The next day.
Godolkin University's Hero Arena was not open to the public.
It was more like a lavish showroom. There were no fanatical fans in the stands, only smartly dressed Vought executives, representatives of financial conglomerates, and talent scouts.
The tablets in their hands scrolled through all the competing students' information-from ability ratings to social media follower counts, every statistic quantified as naked commercial value.
The air smelled of expensive perfume and money.
When Lucian entered the arena with Jordan Li and Cate, he immediately drew plenty of attention.
"That's Lucian? The prodigy Brink's been boasting about lately?" a man in a Versace suit whispered to his female companion.
"Doesn't look like anything special, apart from his looks."
"Don't underestimate him. I heard from people at the school that none of the students who've sparred with him have lasted more than three moves.
"Brink's given him top-tier resources, a private training room, unlimited nutritional supplements... he's getting better treatment than Golden Boy."
The remarks were quiet, but Lucian heard them clearly. Super Senses LV2 pieced those fragments of information into a complete picture of public opinion.
Brink had already set the stage. Now it was time for him, the leading man, to make his entrance.
Jordan Li looked somewhat uncomfortable beside him. He had gotten in through Lucian's "patronage."
"Don't be nervous," Lucian said, turning his head and speaking quietly enough that only the two of them could hear. "Treat this as a rehearsal. Show them your value."
Jordan glanced at him without speaking, but his tense shoulders relaxed a little.
The matches soon began.
The first major event was Andre Anderson versus Jordan Li.
Andre was the son of Polarity, a famous hero of the previous generation, and his entrance caused a small stir. He winked at a