"MAX THORNE." His mother's voice was a mix of pride and concern. "I wake up to news articles about my son soloing a mythic boss in the most popular game in the world. EVERYONE at the hospital is talking about it. Do you have ANY idea what's happening?"
"I... just woke up."
"The media is going crazy. The Phoenix Guild posted an official statement crediting you with the clear. Your name is everywhere. And apparently you're now level 23 and have a legendary weapon worth tens of thousands of dollars?"
Max rubbed his face. "Yeah. That all happened."
There was a long pause. Then his mother said, very quietly, "Are you okay? Really okay? Not hurt or sick or—"
"I'm fine, Mom. Just exhausted. Neural fatigue from extended VR use, but I'm recovering."
"Good. Because you're not allowed to die in a video game before I get grandchildren. That would be embarrassing to explain."
Max laughed. "I'll try to avoid that."
"Good. Now eat something, hydrate, and rest. And Max?" Her voice softened. "I'm so proud of you. What you did was extraordinary."
"Thanks, Mom."
After she hung up, Max finally checked his in-game notifications properly.
His gold counter showed 28,743 gold—15,000 from the dungeon completion, plus his remaining balance and various item sales that had processed overnight.
At the current exchange rate ($12.50 per gold), that was $359,287.50 USD.
Over ¥53 million.
Max stared at the number until it lost all meaning.
He was rich.
From a single dungeon clear.
His phone buzzed again. Velara: Guild meeting in 2 hours. You attending?
Max: Yeah. I'll be there.
He dragged himself out of bed, showered, ate actual breakfast, and prepared to log back in.
The world had changed overnight.
And Max Thorne was at the center of it all.
AETHERIA ONLINE – The Fractured Abyss
Player: Max Thorne – Level 23 Soulbinder
Max materialized in the Fractured Abyss, exactly where he had set his spawn point days ago. The familiar purple-tinted landscape greeted him—the strange crystal towers, the three moons hanging in their impossible positions and the upside-down mountain floating in the distance.
He took a breath, preparing to head to Veridian Gate for the guild meeting.
Then he heard the shouting.
"OH MY GOD, THAT'S HIM!"
"MAXTHORNE! IT'S MAXTHORNE!"
"THE GUY WHO SOLOED THE OVERLORD!"
Max's head snapped around. A group of players—maybe ten or twelve—were running toward him, their usernames displayed above their heads. More players in the distance noticed the commotion and started heading his way.
Within seconds, Max was surrounded by nearly thirty players, all talking at once.
"Can I get a screenshot with you?"
"How did you solo that boss? What's your build?"
"Is Soulbinder secretly OP? Everyone's saying it's broken!"
"Can you add me as a friend? Please?"
"What guild are you in? Are you recruiting?"
"Sign my sword! Please sign my sword!"
A player literally thrust his weapon at Max, wanting him to... sign it? Was that even possible in the game?
"I—wait—everyone just—" Max tried to speak, but more players were arriving every second. The crowd swelled to fifty, then seventy, then more.
Camera drones appeared overhead—players streaming, recording, trying to capture content with the "famous" MaxThorne.
"MAXTHORNE! LOOK HERE!"
"Can you explain your strategy against the Overlord?"
"What gear are you using?"
"Is it true you're in Phoenix Guild?"
The crowd was pressing in, and Max felt genuine claustrophobia despite being in a virtual world. He couldn't move. Every direction was blocked by players wanting something from him.
Shit. This is bad.
Max quickly pulled up his settings menu and found the privacy options.
[Player Tag Display: PUBLIC → HIDDEN]
[Friend Requests: ENABLED → DISABLED]
[Party Invites: ENABLED → DISABLED]
His username tag vanished from above his head. To everyone around him, he now appeared as [???] with no identifying information.
"Wait, where'd his tag go?"
"He hid it!"
"Which one is he now?"
Max activated Shadow Step the moment there was a gap in the crowd, teleporting to a distant shadow near the zone exit. Before anyone could react, he sprinted toward the portal leading to Veridian Gate.
Behind him, the crowd erupted in chaos, players searching for him, shouting, confused about which direction he had gone.
Max didn't stop running until passed through the portal and emerged in Veridian Gate's busy streets. Even here, he kept his player tag hidden, moving quickly through the crowds toward the Phoenix Guild Hall.
Is this what fame feels like? Max thought, still unsettled. Being surrounded by strangers.
It was overwhelming. And the dungeon clear had only happened eight hours ago. It would probably get worse before it got better.
Max navigated through the city and eventually reached the familiar entrance to Phoenix Guild Hall. The massive structure stood before him, the phoenix emblems gleaming in the sunlight.
It looked even more magnificent in daylight. More imposing. Like a castle that belonged to royalty rather than gamers.
The NPC guards recognized him immediately despite his hidden tag and opened the doors.
"Welcome back, Sir MaxThorne," one said with a respectful nod. "The guild leadership is expecting you in the Grand Conference Room, third floor."
"Thank you," Max said as he entered.
The guild hall was busy today—dozens of members moving through the halls, some preparing for raids, others trading in the commercial wing, many just socializing in the common areas.
Several players glanced at the tagless avatar walking through, but without identifying information, most dismissed him as just another member.
Max took the stairs to the third floor and found the Grand Conference Room. The doors were ornate—dark wood carved with phoenix imagery—and when he pushed them open, he found the room already full.
Twenty-five people sat around a massive conference table. Max recognized most of them—Kaito and Ayame at the head of the table, Velara a few seats down, other core raid members scattered throughout, and several people he didn't recognize who were probably guild officers or administrators.