Chapter 89 Core Area of Barutia Peaks
"Alert, intruder in Zone F. Activate the automatic defense system!"
Eric barely had time to feel excited before the booming voice disturbed him, catching him completely off guard.
As he reached the exit of the passage, he found that all the passages leading to other areas were sealed off, trapping him inside. Meanwhile, the water in the pool below began to rise rapidly, and at this rate, it wouldn't be long before the place was completely submerged.
Without hesitation, Eric took out a bottle of underwater breathing potion and drank it. This potion allowed players to breathe underwater for 20 minutes. He proceeded to leap into the pool and commenced swimming towards greater depths.
After swimming for more than ten minutes, Eric finally saw a dark passage. However, the water current there was strong, making it difficult to approach. After a long struggle and drinking a second bottle of underwater breathing potion, he finally managed to reach the entrance of the passage.
He was then swept away by the current solid, unable to move his body, and flowed along the passage. After a few minutes of drifting, Eric was ejected from the passage and landed in another large pool.
There were ladders on the walls of the large pool leading upward. By climbing these ladders, Eric could reach the core area.
Eric swam to the ladder entrance and checked the time. It was almost 8 AM. Searching for the Heart of the Titan was not a task that could be completed hastily, so Eric accessed the system menu and logged out.
The first thing Eric did every morning was exercise, a habit deeply ingrained in him. However, today, his body felt different from yesterday. Instead of feeling stiff, he felt refreshed and unusually light. The Grade C Nutrition Serum he drank had evidently taken effect, gradually improving his physical condition.
Seizing the opportunity, Eric began his workout routine with sit-ups, push-ups, and other muscle-strengthening exercises. After more than an hour of training, he didn't feel tired at all. Instead, his whole body felt warm and full of energy.
But Eric didn't push it further. Instead, he went downstairs to eat breakfast. Exercise should be performed in moderation; excessive exercise could have detrimental effects.
After a night of hard work, the gold coins he sold and the money he earned from Isabella brought his bank account to over 200,000 credits. One night's effort had earned him as much as a senior executive's two-month salary, showcasing the power of the virtual economy driven by Divine Realms: Legends. A year from now, it wouldn't be uncommon to witness individuals becoming wealthy overnight in Divine Realms: Legends.
Unfortunately, many companies hadn't realized this yet. By the time they did, they would be far behind the early adopters.
Having breakfast, Eric went to the bank to withdraw 30,000 credits. He planned to pay off the remaining balance for his virtual helmet. If he forgot and needed to get a replacement while playing Divine Realms: Legends, it would have to wait until the next business day. During the game's initial rush, falling behind even for a day would be hard to catch up. Eric also planned to call Tonny out for a stroll. Tonny's tendency to confine himself in his dorm could potentially result in health problems.
On the university campus in the early morning, the streets were nearly empty, with only a few sports clubs doing warm-up runs. Watching these energetic college students, Eric felt a sense of unreality, as if his ten years of battles in Divine Realms: Legends had been a fleeting dream.
Walking towards Tonny's dorm, Eric enjoyed the campus scenery he had overlooked in his previous life.
As he neared Tonny's dorm, he could hear laughter emanating from within.
"Tonny, you're doing pretty poorly, aren't you? Weren't you confident about getting into ShadowForge Studios? I waited for you there for days but never saw you."
"Will Brown, I already told you I joined another studio, so I didn't go to the ShadowForge Studios assessment."
"Don't lie to me, Tonny. There's no other studio at Evergreen University. What's its name? How many people are there? Who founded it? Can you tell me? If the benefits are good, I might join too."
Tonny suddenly realized that Eric hadn't told him the studio's name. As for the number of people, there were exactly six, which was not even enough for a proper Divine Realms: Legends studio. They were practically starting from scratch, deeply in debt.
"Tonny, stop being stubborn. I know you didn't pass the ShadowForge Studios assessment. If you are unable to do so, let Will speak highly of you as a reference. Will is a full member now, and you might become an affiliate member. At least you could keep playing Divine Realms: Legends and earn 2,000 credits a month. Don't forget, your trial helmet has only a ten-day trial period. After that, you won't be able to play."
"No way; what kind of studio doesn't even have official virtual helmets? That's pathetic," Will feigned surprise, then patted Tonny on the shoulder and sighed. "Even affiliate members at ShadowForge Studios get an official helmet. Full members get a high-end helmet worth 20,000 credits. Your studio is a joke. Who's running it? I'll help you get justice."
"Why don't you join me instead? I guarantee you'll get an official helmet. Once I become a core member of ShadowForge Studios, I promise you'll have a secure future. You know Mr. Phillips invested five million in ShadowForge Studios, and he's recently added another two million. If you join, a bright future awaits you."
"Will, I told you, I'm not going. I'm doing fine where I am," Tonny firmly refused.
"Tonny, you should know opportunities like this are rare. ShadowForge Studios is the best studio at Evergreen University. If it weren't for your level 5 status and our friendship, I wouldn't be here to convince you," Will said earnestly. "You keep saying you joined another studio, but you need to give me a name. Lying to an old friend, is that fun for you?"
"What? Don't tell me this studio doesn't even have a name?"
"Even without a name, you should know who founded it. Nowadays, anyone can start a studio but don't be fooled. ShadowForge Studios has a legitimate business license and contract guarantees. At least we won't let you starve."
Will praised ShadowForge Studios as if joining it would make one an elite of society worthy of envy.
However, Tonny had become disillusioned with ShadowForge Studios. He no longer held any affection for it.Tonny only blamed himself for bragging about reaching level 5, which led to ShadowForge Studios finding out and sending Will to persuade him.
However, Tonny would never betray Eric and join ShadowForge Studios. His current achievements were all thanks to Eric. Even though times were tough, he believed Eric would lead him to success.
At this stage, players who had reached level 5 were considered experts. For ShadowForge Studios, which was in dire need of experts, Tonny was a valuable asset they were eager to recruit.
At this moment, Eric opened the door and stepped inside.
"I'm the one who founded the studio. Do you have any objections?" Eric looked at the burly Will and said coldly.
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