[The Omniverse - The Zenith Academy of Light]
The Zenith Academy of Light was a sprawling citadel of white marble and floating crystal spires. It was the most prestigious hero-training facility in the Omniverse, where young chosen ones came to awaken their latent powers.
In the Grand Atrium, a young, ragged hero named Leo fell to his knees before the High Sage.
"Please, Master," Leo begged, his hands trembling. "My village is under attack by the Void-Serpents. I must learn the Tier-9 Aegis of Dawn spell to save them!"
The High Sage looked down his nose at the boy. "The Aegis of Dawn is a premium incantation, boy. The tuition fee to download that spell into your soul is one million Omni-Credits. You are penniless. The Academy is not a charity."
"But I am the Chosen One!" Leo wept.
A sleek, obsidian portal ripped open in the center of the atrium.
Victor Thorne walked out, his impeccably tailored midnight-blue suit pristine against the blinding white marble. Seraphina stepped out beside him, her dark business attire sharp and her silver clipboard pressed tightly against her chest.
"Being 'Chosen' does not guarantee liquidity, Leo," Victor said smoothly, taking a slow sip of his black coffee. "But a lack of capital should never stand in the way of a highly profitable education."
The High Sage gasped. "Tycoon Thorne! You have no jurisdiction in the halls of learning!"
"I am expanding my portfolio," Victor tapped his gold-nibbed pen against the Tycoon's Ledger, the magical artifact hovering by his side. He looked down at the desperate young hero. "Leo. I am the Founder of Abyssal Dynamics. And I am willing to pay your one-million-credit tuition upfront. In full."
Leo looked up, tears in his eyes. "You... you would save my village? You would give me the money?"
"I am not giving it to you. I am originating a Predatory Student Loan," Victor smiled a cold, calculating smile that cared only for the bottom line.
Seraphina pushed her glasses up her nose. "The terms are simple," she stated, her voice dropping to a chill, competent rasp. "We will pay the High Sage. In exchange, you will sign an Income Share Agreement. You will owe Abyssal Dynamics the principal of one million credits, plus a three hundred percent compounding annual interest rate."
Leo frowned, confused by the math. "I'll pay it back! I'll defeat the Void-Serpents and use the loot to repay you!"
"Excellent," Victor slashed his fountain pen across the Tycoon's Ledger, forcing the magical contract into physical existence. "As collateral, we will take a ninety percent direct garnish on all your future questing loot. And if you default on your payments..."
Victor's Tycoon's Aura flared, suffocating the light in the atrium.
"...The Ledger appraises the exact monetary value of souls and spells. If you default, the magical contract will physically rip the Aegis of Dawn out of your cerebral cortex to cover our losses, leaving you permanently brain-wiped."
Desperate to save his home, Leo didn't read the fine print. He grabbed the glowing pen and signed the debt contract.
Victor checked his gold pocket watch. He had just trapped the next generation of heroes in a cycle of insurmountable debt before they even swung their first sword. The education sector was officially monetized.