Zayn couldn’t be sure that all of his videos performed well. It was also difficult to determine whether the short promotion of the Dragon Lair Gym would produce the desired effect. However, there were certain factors Zayn could influence.
He studied the statistics of his channel and the most popular videos that had been released in the last 48 hours to determine the best release date for today’s video. The most active period was in the afternoon. Most Players watched several videos – some even replayed them a few times – before starting their evening gaming session. That, and the fact that his viewers were very invested and loyal to his channel, were Zayn’s most significant advantages. These factors were part of the reason the Dragon Lair Gym website crashed.
Once the website crashed, Mr. Blazer’s interest was picked. It was only a matter of time before Zayn would obtain everything he wanted.
“I believe you,” He said, “But I will call Leonard and some of my colleagues to verify your claims. If I find out that you lied to me…”
Mr. Blaer’s voice was eerily cold near the end of the sentence. He stared intently at Zayn, who continued smiling as if he wasn’t the target of Mr Blaer’s threat.
“That’s fine. Make your calls. I’m not in a hurry,” Zayn gestured to the manager, “I hope you’ll accept my conditions. Both parties will benefit from my proposal.”
Mr. Blaer turned around and dialed a number. He talked to someone for a few minutes before hanging up. His head flicked to Zayn, a trace of confusion flickering in his eyes. The flicker disappeared a moment later. Mr. Blaer returned to calling a few more knowledgeable colleagues about Forgotten Lands, its value, and the most popular Players.
Half an hour passed quickly, but Mr. Blaer wasn’t sure if he should be excited. The information he obtained was…shocking, to say the least. He returned to Zayn, only to find him surrounded by a batch of new members. A few older members of the Dragon Lair Gym also surrounded Zayn.
Mr. Blaer pulled one of them back, only to be glared at.
“Is there an issue, Mr. Blaer? Please excuse me if it’s nothing important. I need to get back to the line. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
“You must be joking, Robert,” Mr. Blaer couldn’t help but exclaim, but the well-trained man stared at the manager dead-serious.
“I never knew that Zayn is the Zayn! You should have told me!! Do you even realize how much money I can rake if he solves the problem?”
“Your problem? Maybe I can help you!”
“You? I’m sorry, but you don’t even play Forgotten Lands. How do you plan to help me find out what Cards I must change to improve my character build?!”
Mr. Blaer frowned but knew better than to keep Robert occupied any longer. There was only one question that had to be answered.
“How much money are we talking about? I mean… I cannot see how a little trick or a slight change in your character build can rake a fortune. Isn’t Forgotten Lands just a game?”
Robert snorted. He would have ignored Mr. Blaer if he wasn’t the manager of the Dragon Lair Gym.
“I think you’re mistaken about a few things. Zayn’s videos helped thousands, if not tens of thousands, quit their jobs and become full-time Gamers. It wouldn’t be exaggerated to say that Zayn created dozens of millionaires through his videos and guides. I don’t think you can imagine how many people are indebted to him…and how many donations he receives daily!”
Robert dismissed Mr. Blaer and turned away. He jumped into the crowd a moment later to get closer to Zayn.
No matter how Mr. Blaer looked at the crowd surrounding Zayn, they were crazy fangirls. They hugged Zayn, thanked him for changing their lives, and some of them even cried aloud.
Zayn maintained his business smile. At last, he saw that Mr. Blaer finished his calls. That meant he could dismiss the crowd.
“Listen, everyone! If you’re signed up with the Dragon Lair Gym, you can get early access to certain content. That includes Advanced Guides about Towns and Cities and more videos related to the importance of mental health, physical strength, and proper body understanding. You might not realize it right now, but far more important factors determine your strength in Forgotten Lands than you can see at first glance.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Zayn retrieved a small business card with a QR code. The card was relatively simple, with a golden frame. The name, Golden Age, was etched in the center.
“The QR Code leads to my workshop’s website. If you’re interested in joining Golden Age, you should take a look. The requirements for all jobs are listed there alongside the monetary benefits. Of course, you will also gain access to even more information and knowledge as you join Golden Age. For some Players, that might be more important. After all, my information network might help you procure suitable Uncommon Cards and highly valuable Rare Cards.”
If someone in the crowd was interested in joining Golden Age, they could try it. Zayn didn’t have many requirements, but that didn’t mean he would make it easy for his employees. Various jobs were needed to establish a proper workshop, and Zayn people were required to work outside Forgotten Lands as well. Combatants, Alchemists, and Blacksmiths were important, but Zayn hoped he could find some managers, secretaries, financial advisors, and so on.
The most difficult positions to reach in Golden Age were combat-related positions. Golden Age would be a workshop filled with the cream of the crop. Zayn used more than enough resources to transform all Players who were interested in Forgotten Lands into stronger players. He didn’t have to use more precious resources to nurture ordinary Players. Golden Age was a place that would nurture mankind’s strongest force.
At least, that was the plan. It was also why the requirements to join as an ‘ordinary’ combatant were extremely high. If they managed to pass the vast variety of tests, they would be nurtured and generously rewarded with Credits, Cards, and equipment. He didn’t do that with the former members of White Clover, but that was mainly because the Players didn’t reach Golden Age’s requirements yet. They had to train with the Magma Goblins first to meet the requirements. If that was not enough…Zayn would have to change the training regimen.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to worry about that yet. For now, he wanted to strike a deal with the Dragon Lair Gym to intensify Golden Age’s training regimen while looking for more members with great potential.
He left a few business cards at the counter before focusing on Mr. Blaer.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I didn’t expect my video to stir so much trouble,” Zayn apologized half-heartedly. He smiled at the manager, who had difficulties controlling his facial features.
Mr. Blaer had to call his superior’s secretary to forward Zayn’s proposal. He was not sure how much time Zayn spent on it, but it was fairly detailed and not complicated. The offered items and demands were also fair in Mr. Blaer’s eyes—now that he found out how influential and popular Zayn was.
Mr. Blaer checked Zayn’s channel, the comment section, and the donation tab. It was shocking. He never expected such a young man to be behind such an intricate and well-designed channel. Out of curiosity, Mr. Blaer looked at the offers on the Golden Age website by scanning the QR Code on Zayn’s business card. The offers were baffling. For a second, Mr. Blaer considered quitting his job to start working for Zayn.
To his misfortune, a call from his boss intercepted his train of thought. Mr Blaer accepted the call. He didn’t say much and merely nodded his head several times.
The call ended, and Mr. Blaer smiled – or tried to – at Zayn.
“The boss agreed to the partnership. He will sign the proposal tonight.”
It was great to seal some beneficial deals. Both he and the Dragon Lair Gym would gain something. The best thing was that Zayn didn’t have to invest money to advertise Golden Age to suitable targets. The targets were already waiting for him in the Dragon Lair Gym.
He released another video – a short one – about Golden Age and the open application for all occupations.
In the same video, Zayn revealed information about his partnership with the Dragon Lair Gym and that every member of Golden Age could get a discount of up to 60% for every facility affiliated with the Dragon Lair Gym. At the same time, there were more specialized courses, including courses for various martial arts that could be useful for Berserkers, Vanguards, Assassins, and so forth.
At the same time, the members of the Dragon Lair Gym could gain a great advantage as well. As long as they were Forgotten Lands Players, they would get access to a few more videos that couldn’t be found on Zayn’s channel. Following that, Zayn revealed some information about the salary for every spot in the Golden Age workshop. Zayn gave a much higher salary than most workshops because he hoped to lure some future powerhouses into Forgotten Lands before it was too late.
Many future powerhouses never played Forgotten Lands, yet they transformed into mighty Assassins, Archmagus, Sorceress, Swordmasters, and so on.
Zayn was sure that his advertisement and the salary he offered wouldn’t be enough to convince many future powerhouses to play Forgotten Lands, but that was fine. It would already be enough if he convinced one or two future powerhouses to start their journey a little bit earlier. In the worst case, he could always create his army of powerhouses. That was also an option!
Within hours, Zayn’s videos took the internet by storm. They gained millions of views in no time and landed on #1 in all trending ranks all over the Forgotten Lands forums, as well as MeTube.
But Zayn didn’t know anything about the commotion he caused. He was too busy purchasing buildings.