Chapter 226: The Rewards
"She wasn’t angry after you rejected her?" Mira asked softly.
"No."
"She even gave me a personal communication badge."
Helen’s hand froze.
"A personal communication badge?"
"Mm."
"Evelyn Astra’s personal badge?"
"I think so."
Helen fell silent.
Zich looked at her.
"Is there a problem?"
"No."
Helen picked up her cup and drained the remaining drink in one gulp.
"Of course there’s no problem."
Her tone remained calm.
Yet, for some unknown reason, the temperature around the table seemed to rise ever so slightly.
Jayden glanced at Helen before looking back at Zich.
He seemed about to say something, but wisely chose to remain silent.
Only Mira quietly placed another piece of fruit in front of Slimy.
"Is she pretty?" Mira suddenly asked.
Zich was momentarily stunned.
Helen immediately looked at him.
Even Jayden raised his eyes.
"She’s alright," Zich answered.
"What do you mean by ’alright’?" Helen asked, a vein popping at her temple.
"She’s not ugly."
"..."
Helen suddenly felt that asking such a question in the first place had been a mistake.
"Forget it." She waved her hand.
"Since you’ve already refused, the City Lord’s Estate probably won’t pressure you again anytime soon."
"But Evelyn isn’t as simple as she appears. I’ve only met her twice before. She rarely takes the initiative to interact with players of the same generation, much less personally invite someone just because they won a championship."
"If she sought you out, then what the City Lord’s Estate truly values is probably not this tournament."
Zich did not mention their investigation into his class.
Not because he distrusted Helen and the others.
But because it involved the greatest secret he possessed.
Until he knew exactly how much information the City Lord’s Estate had obtained, allowing more people to know would bring no benefits.
"It doesn’t matter," Zich said.
"So long as they have no hostile intentions for now, there’s no need to deal with them."
Helen looked at him for a moment before nodding lightly.
"True."
"With the City Lord’s Estate’s methods, if they truly wanted to do something to you, they would never have sent Evelyn merely to talk."
The gathering continued for a while.
However, after discussing the City Lord’s Estate, their conversation was no longer as relaxed as before.
Helen mentioned that the Association was organizing a new list of Secret Realms.
Mira planned to temporarily leave Central City and enter a special region suitable for Wind Element players.
Jayden likewise had no intention of remaining within the First Layer’s safe zones.
After losing to Lucien, he had clearly been greatly stimulated.
He intended to enter a high difficulty dungeon controlled by his family and break through his current level as quickly as possible.
All of them had already begun preparing for the Second Layer.
The glory brought by the Chosen Tournament was only temporary.
For players truly qualified to advance to higher layers, the end of the tournament merely signified the beginning of an even greater competition.
Late that night, the four of them left Silvermoon Court.
Jayden boarded his family’s flying vehicle first, while Mira’s residence was not far from Silvermoon Court.
After briefly saying goodbye, she left alone along the suspended walkway.
In the end, only Zich and Helen remained outside Silvermoon Court.
The Players Association’s flying vehicle was already waiting nearby.
Helen did not board yet.
Standing beneath the moonlit lamps, her blond hair gently swayed in the night breeze.
"When are you planning to claim your championship rewards?"
"I’ll go tomorrow morning," Zich replied.
An eager glint appeared in Helen’s eyes.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"No."
Helen pouted with a clearly dissatisfied expression on her face.
She was just about to board the vehicle when she suddenly stopped.
"One more thing."
"What is it?"
She turned around and looked at him for a few moments.
"Did you forget something?"
Zich thought for several seconds.
"No."
The corner of Helen’s eye twitched slightly.
"Think again."
"The championship reward or my training?"
"Not that either."
"Then what?"
Helen stared at him.
Zich calmly looked back at her, wondering what she was up to.
The two of them remained silent for several long seconds.
Finally, Helen took a deep breath with a disappointed look on her face.
"Forget it."
She climbed directly into the flying vehicle and firmly shut the door.
The vehicle quickly rose into the air.
Zich stood where he was, watching it disappear into the distance.
For the first time, genuine confusion appeared in his eyes.
Slimy, lying on his shoulder, raised one tiny tentacle and gently tapped its own cheek.
"Bo."
Zich turned toward it.
"What do you mean?"
Slimy tapped its cheek again.
"Bobo."
Zich still failed to understand.
"Is there something on your face?"
Slimy: "..."
It slowly lowered its tentacle.
A moment later, a helpless little bubble popped somewhere deep inside its body.
...
The next morning.
Players Association Headquarters.
The morning sunlight shone upon the massive silver white building, causing the crossed swords emblem hanging at its highest point to reflect dazzling brilliance.
As one of humanity’s greatest centers of power within Stoneheart City, the Players Association Headquarters was busy at all hours.
Large numbers of players returning from missions entered through various entrances.
Other teams preparing to depart for Secret Realms or dangerous regions were collecting supplies and mission materials inside the main hall.
The moment Zich appeared in the Association Plaza, someone immediately recognized him.
"That’s Zich!"
"The Chosen Tournament Champion?"
"He finally came to the Association."
"He must be here to collect his rewards."
"I heard this year’s championship rewards are far more extravagant than before."
"Even the City Lord’s Estate and Green Group added extra rewards."
Discussions quickly spread throughout the area.
However, Zich never slowed his pace, as he was slowly getting used to this.
He still wore the simple black long coat, his silver white hair especially striking beneath the morning sunlight.
His pale golden eyes calmly looked toward the Association’s main entrance, as though the countless curious and respectful gazes surrounding him did not exist.
Slimy had not accompanied him today.
After eating far too much high energy food at Silvermoon Court the previous night, its body had become so round that it could not even jump properly this morning, forcing it to stay home and slowly digest everything.
As soon as Zich entered the main hall, a staff member who had clearly been waiting hurried over.
"Mr. Zich. The President has already instructed us that once you arrive, no procedures are necessary. Please follow me."
The staff member’s attitude was exceptionally respectful.
Players waiting in line throughout the hall immediately stepped aside.
Many young players watched Zich pass by, unable to hide the envy in their eyes.
Only a few months earlier, he had been an unknown newcomer.
Now, the President of the Players Association was personally waiting for him.
The staff member led Zich through the hall before finally arriving before a spatial elevator formation reserved exclusively for the Association’s senior executives.
Silver light flashed and the surrounding space rapidly blurred.
Within only a few seconds, the formation had already reached the highest floor of the Association Headquarters.
"The President is inside."
The staff member stopped before an enormous deep blue metal door.
"I can only escort you this far."
Zich nodded.
The staff member bowed before leaving.
The next instant, the magical runes covering the metal door lit up on their own.
Click.
The heavy doors slowly opened to both sides.
It was time for him to finally see what those so called rewards were all about.