James couldn't tell if it was down to his explosive laughter, or that Nox had revealed he had relinquished his negotiation rights, but the atmosphere in the room had turned freezing. There were no more smiles directed toward him, and the stream of platitudes had evaporated. Sombre faces took their seats almost in resignation, as though this was a dance they were already very familiar with.

Nox gestured for James to take a seat at her side, which he did without question. He absentmindedly looked at the interface on his wrist and wondered what the new ones would be like. By the time he had looked up, the pitches had already started. Three or four voices all began at once, each one hoping to silence the competition. Maybe it was for the sanity of everyone in the room, but Nox raised a hand to quieten them all. The last remaining voice that continued to speak was met with a level stare from the S-Classer. His tone crackled as though he had rediscovered puberty before finally falling silent.

"We're not turning this into a circus, anymore than it has to be." Nox began with a sigh. "We have an appointment coming up that we cannot miss. I will allow each of you a few moments to make your pitch, and if it's of interest, we'll discuss the options. I can tell you now that we're taking a firm stance on James' availability. His priority is playing in Abidden, so anything that requires him to be out of the game will be out of the question. Understood?"

When nobody answered immediately, Nox raised her head up and down slowly, as if teaching them how to answer her. A few of them followed suit with a nod of both understanding and compliance. Just as Nox was about to continue, one man let out an audible sigh as he tapped the table in front of him. He shook his head before loosening the cuffs of his fitted shirt, exasperation written all over his face. As he rolled his sleeves up, he spoke in a slow and calculated manner.

"He'll become yesterday's news in a flash if you keep him hidden away. The headlines have already shifted from the heartwarming rags-to-riches narrative to the speculation of the Scumlords reuniting. Even the announcement of a documentary, an origin story... or the workings of a movie? That will cement his relevance with our audiences. Don't hide him away in the game..."

This time, the nods that followed weren't scripted or goaded out of the other executives. It appeared many of them agreed with the speaker. James noted the man and wondered which brand or opportunity he represented.

Nox had leaned forward with her arms crossed in front of her. "If you'd like to make a wager with me about his relevance fading, I'll happily take you up on it. At this moment in time, we're going to avoid interviews. James wishes to focus on his in-game performance and as his sponsor, I wholly support his decision." Before the man could so much as utter another word, Nox's voice cut him off. "Even if we were to explore opportunities such as movie deals and mini-series, we'd likely align with a more... tasteful production company."

A derisive snort was all Nox got from him as he got to his feet. Grabbing his jacket, he looked at another seated individual who did not stand. Sighing with a shake of his head and a rueful laugh, the rejected vulture made his way to the door where Hobbs stood at the ready. Nox didn't miss the interaction and focused her attention on the person who had just been stared down. "Should I assume you had a similar pitch to Armin?"

Without missing so much as a beat, the younger man launched straight into a well-rehearsed pitch. His hands were up and framing the scene, while his eyes darted around each of the people at the table excitedly. James didn't even catch his glance.

"Soulmates is a popular new company that pairs up people that are destined to be together. We've got an incredible roster of potential suitors that could be matched to the Dread Captain! Mr. Sylvester won't have any time... as you say, because he'll be so busy gaming, so how will he meet his one true love? Soulmates can help him. Imagine it? An E-Classer, paired up with an A-Class celebrity? Such a couple could end up-"

"Enough!" Nox interrupted in a strained voice. "You can play matchmaker as much as you want, but I won't be signing off on any business opportunities relating to it."

James had assumed that the man would become hostile or discouraged after such a swift rebuke, but he merely grinned as he got to his feet. A slight wink was aimed at James, who finally seemed to exist in this man's eye. "Matchmaker we shall be then. We'll send profiles directly to Mr. Sylvester... completely free of charge and obligation, of course." With that said, he, too, left the table. Instead of leaving just like his predecessor, he moved into one of the private meeting rooms with the reflective screens.

The meeting went on for what felt like an age to James, but Nox didn't seem to falter in the slightest. It was almost as though she was fuelled by their disappointment. Some deals got through her, such as an apparel line themed on the Dread Pirate. One of the more interesting ones was a toy manufacturer that wanted the rights to making replicas of the Dread Pirate's weapons, and small plushies of Otto. Another that seemed fun was the company that wanted a theme park ride based on the Legendary Class Quest. Much to James' disappointment, the idea was shot down by Nox. Drink sponsorships were dismissed, the themed car was also a non-runner, the movie companies were fobbed off with a request for scripts and the rest of people at the table eventually conceded and offered lame plans to send over proposals that might be of better interest. One of the few that got a maybe was a music production company that wanted to create a Dread Pirate theme song.

James could only marvel at how Nox conducted the whole meeting. Most of the people at the table had launched straight from a pitch into a negotiation, but when the buyer wasn't remotely interested, they only ended up negotiating against themselves. It left Nox in an incredibly powerful position to just swoop in at the end and take them up on some offers, with all the favourable options on her side of the table. The cool and collected atmosphere only emboldened the vultures, each of them trying to embolden the S-Classer and get a reaction from her, and yet, there they were at the end, with Nox as the ultimate victor. She even had the good grace to smile at them as she got to her feet.

"If you choose to use the meeting rooms for contract negotiations, let my staff know and they'll organise refreshments for you. Myself and James have another appointment."

Nox gestured for James to follow her as she descended the steps.

"Just the architects left to meet, and then you'll be free!"

----------------------------------------

As soon as the door had closed behind them, Nox turned to James with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Since I'm your mentor now, I might as well explain what just happened back there. I'm always suspicious of people that have a pitch so soon after an event, it usually feels half-baked or desperate. The exceptions to that feeling are the companies that know their value proposition and stick to it. Merchandise is something we can control. Public appearances and interviews have too many variables."

Nox continued to walk as she explained her reasoning behind the choices she made. James was at first surprised at the level of insight she was granting him, but that only lasted a second as he absorbed her advice.

"I won't be controlling your personal life. That will be down to the brand manager that we assign to you. I can guarantee that they'll shoot down whatever candidates that 'Soulmates' company will send over, so don't get your hopes up. Any company associated with Playmates is questionable in my eyes. On the surface, they look like a high-end prostitution service, but their principal product is influence. Don't let them get their claws into you."

James thought back to the woman that he had met at the sponsorship event that had almost seduced him. If that was who they sent over when he was a nobody, he was curious to think of who they'd send now that he was a high-value target.

With a click of her fingers, a panel of the wall suddenly opened to reveal an elegant elevator. Nox didn't hesitate as she walked straight in, but paused when she saw James' surprised expression. A rare laugh escaped her lips as she gestured for him to join her. "Secret elevators and rooms keep things interesting. If you like this sort of stuff, you're going to enjoy the next part."

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

James shook his head in wonder as he entered the elegant space. Screens lined one wall, each showing a different feed of the public spaces around Nox Holdings. The elevator felt like a hub for Nox to monitor everything that happened in the building. James' first thought escaped him before he could catch himself. "Are you secretly a super-villain?"

Nox's laugh turned into a wry smile. "Super-villain? I'll take that as a compliment. Then again, I'm sure there are thousands of my tenants that would probably agree with you."

They had only stood in the elevator for the briefest of moments before the doors opened to reveal an entirely new space. If James had to guess, he would have said that it was Nox's office. An impossibly high ceiling was made completely of glass or some transparent material. The walls should have been bathed in light from the sun, but were covered with a series of interactive screens. Some of them had video feeds from the building, whilst others showcased news reports and financials. Every surface that met his gaze held new information and reports, condensed into digestible insights. Only one of them was dedicated to the Dread Pirate and Abidden, which James found oddly reassuring. Nox had a property empire to run, and his sponsorship was just a small drop in the ocean in the greater scheme of things.

"I like him already. Can I show him my other buildings too?" A woman's voice laughed from an area of the room that James hadn't even registered yet. The E-Classer turned from the walls to see a large interactive table at the far side of the room. Hobbs was already there, holding a decanter of coffee away from the woman who had just spoken. When James finally made eye-contact with her, she beamed with a wide gesture to the surrounding walls. "Do you like it?"

"It's incredible." James answered honestly as he walked towards the table. He had assumed there would be luxurious pieces of art and furniture everywhere, but everything in sight was modern and practical. Nox didn't even spare a glance at any of the surrounding screens as she made her way to the table. But instead of the all-business attitude that James expected, Nox embraced the woman briefly before recoiling immediately.

"When was the last time you had a shower?" Nox scoffed as she moved away from her friend. Hobbs chuckled at the mock indignation that crossed the woman's face. James did not know how to react, which was only made worse when the woman hopped to her feet and strode over to him. "How can you stand these people, James? Us normal people need to stick together."

Nox smiled as she gestured at the architect. "James, this sleep deprived zombie is Zee. She'll be the one designing the Dread Tower." Nox adjusted her hand and restarted. "Zee, this is James Sylvester. He's the Dread Captain in Abidden and the person responsible for your deadline being moved forward."

At those words, James' eyes widened in realisation. He whirled around and apologised, but Zee's laughter caught him off guard. "Nox, can I keep him? I don't think I've ever had someone apologise to me so earnestly!"

The CEO took a seat and gestured for Hobbs to pour her a drink. With her other hand, she tapped the table twice in quick succession. The result was immediate, with a large blueprint appearing out of nowhere, rotating silently on the spot. James' breath caught in his throat at the mere sight of the building concept, which differed from anything he had ever seen. Instead of the normally sleek designs that were almost a trademark of Nox Holdings, this one looked like it was pulled from a scene in Abidden. Huge yellow tentacles wrapped around the tower, sprouting from the ground and reaching into the sky to grasp at the ascending Tempest. Just the sight of it was breathtaking. Zee, however, was frowning. "No, ignore that one. I'm blaming sleep deprivation!"

Nox merely rotated the image around on the table. The only indicator of her reaction was a single raised eyebrow. Hobbs stood stoically and at the ready, which made James' reaction even more potent.

"It's absolutely amazing!" James interjected as he unconsciously took a step closer to investigate. The body of the Void Kraken wasn't visible at all, but the tentacles were positively menacing. The building itself was a shimmering black with moving ripples, representing the dark waters of the Dread Lake. He watched it rotate a full two times, taking in all the minute details.

Nox sighed as she tapped her hand once again, bringing up the next building. James was a little disappointed at the sudden disappearance of his clear favourite, but he kept an open mind. The next design was much more in line with the typical buildings owned by Nox Holdings. It was a shard of black that pierced the sky. There was no immediate sign that it had anything to do with the Dread Pirate, but Zee quickly followed up with her reasoning.

"This is quite a basic one, but I think you'll get the idea. The building itself could be based on the Charlatan's Cutlass, which we could launch immediately as a phase one project. All we need is to refit one of our existing buildings, and we'd be ready to launch in just a few weeks. It would just be the basics to begin with, and we could launch each floor as they're ready."

Nox barely glanced at the building as she turned her tired gaze to the grinning architect. "You've shown the crazy one and the safe one, now show me the real one."

James watched as Zee tapped the table again to reveal her final concept. Instead of just an exterior design, this one showcased several segments throughout the building. Whatever loyalty James had to the first concept, it went straight out the window upon seeing the third one. Zee's voice narrated his suspicions as she happily showcased her concept.

"The Dread Tower is laid out as a journey through James' career in Abidden so far. We start off with the ground floor lobby with a journey to ten years ago! It's the District One Invitational, with the promotional art of the Paragons in their big fight. I didn't know if that was something James would want, so I've put in this one too." Zee tapped a section of the image, which erased the lobby theme and replaced it with a replica of the Pantheon. "This one is probably easier to implement, and you could have the Gods interacting with guests or something. The open space could be used for gift shops or whatever you'd want to put there."

James looked at the tiny image of himself squaring off against Calista as the centrepiece of the lobby. He couldn't help but smile at the concept of there being a gift shop somewhere in that wide space. Zee glanced up at Nox's face and grinned as she moved the image to the next floor. "What if we had Maris' song playing as our guests make their way to the second floor? We could have themed suites for the different encounters. Otto, Maris, the Naga and that little fish thing that died? Black walls with a shimmered effect, maybe flashes of red scales here and there. It would really add to the immersion."

Nox reached across and tapped one of the higher floors, her eyes glancing over it before tapping another one at random. James was staring at the top of the tower. All the floors were blank, which he assumed was because he hadn't been playing the game for very long. The architect paused mid-sentence when she caught James's expression.

"Ah yes, the club! At the very peak of the tower, I was thinking we could make an exclusive club for guests and VIP members. 'The Tempest' was my working title for it, but it doesn't really lend itself to the atmosphere. Maybe a Vampire theme? Oh, and above it is the Penthouse where our Dread Captain will be staying." Zee finished her sentence by pointing at the very top of the Dread Tower, catching James completely off guard.

Before James could even react, Nox was speaking. "I like this one. We can lean into the District One Invitational, but I don't want to romanticise the hardships James went through. We might look at making the Neophyte Bar and DV8 Cafe as the lobby attractions, besides a few merchandise options. Hobbs, sync up with Nexus Rigs to see if they want a piece of the pie." With a simple wave of the hand, Nox dismissed the ground floor of the building and was watching the second floor like a hawk.

"Set up a conversation with Kell Daystar. I want to know how close we can tie our themes to Abidden, but if we get the go-ahead... I'd like to use as much of James's journey as possible. I want themed conference rooms, suites and restaurants. Let's use Rayth and the different factions. I want some concepts for the Guardians of the Dread Lake, and also for the Heroes."

Zee tapped one of the higher rooms of the tower, which revealed a scene that looked like a museum. James looked closer at the display that had expanded out at the architect's touch. A statue of Jageranimus stood beside a screen, showcasing the highlights of their recent fight. James' eyes darted to all the other statues in the room, all of which were modelled after the current roster of heroes and had yet to be defeated. It was like a 'Hall of Fame' for the Dread Pirate, but also doubled as a to-do list for James. Nox simply made a noise of approval as she, too, looked closely at the concept.

As Zee started talking to Nox about the more technical components, James zoned out of their conversation. His eyes instead went back to the top of the tower, where he was apparently going to live. It obviously wouldn't be for a long time, but it was still an exciting prospect. Just below his penthouse was a space for a club of some sort. Zee's words of it maybe being a Vampire theme suddenly reminded him of a decision he had been putting off. It felt like the perfect match-up.

"Sorry to interrupt." James began as he raised his gaze to look at both Nox and Zee. The architect seemed to catch herself mid-sentence, as though finally remembering that James was in the room. Nox just turned her head towards him with a curious expression on her face.

"I'm going to be selecting the 'Night Haven' upgrade for the Tempest. It was a tough choice, but with me becoming a vampire and aligning with Vetra and Dervius, I feel like it's the smartest choice for me at the moment. What do you think about 'Night Haven' as a potential club venue? It would be both Tempest and Vampire themed." James suggested as he pointed at the top of the tower.

Nox smiled as she reached towards the floor in question and made a tick gesture on the plan. James suddenly realised the scope of the task at hand and shuddered involuntarily. Her calculated tone spoke once again, but this time with the slightest hint of exasperation.

"That's one confirmed, only another hundred or so left to decide on."