know if I'm built for this," he admitted.
Saelyn's voice softened. "You don't need to know yet. Just build. We'll handle the rest."
He looked at her again.
And something in her eyes — calm, expectant — finally made it feel real.
This wasn't the end of a grind. This was the beginning of something massive.