"Ice Queen Fan Club Membership Card."
That's what Nexus handed me.
The card had the contact details of Professor Layla's fan club.
I had no idea something like this even existed, though I knew many students admired and idolized Professor Layla.
I put the card into my storage ring. It might not be useful, but since Nexus gave it to me with good intentions, I felt it was polite to accept it.
When the lecture ended, Nexus approached me again.
"Let me show you our club room,"
he said with a smile.
I wanted to refuse, but it felt rude to decline his offer, so I reluctantly agreed.
The club room was spacious and looked fairly normal, except for the overwhelming presence of Professor Layla.
Posters of her covered the walls, and they even had a small figurine of her.
There was a banner and other typical fan club items.
Professor Layla wasn't just admired here—she was worshipped.
Honestly, calling her an idol would be an understatement.
"So, what do you think? Pretty great, right?"
Nexus asked, grinning.
Before I could answer, he brought out a photo album.
"Check this out. These are pictures of Professor Layla, taken by our seniors since the fan club was founded. This album is the result of their hard work."
I couldn't help but frown. Hard work? It was just a collection of photos taken without her knowledge.
Still, curiosity got the better of me, and I glanced at the photos.
Some showed a younger Professor Layla.
She was just as beautiful back then, with a touch of youthful charm.
"Pretty, right?"
Nexus asked.
"Yeah,"
I admitted.
Even if I didn't agree with their methods, I had to admit the photos were impressive.
Nexus sighed.
"If only we could recruit people from outside the academy."
"Huh?"
I said, confused.
"We want to spread the charm of our goddess to more people,"
he explained.
"Don't you know about Dungeon Dashers?"
"No,"
"It's a platform where we could create a fan club page and share photos and videos. That way, we could recruit more members,"
I suggested.
I helped Nexus set up a Dungeon Dashers page, using what I thought was the best photo of Professor Layla as the cover image.
"There, all done. You can invite your members to join and share the page to attract more fans,"
I said.
The experience sparked an idea.
If we could use Dungeon Dashers to promote things like fan clubs, why not use it to promote my other projects?
I decided to speak with Baksa Boo about the federation's involvement.
Later, I visited Baksa Boo at the NightShade federation.
He was free that day, so I pitched my idea.
"What's the benefit of this?"
Baksa Boo asked, looking puzzled.
"First, it's a way to attract people to the federation by showcasing powerful figures like you. Second, the more users who join Dungeon Dashers because of the federation, the more revenue we generate. Your federation will also get a share of the money based on the number of installs and video views. There's no downside, only potential benefits,"
I explained.
Baksa Boo nodded.
"That sounds reasonable. Let's do it."
He called his secretary, Max, to handle the details.
I showed Max how to create content for the page.
Meanwhile, I also worked on plans to promote Dungeon Dashers and WorldCraft.
With Justin no longer sabotaging us, it was time to rebuild the reputation of our apps.
I proposed hiring idols and running TV ads to attract attention.
The next day, Nexus came running to me, looking ecstatic.
"Xerox, your idea was incredible!"
he shouted.
"We've already gained a thousand new members. People are messaging us, asking for more photos of Professor Layla."
He dragged me back to the club room, where all the members turned to face me.
Suddenly, they bowed their heads and shouted in unison,
"Thank you for showing us the way!"
"What the heck is this?"
I blurted out, completely taken aback by their bizarre display of gratitude.
"Xerox, it's all thanks to you that our fan club has grown so much. The other members wanted to thank you, so I brought you here,"
Nexus said with a proud smile.
Xerox appreciated their gratitude, but he couldn't help feeling a little uneasy about their over-the-top behavior.
"With this, we've surpassed Lily and Silvana's fan clubs. We'll become the biggest fan club ever!"
Nexus declared, raising his hand enthusiastically.
The room erupted in cheers as the other members rallied behind him.
"Lily and Silvana's fan clubs only have a hundred members each. We already have over a thousand. They can't compete with us!"
one member shouted.
"This is the age of the Ice Queen Fan Club!"
another chimed in.
Nexus nodded firmly.
"Let's not get complacent. We need to keep recruiting and make sure no other fan clubs stand a chance. Victory will be ours!"
The members cheered louder, as if preparing for battle.
To any outsider, it might have looked like they were gearing up to fight a war.
Later, after returning to class, Xerox thought his day would calm down.
But things quickly took another strange turn.
After Professor Layla finished taking attendance and made her announcements, she left for her office.
Xerox was planning to spend the rest of the day training alone when a girl approached him.
"Hello, Xerox,"
she said with a bright smile.
Xerox raised an eyebrow.
Yesterday had been bizarre enough; now someone else wanted to talk to him.
He hoped it wouldn't lead to more trouble.
"Hello...?"
he said hesitantly.
"Emma. Emma Watson. That's my name,"
she replied.
"Oh, Emma. So, what's up?"
Emma's expression turned sharp as she crossed her arms.
"I heard you helped Professor Layla's fan club."
Xerox blinked, confused.
"Uh, yeah, I just helped them set up a page on Dungeon Dashers."
Emma's eyes narrowed.
"I thought you were on our side—with Lily's Goddess Club. How could you betray Goddess Lily for some old hag?"
"What? No, I didn't join their club. I just helped them make a page,"
Xerox explained, trying to calm her down.
Before Emma could argue further, another voice cut in.
"Excuse me, I'm the president of Princess Silvana's Fan Club. I heard you're the one who helped Nexus create the Ice Queen page,"
the newcomer said confidently.
Xerox turned to see a girl standing with her arms crossed, looking at him with determination.
"I—" he began, but Emma interrupted.
"We want you to help us make a page too!"
The president of Silvana's fan club frowned.
"No, you'll help us first!"
Both girls glared at each other before turning their attention back to Xerox.
He felt their intense gazes like a weight pressing down on him.
Sighing, he realized he had no choice but to agree.
It was easier than arguing, and it also meant more users for the game.
As Xerox walked away later, he couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and dread.
Dungeon Dashers was quickly becoming popular again, but he had no idea what kind of chaos these fan clubs might bring in the future.