Chapter 63: The New Board of Directors

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The New Board of Directors

The mahogany table in the Iron Guild boardroom was big enough to seat twenty people. Today, only five chairs were occupied.

Evelyn sat at the head of the table. She hadn’t changed out of her tattered combat gear. She didn’t look like a corporate executive, and she certainly didn’t look like a politician. She looked like a Valkyrie who had just walked off a battlefield, the faint, celestial heat of her S-Rank core still warming the massive room.

Four older men in incredibly expensive suits sat across from her. They were the old guard. Sterling’s board of directors. The men who had funded the corruption, signed off on the dungeon clears, and profited off the blood of the Guild’s fighters.

They were sweating through their silk shirts.

Donald leaned casually against the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over Genesis City. His golden mask was tucked into his jacket pocket. He let Evelyn hold the floor.

"Miss Vance," the oldest board member, Director Hayes, started, forcing a stiff, patronizing smile. "We understand that yesterday was... chaotic. And we recognize that you currently hold the Guild’s charter. But running an organization of this magnitude requires nuance. It requires political connections."

Evelyn leaned back in Sterling’s massive leather chair. She didn’t say anything.

Hayes took her silence as an opening. "We are prepared to offer you the title of Honorary Chairman. You will receive a very generous stipend, and we will handle the day-to-day operations and public relations. It is the best way to ensure the Iron Guild survives this transition."

Evelyn slowly interlaced her fingers, resting them on the polished wood.

"Mr. Hayes," Evelyn said, her voice quiet and deadly calm. "You were the one who authorized the Obsidian Vault expedition, weren’t you?"

Hayes blinked, his fake smile faltering. "I... the logistics division handles expedition approvals, Miss Vance. I merely signed the final budget."

"And you signed the paperwork that seized my private bank accounts to cover the Guild’s insurance liabilities," Evelyn continued, her blue eyes locking onto him like a sniper scope.

"That was standard corporate procedure," Hayes stammered, looking nervously at the other board members for support. None of them made eye contact. "We had to protect the investors."

"I am The investor, now." Donald said from the window, not turning around.

Evelyn stood up. The heavy leather chair rolled backward.

"There is no transition, Hayes," Evelyn said, her voice ringing with absolute, crushing authority. "I am not your Honorary Chairman. I am the Guild Master. And you aren’t staying to help me run anything. You’re all fired."

The four men froze.

"You can’t just dissolve the board!" Hayes sputtered, standing up in outrage. "The shareholders—"

"The shareholders dumped your stock yesterday," Donald interrupted, finally turning to face the room. "And I bought it all. My holding company owns a controlling ninety-two percent stake in this building, the training grounds, and the charter. The Guild is a privately owned asset now."

Evelyn pointed at the heavy oak doors. "You have exactly one hour to clear out your offices. If you take a single credit from the Guild accounts on your way out, I will personally throw you through these windows. Get out."

Hayes opened his mouth to argue, felt the sudden, terrifying pressure of Evelyn’s holy aura pressing against his lungs, and immediately shut it. The four executives scrambled out of their chairs and practically ran out of the boardroom.

The heavy doors clicked shut.

The room was quiet.

Evelyn let out a long, slow breath. She looked down at the mahogany table, then up at Donald. The hard, lethal edge completely vanished from her face, replaced by a massive, genuine smile.

"That felt incredibly good," Evelyn admitted, leaning against the edge of the table.

"You’re a natural," Donald laughed, walking over and pulling out one of the empty chairs to sit down. He pulled a sleek digital tablet from his jacket. "Though we have a minor loose end. I just checked the building’s internal security matrix. Damian is gone."

Evelyn frowned, crossing her arms. "I figured. The Association Enforcers didn’t catch him at the arena. Did he take anything from the vault?"

"No," Donald said, tapping the screen. "But he completely wiped the primary servers on his way out. Every blackmail file, every encrypted contract, every piece of dirty leverage Sterling had on the city’s politicians—it’s all gone. A Level 50+ shadow mage doesn’t just retire. He’ll turn up eventually."

"Let him," Evelyn said fearlessly. "He doesn’t have Sterling’s money to hide behind anymore. We’ll deal with him when he shows his face."

Donald nodded, setting the tablet down. He leaned back in the chair and mentally pulled up his own System interface. It was time to assess the spoils of war.

[STATUS PANEL: DONALD]

[Class]: SSS+ Investor

[Level]: 16

[STATS]:

Strength: 66

Speed: 66

Stamina: 65

Mana: 68

[Free Stat Points]: 30

[Current Balance: 38,000,000 System Credits]

The stat boost from defeating the mutated Berserker had been massive. He was starting to build a genuinely terrifying physical foundation. But it was the flashing golden notification at the bottom of the screen that held his attention.

[Guild-Level Asset Successfully Acquired.]

[Evaluating Investor Performance...]

[Investor Tier Upgraded: Bronze -> Silver.]

[New Feature Unlocked: Guild Infrastructure Investment.]

[Detail: You may now spend System Credits to physically, magically, and structurally upgrade owned real estate and Guild facilities. Upgraded facilities provide passive buffs to all allied assets within the territory.]

Donald smiled. The System wasn’t just letting him buff Evelyn anymore. It was letting him build an empire. With thirty-eight million credits sitting in his account, he could turn this headquarters into an impenetrable fortress.

"We’re going to need to do some remodeling," Donald murmured, closing the interface.

Before Evelyn could ask what he meant, the heavy oak doors opened again.

Lady Aris Thorne walked into the boardroom. She looked impeccable in a sharp, tailored silver suit. She didn’t look like a rival executive; she looked like a chief of staff reporting to her new bosses.

"The transition paperwork is officially filed with the Awakener Association," Aris reported, holding a thick leather folder. "The Iron Guild is legally yours, Evelyn. All remaining debts have been settled."

"Thank you, Aris," Evelyn said, walking over to take the folder. "I appreciate the speed."

"Don’t thank me yet," Aris said, her expression entirely serious. She didn’t hand over the folder. Instead, she reached into her jacket and pulled out a thick, black envelope. It was sealed with heavy crimson wax, stamped with the crest of a roaring golden dragon.

Aris placed the black envelope on the mahogany table.

"What is that?" Donald asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"The consequence of your success," Aris said quietly. "Genesis City is a localized economy. We have our own Guilds, our own squabbles, our own Mayor. But yesterday, the entire country watched a Level 1 Valkyrie incinerate a mutated monster on live television."

Evelyn picked up the envelope. The crimson wax felt unusually warm to the touch, humming with high-tier magic.

"The Royal Guilds in the Capital don’t like anomalies," Aris explained, looking between the two of them. "They monopolize S-Rank Awakeners to maintain the national balance of power. They just realized there is an untethered demigod sitting in a lower-tier city."

"So they sent a letter?" Donald asked casually.

"They sent an emissary," Aris corrected. "The Dragonheart Guild. They’ve dispatched a recruitment team to Genesis City. They land tomorrow morning. And they don’t take ’no’ for an answer."

Donald looked at the black envelope, then over at Evelyn. The Valkyrie didn’t look intimidated. She just traced her thumb over the wax seal, her eyes lighting up with a dangerous, familiar spark.

Sterling was gone, but the real game was just beginning.