"Can we just start off by addressing the elephant in the room?" Viktor spoke over the chattering of the sponsors as he got to his feet. Idle conversations came to an abrupt halt, with some of the sponsors giving him looks of indignation. All of them had been excitedly talking about Abidden's surge of popularity, with most of them unaware of who James Sylvester was. Some of the more engaged sponsors were exchanging quick rundowns of what happened the previous night in-game.

Viktor sighed inwardly, knowing that most of them hadn't even read the briefing before coming to the meeting. "We're at an unprecedented point of popularity with Abidden and the wave is only going to get stronger. Quentin's implementation of the Vendetta system, coupled with the new direction of player versus player encounters... We are moving into a new phase of Abidden. It's a phase that the old roster of Heroes is woefully unsuited to. A Standard Rank Wildcard, by the name of James Sylvester... completed a Legendary Class Quest last night. He had only been in the game a few days when he achieved that feat. The media will grasp onto the fact that he is an E-Classer, or they'll focus their attention on the fact that he's a former member of the original Paragons. None of those things matter right now, because the most key factor in James Sylvester's rise to prominence... is his competence."

Viktor scanned the faces around the room and was happy to see that he had their full attention. "James Sylvester, known in Abidden as the Dread Pirate Sylvian, is probably the most prolific character in all of Abidden. He has only been in the game for less than a week. A few months ago, he was battling for his life in slum arcades in the outer districts. How could Percivus, CurioSity or ShieldBro ever hope to compete against someone like that? We're no longer in the age of celebrity endorsements and using Abidden as a commercial platform. If we want to compete with the Wildcards and the Paragons, we need to become competitive and competent. I propose a drastic reshuffle of the current roster of Heroes, but rather than speaking from a place of ignorance, I'd like to introduce you to McClean who many of you are likely already familiar with." With that said, Viktor gestured for McClean to take a stand and the former Scumlord happily obliged.

"Thank you, Viktor." McClean started with a nod before turning to the rest of the room. Viktor had made the perfect stage by highlighting the current inadequacy of the Hero roster, while presenting McClean as their potential saviour. The eSports Consultant was more than happy to share his thoughts with the top-tier of wealth in District One. All he needed to do was impress one of them and his future would be practically guaranteed.

"James Sylvester achieved in two days what TroyLegal couldn't achieve in two years. If we look at Ethan Davenport as an example of a player who genuinely tried his best in game, his results pale in comparison to the Dread Pirate. Chasing the metrics of popularity and influence are no longer going to cut it in Abidden. There is a definite shift towards competence and it's incredibly refreshing to see. We have a small window of opportunity now, because the Paragons are getting to grips with their new classes and abilities. We have seen that they are fallible, with Greaves and Khance getting killed by Jorgen Baw on his first day in-game. That same day, Ethan Davenport was dispatched by Kincso. We could watch those fights on screen, but it wouldn't fill anyone here with confidence in Ethan." McClean paused to let that fact sink in and shared a brief smile with Viktor. Their plan was to paint Jorgen's achievements against the other Paragons rather than his defeat to the Dread Pirate. If there was any chance of reviving the Scumlords, this was likely it.

"In the space of a few days, since the Raid Night, Helena has been helping each of the Paragons with their ascendancy quests. Many of them are at Master or Unique rank already, with only a few hours of game time under their belt as Villains. It's a clear indicator that team-based play is the main advantage of the Paragons. They're friends with excellent chemistry and understand how each other works. If we looked at the current Hero roster, can you point out two Heroes who would happily sit in the same room together? There are no natural pairings, which means you're putting incompetent individuals up against seasoned teams. To compete at a high level with the Paragons and the new intake of Wildcards, you're going to need to make some dramatic changes."

Once again, the room remained quiet as McClean's words took hold. There were a few stoic expressions in the group and McClean knew he had his work cut out for him. "Do you want to be aligned with winners and top-performers, or with a Hero that flails around in-game, inviting defeat and humiliation at the hands of your competitors? The introduction of player versus player has shifted the competitive landscape of Abidden, and we're very much in an 'Us versus Them' environment. Do you want to continue pumping money into losers, or do you finally want to win?"

Without so much as another word, McClean took a seat and relinquished the room back to Viktor who found himself laughing awkwardly. He hadn't anticipated that McClean would be so... direct with the sponsors. Thankfully, many of the faces in the room were pensive and it looked as though McClean's thoughts had resonated with them.

A single hand raised into the air, catching everyone's attention. It was a greying man who had an expensive looking blanket draped over his rounded shoulders. His smile was wistful as he placed his hand back on the table and spoke to the room. "I'll get the ball rolling then. Troy will not be returning to Abidden. We're going to keep our Hero slot as we'd like to continue our investment in Abidden. That said, I don't trust a word that comes from your mouth." His finger pointed at Viktor, but his face held a rueful smile. "But I can't help but agree with your sentiments. I would very much like to have a brand ambassador that had a positive and capable image. Don't suppose that Dread Pirate is up for auction?"

Sarah Dryksell snorted from the other side of the room. Her arms were still folded in front of her as she glanced at the older man. "Unless you want to try outbidding Nox Holdings, I wouldn't bother."

The greying man jokingly shielded his face and bowed his head. "Pretend I didn't even ask! Lest we incur her wrath." He turned to Viktor and McClean with an easy smile back on his face. "I agree with a lot of what you're proposing, but rather than proceeding with one of your teams... I'd rather get into bed with the demons I know." His hands gestured at the sponsors that sat all around him. "Rather than the demons, I don't." His gesture narrowed until his palms were facing McClean and Viktor.

Stolen novel; please report.

A few amused faces appeared in the crowd, and almost as if the first conversation had opened the floodgates, another hand rose into the air. Much to the surprise of everyone, it was the Matriarch of Nexus Rigs. Dayna smiled apologetically at the sponsors who had started to raise their hands but continued to speak regardless. "Nexus Rigs has always tried to remain impartial when it comes to the running of Abidden. Our business is making Rigs for the top competitive players in the World. We win, regardless of which side they play for. I would be incredibly happy to continue down this path, but I am getting older and my way of doing things isn't really paving the way for the next generation. My children want to become more actively involved in Abidden. We're still in the early discussion stages about if we're going to create a subsidiary which will work separately to the Nexus Rigs brand, but what I can say with certainty, is that we're going to be sponsoring a Hero of our own. So, if one of you wants to sell their seat on the Roster, Nexus Rigs is buying."

Sarah Dryksell was the first out of the gate. "Dayna, let's talk separately. We still own Percivus' seat as he was sponsored by Dryksell Pharmaceuticals. We're sponsoring Khance now, so there's a bit of a double-up." A few others made eye-contact with Dayna and gestured that they'd call her afterwards. The lure of a big cash-out during a time of uncertainty was more than enticing enough for some of the sponsors. Nexus Rigs were poised to take the lead out of all the sponsors present as they already had contracts with the top gamers around the world. As the market leader in the cutting-edge technology for virtual reality rigs, they would be able to use their subsidiary to potentially poach the top talent for their team.

Dayna raised her hands with a genuine smile. "Thank you all, I'll happily speak with all of you. Who knows, at this rate we might even end up fielding a full team!" Her laugh was musical, and many found themselves joining in with her. Only Viktor and McClean stood at the sidelines with grimaces on their faces. A team was exactly what they had been pushing for, but their intent was to get the Scumlords into consideration. Nexus Rigs taking top talent in from other games would be a definite thorn in their side. To make matters worse, one of the other sponsors had brought up yet another elephant in the room.

Viktor sighed as he saw Leo Bastien smiling at him. "It goes without saying that you're probably trying to pitch us the idea of the Scumlords as the whole package? You even have McClean here talking to us like we're children and that we don't know what's best for the game. It may be a new era, but the last era was just as profitable as this one. We've turned with each tide, and yes, it may not have been as entertaining for the audience, but we got our fair share of revenues. If I choose to put JeffX in this new Abidden, that's my choice. I'll still make money from him getting killed by the Villains."

With a tilt of his head McClean started to speak but Viktor cut him off. This sponsor was not one that could be reasoned with. The best thing to do was let them run out of steam. "So, let's look at the facts? We have the former agent of Percivus who got the sack when his Hero was cut from the roster. We have a consultant from the eSports scene who used to be a player. But your only relevant accomplishment is a District One Invitational semi-final defeat from ten years ago? That's like coming third or fourth, right? You know what they say, when you can't cut it yourself, you teach others how to cut it. I looked up the others, and well... we'd be doing you all a favour by sponsoring you. There's nothing that indicates that any of you can cut it. But just in case there is someone else in this room that is willing to look beyond all those flaws... To negotiate with the Scumlords, means that you'd need to work with Elisabeth Volte."

Viktor wanted to leap across the table and strangle Leo who was giving him a shit-eating grin. However, he knew that he needed to be composed if there was any hope of his plan succeeding. Giving his opponent a level stare and returning the smile, Viktor began his counterattack. "Jorgen Baw is the only person on the Hero roster who has defeated the Paragons. Not ten years ago, but yesterday afternoon. He has shown us that the Paragons are not insurmountable and that they can be brought down one by one. You may be happy to align yourself with a brand ambassador that loses, there are many avenues for the players to build a following. We saw Scarr build a massive fan-base as a bit of a comedian in the game. Scarr's gone on to show how fiercely capable he is. JeffX is nowhere near his level. How will your fans react when performances are cut short by battles? When monsters start invading JeffX's space? You have to remember that Quentin lowered the game to meet your needs, now you're going to have to meet Quentin's."

The sponsor's smile faltered for a moment, and the greying man with the blanket around his shoulders gave a low chuckle. "I was right not to trust that silver tongue. Leo, you need to cut the boy or force him to play the game. He makes our entire side look bad." The tone was gentle, but it carried weight that made some of the other sponsors blanch. Leo's eyes narrowed for a moment before he sighed in defeat. "I'll see what the kid thinks. I know he was pissed that a Wildcard pretended to be him and killed that other guy. Besides, he's suited to being a Bard character." Much to everyone's surprise, Leo tapped at the tablet in front of him and turned it to everyone in the room. "We have a few other heavy hitters in the music scene, but I don't know how they'd match up to competitive gaming? I think we'll hold onto the Bard class for now."

At that very moment, Kell Daystar walked into the room with Quentin Bell walking right behind him. Their faces showed their surprise as they caught the tail end of the current discussion. Quentin slid into a seat and smiled eagerly at everyone around the table, his hand waving emphatically at Leo to continue talking. "Please, please... go on. We're just back from the Wildcards recruitment process so apologies for the delay. Great to see that you've already kicked off though!" With the mention of the Wildcards recruitment, everyone went silent, including Leo who was now looking at the new arrivals with a curious expression on his face. Viktor's face was a picture of bitterness as he returned to his seat with an attempt of a smile shot in Quentin's direction. The person that used the silence to interject was Kell who happily introduced a few developments from the Villains side.

"Just to keep things fair between the Heroes and Villains, you'll all have the opportunity to sponsor the Wildcard applicants. The caveat though is that you'll have a lot less control than you're used to, with the players having full autonomy with their playstyle and actions in-game. We're going to introduce them in phases, but we've decided on six new people today" Kell began with an easy-going tone, before he dropped a fact that destroyed the room. "Also, in relation to full-disclosure. I should inform you all that I'm currently a Wildcard in Abidden. I was the person that impersonated JeffX and killed Percivus. I will be working in a reduced capacity and removing myself from areas of the business that might give me a competitive advantage."

Leo could only stare at Kell in a numb shock. The media-guru that had made them all even richer was now working in the game. Another chuckle escaped the blanketed man. "I'd be curious to see the legalities of this. There's definitely a conflict of interest here somewhere." Despite his words having a threatening edge to them, the older man seemed genuinely amused by the situation.

Kell's next words didn’t manage to put anyone at ease. "Everything checked out with our Legal Counsel, but there might be a bit of bias there since she's a Wildcard too!"