In disbelief, Ms. Arman's throat juggled up and down as she stared at Kieran's departing figure.
'W-what just happened? Did I just get dismissed by a student?! Furthermore, what was that? Brushing off my touch as if I'm some sort of plague or eyesore?!'
Kieran's actions naturally attacked her pride because she had spent her life being pursued by many. Some students ogled at her, and Ms. Arman noticed this but didn't react.
She expected as much from young men with raging hormones.
Aside from revisiting Kieran's behavior, her frown deepened when recalling her own words. "It really would be a waste for him to leave now. But he is an adult, and the choice is ultimately up to him."
Once she realized she was powerless to change his mind, Ms. Arman turned to the door behind her. 'Zenith Online, was it? I'll have to test it out as well. I'll have them prepare everything for me. I wonder if it'll be as fun as they say.'
…
Outside the Administration Hall…
Kieran approached a desk staffed by a rotund, balding middle-aged man who watched a show on a tablet while eating his lunch.
After realizing a shadow was being cast from above, the man looked up while clearing his throat. "Yes?! What is it?"
"I'd like to make this visit as short as possible. I want to drop out," Kieran responded.
"Drop out?" the man's expression deflated as he shook his head while sighing. "Tsk tsk, why do you young men lack drive these days? So many of you just up and quit after feeling a little stress from college work. How will you all survive in the real world?"
"Meh. Probably by getting a job that will ultimately have nothing to do with the degree we aimed for in the first place. I mean, come on, how many people actually land jobs in the field they desire? But, just help me drop out." Kieran shrugged indifferently.
The man sputtered with widened eyes. "Holy moly! What a cynical view of the world. Are you okay, young man?"
"I'm alright, but I'd be better off when you complete the process of complete unenrollment," Kieran responded.
Kieran understood the older generation's views after interacting with many of them. However, he had no intentions of conforming to the close-minded limitation many of the older generation imposed upon youths.
The gaming industry was a truly lucrative machine of wealth if one was talented enough.
'Trusting an organization is out of the equation. They operate using universal principles, so if you know one, you know all. Instead, everything now rests on my shoulders, which is why I need to focus.'
"Alright, whatever you say, kid. I just hope you don't regret your decision in the future. You can pass me your ID if you're done," the administrator said.
Contrary to the administrator's expectation, Kieran did not hesitate to give him his ID Card. Kieran was officially done!
After inputting his information, the administrator's eyes widened in shock. "Young man, is this really what you want to do? You only need two more semesters of classes to receive your degree! Why stop now?"
"I have my reasons," Kieran responded. His tone insinuated his desire to drop the subject. Still, the fat man couldn't see how Kieran's decision was reasonable.
"Is it financial? If so, I'll personally help you resolve the problem. One or two semesters shouldn't be too expensive," the man said.
However, Kieran immediately shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but that's not it. I have a few matters that require my full attention, so I can't focus on school anymore."
Kieran took a short pause before evaluating the man before him. He wasn't unlikeable, and his offer was genuine, so Kieran offered some advice of his own. "If you have extra money lying around that isn't being utilized, I suggest you invest in Zenith Online for the ludicrous returns later."
"Zenith Online? That new game?" the administrator blinked.
"Correct," Kieran answered.
"I don't know. I'm too old for such things. I'm at a point in life where I must know my priorities. Also, since you have terminated your enrollment, you must vacate your dorms within a week."
"That won't be any issue," Kieran answered.
Following that message, Kieran walked away from the administrator's desk with a slight wave. On the other hand, the administrator remained in a daze as he recalled the news filling all the news stations yesterday.
'Did he say Zenith Online? Is that one of the reasons he left? Maybe one of those guilds has extended an offer. I simply hope the young man's future is secured,' the administrator thought.
Regrettably, he didn't take Kieran's advice to heart.
Disregarding Kieran's advice was partly due to skepticism, but it really stemmed from the man's bad experiences with gaming. He had suffered many losses in the past despite becoming a whale. Being overgeared oftentimes failed to overcome actual skill.
After leaving the hall, Kieran shifted his attention to Zenith Online's forum. The first ten posts were filled with comments regarding his stream, especially the fight against Grifear, where he exhibited pro-level mechanics.
This feat alone resulted in many guilds leaving messages wanting to get in contact with him. Unfortunately, it was to no avail since Kieran disabled all messaging systems.
Only players on his Friend List could message him now.
However, center entities like the staff of the Gamer Republic Corporation could bypass these actions.
"I have caused a huge disturbance. I guess doing what I did on the day could be considered abnormal. But, at least I managed to achieve my intentions," Kieran muttered to himself.
The increased gossip of Zenith Online meant more people would flock to the game faster, and the game's popularity would rise. If he were one of the leading causes, it naturally wouldn't go unnoticed.
Since he decided he wouldn't rely upon any other guild, Kieran required the backing of another gargantuan entity.
After browsing through the forum, Kieran removed the Do Not Disturb mode from his phone and linked his streaming and Zenith Online accounts to his holo-phone. The moment he did this, his holo-phone buzzed nonstop for ten minutes straight.
By the time it stopped, the notification bar had read 9,999+.
"You're kidding me," Kieran muttered in disbelief.
The notifications numbered well over 9,999, but it had reached the max. The reports included increased followers, comments on his stream recording, messages on the GRC platform, and finally, sales of the Dungeon Manual.
'I suspect the manual was mostly purchased by third-class, second-class, and gradeless teams. They're the ones who would benefit from its information the most. First-class can also benefit, but that's only true if they purchased the premium information,' Kieran thought.
Once he noticed this fact, the urge to check his earnings and purchase ratio overwhelmed Kieran, compelling him to sift through the information on his streaming channel.
┌───────────────────
«Stream Analytics» -
Recent Streams (1-week duration): 1
Maximum Viewers: 72,498
Total Views: 516,905
New Followers: 84,550
New Subscriptions: N/A (0)
Stream Time: 2hrs 13 mins 49secs
Donations: 777 ($69,777)
Stream Earnings (Estimate): $270,488
└───────────────────
After reading the stream's total revenue, Kieran froze in the middle of the sidewalk. The ad revenue of the channel was insane. While it sucked that he couldn't get any subscription because he had yet to become a platform partner, his earnings from a single stream were massive!
Furthermore, Kieran hadn't even checked the breakdown of the Dungeon Manual yet!
┌───────────────────
«Miscellaneous Sales» -
Basic Version: $2,000,000
Standard Version: $2,100,000
Premium Version: $1,750,000
Total Earnings: $5,850,000
Net Earnings: $3,919,500 (Disbursement Status: Ready)
└───────────────────
Kieran almost suffered a mini heart attack. This had become a massive opportunity for him. With the sale of simple universal information, his situation changed from a nobody to a young man with considerable wealth!
If anyone learned that he generated more than $6 million of profit in less than a day of playing the game, surely minds would flip, and hearts would stop. Because no one else was confident enough to stream their content, Kieran monopolized the beginning hype!
'Selling information is a goldmine! But, if I do continue down this path, I must be wary of the information I distribute.'
Money wasn't everything. Some opportunities should be kept to himself in case of severe butterfly effects or deviations from his intended path.
Aside from amassing more than $4 million that was immediately payable to him, Kieran noticed an email that caught his eye.
[E-mail: Hello, this is the Chief Partner Advisor from the Gamer Republic Corporation. We're reaching out to you to extend the opportunity to partner with the platform. If you're interested, we can set up a virtual appointment to address any questions you may have. Otherwise, I hope to see you on the official roster of our partners! You have the potential to be great.]
After reading through the email, Kieran grinned. He was essentially a cash cow right now. How couldn't his actions garner the attention of the GRC? Kieran responded to the email and set up a meeting to happen in the coming days.
Once he finished with that, Kieran withdrew his earnings totaling over $4.25 million. Since he could no longer remain in the dorms, he needed a place that he could call his own.
Additionally, he also needed to prepare the proper medical appointments now that he wasn't in Zenith Online.
Kieran entered a nearby cafe before preparing appointments to view vacant apartments within New Metro City. As a vibrant city, people constantly moved, and the real estate industry was bustling.
Eventually, Kieran booked a few viewings with an available broker.
Make sure to point out any spelling errors, grammar errors, or numbers/information that wasn't properly updated so I can immediately rectify those issues.
Thank you, guys!
P.S: A LOT of game terminology will appear in the novel, because well, I'm a gamer. :shrug:
After contacting his broker, it didn't take long for Kieran to arrange several viewings around the city because there were plenty of vacant apartments looking for someone to fill them.
With his current wealth, he could practically afford any apartment he wished, but he didn't want to squander his money because he still needed to finance his H-COS treatment.
With his treatment in mind, Kieran decided to keep his expenditure within 10% of his earnings thus far.
Because of the fast-paced and ever-present work inside Metro City, it would take some time before he could meet with his broker. As a result, Kieran decided that it would be best to return to his dorm and begin packing.
The entire process took a few hours due to him stopping and scouring the forums for any changes regarding Zenith Online quite a few times. The game's early stage was where rapid change was bound to occur.
The time he spent outside Zenith Online was time the competition could use to close the gap. Of course, it wouldn't be a straightforward endeavor. Even the guilds that purchased his Dungeon Manual would have to use trial and error to understand the trick to reduce the run's difficulty.
Roughly four hours later, Kieran met up with his broker, who turned out to be a woman who seemed no more than five years older than him. She was dressed in a business suit and had short dark blue hair and slender glasses.
"Hello, sir. My name is Cecilia. It's a pleasure to meet you," Cecilia, the property broker announced.
"A pleasure," Kieran nodded succinctly, shaking her hand.
"I noticed that all of your requests have specific criteria. I take it you enjoy being in the city space?" Cecilia voiced, sifting through the information on her tablet.
Before answering, Kieran analyzed her behavior, noticing her tense shoulders and hyperactive fingers—she was nervous but tried her best to hide it.
"You could say that. I feel the city's presence keeps me aligned. I guess you could say the blare of a taxi's horn and the clamor of the streets is my white noise," Kieran answered.
"That isn't uncommon. A lot of people that grew up in the city environment have become accustomed to the noise to where it no longer bothers them," Cecilia said, not finding Kieran's preference odd.
After talking further to the point Kieran made Cecilia feel more at ease, they began viewing the apartments that she had lined up.
The first one didn't go so well, it failed to meet Kieran's standards. It was too far from several practical areas and didn't quite match the price, missing too many amenities.
"I agree. It's really not that good," Cecilia judged, frowning slightly. For $50,000 a month, it should be a cutting-edge apartment with access to the most satisfactory services, yet it wasn't.
The second wasn't too bad and was close to the city's center, where recreational centers and other medicinal hubs existed, but the lease for the apartment was too binding, requiring a two-year lease to complete the signing.
Kieran couldn't see himself staying anywhere long-term, so a long-term binding contract was entirely out of the equation.
However, the next visit made Kieran stop and stare.
It was a recently constructed high-rise apartment building that complemented the modern city setting. It was in the heart of the city, making it the most expensive, but Kieran realized it possessed everything he was looking for upon touring the place.
"Out of all the options we visited thus far, I would have to say this is the best. It's slightly more expensive than the first option, listed at $60,000 a month, but it offers monthly, seasonal, bi-annual, annual, and two-year contracts," Cecilia said, reading off the information on the unit.
"A penthouse apartment, I presume," Kieran commented.
"Yes. The building also has a pool, a personal gym on par with many fitness centers, a lounge area outfitted with many entertaining features, and a private kitchen for personalized meals if you don't wish to bother cooking."
It was clear from Cecilia's tentative behavior, listing several of the attractive amenities, that she wanted to complete at least one deal today.
"I'll take this one," Kieran decided, which made Cecilia beam happily.
"Excellent! Which contract would you like to choose?"
"Monthly will do."
"Understood. With the expenses and security deposit, it'll total slightly under $191,000," Cecilia said.
"Let's just call it $200,000 even. The extra will be your tip," Kieran indifferently responded.
However, Cecilia's response was one of utter shock! That was an almost $10,000 tip, which was more than she made in a month sometimes.
"Y-you…" Cecilia stammered, struggling to form coherent words as she froze at the processing stage.
"It's for the trouble of dragging you around for a few hours. It's well deserved," Kieran answered.
Once the transaction was processed and a digital copy of the renting lease appeared in Kieran's email, Cecilia continued to stare at her tablet in disbelief, shocked that someone would leave such a generous tip.
With the tip on top of her 5% commission rate, Cecilia's month turned from bleak to outstanding in the blink of an eye!
She continued to thank him, but Kieran expressed that it didn't mean much to him, and he meant it. After all, he shelled out $5,000 for a VR Helmet without so much as batting an eye.
Additionally, when Kieran realized he underestimated the worth of information to ravenous and ambitious guilds, he understood the frugality he needed to employ was relative.
An occasional splurge was justified if it meant procuring pawns and connections for the future.
Eventually, the two parted ways but not before obtaining her business credentials. There was no telling when he would require a broker again, by that time, he hoped her position within her company would be higher.
This place was already furnished, and considering that his dorm was pre-furnished, he paid a moving company to move his boxes of belongings, some of which contained personal items.
At the same time, he also bought the most updated model of his holo-phone. Though it supposedly offered the highest security, Kieran knew otherwise, which is why he was prepared to tamper with its systems.
The entire process of settling took almost another three hours, but it gave Kieran peace of mind knowing he didn't need to fret over a place to stay.
Now that he had so much time on his hands, Kieran fiddled with the holo-phone until it emitted a string of messages.
〈Alert: The thorough search has detected latent detection software. [A deep scrub is occurring...]〉
〈Alert: ...All surveillance functions have been disabled.〉
〈Alert: A secure access point to the shadow network has been established. The tailored algorithm will continue obscuring your sensitive information. 〉
〈Alert: You're free to browse the internet without a remaining footprint.〉
'Although he is an unlikeable character, I can't doubt that weaselly fellow's knack for technological schemes. I should most likely find him before the Private Sector sinks their corruptive talons into him,' Kieran thought to himself.
One might consider Kieran's actions as overkill, but he was all too familiar with how dangerous the Private Sector could become if one ventured into the wrong line of work.
Considering Golden Brigade had a hand in several shady schemes, Kieran would rather play it safe when trying to find a solution to his H-COS. There was no telling if guilds monitored the appearance of people like him since they made for the most top-notch players.
Not to mention, the Private Sector was also indirectly tied to the Underworld, where massive crime syndicates existed. One couldn't butt heads with one without making enemies with the other. It was the lay of the land.
After making the necessary preparations, Kieran scoured the web until he came across a few unique contact methods for promising medical facilities.
Many Private Sector and Underworld organizations funded and employed a few state-of-the-art medical facilities to tend to inexplicable injuries that would garner deep questions from government authorities.
Most of the time, these facilities were more equipped than hospitals, which is what Kieran required, as public hospitals were not fitted with the means necessary for handling patients afflicted with H-COS.
However, this discrete nature came at an extreme price because, in most cases, threats weren't enough to move these facilities to work. It was an unspoken rule to accept whatever fee these facilities presented.
After arriving at his current options, Kieran realized only one was within a reasonable distance, so he went ahead and contacted them.
The response did not arrive immediately, taking upwards of 30 minutes, but Kieran waited patiently.
When he received an answer, it was from a stunning lady in a white lab coat.
The woman in the lab coat looked at Kieran with her calm, dark blue-green eyes while pushing her glasses up to rest on her light, strawberry-blonde hair. "Aren't you… too young to need assistance from a place like ours? What organization do you work for?"
"I'm not with any organization," Kieran denied. This made the lady's eyebrow knit ever so slightly.
"Huh? How did you access the private channels reserved for the Underworld if you aren't with an organization?" The slight arch in the lady's eyebrow painted a picture of deep intrigue that didn't escape Kieran's view.
Kieran understood that caution was required in this line of work, so Kieran didn't doubt that this doctor would hang up if he said the wrong thing.
"You could say I'm a knowledgeable kid who dabbles in technology and needs your help that I can't find anywhere else."
"Oh? Why would you admit that? Don't you know the cardinal rule of the Underworld and Private Sector? Never exhibit signs of weakness unless you want to be taken advantage of," the lady said.
"I know of the rule, but I also don't really care about it right now. So, do you think you can help me or not?" Kieran said in a harsh tone, leaving little room for more small talk.
"That depends. Explain your situation. Also, do address me as Dr. Riley. I believe I deserve at least this much courtesy since I've taken the time to hear about your plight," Dr. Riley said with a slight giggle.
After exhaling briefly, Kieran explained the nature of his H-COS. He was curious to know if Charles' claims were valid. Was H-COS a prevalent issue with humanity?
Dr. Riley's skeptical expression soon changed to one of glee after listening to Kieran's issue, "I've heard of this case many times but never had the chance to work with it directly! I'll accept your case, but it will cost a pretty penny. I suspect no less than $1 million, and I'm being generous. "
"WHAT?!" Kieran jumped up and shouted.
"It's a decent estimate. You can't be treated normally. So I must prepare. Let's meet in three days. The facility's address will be inside the same channel you used to reach out to me. You don't need any medical records; I'll research them once we meet," Dr. Riley said.
She hung up the phone immediately, leaving Kieran in a short stupor.
Soon enough, Kieran could only swallow his dissent and lay down in bed while holding his VR Helmet. 'As I expected... it will be costly.'
Make sure to point out any spelling errors, grammar errors, or numbers/information that wasn't properly updated so I can immediately rectify those issues.
Thank you, guys!
P.S: A LOT of game terminology will appear in the novel, because well, I'm a gamer. :shrug:
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