Masteria Online: Shattering the Dark God's Grand Scheme-Chapter 86 - Jeffrey

Renan gave the currency exchange service a public endorsement.

At this stage, it was crucial for Lucas. Who would trust a service by a random person that just came out? However, a service endorsed by the number one player was very different indeed.

Indeed, Renan was entirely relying on the power of his reputation to carve out a share of everything Lucas did.

One that Lucas would happily pay.

Today, from having sold tokens to class change, he had already made $540. And that was just on the very first day of that.

Finishing his business online, he stood up to head to the kitchen. The moment he left his room, he immediately got captured by his mother. "Hey," Renatta found him, and spoke with that special tone that could turn into anything else, depending on how Renan played it.

She began slowly. "How’s the fame treating you?"

"Well." Renan replied simply. "I’ll use it to further my growth in the game. That, and to make money. You know I made a bit today?"

"Again?" Renatta was slightly surprised. It hadn’t been long since the last batch. "What did you do?"

"This time, it was more deliberate." Renan explained. "I used my advantage in game to obtain a unique resource, that being the method to advance to a certain class, and I’m using my fame to sell it. That means it’ll be a daily stream of income. Today, it was five hundred. It’ll go up daily, I bet."

"Five... hundred?" Renatta was shocked, her cup falling out of her hand. She only barely flinched at the sound, then ignored it. "Wait, wait, son. Are you serious? You expect that much every day?"

"No." Renan responded, causing Renatta to look a bit disappointed but also more understanding.

Until he continued. "More than that."

Renatta froze. "That’s a lot more than I make..." She was silent for a bit, coming to terms with the information. Her eyes flickered with worry. "Hows the stress? You can’t stay at the peak forever. And further still, I worry about the social aspect. You’re spending all your time in this game, isolated from real human connection-"

"Actually," Renan interrupted, pulling out his trump card. "I met someone."

Renatta’s entire demeanor shifted instantly. She lit up with interest, because Renan had never talked about people he’s met online before. So to mention them meant... "Someone?"

"A girl. In the game. We’re... together now."

"Together?" She leaned forward with curiosity. "Renan, are you telling me you got a girlfriend? In a couple days? In a video game?"

"Her name’s Lena." he said, unable to suppress a smile at the thought of her. Even just saying her name made him feel something special in his core. "She’s... unique. Brilliant. Funny in ways that surprise me constantly. We just clicked immediately."

"Tell me everything." Renatta demanded, and Renan could see the calculation in her eyes. If he had a girlfriend, he was being social, even if the medium was unusual. "Start from the beginning. How did you meet? What’s she like? Where does she live? How old is she? Have you seen her face or...?"

So he told her about Lena.

Not everything.

He left out the concerning bits about her literal insanity, her frequent mentions about death being beautiful, the way she sometimes said things that would worry any parent.

Instead, he focused on her brilliance, her infectious energy, the way she could make him laugh even in tense situations.

"She sounds... interesting." Renatta said neutrally when he finished, though he could see her processing the information, filing it away for future reference. "And she feels the same way about you? This isn’t one sided?"

"She does," Renan confirmed. "In fact, if I may say, she’s much more into me than I am her. That isn’t to say I don’t love her, I do, but what she says truly confirms her infatuation. We’ve already exchanged real contact information. Phone numbers, addresses. She lives in Cincitia, actually. Ohio. Not that far, all things considered. At least it’s the same country."

"That’s quite fast for a relationship." his mother noted. "Not sure what to think. When do I get to meet her? Video chat, perhaps? I need to see the girl if you two are a thing."

"Maybe soon." Renan hedged. The thought of his mother and Lena interacting was both amusing and terrifying. What if Lena told her she killed a man and loved it? "We’re taking things one step at a time. She’s... shy about meeting new people."

"Hmm." Renatta studied him for a while before noting, "Shy about new people? Yet, you are together in just a few short days? That doesn’t sound like something a shy person would do."

Renan considered it for a moment. It was indeed strange. But these were different circumstances. "It’s different when it’s online." Renan defended.

Renatta thought for a moment, and after finding a potential problem, asked. "How old is she? And whatever answer you give, are you SURE it’s real?"

"She’s twenty two," Renan replied. "I guarantee that’s real."

"Twenty two to your eighteen... I suppose that’s acceptable. Unusual for the woman to be older, but not inappropriate." She drummed her fingers on the table. "Does she work? Go to school?"

"She’s... between things right now," Renan said carefully, making things up. "Some family situations make traditional paths difficult. But she’s brilliant! The game is actually giving her opportunities she wouldn’t have otherwise."

Renatta’s expression softened. "We all have our struggles. As long as she treats you well and makes you happy."

"She does. Both."

"Alright." Renatta sighed, the fight going out of her. "You’re eighteen, you’re supposedly being responsible about your health, and you’ve found someone who makes you happy. I’ll ease off."

"But." She held up a warning finger. "Just make sure you take care of yourself, alright son? And I want to hear more about this Lena. Proof she exists? That she’s an actual woman, and you know, not Jeffrey Goldberg."

"She’s... not a guy." Renan replied, eye twitching. "She’s really, really not."