Chapter 32 - 31: Offers, Upgrades, and New Beginnings
"Let’s not waste time, Leon. Name your price—we want you in ARES."
The ARES Guild’s chief executive sat across from Leon in a conference room that screamed luxury. A marble table, leather chairs that probably cost more than cars, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city’s financial district created an atmosphere of opulence.
Two bodyguards flanked the door, and the executive-a corporate shark in a tailored suit—leaned forward with predatory confidence.
Leon studied the man’s face: cold eyes and a calculating smile, the kind of person who measured everything in profit margins.
"Any price," the exec continued. "Signing bonus, equipment allowance, luxury housing. We can make you wealthy beyond imagination."
Leon listened without expression. The offer was generous—obscenely generous. It was the kind of deal that would set him up for life.
He stood slowly.
"Even if you were the last guild on earth, I wouldn’t join."
The exec’s face hardened like concrete setting. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
Leon walked toward the door. The bodyguards tensed but didn’t move—a wise choice.