Shirou and Asuna Become Famous / Taming Dragons with Silica ...

Asuna?

"Shirou?"

"It's us, that's right," Shirou said.

"How many times do we have to tell you before you believe me?" Asuna said, somewhat annoyed.

The reason they came to this disguise misunderstanding was all to cover their tracks. Shirou and Asuna had been disguised these past few days. Because of their previous success in the racing competition, they suddenly became the target of everyone's attention. All the ambitious people were eyeing them, which made it impossible for them to appear normally in the game.

At the same time, Penguin Company's agent was hiding in a corner of the ball, talking on the phone with his boss. He was about to approach Shirou and Asuna, wanting them to sign a contract. If Shirou and Asuna agreed to hand over the secret after clearing the game, they could receive a substantial bonus, with signing fees alone amounting to millions.

"Boss, what if they still refuse the invitation? Should we send in a department to investigate their background?" the manager said coldly. As Penguin Company, they were naturally shameless and ruthless; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to survive in this cruel workplace.

"Let's contact them first and let them look for it! Consider it an effort for us. If they're willing to cooperate, we'll give them a reward. If not... then I won't give them any benefit!" The voice on the other end of the phone suddenly turned cold. Boss Ma, as expected of a business tycoon, said in a chilling voice.

In the game, Boss Ma has three large, sealed cans. He presses a button, and the high-protection armor on both sides of the cans opens, revealing transparent glass. Inside are indeed three fragments, an even number of fragments of King Arthur's sword.

They were number two, four, and six respectively, and it turns out they had all been acquired by the professional gaming team hired by Boss Ma long ago.

Chapter 657 After Shirou and Asuna became famous

"So why are you in such a hurry to call us here?" Kiriko asked, looking at the two of them.

The other girls also looked over with curiosity.

"It's like this." Asuna exchanged a glance with Shirou, then turned to her companions and spoke slowly.

It all started a few days ago, after that thrilling car race.

This is why Shirou and Asuna had to hide their faces; because of this incident, they suddenly became big stars known to everyone in the Oasis.

Even top-tier livestreamers and internet celebrities can't compare, because everyone has their own preferences. Some people like older brothers, some like older sisters, some like rugged and bold personalities, and some like demure and gentle girls.

However, in the gaming world, everything is still about skill. Those who can achieve what others cannot will naturally earn the respect of all players.

Moreover, this was a major event concerning the entire Oasis World, so Shirou and Asuna received unprecedented treatment. Wherever they went, people would recruit them, and even ordinary people would try to learn the secrets to clearing the game.

After Shirou and Asuna entered the finish line, they found themselves in a park behind an iron fence. In the center of the park was a fountain, and standing in the middle of the fountain was the very figure from which they had heard Kayaba Akihiko's sigh. He was dressed in a long red robe, like a guardian protecting or waiting for something.

Of course, this is not a resurrection of Kayaba Akihiko, but rather that he chose this approach from the very beginning when the game was designed, and had already completed many challenges before that.

The red-robed guardian, with a flick of his hand, conjured two orbs of light that floated directly towards Shirou and Asuna.

Shirou and Asuna exchanged a glance, then simultaneously reached out and caught the halo.

A strong wind suddenly blew, revealing the man in the red robe to his true face. Kayaba Akihiko smiled with satisfaction and disappeared, feeling completely relaxed and free of any worries. The surrounding streams and lakes emitted a rainbow of light. After receiving the key, he found a bronze key and a new clue.

"The second clue is in the primeval valley where the dragons gather," Shirou said.

"We Shirou have the bronze key now. It contains clues about the second stage. The bronze key is like an invitation."

"However, the last door requires a divine artifact to open the Avalon of the Creator God, which is a legendary holy sword," Shirou said slowly.

"My guess was right after all, the final key is King Arthur's sword." Kiriko nodded in sudden realization, remembering the fragment she had kept among her belongings.

"So what do we do next?" Silica asked, puzzled.

Shirou said helplessly, "Now that the die is cast, we have no choice but to act. At least we can find all the fragments before those money-grubbing big companies do, preventing them from inheriting the Creator God's artifact and its power, and thus deterring the entire world."

"But now many players have watched your challenge video and tried to beat it themselves. Can we really stop Penguin Company with just a few of us?" Lizbeth said with some concern, thinking about this.

"Yeah, we still have time. Clearing the game won't be that easy," Shirou and Asuna said in unison. Even they had barely escaped with their lives and only achieved this result through luck.

This is the most difficult taboo. Kayaba Akihiko is such a proud person. He almost single-handedly developed a fully immersive virtual reality system. He once said that what he wanted was to create a world he desired.

In this game world, victory belongs to the one with the best skills. There are no shortcuts, and there's no way to bypass the Creator God's ideas. Only by being there can you truly participate.

"Damn it!"

Bang! Bang!!

With two loud bangs, a blue and white four-wheel drive race car and a black and white 86 were sent flying by King Kong's giant palm, and the players turned into a pile of gold coins scattered all over the place.

The blue-haired man's vision turned gray once again.

After the countdown ended, the dead players were teleported out and respawned in the resurrection hall.

"Damn it! I didn't dodge any more! It's all your fault, Zhou Jie Gun! I told you to hurry up!" The blue-haired man complained angrily to the man who had resurrected with him.

"I told you to slow down! You were going so fast in a straight line, it was hard for me to catch up," the man with the Taiwanese accent retorted.

"Then you should slow down when you turn!" he said to the man with a Taiwanese accent driving the 86.

"Ugh, your breath stinks," the man with the curved accent said, waving his hand dismissively.

Ma Xinghao's expression changed. He was now in a dilemma because he had made a bet during his live stream that he would eat shit if Shirou and Asuna could clear the game. If he broke the bet, his reputation as one of the top ten streamers on Penguin Live would be ruined, and he would suffer heavy losses.

But if he keeps his promise, it would be absolutely disgusting and would probably scare away even more fans. Those who remain would definitely be people with extreme tastes, and who knows what they might do to him in the future.

So doing it was wrong, not doing it was also wrong, Ma Xinghao was caught in a dilemma. Fortunately, his fans were understanding and gave him a solution as a substitute.

If you're going to eat shit, then go for the chocolate flavor.

Even with the chocolate, he was still tricked; the effects in that live stream were just too realistic.

"I already told you! I ate chocolate! It was a gift from my fans!" Ma Xinghao roared. He was quite famous in the entire live streaming industry. His reputation as the "Emperor of Eating Spicy Food" was widespread. No matter how he explained, people still had deep misunderstandings, and he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

"That's chocolate that looks like poop," the man with the curved accent added sarcastically.

They had tried this more than a dozen times. As witnesses to the competition at the time, the two of them should have had the advantage. However, the problem was that the level design left by the Creator God Kayaba Akihiko was just too difficult.

Trying to fly over the cliff and dodge King Kong's attacks by working together is extremely difficult. It's simply impossible if the two people don't have an absolute level of teamwork.

So Ma Xinghao and the man with the Taiwanese accent tried several times but failed.

Chapter 658 Taming Dragons with Silica

A man with short blue hair and squinty eyes, dressed in a black suit, walked towards Shirou and the others with a smile.

"Don't be nervous, I just have something I want to talk to Emiya, Asuna, about. That's what I do." The manager slid his finger through the air, producing a business card, which he then pushed in front of Shirou and the others.

The most eye-catching one is the black and white cartoon penguin on the left.

"The penguin people..." Upon seeing this symbol, Shirou and the others all showed surprised expressions.

"Let's go!" Shino stood up abruptly and said coldly.

"..." Shirou and the others also stood up.

"Don't go! I'm not like those people you hate. I've never done anything like land grabbing or seizing public property. I also really hate those barbaric and unreasonable guys, because their chaos has caused me a lot of trouble at work," the man waved his hand and explained.

"Oh, and what do you do, Manager Liu?" Shirou frowned. After all, Penguin Company with many departments, each with its own responsibilities. Although there's always dirty work involved, like monitoring users to steal privacy, the thief crying "stop thief!", and swindling money from elementary school students, it's all the usual tricks used by temporary workers.

However, in terms of user experience, Tencent's products are arguably world-class. Besides the departments that generate revenue, there are also departments that do good deeds, such as missing person notices and charity work. Driven by the huge influence of its massive user base, these departments have indeed played a significant role.

"I'm a manager at Penguin Live, like a talent scout on the street. My job is to find promising gamers for the company on Oasis and then turn them into national idols."

In this era where everyone is inseparable from games, a world-class gamer's fame is no less than that of other singers, actors, or idol groups. I'm responsible for discovering these people. I think everyone here is quite good. If you're willing to work with me, I'm confident I can turn you into stars within Oasis." The manager said with a smile, persuadingly.

"Huh?!" Silica and Lizbeth's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

After all, most teenagers at this age have a basic desire to become famous and be admired.

The manager smiled inwardly, knowing his opportunity had arrived, and continued:

"Ah, of course. With Emiya and Asuna's current status and strength, as long as you are willing to cooperate with us Penguin, we will offer you an unprecedentedly generous contract. As long as you are willing to help us Penguin find Dr. Kayaba's legacy, we can guarantee that you will all be well-off."

"No, we don't need it," Shirou said firmly.

Shino nodded in agreement without thinking.

Lizbeth and Silica stared wide-eyed at Shirou, their expressions showing a hint of regret.

"We're being rejected so hastily. Our Penguin Company, Tencent, is very sincere. If you feel that you are not suitable as individuals, I can sign you and your partners as a team."

Seeing the girl's somewhat disappointed expression, Asuna turned to the manager and asked, "Mr. Liu, the contract you're talking about isn't that simple. Besides the live-streaming work, we also need to follow Tencent's arrangements, right?"

"People fear becoming famous, just as pigs fear growing fat." This is a core line from Spider-Man: "With great power comes great responsibility," though not everyone necessarily agrees with it.

However, this is how people expect others to be; the higher a person's status, the more demanding their expectations will be.

For example, an idol who has studied singing and dancing and works hard every day to create a persona, probably never dreamed that he would also have to practice how to play basketball.

The manager smiled and agreed, "That's right. I believe you understand the principle. Now that you've become company employees, you naturally have to contribute to the company. We can't expect you to enjoy the benefits of Penguin Company while simultaneously harming Penguin Company's interests, can we?"

"Really? So what do you all think?" Asuna asked her companions.

"Yes, that's true."

"If it comes at the cost of everyone's lives, then let's forget about it." Lizbeth and Silica exchanged a glance, then smiled, having come to terms with it, and decided against it.

"It was destined to be this way from the very beginning," Shino said bluntly.

The manager slammed his fist on the table, his eyes blazing with fury, and looked at Shirou, saying:

"You need to understand that Penguin Company is no small company; it's one of the world's top ten internet companies! In fact, our influence is no less than Oasis's! Oasis is at most a social gaming platform with 2 billion users, but Tencent has over a billion users! If you go against Tencent, you'll become public enemy number one. Do you think that will end well?"

"But this is an oasis, a place that belongs to all the players, not to Penguin Company. And I don't think you can represent the people." Shirou calmly agreed, stood up, and walked outside.

"You'll regret this!" the manager said angrily.

"Perhaps, but if I agree, I'll regret it for the rest of my life." After saying his last words, Shirou left with the girls.

"Hey boss, the negotiations have failed." The manager sent the message directly to the company's senior management.

"Understood. Let's get started on the plan. Collect information on their families and the people around them," the other person said.

This involves shares worth hundreds of billions of US dollars, ownership of a mega-corporation with a market capitalization of trillions, and more importantly, the global reach of Boss Ma's business empire.

Boss Ma is determined to acquire Oasis. If he succeeds, he can complete his global expansion and establish a firm foothold. Therefore, anyone who stands in his way, whether a business giant, competitor, or ordinary player, is an enemy.

As the saying goes, the business world is like a battlefield. If we can't be partners, then there's no room for negotiation.

At this moment, Shirou and the others arrived at the entrance of the dance hall.

Shirou and Asuna stopped, took out Superman's black-rimmed glasses from their inventory, put them on, and their aura instantly changed. If they weren't teammates, ordinary people wouldn't be able to recognize their true identities.

"Let's split up and do our own thing from now on," Shirou said to Asuna and the others.

"Okay, then Kiriko, Liz, and Shino, let's go together." Asuna nodded and pulled the other companions along.

"Silica, you and Bina will come with me," Shirou said.

"Eh? Me?" Silica blushed and pointed at herself in surprise.

"Wow!" Silica's white dragon exclaimed in surprise.

"Tame the dragon!" Shirou replied.

Chapter 659 Flying with Silica on a Dragon

Shirou and Silica arrived at the entrance to a game world. They walked through a tall, white-glowing gate, like a high wall, leading to a completely new world.

This is a world on an island in northern Europe. As soon as Shirou and Silica entered this world, they saw a group of barbarian NPCs with fierce faces, wearing horned hats, animal skin clothes, long braids on both sides of their heads, and carrying axes, shields, and spears.

At this moment, their attire automatically switched to match the setting of this world.

"Ah~!" Only the white-feathered Bina looked around curiously, as if it sensed the presence of many of its own kind here.

At this moment, a group of players could be seen Riding all sorts of dragons, each with its own unique shape, soaring through the sky. There were racing games where players competed in dragon riding to test their flying speed. There were also adorable dragons with big eyes; it would be quite fun even if viewed as a pet-raising game.

This is a world of dragons. Players are set up as a group of Vikings living alongside dragons in a parallel world. They are Odin's children, God of Thunder is their leader, and Siegfried, the Dutch prince who slayed the dragon, is their kin.

Every Viking is an adventurer, a warrior. They have never retreated, whether facing dangerous dragons or treacherous seas. Vikings are fearless in battle!

Not far from the entrance, a blond, bearded man wearing a horned hat was carrying a large wooden board and telling a story to a group of children dressed as Vikings.

"There was a time when we fought dragons. Dragons hunted our sheep and our livestock, so we hunted dragons in return. But then a boy changed everything. He saved a legendary Night Fury dragon and became its companion."

"Night Fury?" the children asked curiously.

"Yes, that's the king of dragons. Ordinary dragons breathe fire or fireballs, but the Night Fury breathes lightning! Just like the God King Odin!" The blond man with the bushy beard lowered his voice and described it vividly.

"They are equal and supportive partners, growing together from inferiority to confidence, from timidity to strength. They have been injured; one lost a leg, and one dragon lost its tail. Even so, they still supported each other and took to the skies once again."

"How could the king of dragons be injured?" the mischievous children asked in confusion.

The blond man with the thick beard nodded and said, "Yes, their greatest strength isn't their invincibility, but rather that nothing can destroy them. To protect their beloved families, they fought together and defeated the tyrannical dragon leader. They defeated the evil humans who wanted to exploit the dragons' power, protecting the dragons so they could find a paradise and live happily ever after."

After many years of effort, humanity has finally learned how to live peacefully with dragons. Now, we Vikings and dragons are inseparable partners. Every Viking, when they are young, will seek out a dragon to be their lifelong companion.

"That's awesome! I also want to find a powerful Dragon species companion."

"Idiot, even if you want to find a dragon, you need a dragon willing to follow you first."

"The little knights of yesteryear have already created legends with the Night Fury Dragon, little ones! Now it's your turn~!" The blond, bearded man opened his mouth, revealing a rather unkempt mouth with several missing jowls, and smiled.

At this point, the hourglass, which had been set aside until only a small pile of sand remained, was almost empty.