Lucas adjusted the strap of his satchel as he entered the glass-walled classroom labeled T1-04: Modern-Day Entrepreneurship. It was his first official Tier 1 class since gaining provisional access. He'd read every forum thread, hacked into private syllabi, and even watched pirated lecture replays from past years just to prepare for this moment.
But none of it captured the real thing.
The classroom was more like a high-tech command center than a traditional learning space. Holographic projectors floated overhead, casting interactive 3D graphs and AR avatars into the air. Students lounged in ergonomic chairs made from smart foam, syncing their tablets directly to the lesson stream. AI assistants buzzed quietly at their shoulders—managing notes, setting alerts, and even adjusting individual air settings.
Each Tier 1 student had their own workstation—not a desk, but a business cockpit, complete with pitch rehearsal modes, market tracking dashboards, and venture risk simulators. It wasn't a classroom.
It was a launchpad.
Lucas sat down, his name tag blinking Lucas Grant—Provisional Tier 1 in soft blue. He could feel the glances. Most of these kids had been born into Tier 1 privilege. Sons and daughters of venture capitalists, unicorn startup founders, crypto billionaires, and tech royalty. His badge—provisional—marked him like a scar.
But he didn't flinch.
He tapped into the class network and synced his device. The class syllabus popped up.
Week 1: Modern-Day Entrepreneurship
Topics:
– From Disruption to Domination—Decentralized Business Models—Tech-Driven Empires: Case Studies (SolarRift, Neuropod, Warlens.ai) – Reputation Economics & Founder Archetypes—The Olympus Filter: Why Only 1 in 100 Startups Succeed Here
Just then, the lights dimmed.
A figure stepped into the spotlight at the center of the room. She wore a cobalt blue pantsuit with AI-threaded seams that shifted patterns based on movement. Her heels clicked like timestamps. Her presence was clean, sharp, and magnetic.
Professor Amara Dey—a former venture capitalist who once built and sold three unicorns before she was 30. Now she taught the elite how to hunt empires before they bloomed.
Her first words were as crisp as her silhouette.
"Entrepreneurship is not about ideas. It's about leverage."
A wave of silence fell.
She scanned the room.
"Let me guess—half of you think you're here because you're smart. The other half think you're here because you're rich. You're all wrong. You're here because Olympus thinks you might—might—be useful to the future of power."
Lucas leaned forward, intrigued.
Amara walked over to a screen that displayed three logos: SolarRift, Neuropod, and Warlens.ai.
"SolarRift built a decentralized solar-sharing network. They made energy cheaper than water in three provinces. Good tech? Sure. But they didn't win because of the tech. They won because they controlled the narrative. They made green energy sexy."
Swipe.
"Neuropod created a brain-to-browser typing interface. You think they focused on accessibility? No. They sold it to gamers first. That's called emotional leverage."
Swipe.
"Warlens.ai? A battlefield simulation company used in actual war warzones and esports arenas. Their secret weapon? Building an ecosystem of influencers who made it a status symbol."
She paused.
"None of them had better ideas than the competitors. They just understood one thing—winning is not about innovation. It's about who you control when you innovate."
Lucas scribbled that down.
Not because it was new. But because it confirmed everything he'd suspected since Day One.
Power = Reach × Reputation × Leverage
Professor Dey turned toward Lucas.
"You. Grant. You're new, right? You made it to the Startup Pitch top 3?"
A few students snickered. Lucas nodded once. "Yes, ma'am."
She walked toward him. "Tell me something. Who's more dangerous—an inventor with no investors or an influencer with no invention?"
Lucas thought for a second.
"The influencer," he said. "They'll steal the invention, make it louder, and sell it better."
Amara smiled. "Good. Ugly truth. Most students here would lie to sound noble."
She turned back to the class.
"Lesson One: The startup world is not fair. It's not equal. It's not even about who works hardest. It's about who builds faster than they burn. Olympus weeds out the slow. That includes your ethics."
Lucas felt a chill.
She wasn't exaggerating.
This place didn't train founders.
It trained weapons.
After class, he stayed behind to observe how the students interacted. One kid showed off a beta neural commerce plugin that could analyze buying behavior by facial expression in real-time. Another pitched an AI girlfriend app designed to boost dopamine before exams. All ideas, no hesitation. Ruthless ambition, dressed in designer uniforms.
Lucas walked out with his mind spinning.
He'd thought strategy and hard work were enough.
But now he knew better.
He needed allies, attention, and angle control. Tech alone wouldn't get him to the top. He needed a story. Influence. Perception.
He needed to become the narrative, not just build one.
As he walked back through the golden halls of Olympus High, one truth settled deep into his mind:
He couldn't beat Olympus by playing fair. He'd have to outplay their entire game.
And to do that?
He needed to learn everything.