The man in the suit didn’t seem like somebody that would actively take people’s orders, he looked more like someone that would give out orders instead. Sora would feel a bit awkward about having the son of a CEO serving him. He was hesitating and the man in the suit seemed to have noticed that.

“How about I join you instead? The staff wouldn’t dare to neglect you if I am at the same table.”

“...I guess I would prefer that over you serving me.”

“Great! I’ll get someone’s attention. By the way, my name is Kira.”

“My name is Sora.”

The name Kira seemed familiar to Sora, he had probably heard it in his last life at some point since he had definitely not met him at any point. Sora strained his brain while Kira was getting the attention of one of the waitresses, that walked over nervously. Sora was able to pull up a little information from his past life. Sora couldn’t quite pull the pieces together, the waitress took his order and left the two men alone to talk.

“So, other than the bad experience you just had, how is this diner?”

“The food is at a reasonable price and the taste is good, the place is clean for the most part and that was the only time I have been treated so poorly. Overall I think it’s on the right track.”

“What would you want to change?”

Sora began thinking back to his past life, since he used to get food from this diner all the time. He remembered that the time when he started to frequently eat food from here was when they introduced a food delivery service. The service was extremely popular since it delivered good food to people who were at home playing “The Divine Path”. The more the game grew, the more the company grew. Sora suddenly remembered something after he recalled the delivery service. One of the guilds that had risen to the top was sponsored by PointFoods Inc., the company that was in charge of the diner he was currently in. There was also a man who had led the guild, claiming to be the CEO. Sora imagined the guild leader while looking at Kira, it only took a second to realise that he was the same person. PointFoods Inc. had risen due to “The Divine Path” so it was believable that someone from the company had started to make a name for themselves in game. Sora didn’t know enough about Kira to tell if he was good or bad, he had never really associated with him due to the fact that their guilds were in different factions. He didn’t seem bad right now and his first impression gave him the feeling that Kira was a very fair person. Sora decided that it would at least be better to be on his good side.

“I think a delivery service would put your entire company above every other food industry.”

“...That’s a bold claim, what makes you so confident?”

“Have you ever heard of ‘The Divine Path’?”

“Sure, it’s a pretty popular game that had just come out. It’s popularity has only been going up ever since it released. System Synthesis Inc. has even already started to work on their next system, they claim that it would be affordable to even an average household.”

“What do you think will happen when that system releases? How will the majority of the people spend their days?”

“Well, if the game keeps climbing in popularity then they will probably spend most of their… days… at home.”

Kira started to trail off, becoming immersed in his thoughts. He didn’t even notice when the waitress came back with their drinks. His pupils suddenly shrank as if making a shocking discovery. He even stood up abruptly, walking out of the door with a phone in hand. Sora could see him pacing back and forth, making phone call after phone call. Sora was able to nearly finish his food by the time Kira had finished talking on the phone. He ran back in with an excited look on his face, still calculating many things as he sat down.

“I made a few calls and I think you might be right, the game will only go higher and higher, making the convenience of delivery even more wanted. The game even has it’s own growing economy, meaning some people will be staying home as a form of work. Work, relaxation, socialization, entertainment, dating; all of those things and more will be at their fingertips, so of course they would be more inclined to stay at home. Do you play the game?”

“That’s right, I only came out to grab something to eat and help clear my mind a bit.”

“How would advertising work? Ah, I mean you have already given me enough ideas, this is something that I would need to figure out since I will be running the company officially someday.”

“I was wondering why the son of the CEO had so much authority, so you will be taking over your father's position?”

“It’s more like I already have. My father is too sick to work anymore, I have pretty much been running the company since before I even became an adult. A lot of people don’t even know who I am, only some of the higher management positions has seen me at some meetings… Well, I have a lot of planning to do, I will try to get into the game when I have time. You said you play the game, how should I get ahold of you?”

“If you join The Eastern Legion faction then all you have to do is find someone with ‘Phoenix Rising’ above their heads. Tell them to let Ethereal know that Kira wants to speak with him. If you join any other faction then it will be a lot harder to make contact.”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Alright, I will see you then.”

Kira left in a hurry, jumping into an expensive looking car before taking off. The staff at the diner all relaxed a little as he left but didn’t dare slack off since it looked like he knew Sora. Sora had wanted Kira to just add him as a friend but his friend invites have been constantly appearing with new names, so it would be hard to even know which one was him. Sora ordered a coffee and drank it before leaving the diner.

…..

Kira could be seen in a store owned by System synthesis Inc., purchasing a brand new VR system. The entire place had “The Divine Path” merchandise filling various shelves, one wall even had a TV that was tuned into a media that covered everything that happened in the game. He was currently talking on the phone with someone, trying to set up a date for a meeting to take place. He was about to head up to the counter and checkout but was suddenly stopped when he heard the name ‘Phoenix Rising’ coming from the TV. He suddenly hung up on the person he was talking to as he stood in front of the TV, listening to the recent events.

“... justice has once again been executed as a group that forcefully charged players to find passage through an area in the game was cleanly exterminated within seconds. The new outpost that was created by ‘Ethereal’, our top contender for the number one player in the game, along with being the leader of the very first guild in the game, has once again earned himself the respect of the community. He was able to smash the swindling group within a matter of seconds, even setting up signs to help the general populace find their way instead. Those that were a part of the group has been blacklisted from the outpost, a punishment that none of us want to endure.”

“I’m not sure what they were thinking, they even had the courage to use his name as a means to scare people into paying them. Plus the outpost has some of the best EXP rates in this stage of the game. There have even been a few reports that there is a possibility of TWO bosses that could spawn within the chasm. The group of bandits has truly made a huge blunder this time. On behalf of the little guys, we thank you for delivering justice, Lord Ethereal!”

“Hahaha, although we are thankful, I don’t know if we are ready to call him ‘Lord’ quite yet. Anyways, thanks to the effort of ‘Phoenix Rising’, the shabby looking outpost has become a hotspot for many players. They were able to stop many fights and even help other players find their way around the area. As the first guild, they are setting a good example of how you should act. On a side note, the hot springs within the chasm has also received some renovations that separate it by gender, making it a bit more welcoming for those that didn’t like the mixed bathing.”

“Another player that has come into light is Blossom, a primary member of ‘Phoenix Rising’ that has earned the nickname ‘Red Devil’. We have exclusive cov…”

Kira was shocked, he didn’t suspect that the simple meeting had actually been with one of the most famous players in the game. He continued watching for a full hour as the announcers recapped a lot of the events that have been happening within the game. The name ‘Phoenix Rising’ had come up a lot, showing Kira how famous Sora really was. There was a clip of him fighting against Julius, a clip of him fighting against the people who tried to steal the bandit boss, and a few more small clips that showed him in different areas. There was also a few clips that had Blossom and LeeLee, the one with the most popularity being when Blossom attacked the man that was insulting Athenes. Kira got more and more excited to play the game as he watched the report, all the way until the end. He checked the time and realised it had gotten later than he thought. He bought the VR system before taking off once again.

The entire road trip had taken a good 30 minutes due to traffic, which gave him plenty of time to think about what to do next. He was stuck between making his own guild or trying to join Sora’s. He was a little tired of being the one in charge of everything, even he wanted a break from being the man in charge and have some time to enjoy himself, he could just never afford that luxury. He was lost in his thoughts until a car horn had woken him up, he ended up daydreaming after the light had turned green.

He finally stopped in front of a hospital, parking his car and heading up to one of the top floors. The hospital was extravagant, even more so the higher up you go. At the last floor Kira got off of the elevator, heading to a room near the end of the hall. The room was huge and had many luxuries that normal rooms didn’t. A giant TV, a personal mini fridge, a couch and some chairs for visitors,and many other things that made the place feel more comfortable. A man was currently in a bed near the center of the room, breathing steadily and watching TV. Kira approached him slowly before sitting down at a chair near the edge of the bed. When the man saw who had sat next to him a warm smile appeared on his stoic face.

“Kira my boy, it is already quite late don’t you know?”

“I’m sorry father… I got caught up in my own things…”

“...Was it work again? I can always tell them to lay off of you a little.”

“No, this time it was due to me watching a program for too long, I was so absorbed into it that I didn't even notice the time flying by.”

“Hahaha, that’s fine then, it’s good to see you enjoying your own time for once. So, what was this program about?”

“I have a lot to tell you, we can save the program for last or else it would ruin the surprise.”

Kira started to tell the story about his trip to the local diner, starting from when Sora walked into the door. The man listened patiently as his son seemed to have the excitement of a child as he told his tale. Once the man heard about how the staff had treated him he felt a lot of regret for not being able to personally handle the situation, he was impressed on how he handled it and a smile once again appeared. Kira told the man about the suggestion that Sora had made and even he got a little excited, especially when he started to explain some of the details of the calls he made. His story covered everything that happened from the moment Sora walked into the moment he arrived at the hospital. The man didn’t understand too much about the game but as a businessman he was able to understand the influence it had.

“So you met this Ethereal guy? What did you think of him?”

“Hmmm… he seemed cautious but not cowardly. With just one sentence he has already started a huge reaction within our company, so I think his insight is pretty good. Plus he was able to become the top player in the game so he must have a lot of skill in that regard.”

“...What do you plan to do in the game?”

“I’m not sure yet, I need to get in and check out the community while finding a way to advertise. I’ll also need to make a name for myself or else nobody will listen to me. I also ne-”

“How about you just try to have fun for now? If you can live a fun life then I will have no regrets once I pass.”

“...On one condition.”

“Oh? Trying to make conditions with your old man huh, haha? Alright, let’s hear it.”

“I’ll only try to have fun if you fight your hardest to survive this disease…”

“But the doctor said the chances were extreme-”

“It’s still a chance!… it’s still a chance.”

The man looked at the watery eyes of his son, trying to fight back tears of his own. He had already given up hope thanks to the small chance and decided to not receive any treatment since it would only mean more work for his son. He had been so focused on making his son's life easier that he forgot about how much it would hurt him if he were to pass. Now that he could see a future where his son could have fun the man wanted to be here to see it become reality, in that moment an incredible will to live had been born.

“Alright… I’ll fight it to the end.”

That simple sentence had taken the weight off of Kira’s chest. The future that Sora had seen, will never be seen again.