Chapter 191: Making a Movie
After the final qualifying name was completely locked into place, warm applause once again erupted throughout the Central Arena because it meant that the long-running Round of 16 had finally come to an official end.
Arthur slowly rose to his feet, his calm yet dignified voice once again echoing throughout the entire venue.
"After several consecutive hours of battle, the Top Eight of this Chosen Tournament have now been fully determined."
"All qualified contestants will receive treatment and recovery today."
"The quarterfinals will officially begin tomorrow morning."
As those words fell, quite a few contestants secretly let out sighs of relief.
After continuous high-intensity battles, even top geniuses like them had long since become exhausted. Being granted an entire day to recover was undoubtedly the best possible arrangement.
Very soon, a large number of healers dressed in white robes entered the battlefield, escorting the more seriously injured contestants to different treatment areas.
...
Central Medical District.
A gentle green aura permeated the entire hall.
The air was saturated with the rich fragrance of medicinal herbs.
Zich lay quietly upon a treatment bed, his chest wrapped in layer upon layer of bandages. Several senior healers cast recovery spells one after another, while the horrifying wounds slowly healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Not far away, an elderly healer could not help but sigh.
"Truly unbelievable. The injuries inside his body are even more severe than we expected."
Another nodded.
"Especially that final strike. If his physical stats hadn’t far surpassed those of ordinary players, it probably would have already become life-threatening."
"However..." The old man looked toward the detection crystal, a trace of surprise appearing in his eyes. "It will take quite some time before he’s back at his peak condition. Hopefully by tomorrow."
...
Although the Central Arena had already returned to peace, the entire forum seemed to have descended into complete madness. Countless players repeatedly refreshed the page as new posts covered the front page at a speed visible to the naked eye. In less than half an hour, topics related to Zich had already occupied the entire trending list, while the number of views continued to skyrocket without showing any signs of slowing down.
[Hot Post: The Nullborn Race Really Isn’t Invincible!!!]
"Brothers, I still can’t fall asleep!!!"
"Who could sleep?! That’s the Nullborn Race! They had won four matches in a row before this, and yet Zich actually defeated them!"
"From today onward, I officially declare Zich my idol!"
"The guy above... weren’t you the one saying yesterday that he only knew how to hide behind Slimey?"
"Ahem... People can grow."
"Hahahahahaha!"
...
The forum’s front page continued refreshing at an almost insane pace. Posts about Zich had barely remained on the front page for a few seconds before being completely buried beneath fresh discussions, while countless players tirelessly repeated the very same action over and over again, refreshing the page just to see whether someone had discovered yet another new detail from Zich’s battle against Nameless.
However, just as the entire forum was still immersed in discussing the match itself, a post published by a verified tournament official suddenly appeared in the most prominent position on the front page.
[Announcement: Due to a massive influx of commercial partnership applications, the Central Arena Medical Wing has been placed under complete lockdown. No unauthorized personnel are permitted to enter.]
The moment the post was published, the entire forum instantly exploded.
"Commercial partnership applications?"
"What does that mean?"
"What else could it mean?! Sponsorships, of course!"
"Holy crap! How long has it even been since the match ended?"
"Less than forty minutes."
"They’re already fighting over him after only forty minutes?"
"Obviously! He’s the first person to defeat the Nullborn Race in the last couple of years!!"
Within just a few minutes, the announcement had climbed to the number one spot on the trending list.
...
Meanwhile, in the Commercial District in the inner ring of Stoneheart City.
The executives of the various companies, who had already finished work for the day, had almost all returned to the conference room. Massive data screens projected Zich’s latest statistics, while the popularity graph displayed in the center, which kept climbing higher and higher, caused quite a few people present to twitch involuntarily.
"Forum discussion popularity remains number one."
"Livestream replay views have surpassed one hundred and eighty million."
"Search volume for his personal keywords is still continuing to rise."
"We estimate a second major surge in traffic within the next twenty-four hours."
As the staff delivered their reports, a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit finally rose slowly to his feet and looked toward everyone in the conference room.
"Everyone. I only have one sentence. No matter the cost, we must sign Zich."
Not a single person in the conference room objected because every one of them clearly understood what a super genius who had defeated the Nullborn Race while still being so young truly represented.
It represented the future.
It represented traffic.
And, even more importantly, it represented the greatest commercial value in the entire First Layer.
At that moment, the conference room doors were suddenly pushed open.
A secretary hurried inside with an anxious expression.
"Director!"
"Morningstar Group has offered fifty million dollars in hopes of signing Zich as their exclusive spokesperson for the next three years."
The moment those words fell, another staff member immediately stood up.
"Saint Glory Pharmaceuticals has increased the offer. Eighty million, with lifetime free access to their Grade A Recovery Potions."
The entire conference room instantly fell silent.
However, before anyone could react, another communication alert sounded.
"Aurora Livestream Platform has offered one hundred million, hoping to invite Zich to become the official face of their platform."
"One hundred million?!"
Quite a few executives immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
But the very next second, even more outrageous news arrived.
"Starsea Equipment Company is offering one hundred and twenty million, along with a promise to custom forge all of Zich’s equipment free of charge in the future."
"Skyvault Aircraft Group is offering one hundred and fifty million."
"Glory Energy Group is offering two hundred million."
In less than a single minute, the highest offer had already increased fourfold.
Even the director presiding over the meeting could not help rubbing his forehead.
"They’ve gone mad! They’ve all completely lost their minds."
...
Meanwhile, at the Entertainment Association.
The headquarters, which rarely ever held emergency meetings, was likewise brightly illuminated.
Both sides of the enormous conference table were filled with top directors, producers, and executives from major entertainment companies.
"We have to secure the documentary rights."
"We also have to secure the exclusive interview. The moment the tournament ends, we’ll arrange a personal interview immediately."
"No." One director immediately shook his head. "An interview is too ordinary. I want to make a movie."
"A movie?"
"That’s right."
The director stared at the footage on the giant screen showing the final punch that defeated Nameless, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
"That match alone is enough to become a phenomenal blockbuster."
"I’ve even thought of the title already...Breaking the Myth."