Chapter 32: Gaining Followers, and Earning Contracts
After returning to his seat in the stands, Kalon couldn’t stop his body from shaking.
He heard the chatter all around him.
He felt the eyes staring at him, wondering how on earth he had gained so much power.
Just from that one showing, everything was different.
He still sat alone, but in the distant rows, he could see people wanting to come and talk to him, yet lacking the courage to do so.
Many of the people who had bullied him were now too afraid to shoot him dirty glances. Only those with too much pride still dared to look at him that way, but even then, they didn’t do what they normally would.
Because they knew now that if they tried to confront Kalon face to face, there was a chance he would fight back.
And if they thought back to what had happened to Wilson, there was no telling what would happen to them.
After all, Wilson was still receiving treatment. His body had mostly been healed by top-rank medics, but it would be weeks before he returned to normal.
...
As he sat in the stands, Kalon retrieved his phone from his bag and checked his social profile.
He knew that a lot would have changed.
「@KalonManchester」
Amateur Entertainment Fighter
﹂Followers: 10,672
﹂Following: 132
﹂Official Record: 1 win — 0 losses
﹂Sponsors: None (+1 offer)
「Latest Posts」
None
「Latest Mentions」
"Did anyone just see that fight? Who the fuck is this @KalonManchester kid, and why am I just hearing about him now?" — @Badger1
"My daughter tells me that @KalonManchester is a victim of bullying. Doesn’t really make sense to me, lmao. He’s probably the strongest in his year group." — @JoshuaLance1978
"Can someone get me in contact with @KalonManchester?" — @Tjdancer
...
There was so much to take in...
Ten thousand followers... I went from zero to ten thousand!
And my mentions... This is the first time I’ve seen positive mentions in my entire life.
However, above all else, there was something else that stood out to Kalon the most.
Usually, professional organisations would wait until the mock battles had concluded before offering anyone a sponsorship.
Yet somehow, he had already received an offer.
Kalon opened his sponsor invitations and took a look.
「Sponsor Invitation」
[Congratulations! Your recent performance has attracted the attention of a professional sponsor.]
— Sponsor: ForgeFuel Fighting
— Sponsor Rank: Gold
— Monthly Payment: £5,000
[Requirements:]
— Display the ForgeFuel logo during all fights.
— Publish one promotional post per month.
— Use ForgeFuel supplements during official media appearances.
— Contract Length: 12 Months
[Benefits]
— Weekly Gold Gift Crate
— Priority access to sponsored training facilities.
— Increased public exposure through ForgeFuel advertisements.
[Accept] [Decline]
...
Kalon blinked at the screen of his phone.
So this is what a sponsor invitation looks like...
It truly was a lot to take in.
He had never heard of ForgeFuel Fighting, so he took a quick glance at their social media page.
What he saw surprised him.
They only had 7,500 followers.
...
Isn’t that less than me?
Since he didn’t know much about contracts, Kalon hadn’t learned what was a good deal and what wasn’t.
£5,000 did sound like a lot of money. After all, he only received a monthly fund of £500 from the academy.
But was he worth more?
He didn’t want to sound arrogant, and neither did he want to make a silly decision that would mess up future opportunities.
So he decided to wait until the mock battles were done, in case any other offers were sent to him.
...
"And for our next bout, can I please call to the arena: Thea Bluegale and Katie Evergarden!"
Kalon quickly pocketed his phone and looked back out toward the arena.
It was time for Thea Bluegale’s fight, the one he had been looking forward to most.
The blue-haired beauty made her way toward the centre of the arena to face off against her opponent.
Her opponent was one of the most well-known female students in the first year.
Just like Thea, Katie’s parents were well-known fighters in a professional organisation.
People had high expectations for both of them.
This fight would determine a lot.
Katie Evergarden had blonde hair and green eyes. She was a dazzling young woman with golden gems in her hair.
Her build was similar to Thea’s: medium-sized breasts, well-toned abs and thighs, lean muscles all over, yet still managing to look soft and feminine.
Can Thea win this fight?
There was no arguing between the two women. Neither of them cared about putting on a show, as they didn’t need to.
Their presence alone was enough.
"Begin!"
As soon as the announcer’s words rang out, the two charged toward each other, meeting at the centre of the arena.
One.
Two.
Three.
Three blows were exchanged in rapid succession: one with fists, one with palms, and one with legs.
Each strike was blocked, as neither fighter was able to find an opening.
The fourth strike was a clash between palms, sending both fighters sliding backwards.
Thea slid farther than Katie did.
It became clear that although they were matched in agility, Katie had the upper hand when it came to strength.
Thea noticed this too, so as her opponent approached, she outstretched her palm from a distance.
Hm?
THUD THUD THUD
Three cannon-sized balls of water shot from her hand in rapid succession.
Everyone’s eyes went wide, and the crowd went crazy.
Another elemental affinity? How did nobody know about this?
Katie was taken off guard and could do nothing as the three balls of water shot toward her.
Each one struck her in the chest with such force that she felt her ribcage collapse inward.
The first two sent her sliding five metres backwards. The third made her tumble and flip over herself multiple times until she landed on her back, the wind knocked out of her.
She tried to get up, but the water made her feel as though she were drowning.
And before she could even get into a seated position, a palm strike landed on her already-collapsed chest, caving it in further.
Just like that, the battle was won.
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