With an expression of curiosity, he tapped it and found a surprise waiting for him.
Three different emails.
All brand deals.
"No way," Victor eyes lit up.
The first email was from a company that made smart wristbands for gars and fitness enthusiasts. They wanted Victor to make a video of himself using their gear, demonstrating how it tracked real-life data and synced with gaming profiles.
The second was from a nutritional company selling a mana-infused energy drink that worked well for both normal humans and awakened. Again, they wanted product placent and a short feature video.
Both were generous offers, and Victor didn't hesitate to click "Accept" on each one.
He was excited because he was going to receive the products for free and afterwards he could get started on the ads. It was a new experience, but the idea of earning from it made things even more thrilling.
Then he opened the third email—and nearly dropped his phone.
A high-end fashion brand, well-known throughout the city, wanted him to co to their studio in person.
The email included a formal invite and ntioned compensation of three million credits for a modeling campaign. All they needed was for him to show up, take so photos in their outfits, and potentially record a short video segnt.
"Three million?" he repeated out loud, stunned.
He imdiately thought of his mom and the baby coming soon. With that amount, he could hire a live-in housekeeper, upgrade their apartnt, or even start putting aside money for future dical bills.
A small smile victorious smile appeared on his face.
This was everything he needed. He typed a swift reply accepting the offer, added his contact details, and made sure to pin the appointnt date.
He opened the group chat.
Victor: GUYS. You won't believe this. BRAND DEALS.
Jake: Yo?! Already?!
Max: Money moves??
Danny: Soone get this man a crown.
Victor proceeded to explain the three offers, attaching the links and breakdowns of the endorsents.
Victor: I'm diving back into the ga now. Still gotta finish learning the Bloodline Resonance Technique.
Jake: Don't forget us little people when you're famous.
Victor: Never.
He chuckled and tossed his phone to the side. A wave of satisfaction washed over him. Everything was lining up better than he could have imagined. He was securing his future both in reality and inside Ascendant Realms.
Laying back and pulling on his VR gear again, Victor let the connection establish.
The interface filled his view, and the familiar prompt appeared.
[Welco back, Fang Chen.]
With a flash, his surroundings shifted.
He was back in the Violet Springs Sect.
Chambers.
He took in a breath and opened his system nu.
[Objective: Complete the final stage of Bloodline Resonance Technique]
"Let's do this," Victor muttered and went to find Elder Mo.
...
...
Elder Mo stood beside a glowing runic circle etched into the middle of the courtyard with arms folded behind his back as he regarded Fang Chen with a solemn gaze. The early rays of morning bathed the entire sect in a golden hue, yet the gravity of Elder Mo's words settled like lead.
"The fourth and final stage of the Bloodline Resonance Technique," Elder Mo voiced with a deep tone, "must begin at nightfall. It is not rely tradition but necessity. The natural alignnt of qi under moonlight allows your bloodline to properly respond. Any earlier, and you would fail before you even start."
Victor nodded while committing the details to mory. Nightfall was still many hours away, which left him with nothing to do in the anti.
Elder Mo waved him off with a flick of his sleeve. "Rest. Walk. Explore the sect if you must. Return at sundown, and we shall begin."
Victor decided to take Elder Mo's suggestion to heart. The sect grounds were expansive, even more so than he expected.
Majestic pavilions towered around elegant courtyards, filled with disciples in colored robes depending on their rank.
As Victor strolled past training fields and ditation halls, a na tag hovered into view. It was another player.
"Yo," the player greeted while walking casually with a sword strapped to his back. He had a confident gait and his avatar was dressed like an inner court disciple with his full violet robes.
His na read [CrimsonPickle].
Victor blinked at the na. "CrimsonPickle?"
"Don't judge. Random generator. Anyway... You're probably the new guy I've been hearing about. You got the whole core disciple deal without climbing through the ranks."
Victor tilted his head. "Huh? I'm just here for the anti though... I'm guessing word travels fast."
"In sects like this? Gossip is cultivation fuel. Listen, just be careful. NPCs in this ga are next-level. Like, hold-a-grudge-for-fifty-years level. Getting core disciple perks without passing the Entry Trials or competition? That's like tossing a beehive at your face."
Victor chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."
"If anyone tries to rough you up, just holler. I run with a small crew of players, and we watch out for each other."
They chatted briefly before CrimsonPickle excused himself for a mission he had scheduled. Victor thanked him and continued his tour.
He passed elegant libraries, a glowing lotus pond, and even an arena where a sparring session between two core disciples shook the very ground. Everything felt alive, charged with qi and ancient purpose. Hours passed like monts.
Unfortunately, the sect was a maze. With the sun beginning to dip behind the mountains, Victor realized he had wandered far from the core disciple area.
He turned to retrace his steps when he found himself at the edge of a large courtyard filled with violet-robed disciples.
The Inner Court.
"You lost, stranger?" soone called out.
Victor turned to see two inner court disciples stepping toward him with cocky postures.
One radiated cultivation levels around late Core Formation while the other seed to be a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.
The one on the left was a tall man with hawkish eyes and a narrow chin. He stepped in front of Victor and sneered.
"Never seen you around here before."
Victor kept his tone neutral. "Just passing through. Looking for the path back to the core disciple sector."
"Core disciple sector?" The second one who was a stockier guy with a staff strapped to his back, laughed. "Don't joke with us. Core disciples earn their place. You don't look like one."
Victor sighed.
"I'm not interested in causing any trouble. Just point in the right direction."
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