I helped both Lily and Silvana create their fan pages on Dungeon Dashers.
I was happy to do it because it meant more users for the platform.
Lily and Silvana are both very beautiful, and I knew they could attract a lot of people with their pages.
Besides, I had already helped Nexus set up a fan club page, so it wouldn't look good to refuse them.
Especially since Lily and Silvana were part of a rival fan club to Layla's.
Since then, Dungeon Dashers's popularity has skyrocketed.
After the TV advertisement and the NightShade federation's support were announced, thousands of people started installing the game.
The income from these new users has been incredible, earning millions in coins.
Lily, Silvana, and Layla's fan pages became hugely popular, with tens of thousands of followers each.
They were now as famous as national heroes.
The news even debated which of them was the most beautiful.
Some said Professor Layla was the prettiest, while others thought Lily and Silvana were more stunning.
Our classmates couldn't stop talking about Lily and Silvana's fan pages.
"You've got tens of thousands of followers, Silvana. I wish I had that many,"
one girl said.
This girl had joined Dungeon Dashers early on and posted her own photos and videos, but she didn't get many views.
Seeing Silvana's success made her feel jealous.
Silvana's photos had gone viral, earning thousands of likes and attention from people worldwide.
"You're super popular on Dungeon Dashers. Everyone's talking about you!"
the girl added.
"Really? Ahahaha..."
Silvana laughed nervously.
But deep down, Silvana wasn't happy.
She thought, Who made that page? If I find out, they're in trouble.
Over the past few days, she'd noticed strangers staring at her more often.
While she was used to attention, being as beautiful as she was, the stares had increased dramatically.
After investigating, she found out her photos had gone viral on Dungeon Dashers.
The unexpected fame disrupted her normal life, and she started to resent whoever had made the page.
Meanwhile, people around her kept congratulating her and praising her popularity.
Not everyone was happy about Silvana and Lily's rise to fame, though.
They both came from powerful families that others couldn't openly offend, but that didn't stop people from gossiping behind their backs.
"That girl probably paid for those followers with her parents' money."
"Rich kids like them love showing off."
"Lily acts all innocent, but she's just putting her photos out there for attention. Such a hypocrite."
"They think they're the most beautiful girls in the world, always trying to seduce guys."
Jealous classmates and rivals whispered these harsh words about Lily and Silvana, even as their popularity continued to grow.
Since Silvana and Lily became popular, more girls started to talk badly about them.
This only made Silvana angrier at whoever created the fan page.
She couldn't find the person yet, but she was determined to teach them a lesson once she did.
"Lily, did you figure out who made those pages?"
Silvana asked.
Lily had the support of the Platinum Federation, which had far more resources than Silvana's family.
Silvana hoped Lily's federation could help track down the creator.
"I don't know for sure,"
Lily replied.
"I think it might be someone from our academy.Most of the pictures are of us in school uniforms, so it's likely a student."
Lily wasn't as furious as Silvana, but she didn't like the situation either.
The attention brought her unwanted drama and jealousy, and she hated the idea of being targeted just because of someone else's actions.
Meanwhile, Xerox had no idea that Lily and Silvana were upset.
Completely unaware that he had made enemies of two influential girls, he was thrilled to see the money pouring into his bank account.
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Account Holder: Xerox Zee
Account Number: 200***929
Balance: 13,243,450 Coins
=======================
The NightShade Federation's recent announcements during an interview boosted the popularity of Tech Genesis, the company behind Dungeon Dashers.
Declaring that Tech Genesis was under their protection not only enhanced its reputation but also kept other guilds from interfering with the business.
While everything seemed to be going well for Xerox, trouble was brewing.
One morning, Professor Layla called him to her office.
"I want you to delete my fan page from Dungeon Dashers,"
she demanded.
Xerox tried to act clueless.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. I know you own Dungeon Dashers. Take down the page with my photos."
Xerox hesitated.
"I can't do that,"
he said.
"Why not?"
"Because the page isn't breaking any rules. I can't just remove it without a valid reason."
"Either take it down, or I won't let this go,"
she warned.
Xerox sighed.
"How about this: I owe you one if you drop this issue?"
Layla thought for a moment before proposing something unexpected.
"Fine. In exchange, I want you to participate in the Tournament of Academies."
"What? That's for third-year students, isn't it?"
"Usually, yes. But this year, we're letting younger students with potential join because our current third-years aren't strong enough to win. You're one of the few with the talent to help."
Xerox wasn't interested.
"I'm not strong enough to win either."
"You might not be now, but you have six months to prepare. If you agree to participate in the selection process, I'll let the fan page slide."
Xerox considered her offer.
The tournament would be broadcast to millions of viewers.
While it could bring him fame, it could also attract a lot of trouble.
"I refuse—"
he started, but Layla interrupted.
"The academy administration has decided that the winner of the tournament can choose any treasure from the vault."
This caught Xerox's attention.
The academy vault contained valuable items, and there was one treasure he specifically wanted.
"Alright, I'll do it,"
he agreed.
Layla smiled.
"Good. But remember, you'll need to rank in the top 10 in the entire school to qualify. There are many seniors stronger than you, so you'll have to work hard."
From that day forward, Xerox focused on training and preparing for the upcoming mid-term exams.
The practical exam would involve a five-day survival test in an artificial environment created by a 10-rank artifact called the Staff of Illusion.
The written exam, however, was what worried him the most.
Though he was confident in his knowledge of history and mana theories, math had always been his weak point.
Thankfully, his alternate self from another universe had studied computer science and was good at math.
He hoped this would help him score higher.
To prepare, Xerox spent his days studying and training relentlessly.
With tens of millions of Coins at his disposal, he bought herbs to boost his rank and avoided relying too much on stamina potions.
Despite the exhaustion, he pushed himself to improve, determined to make it into the top 10.
With less than a month left until the mid-terms, Xerox felt his progress was steady.
"I could win this for ….."