Chapter 289: Training [1] Noah left the entire arena without looking back, understanding there was nothing more for him to accomplish there. The semifinals would occur tomorrow, and today’s events had concluded in the worst possible way. He followed the medical team to the resort’s emergency facility, which was equipped with comprehensive first aid capabilities. However, even their advanced equipment wasn’t sufficient to properly treat Ichigo’s severe injuries. The emergency room could only provide temporary stabilization—Ichigo needed immediate transfer to a fully equipped hospital for proper orthopedic surgery and extended care. As Noah waited outside the treatment room, one of the medical staff emerged and approached him directly. "Sorry, contestant Noah Carter, but you can’t remain here. Ichigo’s condition doesn’t allow visitors at this time, and he requires an environment free from any disturbances." Noah didn’t argue with the medical staff, he simply nodded with understanding before departing the medical area. The nearest hospital was nearly two hours away, meaning any specialized medical transport would require significant time to arrive and complete the transfer. ’I’ll return later to check on his condition,’ Noah thought as he made his way back toward his accommodations. Inside his room, Noah activated the portal and returned to his shop, needing to check on Lola’s training progress and process the day’s troubling events. Ichigo’s stubborn refusal to surrender, combined with Kenzo’s sadistic escalation, had created a situation that highlighted the dangerous intersection between honor, pride, and genuine harm. Inside the shop, Noah found Lola still deeply engaged in her training regimen, her focus unwavering despite the hours that had passed. ’She’s really working hard,’ Noah thought with a soft smile of appreciation. Lola had been training constantly since he had left her the day before, demonstrating the kind of dedication that explained how she had originally achieved grandmaster rank through personal effort rather than artificial enhancement. Leo spotted Noah’s arrival and immediately rose from his curled position beside Lola, walking toward him silently to avoid disturbing her concentration. Noah gestured for Leo to remain quiet before leading him upstairs to discuss Lola’s training without interrupting her progress. Leo nodded with understanding and followed his father to the second floor. Once they were safely away from Lola’s meditation area, Noah asked quietly, "Did she take any breaks during my absence?" "No, father," Leo replied with obvious admiration. "She took no breaks at all." "I see," Noah nodded, impressed by her commitment to strengthening herself for their upcoming mission. Noah then walked toward the idle room, deciding to use his remaining time productively by advancing his photographic memory skill. The ability was currently at Level 2, and based on his previous training experiences, each level would require approximately one hour of focused development. To reach Level 5 would require three hours of training at the rate of one thousand dollars per hour. Without hesitation, he accessed the skill interface and authorized the three-hour training session for a total cost of three thousand dollars. The investment would provide significant cognitive enhancement that could prove invaluable for his daily life, and training. The skill was incredibly helpful and Noah beliebed that it would help him alot. It wasn’t an offensive skill, but it’s support capability made it even more useful than an offensive skill. After placing his new skill in idle training, Noah simply sat down and decided to start practising himself. Currently, his status was the following: — Host: Noah Carter Age: 28 Shop Level: 2 Daily Revenue: $2,153,000 (or equivalent) Current Assets: $22,210,840 Shop Points: 32,890 Attributes: Strength: 90, Vitality: 140, Intelligence: 90, Agility: 90 Skills: [Level 12:] Swordsmanship [Level 11:] Body Tempering, Wind Manipulation, Mana Control, Aura [Level 3:] Surviving on Ramen, Cooking, Finance, Gaming [Level 2:] Programming, Photographic Memory [Level 1:] Fire Manipulation — His financial assets had remained stable from the previous day, except for the addition of his daily reward received that morning. The automated income had provided $1,851,500 along with an Amulet of Protection and another Eye of Apollo. With three Eyes of Apollo now in his possession, Noah decided he no longer needed the additional unit. He decided that from the next daily reward, he would swap it for its monetary equivalent of $150,000, adding to his liquid assets. Lola had been training continuously since the ceasefire began, which meant she was no longer managing shop sales. Noah didn’t mind the reduced income—he had specifically instructed her to avoid selling the high-tier items that could strengthen their potential enemies further. The strategic decision to limit sales made sense given their precarious situation. Both elven factions were preparing for the upcoming auction, and providing them with additional enhancements would only complicate the delicate balance Noah was trying to maintain. The only items he might have permitted for sale were basic products like bread and iced tea, which provided useful but not game-changing benefits. However, even if those remained unsold, the impact on his overall financial position would be negligible. His focus had shifted from maximising daily profits to ensuring their survival and mission success. The World Tree expedition required careful preparation rather than aggressive commerce, making Lola’s dedicated training far more valuable than potential sales revenue. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎 The temporary reduction in shop operations represented a strategic investment in their future capabilities rather than a missed business opportunity. "Time to start practising..." Noah thought to himself as he sat down on the floor. He decided to train for the next three hours. Once those three hours passed, about an hour and a half would have passed in the real world. Then, Noah can return to the resort and check up on Ichigo. Noah decided that he would try to sneak into the room to give Ichigo a loaf of bread. The bread would significantly help with his recovery without being too suspicious. Noah couldn’t just give him a beef jerky that would boost his vitality by an incredibly large amount that his broken hands might simply heal in a few minutes, that would be too miraculous. As for the bread, whilst its effects were still incredible, it was less obvious.