Noah stood at the center of the stage, one hand holding up the book.
"My goal in releasing Universal Training Method at an affordable price is simple," he said. "I want to make opportunity accessible. For those with resources, it means longer lives. For everyone else, it means a real chance to build something better through their own effort."
He tapped the cover lightly.
"You don't need equipment. You don't need special conditions. Learn what's inside, and even an average person can begin generating energy in a single night."
A murmur spread through the audience.
"We're not regulating the price of energy," Noah continued. "The market decides. One unit could sell for a hundred dollars. A thousand. Ten thousand."
He let that sink in.
"Even at the lowest estimate—say, a hundred dollars per unit—that's a night's work for a night's pay. In many parts of the world, that's enough to live comfortably."
Now people were leaning forward.
"And for those of you interested in longevity…" Noah's gaze swept across the room. "Eighty years' worth of accumulated energy could cost less than four million dollars."
He shrugged slightly.
"No side effects. No experimental procedures. Just results."
Silence fell for a moment.
Then Noah raised his hand, rubbing his fingers together in a subtle gesture.
"There's only one real problem in this world," he said. "And that's not having enough resources."
He lowered his hand.
"This?" he added, tapping the book again. "This is both value and life."
The vision he painted was impossible to ignore.
Energy as currency.
Energy as health.
Energy as a future.
The idea spread through the room like wildfire.
"You don't even have to sell it," Noah continued. "Save it. Treat it like an investment. If everything else fails, this still holds value."
He paused, then shifted his tone slightly.
"What about your parents? If you want them to live longer, start now."
Another beat.
"Your children? If you want them to grow up without illness, prepare for them in advance. Give them a head start."
Now the room was completely silent.
Listening.
Absorbing.
"Think about the problems people deal with every day," Noah said. "Chronic pain. Poor sleep. Weak immune systems. Fatigue. These aren't permanent anymore."
He straightened slightly.
"Today marks the beginning of something new."
A brief pause.
"This is the first year of a different kind of future."
For a second, no one moved.
Then—
Applause.
Loud. Sustained. Genuine.
It filled the entire hall.
Fisk stepped forward immediately, raising his hands slightly.
"Alright, everyone," he said smoothly. "Let's move on to the signing."
The transition was seamless.
"Copies are already available in bookstores nationwide," he added. "If you're watching online, you can purchase it now."
He gestured toward the side.
"For those here, books are available on-site. Fifteen dollars per copy. One per person."
A small pause.
"And every copy here has already been signed by Mr. Vale."
The doors opened.
Stacks of books were wheeled in.
That was all it took.
The crowd moved.
Calmly, but quickly. Cards came out. Cash exchanged hands. Some didn't even bother waiting for change, grabbing a copy and stepping aside.
For something that could reshape their lives—
Fifteen dollars was nothing.
"Please don't rush off just yet," Fisk added. "There's a reception on the third floor. You're all welcome to attend."
Most people stayed.
Out of curiosity.
Out of respect.
Or simply because they didn't want to leave just yet.
Books in hand, they began making their way downstairs.
Noah followed behind at a relaxed pace.
Then—
A voice echoed in his mind.
"You have been unmuted."
He paused slightly.
That hadn't happened in a while.
Another notification followed.
"You have a new message."
Noah opened the Interdimensional Chatroom.
A private message blinked at the top.
Overlord.
He opened it.
Hey… about before. That was on me. I shouldn't have handled things that way.
Let's not drag this out. No reason to stay enemies, right?
Noah let out a quiet laugh.
Of course.
Now that things had shifted, the tone had changed.
He didn't bother replying privately.
Instead, he posted directly in the group.
Deep Blue: @The Noble Blade Thanks for the manual. It helped.
Deep Blue: @Overlord You can keep your fake authority. Next time we meet, I won't be so polite.
He barely had time to consider a third message—
Muted again.
Noah just smiled.
Didn't matter.
At this point, the chatroom wasn't something he needed to rely on anymore.
No point pretending otherwise.
If anything, it felt better to be honest.
Elsewhere—
In a distant workshop, The Noble Blade stared at the message in silence.
He hadn't expected that.
Not the tone.
Not the implication.
Muted? he thought. So that's why he disappeared before…
Others in the group were thinking the same thing.
Something about this didn't add up.
But before anyone could press further—
The messages were gone.
Cleaned up.
Fast.
Too fast.
Back at the event, the atmosphere had shifted again.
The demonstration was over.
The sales had begun.
And now—
The real conversations were starting.
Among the guests, Stephen Hawking—no longer confined as he once was—moved carefully through the crowd, a glass in hand.
When he reached Noah, he stopped.
His expression was steady, but the emotion behind it was unmistakable.
He raised the glass slightly.
A silent gesture.
Gratitude.