Chapter 130: Meeting Aldric Blackwood

The doors to the Dean’s office swung open with a dull thud.

Aldric Blackwood, the head of Nexus Elite Academy and the grandfather of the now socially-executed Lucas, sat at the far end of the room behind a massive obsidian desk. His face was stiff. His jaw locked. The wrinkles around his eyes twitched.

Xavier didn’t even bother knocking. He walked in like he owned the damn place.

“Xavier,” Aldric spoke, his voice calm but forcefully polite. “Have a seat.”

Xavier didn’t move. Didn’t sit. Just stood there, hands in pockets, staring at the old man like he was already three steps ahead.

“I assume you know why I’ve called you,” Aldric said.

Xavier didn’t answer. Just tilted his head slightly, waiting.

Aldric exhaled slowly, irritation building. “You’ve done enough damage to my grandson. To his name. His influence. His connections. The Blackwood name doesn’t fall easily, but you—” he paused, eyes narrowing, “you’ve made sure it burns.”

Xavier still didn’t respond.

“So,” Aldric continued, leaning back with forced composure, “let’s talk terms.”

He tapped a button and a screen on the side flickered. A document pulled up.

“You will retract your statements. You will make a public clarification that Lucas was not involved in any bullying. That it was a misunderstanding—blown out of proportion. And in return—” he smiled coldly, “we’ll sponsor you. Full support from Astraeus Academy. Scholarships. Exclusive training resources. Corporate backing. A clean slate.”

Silence.

Then, Xavier laughed.

One dry, cold laugh that echoed in the massive office.

“You’re offering to polish my shoes after I’ve already stepped on your throat?” Xavier finally spoke, his voice sharp and cutting. “You think I’m some dumb peasant from a broken house who’ll sell out because the Dean tosses some bread crumbs?”

Aldric’s smile dropped.

Xavier stepped forward, slow and casual, until he stood right in front of the desk.

“You watched your grandson beat me. Humiliate me. You stood by. You supported him. You wanted me to fail. But now, I’ve burned him. I’ve wiped him clean from every digital and real-world system. I made your entire bloodline a joke.”

Aldric’s hands clenched the armrests.

“And now you think you can bargain? Like I need anything from you?”

Xavier leaned in.

“I’m not here to play nice. I’m not here to bow. You don’t own me. You don’t control me. You’re nothing but the last desperate breath of a rotting name clinging to power it no longer has.”

Aldric’s expression twisted. His jaw clenched as he stared down Xavier from behind that wide marble desk like a lion who thought his roar could still command fear. “You really think this little popularity of yours can protect you forever?” he said, voice cold. “I tried to be nice. I tried to extend a hand. But you’re too blind, too arrogant. You’re shooting yourself in the foot, boy.”

Xavier leaned forward, resting both hands on the desk, lips curled into a slight smirk.

“Go on,” Xavier said. “Try. Do your worst. I dare you.”

The air dropped ten degrees.

Aldric stood up now, slamming his palm on the table. “Do not test me. You think you’re safe just because you’re trending? I could have you erased from existence with a single whisper. A snapped finger. You’d vanish, and no one would even find your ashes.”

Xavier didn’t flinch. He just laughed. Loud. Echoing. And then looked Aldric dead in the eye.

“You think this is just a trend?” Xavier said, voice calm but dangerous. “I’m not going viral for a day, old man. This isn’t some fleeting fame that burns out with the sunrise. I am the story now. Every stream, every news cycle, every planet’s feed has me in it. If I stub my toe in the morning, the galaxy will fucking know by noon.”

Aldric’s fists clenched.

Xavier continued, “And let me remind you — the moment anything happens to me, you know what comes next, don’t you? The same billions of people watching me will instantly know who is behind it. You. The Blackwood family.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“You sure about that?” Xavier replied, voice low. “You might be the biggest name on Earth. But Earth’s just one rock floating in a sea of monsters. There are families out there, entire factions in the galaxy, stronger and richer than the Blackwoods could ever dream of. And you know what they love?”

Xavier leaned even closer.

“They love drama. Scandal. Justice porn. One whisper from me, one seed planted, and your entire empire would be stripped, torn, and left naked. You think you’ve made enemies before? Wait till the intergalactic boardroom vultures smell a weakness.”

Aldric didn’t respond. For the first time, there was silence.

Xavier stepped back, straightened his jacket, and added with a smile, “You thought I was playing checkers, huh? While I’ve been rewriting the rules of the whole damn game.”

The old man’s eyes burned, but his mouth stayed shut.

“You wanted me to kneel,” Xavier said. “Here’s your answer: I don’t kneel for men who built their kingdom on fear. I burn them down and piss on the ashes.”

Aldric’s fingers trembled at his side. His glare had dulled — not with fear, but humiliation. He wasn’t used to this. No one dared talk back to him, let alone mock him in his own fortress.

He sat back down, slowly. Breathing deep. Gathering what little scraps of pride he had left.

Then, with a faint click, he reached into his drawer and pulled out something shiny.

A golden medallion — marked with the Academy crest and an embedded identity chip.

He slid it across the table toward Xavier with a forced smile.

“I’ll give you a formal ambassador title,” Aldric said, voice suddenly sweet like spoiled syrup. “You’ll have full access to all academy facilities. VIP status. Monthly stipend. Direct influence in our council. Say the word, and this… is yours.”

Xavier didn’t even look at it.

He stared straight at Aldric with those unfazed, piercing eyes.

“Are you done?” Xavier asked.

The old man’s temple twitched.

Then came the black card. Blank check.

Aldric scribbled a signature, handed it over.

“Write any amount. A hundred million? A billion? You want an apartment on Mars? Done. Just say it.”

Xavier smiled.

“Do I look like I need money?”

Aldric’s hand recoiled like it’d been burned.

“You little—” he started, voice shaking, “I gave you a chance. I gave you everything. And now you spit in my face?”

“No,” Xavier said coldly. “I just showed you who you really are without your throne.”

Aldric snapped. “You will regret this!”

Xavier walked up to the desk slowly and bent forward.

“If you had the power to crush me, you’d have done it already. But instead, you’re tossing bones, begging me to bite. You know what that makes you?”

He paused. Let the words hang in the air.

“Pathetic.”

Aldric stood up, his cane shaking in hand. “I will bury you—”

“Then start digging.”

Xavier smirked, turned his back, and walked away.

At the door, he paused.

“Oh, and tell your grandson to stay away from VR and from me. He won’t get a second resurrection.”

Then he left—no apology, no hesitation, no respect.

And Aldric Blackwood sat there, powerless, watching the one student he couldn’t control walk out with everything he’d tried to steal.

The silence left in the office was louder than any explosion.

Aldric’s hand, still gripping the blank check, crushed it like paper. His face, red with rage, twitched violently.

And in that moment — the mighty Dean of Academy, patriarch of the Blackwood family, sat back in his chair…

Completely defeated.

“This… this can’t be the same kid who passed out before he could give a speech…”

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