First Intergalactic Emperor: Starting With The Ancient Goddess

Requiem didn’t answer right away.

He sat there in silence, fingers laced together, his elbows resting on the table. There was a subtle shift in his eyes—just a flicker of something heavier than pride or greed.

After a long pause, he exhaled and said quietly, ”I can’t leave.”

Xavier leaned forward, eyes narrowing. ”Why not? They blackmailing you? Holding something over your head?”

Requiem looked up, and for a moment, Xavier saw weariness behind those seasoned eyes. ”No. Nothing like that. They’re paying me. That’s all.”

Xavier raised an eyebrow. ”Then I’ll pay double.”

Requiem gave a tired smile. ”That won’t solve the issue.”

Before Xavier could press further, a system notification flashed before him.

[QUEST RECEIVED: Break the Chains]

Objective: Take Requiem away from Crimson Vow. Earn his trust and Recruite Requiem]

Time Limit: 12 Hours.]

Xavier stared at the screen for a second. ’Twelve hours? That’s past the server reset. This ain’t just about the raid... This has to do with something in the real world too.’

He looked back at Requiem. ”You live in Astraeus?”

Requiem nodded. ”Yeah.”

Xavier leaned back. ”If you leave Crimson Vow, I’ll give you anything. Name the price. Real money. I’m not playing around.”

Oliver finally spoke, ”How much are they paying you, anyway?”

Requiem paused before replying, ”Ten thousand per raid. But only if I top the contribution rankings.”

Oliver let out a low whistle.

Requiem continued, ”Today’s raids were my 40th and 41st.” His voice dropped just slightly. ”I wasn’t first in the last two.”

He didn’t need to say why. Xavier knew.

Requiem sighed. ”They also promised me a bonus. A hundred thousand extra if Crimson Vow finishes first in the event rankings.”

Oliver tilted his head. ”And where are they ranked now?”

Requiem didn’t even check. ”Second. But I already know they’re not getting first. Not anymore. Not with you around.”

Xavier cracked a faint grin. ”You sure you still wanna stay with the losing side?”

Requiem didn’t say anything for a long time.

Just sat there, his hand wrapped around the mug on the table, staring into it like it had answers.

Xavier studied him, expression unreadable. The silence hung thick between them.

”You’re not mad,” Xavier finally said.

Requiem glanced at him. ”Huh?”

”You’re not angry. You’re not giving me shit for taking your spot in the raids. You didn’t even flinch when I mentioned Crimson Vow. Which means... you don’t like them either. So why not just leave?”

Requiem exhaled, slow and tired. Like he’d aged five more years in that moment. ”Because if I leave now, I get nothing. Lucas and Ethan made it clear from the start—payment comes after the event. If I ditch them before that, they’ll ghost me. No money. No deal.”

Xavier leaned back and crossed his arms. ”So they’re dangling the paycheck like a leash.”

Requiem didn’t respond.

”You don’t strike me as someone who cares much for money,” Xavier added. ”You’ve got that ’been through shit’ energy. So what’s this really about? Why sell yourself to guys like them?”

Requiem hesitated again. Then finally, he spoke, voice low.

”A month ago, my daughter collapsed. Just turned eighteen. Doctors ran tests. Turns out she has the same genetic disorder that killed my wife when she was a kid.”

Oliver’s expression darkened.

”They said we caught it early, so there’s a good chance with surgery, she’ll be fine. But the procedure costs five million. I had four. Sold everything I had. Gear, car, apartment—everything. I was planning to sell what little I had left of my wife’s belongings tonight. I don’t even know if it’s worth much.”

Xavier didn’t say a word.

Requiem continued, almost like he was confessing to someone. ”When this event came up, I saw a shot. Crimson Vow offered ten grand per raid if I topped the charts. Plus a bonus of a hundred grand if the guild finishes first overall. I said yes. Not because I like them. Not because I trust them. Just because... I’m desperate.”

Xavier leaned forward, voice quiet but firm.

”I’ll give you five million.”

Requiem blinked.

Oliver nearly choked. ”You’ll what?!”

”I’ll cover it all,” Xavier said again, eyes fixed on Requiem. ”So you don’t have to sell your memories. Or take deals from assholes.”

Requiem stared at him like he was crazy. ”Why the hell would you do that? We don’t even know each other. We’ve spoken for what—five minutes?”

Xavier’s lips curled into a cold smirk. ”Because I want to ruin Lucas and Ethan. Fully. Mentally. Emotionally. I want them crushed. Hopeless. Just like they made me feel, back then.”

He said it like a fact. Not emotional. Not dramatic. Just... honest.

Requiem still didn’t buy it. ”And you’re just gonna drop five million like it’s nothing?”

”Yeah.”

”You expect me to just trust you on that?”

”No,” Xavier said. ”But what other choice do you have? You’re not topping any more raids. That bonus is out. And they’re not gonna pay you squat if they lose. You said it yourself.”

Requiem looked down at the table again. Hands clenched tight. Maybe from guilt. Maybe from shame.

He didn’t want to trust Xavier. But he didn’t have the luxury not to.

After a long, dragging pause, Requiem finally sighed.

”...Fine.”

He brought up his interface and tapped a few times. A ping echoed softly.

[Requiem has left the guild: Crimson Vow]

Oliver stared, still processing everything.

Xavier leaned over and pointed at him. ”Give him your details. I’ll meet him after the server reset. IRL.”

Requiem nodded slowly and sent his location and contact info to Oliver, then logged out.

Gone.

Silence again.

Oliver turned to Xavier, stunned. ”Are you really going to give him five million?”

Xavier didn’t hesitate. ”Yeah.”

”He could be lying.”

”He’s not,” Xavier said calmly. ”I’m meeting him in person. I’ll see his daughter, the medical records, the doctors. No one fakes that. Not well enough to fool me.”

Oliver gave a low whistle, still staring. ”How much money do you have, dude? Seriously. You just offered five million like it’s pocket change.”

Xavier glanced at him, gave a half-smirk, and simply said—

”...Unlimited.”