Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Before answering the call, Kieran looked at the screen with a somewhat mystified look. Because of how busy he kept himself over the past few days, the matter of Allan Peters had completely slipped his mind.

Behind Kieran, Dr. Riley tip-toed and glanced over his shoulder to find what the hold-up was, in doing so, she noticed the screen before Kieran.

"Oh, isn't that the representative person from the Gamer Republic Corporation? After looking at you play and overwhelm players, I understand why they reach out to you so frequently," Dr. Riley commented.

Kieran glanced back at her momentarily before nodding. Even he to admit that with his current fame, he'd be a commodity for all gaming platforms.

Understanding this matter, it was likely that Allan Peters was calling to either confirm that his exclusive deal was not in jeopardy or continue their discussion about the upcoming meeting.

Eventually, Kieran began the video conference.

However, unlike before, where Allan seemed reserved, his eyes glinted brightly the moment he appeared. "You've done it, Mr. Silver--or would you prefer that I call you Aatrox?"

"It's up to you at the end of the day. They're both my identities," Kieran shrugged. But while he spoke, his eyes were drawn to the two blank screens. Though there was no video feed, Kieran understood this was a four-way conference call.

But, what he didn't know was the identities of these two unnamed and absent individuals.

Naturally, Kieran's curiosity got the better of him. "Aside from you, who else is in this video call?"

"Ah, you'll come to find out soon enough. Why would I spoil the surprise? Just know that everything regarding your upcoming meeting has been settled. After this conference call, all of your accommodations--travel, housing, and miscellaneous--will be explained by me," Allan said, barely containing his excitement.

Like many others, he had watched Kieran's recent stream without missing a second of the action.

Thus, he was aware that Kieran had gone toe-to-toe with a highly reputed Titled Ranker and emerged victorious.

What's more, he committed a feat that few could accomplish--felling thousands of players with a swipe of his sword.

"Mystery... surprises... If I'm being honest, I've come to dislike both of these things. But I'll play along for the time being. That said, since I'm kind of busy, do you mind getting to the point of this call?" Kieran voiced.

His terse tone seemed somewhat cold but that was understandable seeing as he wished to metaphorically strike the iron while it was hot. In this case, he wanted to take advantage of the ongoing changes in his body to maximize another round of training.

Anyone would feel slightly embittered and disgruntled toward being interrupted.

"Yes, yes. Aside from what I just mentioned, your actions have caught the attention of my superior--one direct and one indirect. In that case, allow me to let them speak," Allan said.

A second later, the two black screens disappeared, revealing two individuals with poised expressions. One was a middle-aged man with navy hair but judging by the streaks of gray present, it was clear he was older than his appearance let one.

Despite the streaks of grey, his skin remained tight, a facet that should only belong to people of adequate youth. Since the man was dressed in an expensive dark grey suit, not much about his physique could be gleaned.

However, Kieran could tell by this man's piercing gaze that he was a powerhouse.

Aside from the man, there was also a lady with bob-cut red hair sipping from a mug. As she looked up from her cup, her light blue eyes fell upon Kieran with a quizzical light.

"I'd like to introduce you to Maine Byrd, Head of the Exemplar Selection Committee, and Scarlet Dumas, Head of the Partner Exclusivity Department," Allan said, introducing the two.

Afterward, he grew quiet, letting the others take the stage.

The first to talk, despite their somewhat rigid-looking appearance, was Maine Byrd. "You have done well young man, your actions have caught the eyes of many."

"I appreciate the praise," Kieran responded, subconsciously tightening his grasp of Dr. Riley's hand.

As he analyzed Maine, Kieran felt as if he was being drawn into a sea with a placid surface but raging waters underneath.

This man was undoubtedly a warrior!

"I'm sure my introduction has more or less hinted as to why I'm here. I'd like to extend a formal introduction to the next Exemplar Series, where the Rankers, High Rankers, Titled Rankers, and Luminaries are determined. Hell, from what I saw, you may even become a Supernova in the future. But... I digress, reaching such a level requires unimaginable wealth," Maine voiced, leaning back in his chair.

After speaking, he examined Kieran, tapping his finger against his chair.

A few moments of silence ensued between the two of them, but that was broken by Maine's statement, which almost sounded like a question.

"Let's see... budding Omniscience? Perhaps... completed Hypervigilance? Those eyes tell it all," Maine revealed, continuing to tap his finger on the desk.

What Kieran didn't know was that Maine tapped his hand using a rhythm that naturally revealed Inhumans. The frequency of his tapping couldn't be perceived by normal humans, but a Hypervigilant Inhuman could.

Because he didn't understand this, Kieran remained taken aback by Maine's accurate estimation. In fact, part of Kieran believed that he was being secretly watched.

Otherwise, how could Maine's guess be so accurate?

"Is it that obvious?" Kieran questioned.

"To normal people, no. But to me, who has spent an ample amount of time surrounded by all types of Inhumans, it is easy to detect. If my analysis of your abilities is true, you have the making to become a Titled Ranker," Maine answered.

At first, he suspected from surprise from Kieran, but there was none.

A Titled Ranker, at the highest level, would be welcomed into Behemoth-level guilds and if their potential was high enough, even the Leviathans would extend a customary welcome.

Yet, Kieran seemed unfazed.

Personally, Maine liked this kind of stoic individual, so he smiled. However, his smile soon vanished after listening to Kieran's next words.

"A Titled Ranker? Not at all. As you said, I can potentially become a Supernova, and that's my aim--a blazing radiance that outclasses all other competitors. I believe your current estimation of me is quite low," Kieran retorted.

Maine became slightly intrigued, amused by Kieran's response. "Low? Do you understand that Exemplar Series isn't a mere gaming competition? You'll have to engage in real-life combat against those frightening players."

After a slight pause, Maine's expression grew solemn. "If I'm being honest, even Mastered Omniscience is a low phase within the Inhuman Threshold. If you want to compete with the Luminaries, you'll have to surpass that. Otherwise, your dream is nothing more than a pipedream."

Rather than take Maine's word offensively, Kieran viewed them another way. "You seem very knowledgeable. How about this then? If I make good on my word and reveal the potential to become a Supernova, you have to help me. For some reason, knowledge of this Inhuman Threshold is kept under a tight leash."

"The young boy has moxie," Scarlet suddenly interjected.

Maine similarly laughed, agreeing with Scarlet's opinion. "You're not wrong. But there's something about this character that's likable."

Meanwhile, Allan continued to chew on his nails, frightened by the verbal exchanges.

Eventually, he blamed Kieran's lack of knowledge regarding their identities.

Allan couldn't fathom someone speaking to these two so freely with their identities known.

Furthermore, these identities were not related to the Gamer Republic Corporation.

"Very well, kid. This deal is nothing but favorable for me. Perform well and I'll become your sponsor and your coach. That class of yours is intriguing, to say the least," Maine responded.

Again, Allan reacted as if a bomb had gone off in his mind. Did the head of a recruiting division within the Gamer Republic Corporation just agree to become someone's sponsor as a term of a bet?

If news of this got out, many would target Kieran.

After all, most players would kill to have someone like Maine train them, or at the very least become their sponsor. Setting aside his physical prowess and attainments in the Inhuman Threshold, Maine commanded enough authority to gain access to special-class X-hancers!

The special-class X-hancers referred to X-hancers with a concentration of 70% and above. Merely obtaining one vial of this serum required serious status and there was naturally a reason for this.

Unlike the diluted X-hancers that remained more readily available, the production of special-class X-hancer took an absurd amount of preparation and the yield of it was low.

Thus, the supply was first aimed at those that would yield the best benefit when ingesting it.

For example, though a decent amount of X-hancers circulated throughout the gaming community, it was only a fraction of what was supplied to the Private Sector and the continental governments.

Of course, Kieran and many like him, were unaware of these shadowy acts that occurred on a daily basis regarding the fabled serum.

"The next Exemplar Series will take place at the end of August, meaning you have roughly two months to prepare. I look forward to seeing what strides you make in two months," Maine said.

Afterward, he disconnected from the call.

His only purpose for joining the call was to give a direct and formal invitation to the upcoming Exemplar Series, which would drastically change the current Exemplar Records.

Seconds later, Scarlet continued sipping her tea before mentioning her reason for being there. "It's been brought to my attention that your contract includes a flexibility clause. Can I assume it was made with the intention of leaving us should the payout become too small?"

"Maybe," Kieran answered.

All of Kieran's decisions thus far could be said to be influenced by his need for money. Because he started from nothing, he required an abundance of it and he required it swiftly.

Thus, if the offer was good, he'd go wherever the money took him. Of course, this didn't mean money had an omnipotent grasp over his decision-making skills.

It simply meant he knew his worth and would accept nothing beneath it.

"Well, I'm here to tell you there is no need. If you continue to dish out content as you have, I'll take responsibility for allowing you to alter the terms of your agreement,"

"Mmm, and what's the catch?" Kieran squinted, feeling as if the offer was too good to be true.

Scarlet giggled before giving Kieran a cunning look. "The catch is that you must remain our exclusive partner and remain the... Hidden King as you called it. As soon as your viewership and following dips beneath the unsurpassed first position, I'll void our agreement."

"Ah..." Kieran nodded, understanding the meaning of Scarlet's words. "What a coincidence, I intend to accomplish this regardless. Now you're just rewarding me for good behavior."

"Pffft!" Allan sputtered.

Scarlet looked at Kieran with a raised brow.

Dr. Riley looked at Kieran incredulously, blinking several times. No matter how one looked at it, Kieran's final tone sounded too flirtatious!