Pantheon Online

Chapter 177: Funding

Colt shifted slightly in his seat as he eyed the woman from Rebel Energy that had shown him to the conference room. She appeared excited by his presence, especially when she confirmed who he was. It was finally time to meet with Jay Deacon before he became too wrapped up in the war. The woman was pleasant enough, as she made sure he had whatever he wanted to drink and made sure he felt calm.

Colt was not particularly put off by the experience, as he had been through it before. He mostly wanted to know how Jay had discovered he was Exile and confirm whether they wanted to put his name out there as Exile. 'It makes sense from a business point of view. It will generate more interest in us and their product.'

He shook his head slowly as he thought about it. 'Though, if my name gets out there now, it will bait Aeri further into taking care of me.' Colt chuckled to himself as he thought about it. There were some benefits to doing this soon, especially with what he was about to do. The only problem was that it would Camelot on guard or make them seek him out in the game.

'I'm nowhere near ready to face them yet, and neither is my team. But it's a risk we have to take. Who knows how long it will be before we actually find each others' territory anyway.' Colt resigned himself to agree to put his name out there if it secured funding for Ragnarok. It was in everyone's best interests if it let them afford to keep playing the game without worries.

Eventually, the glass door opened and Jay walked in. Wearing a grey suit and looking rather tired. The pair looked at each other for a moment before Jay smiled and asked the woman to leave.

"My Anderson, it's a pleasure to have you here!" Jay enthusiastically said as he strode over to shake hands with Colt before taking a seat next to him. "You have no idea how excited we were with your initial agreement to accept our proposal! Obviously, I have the contract right here, ready to sign. Everything is as I promised, plus I managed to swing a little extra for you."

Colt smiled as he took the paperwork from him and studied it carefully. Everything seemed to be in place, but he could not stop his eyes from going wide at the projected income from their collaboration.

"Are these numbers real?" Colt asked in a wary tone. The numbers were just that shocking. Especially when he looked at how much Ragnarok stood to earn from it.

"Yes, the numbers won't be far off either way, according to our experts. I think you're underestimating how much you personally are worth. There's a lot of buzz surrounding you and your absence from Camelot. On top of that, you're beginning to get noticed by the public for your performance as Exile." Jay smiled warmly as he pointed to specific figures on the page.

"What are these?" Colt asked as he looked Jay in the eyes.

"These numbers, would not even be half the amount if it was not you behind Exile. I just want to make sure you understand how much we here at Rebel Energy value you." Jay clasped his hands on the desk as he fixed Colt with a serious expression. "I've watched all of your team's streams to date. I have to say, although your first streams were good from a technical standpoint as a gamer. More recently, your streams appeal to the general masses as well. Are you aware that you're basically crafting a sort of drama?"

"Hm... Yes, I thought it might be a good idea." Colt nodded slowly while keeping a blank expression. He had no intention of admitting that he was winging it as he went along. That would put him in a disadvantageous position, and Jay did not need to know that.

"Well, you have remarkable foresight, Colt. Can I call you Colt? Mr Anderson is a bit formal." Jay chuckled as he leaned back in his chair casually.

"Colt is fine if I can call you Jay." He laughed as he replied. The latter nodded in approval.

"Well, Colt. It was a good move on your part, but it still needs some work. I suggest getting writers in to craft a good story for when the excitement in the game calms down. After all, if you're not fighting a war, you'll need a story to grip your viewers as you explore and interact with the NPCs."

"Hm... I thought of several things to try, but I'm no expert. Are you suggesting that Rebel Energy can help us with that as well?" Colt asked curiously, as he studied Jay's reaction.

"Oh, we have friends in many industries. We can certainly contract some writers on your behalf. Then you can implement whichever stories you want to use when the time feels right. I think it will really help to boost your numbers. Especially if we get your name back out there. It will be like setting a fire in favourable conditions." Jay chuckled as he thought about how the media would handle it.

"Ok, that sounds reasonable. But I have another issue. For my team to bond properly, we'll also need a proper facility. You must know that almost all pro teams tend to live and play together to build some bonds. Is there anything you can do on that front? Or shall we focus on that ourselves?" Colt had to keep a level tone as he asked this question. It was a huge request, but he had to make sure it did not sound like one.

Jay's expression turned serious as he cocked an eyebrow. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments before calling the woman in from outside the door. He quickly wrote something on a spare piece of paper and handed it off to her with a thank you.

"I can't say yes to this right now. The upper management will have to consider it carefully as it would be a massive investment. You should probably prepare to be rejected on this front. Or perhaps they'll seek something in return. It's not unusual to swap shares in each other's business in situations like this to tie each other together." Jay's tone was heavy as he spoke nothing but the truth. He did not want to scare Colt off with nice words that would not come true.

"Thank you, I'll definitely consider whatever you can offer and what you ask in return" Colt smiled casually even as he began to swat buckets inside. 'I didn't even think of that! We registered for the game, but if we're going to accept corporate sponsorship and such, we'll need to register as a legitimate business! I'll have to take care of that as soon as I leave here.'

Jay was surprisingly impressed by how calm and agreeable Colt was in person. Most pro players had a stick up their ass. Believing themselves to be entitled to everything without having to give much in return. It made a nice change of pace, he thought as he continued to study Colt.

"Is there anything else you would like some clarification on? I'm pretty sure I covered everything, including our future plans for merchandising using your gamer handles and your team name. Of course, you'll have to make some of our players available for press meetings and fan things. Though, you're probably used to that and know the drill by now." Jay chuckled again as he felt his concerns about the meeting slipping away.

"Everything seems to be in order, Jay. I'm happy to say that you can tell your bosses I intend to sign from what I've seen and how you've treated me. However, as a formality, I'll still need to have a lawyer look the contract over." Colt watched him carefully. This was his last test to see if Jay and rebel Energy was worth working with or not. If he flinched at the mention of a lawyer, or pushed for a signature right away, then there was likely something hidden in the contract.

"Of course! We have absolutely no issues with you taking your time to make sure everything is agreeable on your end! We're confident that we've definitely presented you with an amazing offer." Jay chuckled as he stood up. Understanding that their brief meeting was already over. Although, it seemed to be on good terms. "Can I just say, I for one, am looking forward to working with you. And the bright future we can hopefully bring for each other!"

Colt was unsure what to say. There seemed to be no hidden intentions and Rebel Energy, or Jay at least, genuinely wanted to back his team. Colt laughed as he thanked him and shook his hand once again. Taking his leave while feeling like he had already conquered a major issue for his team. Well, depending on what the lawyer said when he found one...