Time passed.
The event that happened at the fissure was tagged as the "Delta Cataclysm," and all the survivors were called the "Chosens."
Months flew by, with Zach in a rehab/hospital center, while Eli and Aurora went back to their respective clans.
Arthur was totally fine and refused to take therapy when offered, but Zach needed to forget the occurrences that happened in that hellish place.
Zach sat on a white sofa, his hands resting on his lap, gripping each other tightly. On the other end of the room was Alfred; the middle-aged man had white hair with wrinkles on his face, but his eyes were as sharp as any youth's.
Alfred definitely looked like he had aged 10 years while Zach was in the fissure.
"What's with the new look?" Zach raised a brow.
"Ha ha, so you noticed," he laughed.
"Kind of hard not to..." Zach looked ahead.
"Well, Zach, let me introduce myself properly this time..."
Alfred placed his business card between them.
"My full name is Alfred Hitchcock," he spoke with a flat tone.
"As you know, you did quite well in the mission," he smiled.
"And the masters have chosen to award you 100,000 gold coins."
Zach grinned at Alfred's words.
"Sweet! How can I get it?"
"That's what I wanted to ask you," Alfred gestured.
"Do you have a virtual account that we can send it to, or..."
Zach blinked.
"Account?"
Was that some sort of rich people item? Zach had never heard the term in his life.
"You'll have to register a virtual account in Central Bank before we can give you your settlement," Alfred sighed.
Zach was confused.
"Can't you just give it to me in cash or credit card?" Zach raised a brow.
"No, we can't. You see, you can't just be walking out on the street with a duffel bag of gold coins; you'd be begging to get robbed," Alfred explained.
"And also, credit cards can only hold a maximum amount of 1,000 gold coins. Anything higher than that will have to be wired to a virtual account."
"So what is this 'virtual account' stuff you're talking about?"
"Finally asking the right questions," Alfred pointed to his temple.
"It's basically a storage space where you store money and can be sent to another person via transfer." Alfred continued.
"Don't worry, the process is simple. You just go to the Central Bank office, tell them you want to create a new account, and, bam. Done."
"Huh..." Zach pondered.
"But that's not the full reason I'm here." Alfred lowered his voice.
"I've been watching you for quite a while now, Zach. And I think it's about time we had a proper discussion, not as a sponsor and recruit, but as partners."
Zach leaned back, staring at the ceiling before his gaze found Alfred's.
"Partners, huh..."
Alfred smiled faintly, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Perhaps... perhaps this is an opportunity you've been searching for. I've searched your records. You have been rejected by so many minor corporations, so here's your chance, Zach."
"Get to the point."
"The Western Dragon Enterprise would like to offer you a ten-year contract... offering numerous benefits and further extending your mystic arts knowledge and martial capabilities in the prestigious Saint Academy."
If Zach was sipping a coffee right now, he would have spat it out.
"Saint Academy...?"
"You mean THE Saint Academy?"
"That's right," Alfred smiled.
The Saint Academy wasn't like the mystic arts college, but more prestigious, located in the highest realm.
The realm of elites.
Zach heard the instructors there had all reached the suspicion stage. Not only was this a once-in-a-lifetime chance, it would boost his martial knowledge, swordsmanship, and combat prowess.
The academy had a record that all their graduating students had all reached the stage of suspicion.
"Not only will we give you a sponsorship, you will also be paid a total of one bronze coin per second—on or off duty."
Not only was he getting a sponsorship to an academy that even the rich dream of, he was also getting put on a payroll.
Zach's mouth almost watered.
"One bronze coin an hour?..."
"Yes," Alfred answered. "And I know what you're thinking. How much is that per month?"
Zach nodded.
"That's approximately 260 gold coins every month."
Zach beamed with joy.
"Receiving 100,000 gold coins was the equivalent of receiving a billion dollars (USA), or 740.1 million pounds."
And that alone could set him up for life.
So Zach wasn't in a rush to make a decision.
Making 260 gold coins wasn't as enticing to him anymore.
But if Zach wanted to buy astras, that money would be able to buy a decent weapon.
"Would I still get paid when I'm in the academy?"
"Of course, you would." Alfred rubbed his palm.
"If you accept it now, you will immediately start off as an agent."
Alfred snapped his finger, and a holographic screen appeared in front of Zach.
"An agent?"
"Oh, that's right! You don't know anything about the business world," Alfred sighed.
"Zach. The enterprises aren't like your normal day-to-day jobs. We don't move on sentiment; we move on structure, logic, money, rank, and influence—that's the backbone. If you're stepping into our world, you have to know exactly how it works."
He raised a finger.
"There are basically six ranks in every business and enterprise, or company."
Agents
Delegates
Executives
Commissioners
Emissaries
Missionaries
Alfred listed them out.
"The agents are just the errand runners of the enterprises, the ones who stand at the front lines of any battlefield."
"Their pay? A sum of 260 gold coins per month."
"Then we have the delegate. They administer branches, handle recruitment, and supply chains."
"They're the ones that do all the recruiting work here."
Zach blinked.
So that means the fat pig that rejected his application a while ago was actually a delegate.
"How much are they getting paid?" Zach inquired.
"Out for the money, right? I've been there," he chuckled.
"They make a silver coin every minute. That's approximately 435 gold coins per month."
Zach pursed his lips.
"Continue..."
Zach wanted to know how much the ones at the top make.
"You might not reach this level even in the next twenty years. But the next rank is an executive," Alfred continued.
"They command operations, lead strike teams, and oversee missions. They make 1 gold coin every hour. That's a total of 720 gold in a month."
Alfred could sense the disappointment in Zach's gaze.
"But this is where it gets interesting," Alfred beamed with joy.
"Commissioners are the ones who manage tether reserves and control entire branches. They make a whopping sum of 43,200 gold."
Zach sat up, clearly intrigued by the amount.
"Wait, why is this one astronomically higher than the other?" Zach asked.
"Commissioners work on a city's level, intercepting the highest threats, so their pay is astronomically higher."
"Then the emissaries make a total of 2.5 million gold coins per month."
"What!" Zach exclaimed, visibly astonished.
"Shocked, right?" Alfred laughed. "I was shocked when I heard the rate back in the past too."
"So what do they do?"
"They are the power of the enterprise. Every battle the enterprise has with other enterprises, emissaries are sent. Not to fight, but just to prove that fighting us is a death wish."
Zach's eyes sparkled.
"But that's nothing compared to missionaries."
Alfred smirked.
"Missionaries are just paid to look good. Just as emissaries are the strength of the enterprise, missionaries are the face of the corporation. They can directly represent the company in an official meeting or open event."
"Their pay? A freaking sum of 13 million gold coins per month."
Zach's mouth nearly dropped. The amount made his head spin.
No wonder children of powerful parents were able to waste resources like that.
"So that's about it."
"Wait, what rank are you currently?" Zach asked.
"I saw you besides that awakened lady. You must be pretty strong."
Alfred waved him off.
"That AWAKENED LADY is an emissary of the Western Dragon Enterprise, so put some respect on that name."
"I'm a commissioner, if you must know."
"But you're doing the job of a delegate..."
"You're a special case, Zach."
Alfred stood up.
"So what do you say?"
Zach looked at the holographic screen in front of him.
He didn't want to make a rash decision that he might regret.
Money wasn't his problem right now, so he could think about it more clearly.
"I think I'll need more time to think about it."
Alfred stood up.
"That's it, then." He handed a card to Zach. "This is my contact info. Once you've registered your account, you can call my line to credit you."
Alfred walked out.
"Think about it, but don't think for too long. The offer might disappear if you don't take it fast enough."
Alfred walked out of the room.
Zach sat there in silence, wearing nothing but a white towel robe.
Zach stood up. Thankfully, he was getting discharged today.
He didn't know where to find the Central Bank office, but it shouldn't be that hard.