Lucas and Rowan were thrown out of the ring, their bodies battered and bruised.
I didn't kill them, so they should be thankful.
Rowan began crawling toward the exit.
The students watching were stunned as Lucas and Rowan hit the ground.
Their shocked faces turned toward me, like I was some kind of monster.
Most of the crowd, including the first-year students, couldn't understand what had happened.
In their minds, there was no way I could take down Lucas and Rowan—two of the school's strongest fighters.
Yet, here they were, defeated so quickly and brutally, looking half-dead.
For me to not only accept the challenge but to fight with such power and ruthlessness?
It didn't make sense.
I treated Lucas and Rowan like they were nothing, beating them even when they couldn't fight back.
To every student, this wasn't the Xerox they thought they knew.
More specifically, Silvana was also stunned.
Xerox had once again surprised her when she thought that he was much stronger than Aerox.
Meanwhile a nearby healer rushed over to Lucas and Rowan and began treating their injuries.
Lucas slowly regained consciousness and realized he had lost and was now outside the ring.
His chest tightened with confusion and frustration.
"Why?"
He couldn't wrap his head around how he had been defeated by someone he thought was beneath him.
In his mind, only Aerox might give him a challenge since Aerox was a Rank 2+, but losing to some no-name first-year like Xerox?
It didn't make sense.
A few moments later, the crowd began to stir.
People were still stunned, trying to process what had happened.
Then, someone broke the silence with a cheer, and soon more voices joined in.
The excitement spread, and the cheers grew louder, echoing far and wide.
The fierce and dramatic fight had left everyone in awe.
First, they were impressed by Aerox's strength, which seemed to surpass Lucas and Rowan's.
Then Lucas and Rowan took a Berserk pill, turning the tide of the battle in their favor.
But just when it seemed like Aerox's team would lose, Xerox stepped in and crushed Lucas and Rowan without mercy.
Victory always belongs to the winners, and the crowd celebrated Aerox and Xerox's incredible performance.
Meanwhile, Lucas and Rowan sat in defeat, looking like they had been through a nightmare.
Despite being Rank 2+ and using the Berserk pill to temporarily reach the power of Rank 3-, they had still lost.
Their failure only made Aerox and Xerox's strength even more impressive.
Professor Lance stood off to the side, staring at me, utterly stunned.
Not only did Professor Lance fail to stop Lucas and Rowan from breaking the rules, but he also ended up facing backlash from the students for ignoring it.
In the end, he failed to achieve anything and even got caught up in the fallout.
With a sour expression, Professor Lance announced the results.
"The winners of the duel are Xerox and Aerox of the first-years."
The crowd erupted with chatter, their voices filled with amazement and disbelief.
"They're too strong!"
"I wouldn't last a minute against them!"
"I had no idea there was another monster like Aerox in the first year!"
The students were divided in their reactions.
Some were thrilled to see such powerful fighters among the first-years.
Others were jealous, while fans of Lucas and Rowan were furious over their defeat.
Meanwhile, federation representatives in the crowd saw an opportunity.
"Find out everything you can about this Xerox. We need to recruit him!"
"What class is he in?"
Some approached Xerox right away, offering him deals or handing him their federation cards.
From that day on, Xerox's name began to spread throughout the entire school, all because of this one duel.
=============================
I stepped out of the ring, brushing off the offers from various federations. I accepted their federation cards but declined their invitations.
"You have incredible potential. Join our federation, and we'll provide you with all the resources you need."
"We'll give you a Rank-5 artifact if you join us!"
"Xerox, you're too strong. You defeated two of the most powerful students so easily."
I knew they were overestimating me.
If Aerox hadn't worn down Lucas and Rowan, the fight wouldn't have been nearly as easy.
Still, the praise didn't feel bad.
Aerox caught up to me.
"Xerox, I owe you one,"
he said.
"Don't mention it,"
I replied, continuing to walk away.
As I stepped out of the ring, I glanced back at Professor Lance.
He was glaring at me with a scowl that practically screamed trouble.
(This isn't the last time he's going to mess with me.)
I was certain he'd cause more problems for me in the future, but there wasn't much I could do about it now.
Without evidence of his involvement in the harassment, the school wouldn't take action.
More than anything, it was my lack of strength that frustrated me.
If I were stronger, I wouldn't have to worry about someone like him.
I clenched my fists tightly, anger and determination bubbling inside me.
(I need more power.)
It felt like knowing exactly who let their dog ruin your lawn but being powerless to stop them.
After a final glance at Professor Lance, I shook my head and left the arena.
Professor Lance didn't look pleased.
He said nothing as he dismissed the crowd, his face sullen.
Back home, I showered and opened the report from Tech Genesis, sent by Ekalpa.
As I skimmed through the document, my brows furrowed.
"Looks like other federations can't keep their hands off my company."
The report detailed how several federations had offered "protection" if we joined them.
I stepped out of the ring, brushing off the offers from various federations.
I accepted their federation cards but declined their invitations.
*"You have incredible potential. Join our federation, and we'll provide you with all the resources you need."*
*"We'll give you a Rank-5 artifact if you join us!"*
*"Xerox, you're too strong. You defeated two of the most powerful students so easily."*
I knew they were overestimating me.
If Aerox hadn't worn down Lucas and Rowan, the fight wouldn't have been nearly as easy.
Still, the praise didn't feel bad.
Aerox caught up to me. *"Xerox, I owe you one,"*
he said.
*"Don't mention it,"*
I replied, continuing to walk away.
As I stepped out of the ring, I glanced back at Professor Lance.
He was glaring at me with a scowl that practically screamed trouble.
*(This isn't the last time he's going to mess with me.)*
I was certain he'd cause more problems for me in the future, but there wasn't much I could do about it now.
Without evidence of his involvement in the harassment, the school wouldn't take action.
More than anything, it was my lack of strength that frustrated me. If I were stronger, I wouldn't have to worry about someone like him.
I clenched my fists tightly, anger and determination bubbling inside me.
*(I need more power.)*
It felt like knowing exactly who let their dog ruin your lawn but being powerless to stop them.
After a final glance at Professor Lance, I shook my head and left the arena.
Professor Lance didn't look pleased. He said nothing as he dismissed the crowd, his face sullen.
---
Back home, I showered and opened the report from Tech Genesis, sent by Ekalpa.
As I skimmed through the document, my brows furrowed.
*"Looks like other federation can't keep their hands off my company."*
The report detailed how several federations had offered "protection" if we joined them.
My company was newly established, so it made sense that only lower-tier federations were approaching us.
Still, their demands were outrageous.
Some wanted 50% of our revenue in exchange for their protection.
For comparison, my parents' federation only charged 20% of profits—not revenue—for protection services.
It was laughable.
They didn't want to protect us; they wanted to own us.
I quickly sent a message to Ekapal, instructing him to ignore all the proposals.
I already had a plan for dealing with this so-called protection issue.
Next, I grabbed my phone and checked my bank account to see how much money I had.
********************************
Account Holder : Xerox Zee
Account Number: 200**929
Bank Balance: 5,000,000
********************************
"Whoa!"
I couldn't believe how much money I had made in just one month—and this was after setting aside funds for the company.
From starting with 10,000 users in the first week, the game had grown to nearly a million users in a month.
The growth was unbelievable, and the reviews were pouring in, most of them positive.
"Love the game, easy to keep in contact with family and friends that are far away. It is easy to use for anyone. My grandpa is even here."
"I have been using this game since its first launch. It reconnected me with my friends from middle school, family members I hadn't talked to in years. I can send messages or do video calls. Dungeon Dashers has been the only thing connecting the city, and I'm truly grateful."
"Whenever I have free time nowadays, I spend it playing this game. This game has kept me busy for days. It's so frustrating to lose right before setting a new high score!"
The game Dungeon Dashers was a massive hit.
Of course, the lack of pro gamers played a role.
Since we didn't pay gamers yet, there wasn't much incentive for them to join.
I had plans to change that.
I'd start hiring people to play the game and introduce a system to pay users with high view counts, similar to Mobile Legend.
There was so much to do.
I needed to hire staff to manage finances and handle legal matters.
But now, with the money I had, I knew exactly how to handle that problem.
My to-do list was long, and there was no time to rest.
It was clear—my work was just getting started.