Chapter 363: The Live Stream Returns

As soon as Solomon’s silver owl went live, he looked at his translucent blue interface. The viewer count sat at 0.

Then it jumped to 3. Then 20. Then 43, 55, 67, 189, 398, 420, 689, 911... and the numbers continued to skyrocket at an impossible rate.

Comments began to pour into the chat, the text scrolling so fast that Solomon couldn’t even read the individual messages. But he quickly spotted the familiar, highlighted names of his dedicated fans in the blur.

[LazyCat: HE IS ALIVE!]

[GamerGuy: SOLO MAN IS BACK!]

[Blood Knight: The warrior returns from the shadows.]

[User12: where have you been bro?!]

[GoonLord: I MISSED YOU KING!]

[NewbHunter: finally! we have been waiting for two weeks!]

[OldTimer: good to see you in one piece, kid.]

Solomon offered a bright, genuine smile to the camera lens. "Hey guys, it is great to be back. I missed you too."

The chat immediately flooded him with hundreds of frantic questions, demanding to know exactly what had happened after the dungeon collapse, where he had been for the last two weeks, and what he had done during the radio silence.

"I know you guys have a million questions, and there is honestly way too much to talk about," Solomon explained, holding his hands up defensively. "I have to tell you guys about a lot of crazy stuff that happened too, but right now is not the right time for a storytime stream. I am in the middle of some administrative business, so I won’t be able to respond to all your questions right now."

[1Fizzy: we can wait!]

[James_hayes: bro definitely has some wild lore to drop later.]

[Mezz_3863: take your time Solo Man.]

Solomon turned his attention back to the Grandmaster. "When can I leave for the Eastern Realms? Will I need some kind of permission letter or a travel pass?"

The Grandmaster cleared his throat, adjusting his collar. "The inter-dimensional portals are scheduled to open tomorrow morning, so you may depart then. Furthermore, Sword Pavilion Master Wu is currently here at the academy, so you will be traveling back with him."

"Oh? I didn’t know that." Solomon nodded in understanding. "That sounds great."

He then remembered his pending business transactions. "Grandmaster, what about that glowing orb I obtained during my very first expedition in the labyrinth?"

"Since you refused to sell it, the Vanguard Exchange submitted the orb directly to the academy administration," the Grandmaster responded. "It is currently secured under the academy’s possession in a private vault. Do you need it right now?"

Solomon shook his head. "No. Since you told me it was highly valuable to mages, I was planning to negotiate a deal and sell it directly to the Tower Master."

The Grandmaster chuckled softly. "There is no need to worry about the logistics, then. You just need to finalize a deal with Cedric. Once you agree on a price, simply tell him to collect the orb directly from my office." The Grandmaster paused, raising an eyebrow. "Do you still have the ruby eyes of the Winter Snow Serpent with you?"

"I am carrying them in my pocket right now," Solomon confirmed.

With his administrative business finally concluded, Solomon offered a polite nod and left the Grandmaster’s office.

The Grandmaster watched the silver-haired boy leave, letting out a profound sigh of relief. ’It is a good thing he did not cause any major trouble while he was in my office,’ the Grandmaster muttered to himself. ’But now that his live stream is back online, and he will be returning to the Eastern Realms tomorrow...’ He sighed again, rubbing his temples. ’Wu will just have to handle him.’

Meanwhile, Solomon walked aimlessly out of the administrative wing. He had nowhere else to be, and he was starting to feel incredibly hungry. He looked around the corridors, searching for signs pointing toward the academy cafeteria or a student restaurant, and slowly made his way there.

While he walked, his chat kept going absolutely crazy, still demanding updates.

[System: Mezz_3863 has issued a Direct Echo! Gifted 10 Copper Daggers (1,000 Points).]

Message: "Why are you wearing a different, dark uniform? Did you change houses?"

Solomon tapped the side of his new uniform and responded to the echo. "Some crazy things happened while I was offline, and the administration officially promoted me. I am a second-year student now."

The chat went into overdrive again, flooding the screen with even more questions about how he managed to skip an entire academic year in a two-week break.

[Foodball: bro speedrunning the academy curriculum.]

[M00N: second year already?!]

[Nick: Solo Man is built different.]

[sgtcwby: what are you going to do next? we will get bored if you just train and do nothing else. we want action and boss fights!]

Solomon laughed at the demanding comment. "Training and taking martial lessons are basically my breaks. They allow me to prepare my foundation so I can perform better and survive the actual, life-threatening challenges later on."

He finally reached the bustling dining area. The cafeteria was incredibly crowded, as it was peak dinner time for the students. The moment Solomon walked through the double doors, a sudden hush fell over the surrounding tables. Dozens of students turned their heads, openly staring and pointing at him as he walked past.

Solomon furrowed his brow, completely oblivious to his own massive, viral fame. ’Why is absolutely everyone staring at me?’ he thought to himself.

The word had already spread that Solomon had single handedly beat one hundred nobles, so now all the nobles in the academy were keeping an eye on him.

[Ron_Selby: bro feels like a celebrity now.]

[Brerell: what you did you do now, Solo Man?]

He grabbed a tray and got into the serving line, loading his plate with a portion of meat, soup, and vegetables. A while later, his turn ended, and he walked around the crowded hall trying to find an empty seat or a familiar face.

He eventually spotted Elizabeth. She was sitting entirely alone, but instead of occupying a standard table, she was sitting on a wide, cushioned windowsill overlooking the campus grounds.

Solomon smiled and approached her.

He casually hopped onto the windowsill and sat down right beside her, balancing his plate on his knees. She looked surprised when he sat down, pausing mid-bite. But the moment she realized it was Solomon, she simply smiled, though a slight, adorable pout remained on her lips.

The chat interface immediately exploded into absolute chaos.

[Ferald: YOOOOO!]

[1Fizzy: THE SHIP HAS SAILED!]

[James_hayes: wait, didn’t she literally kiss him?!]

[Naturic: when did that happen?!]

[Joshua_Swofford: we watched it happen live on her stream!]

[DaoistAlexkg: Solo Man getting all the princesses.]