Chapter 2: The $60,000 Gamble
I needed capital. In the "World of Authority," being a F2P (Free to Play) player wasn't just difficult; it was a death sentence.
I picked up my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in years. Elise Calderwyn. In my past life, I'd pushed her away. My 'lover' Elena had whispered poison in my ear, calling Elise a "vixen" and a "snake." I, being a world-class idiot, had believed her. I'd ignored the only woman who actually had my back.
The phone picked up on the third ring.
"Lucien? You're alive? I thought you'd finally dissolved into a puddle of seasonal allergies," Elise's voice was sharp, but there was a flicker of genuine concern beneath the sarcasm.
"Elise," I said, my voice sounding more apologetic than I intended. "I need a loan. Sixty thousand dollars."
There was a dead silence. "Are you out of your mind? Did Elena finally convince you to buy her a kidney?"
"No," I said, a cold edge creeping into my tone at the mention of my ex. "I'm done with her. I need it for the World of Authority launch. The 'Legacy Edition' VR kit."
"Sixty grand for a video game?"
"It's not just a game, Elise. It's an investment. I'll pay you back twofold. Tenfold. Just... trust me this once."
I knew her family was loaded—old money, stable, and surprisingly kind. Elise sighed, a sound of defeated affection. "Fine. If this is a scam, I'm harvesting your organs myself. I'll wire it now."
"Thank you, Elise. And... I'm sorry. For everything."
"Don't get sentimental on me, Lucien. It's creepy." She hung up.
A minute later, my phone chimed. [Account Balance: $60,420.00].
I didn't waste a second. I logged onto the official site and bought the Titan-Class VR Interface.
Most people would settle for the $500 headset. They'd deal with the 0.5-second lag and the blurry textures. But I knew the secret: the Titan-Class wasn't just 'lag-free.' It came with the 'Pioneer's Cache'—a digital bundle of starter loot worth $15,000 in-game. More importantly, it guaranteed a 'High-Tier Noble' RNG roll for your starting character if you registered in the first hour of the server.
I stood up, pulling my messy hair back into a tight semi-top knot. The headache was fading, replaced by a cold, buzzing clarity.
Last time, I'd been a peasant-tier noble in a debt-ridden hole. But I had spent my dying days obsessively studying the lore of the region I lived in: The Viremont March.
Everyone in the game thought House Viremont was just a 'tutorial' faction. In the game's "True Ending," the house is declared extinct. Internal betrayal, a demonic contract gone wrong, and a border invasion that wipes them off the map. It was a tragedy designed to set the stage for the 'Hero' players.
But I wasn't a hero. And I didn't want to be extinct.
I knew the three endings of House Viremont.
* The Bloody Collapse: The Second Son betrays the Marquis, and the house burns.
* The Puppet State: The First Son is manipulated by the Crown, and the family becomes a line of nameless slaves.
* The Silent Grave: The house is abandoned during the Merge and overrun by monsters.
I looked at the "Pre-Order Confirmed" screen.
There was a fourth ending. One the developers had hidden behind a wall of impossible requirements and "useless" social stats. An ending where the house doesn't just survive—it becomes the only safe haven in a world gone mad.
"Two months until the world upgrades," I whispered, the blue light of the monitor reflecting in my eyes. "Two months to turn a 'dead' house into my personal fortress."
The game would release in forty-eight hours. The countdown to my survival had officially begun.