Chapter 93: Advertisement Campaign [1]

Finally breaking the silence, Carissa said, meeting my gaze.

"You know a lot of guilds are interested in you now, right? Even at the award ceremony, people were looking for you, you know?"

Upon checking the hero forums yesterday, I was surprised to find countless posts about me, but they could be easily sorted into two categories.

[This Ash guy is a terrible person...]

[As a student at the Sunken Pearl, I can tell you all Ash is a horrible influence...]

[This guy gave it all even though he wasn’t even fighting for his own academy! What a hero!]

[Did you guys see his phasing ability!? I wish mine was like that...]

One side despised me for my "lack of morals" and "immoral habits" such as drinking, whereas the others...surprisingly liked my style of fighting and could be considered... "fans."

In this world, instead of professional athletes and influencers having fanbases, it was heroes, with people constantly arguing why their favorite hero was the best one.

Seeing Carissa’s probing gaze, I just looked away and said quietly.

"I don’t plan on joining a guild."

"..."

Carissa gazed at me in utter disbelief.

"Why are you even here then!?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I left and put my tray away.

Perhaps it was because of the new elven friends I had made...but seeing Carissa no longer made me annoyed.

Maybe I just... didn’t care too much about the rumors anymore.

...

...

...

After watching the Sunken Pearl win their game from my room and watching The Grange easily win as well as a spectator inside the coliseum, I finally headed back to my dorm room.

The group stages were officially over, with the bracket being finalized based on each team’s wins and losses in their respective group.

From Monday onward, if a team lost, they would officially be eliminated from the tournament.

Clicking on my smartwatch, I placed a few bets on the favorites to win each match, purposely also placing some small losing bets.

*BZZT*

At that moment, just as I closed out of this world’s prediction market, my smartwatch suddenly vibrated.

[Lily: Come here (Address) tomorrow at 9. It’s my favor.]

Clicking on the link, I found the address took me to a massive skyscraper in the capital city, likely the location of her new laboratory space.

[Ash: Yes.]

Then before I could even close out of the chat window...

*BZZT*

*BZZT*

[Grayson: Did you watch our match?]

[Reed: You better have been in the stands]

[Ash: I’m not even on your team anymore.]

[Reed: You’re an honorary elf, now, remember? You’re rooting for us.]

[Grayson: We’re having a team dinner tomorrow, you’re free, right?]

[Reed: I know your dorm room number, so remember, I can come drag you out myself.]

"..."

Shaking my head, I turned off my smartwatch and headed to bed.

Perhaps the next few days weren’t going to be so uneventful after all...

...

...

...

"You’re doing the target practice minigame, right?"

Looking at me while stretching her arms, Evangel paused for a moment before answering.

"Yes...?"

Seeing her look at me confusedly, with her eyebrows raised, I tilted my head while she added.

"How did you know I was going to be selected for that minigame...?"

Even if I wasn’t a reader, shouldn’t it be obvious?

"Why wouldn’t you? Your flying sword is the fastest."

"...it is?"

Her controlled, flying sword was easily the fastest for catching swift and small targets, not having to deal with the limitations of a human arm.

As I nodded my head, Evangel suddenly turned to her left and began drinking from her bottle of water.

Suddenly recalling that she was supposed to start tutoring Ren around this time, after he received his subpar score on the last test, I paused and asked.

"Are you tutoring anyone?"

Leaning against a nearby tree trunk, Evangel glanced at me and asked.

"No...you want tutoring?"

"Ah..."

Perhaps because of my appearance, Ren and Evangel hadn’t grown as close in the novel: after all, he was supposed to request her help back in the virtual reality exam, but instead, he came to me.

"..."

Ren’s grades would only grow worse if Evangel didn’t help him...

After a long moment of silence, I finally looked at Evangel and nodded my head.

"That mana theory exam really was a fluke...I don’t think I’m ready for the midterms."

I’d just have to drag Ren into the tutoring sessions, myself, then.

Tilting her head like a confused deer, Evangel answered with her usual passive expression.

"After the tournament ends, I can help."

Suddenly standing up, Evangel glanced at her smartwatch and said hurriedly.

"I have team practice."

Without another word, she left and began heading back to the dorm building, while I continued stretching.

It was only two more days until I met Professor Sooyung again...I was going to land a hit on her; I had to.

After getting ready, I headed straight back out and made my way through the crowded train station, heading to the capital.

Within only a few minutes, I found myself standing in front of a massive skyscraper, the countless glass windows reflecting the bright sun.

"Some of us have things to do, you know?"

Hearing the cold voice behind me, I turned around and asked confusedly.

"What...exactly are we doing?"

"Advertising."

After vaguely answering my question, Lily led me into the building, the two of us entering the elevator and heading up.

As the elevator’s doors opened, my mouth inadvertently opened in awe as I stared at the massive laboratory before me, covering the entire floor.

The floor was split into countless sections: brainstorming rooms with whiteboards covered in various formulas, a testing room with bulletproof glass, and even...a room full of candy and soda.

As Lily led me into the main laboratory, I couldn’t help but ask.

"How much...did this all cost?"

A clean quartz-white resin covered the floor, and pieces of machinery almost twice my size were as commonplace as trees in a forest.