Kenny

"Huh?" Jack was shocked at the sudden question, as he suddenly remembered the scene from many years in the past where the two of them got so drunk after he lost his mother that certain things happened that night, under the dark star-filled sky.

This reaction caused Ava's Father's eyebrows to furrow, as he knew that look. It was not the look of some lustful demon, nor of some naive kid who had not experienced the wonders of the world. No. It was the expression of someone reminiscing a moment of their past that they had long forgotten and hurried deep within themselves.

But this kid is just 17 years old, what could he be reminiscing about right now, and how old was he a the time?

Jack quickly recovered and noticed the suspicious gaze of Ava's father. He knew he had to act quick, or not only him, but even his family would be minced meat before the end of the next hour.

"Mister Rommel-"

"Call me Kenny"

"Mister Kenny. No. Not at the moment."

This reaction, although sufficient to answer his question, made Kenny stare intently at Jack.

All of a sudden, the pressure which had vanished appeared once again, this time, twice as strong as before.

"I won't… be… able to… speak… if you… do this…" Jack gritted out through his gnashed teeth.

Immediately, the pressure, which felt like the gravity around him was being increased, vanished once more.

"Speak. What do you mean at the moment?" said the platinum-haired man.

"Well. I am 17. She is 17. Although we are of the age to live independently being able to own properties and the like, neither of us is of the age. Plus, I see her as an incredibly close friend. That's about it" Jack decided to state the complete truth, mixed in with a little misdirection.

Kenny stared more intently at Jack, but the pressure did not return. This time, he was not trying to force an answer out of Jack, but instead trying to assess the validity of what he said.

"Alright. I'll choose to believe you for now. Leave. And go to the Academy with Ava and that friend of yours, Max. You all will be safe there. Beyond that, I will not help you three with anything else."

"Thank you," Jack said before turning around. Jack was going to leave the room when he suddenly stopped and looked back at Kenny and asked,

"Sir Kenny… If you don't mind me asking, I have a few questions for you."

"…Go ahead."

"Firstly, why is Ava living on an 'underprivileged planet' like mine? More importantly, why select a planet controlled by Frost Group? She is your daughter is she not?"

"That was the planet of her mother. She wanted Ava to live her first 15 years on that planet. Well, Ava kind of did not wish to return afterwards, and it was not like she was in any harm there. My turn to ask a question. Do you not like the Frost Group?" Kenny asked in curiosity.

"Yes. I apologize but I cannot divulge the reason for this drudge, but I can assure you that I will be using all my resources and power to take them down, both in Tether and in real life."

"Oh?" Kenny raised an eyebrow at the serious promise.

"Alright, last and most important question. How in the world did you control gravity? I doubt you are using some secret technology you are developing in the military that cannot be shared with others. This has to be some sort of power or talent you have. Well, it was not exactly gravity manipulation, it seemed like you were increasing the density of the air around me, making it harder not just to stand up, but also to breathe…"

"Hehe…This is something I cannot-" Kenny paused for a second as though thinking about something, before continuing.

"You know what, I'll have someone send the documents to you. You should read through them before returning to your planet with Ava. Just out of curiosity, you planned on getting your friend; Max the scholarship. Yet, as far as I know, and I do know it all in this regard, this scholarship cannot be availed by just anyone. You need a recommendation from an existing B-rank player or higher. Oh, in case you do not know what a B Rank player is, it is-"

"It is when a player is within the top 10,000 players in the game in terms of level. Yes. Well, although I can easily take up that mantle since we have you, we should be fine right, Sir Kenny?"

"Ha! Alright. You can have your funds for 2 VR Capsules"

"Can I-"

"And you will only use these funds for purchasing 2 VR capsules, and nothing more. All left-over credits are to be returned immediately"

"…"

"But if you tell me how you intended on getting the B rank player rights… then I could even add a bit more"

"Are you trying to bribe me into revealing my treasured secrets?"

"1 million"

"You know, although bribing an active player is not a crime, it might as well be-"

"10 million"

"So, the thing is, I am already a Level 10 player, so basically I should be within the top 10 players in the universe. The leaderboard should appear today when they come out with the update. If you see a blank space, then that is me. And if you don't, well then I must really suck"

Kenny stayed silent at the silent bragging, before sighing. Although he did not believe a single word of the last answer that Jack had said, he decided to trust his instincts which were telling him it was true, as well as hope for the best in Ava's friends.

"You have received 11 million credits. 1 million to buy two of the best VR capsules for Max and Ava. The rest is for you to use. I have completed the admission process for you three kids. Talk to Max and report to the local Military garrison for VR academy with the documents sent to you already. Just have the new capsules delivered directly to the Academy."

"Thank you, Mister… KEEENNNNYYYYYY!!!!"

"???"

"Nothing, I just wanted to say that. Well then, see you soon, hopefully not." Jack whispered the end to himself as he left the room in a hurry.

…

After Jack left the room, 2 people mysteriously appeared as though they had been there since the beginning.

"Master, are you sure it is alright to allow him to read it?" One of them with a turtle neck pulled up to his nose said.

"… Perhaps. It should not bring any harm to us, since he would not be able to memorise it in such a short amount of time, it is simply too long. We have already scanned his body for biological modifications or implants, and he is completely clean."

"But master, what if…" the other one who had a demon-like red mask on her face said, but was cut off by Kenny.

"If, he actually understands something about what is truly in his hands, well… Now that would truly be interesting. Of course, make sure to leave out the last line. He should be allowed to grow enough to protect Ava in case something happens, but not any further than that. Else, those guys will come after me again for leaking secrets into this universe. They might even purge it completely." Kenny nodded to himself in satisfaction before waving his hand as the two figures in black capes vanished like some evil super-ninjas.