Chapter 120
this is a fictional story by realTensai
On the same night at a different place.
VICTOR’S POV
I looked at my watch and saw that I had ten seconds left before 11 pm.
Perfect on the dot.
To my surprise, my customer was already waiting, standing next to the fountain.
I would’ve thought he might come late to play some mind games, but I guess he doesn’t need that.
Somehow, this made him even more dangerous. I adjusted my glasses and straightened my suit, and as the clock hit 11, I greeted him.
“Hello, Charles.”
He turned around and didn’t just look at me; he stared, his eyes unmoved by the world, and a smile of superiority carved into his face as if part of his existence.
“Hello, Victor.”
His voice sounded friendly, yet cold, near, yet still distant. A shiver ran down my spine just standing next to him, his ambiguity making him unreadable. Still, the poker face on my face would never vanish, making it impossible to read my thoughts, too.
“You don’t mind if she listens to our conversation?”
I looked in the direction Charles was pointing and saw a girl sitting on the bench next to the fountain.
How didn’t I notice her?
She stared at the barrier as if her icy, scarlet eyes could see the night sky through it. Her long, dark hair contrasted with her white skin, highlighting her red eyes even more. She looked as if she wasn’t from this planet, like a moon bathed in blood, acting as the sole illumination to a world that didn’t deserve her. I couldn’t even say if it was her appearance or her strength that led to her having such a strong presence.
“I don’t mind,” I responded.
If I had said no, he would just tell her everything I was about to tell him now, later. Besides, by her staying, I might find out more about their relationship.
“Do you have the information I requested?”
“Of course. Since you asked me right when the game started, I had time to find everything.” Still, I almost didn’t make it in time. But I would never say that out loud. “Do you have the payment ready?”
“1500 coins, right?”
“Right.”
He opened up his system and clicked the coin transfer option. He typed in my name and the amount he wanted to transfer. After that, he walked up to me and put his palm on my shoulder for ten seconds. My system opened up, and I could see that I was 1500 coins richer. An auto smile crept on my face, all the dopamine receptors within me partying.
There is no better feeling~
To be honest, I wouldn’t have thought that Charles would be able to pay this amount. Even if he had saved all the coins we received daily, he could only have 400 coins. I know that he didn’t participate in any quests, and as for now, he hasn’t joined a team either. However, I had already found out his way of making money. It was pretty daring and something only someone like him could do. If Mr. Woltzer had found out about it, even he wouldn’t have been able to escape the consequences. But the last thing I would do is judge someone on their way to making money. Money was an existential need, and as long as you had it, nothing could hurt you.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
With the 1500 coins I just received, I had enough to survive for one month in this game if I bought one food package a day.
“Good,” I said, nodding my head in satisfaction. I took out my phone to deliver the product. “I’ve compiled everything you wanted in one document. I wrote down information about every single student and teacher trapped in this game — including their race, age, origin, gender, class, grades, reputation, known affiliations, social ties, friends, emotional stability, combat style, motivation, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, mental resilience, hopes, fears, and patterns of behavior under stress. I also analyzed their kill potential, leadership influence, quest activity, and ranked them from lowest to highest threat. Teachers and students are listed separately, with a combined ranking included at the end.”
Charles nodded.
“Exactly what I wanted.”
He took out his phone, and I sent him the document.
“You didn’t change at all,” Jasmine said.
Charles just chuckled.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
“You sound just like your father.”
“You know that this isn’t a nice thing to say.”
I observed their little interaction, not interrupting as they revealed bits of their connection. Finding out about their pasts had been a battle even for me, and I still didn’t know nearly enough about them. I’ve found out that Jasmine was a prodigy, basically made in a lab. Her human father impregnated demon women in order to create the strongest mage. And Jasmine was his success.
He gave her the best but also the hardest education to form her into what she was now. A close friend of her father and also one of Jasmine’s mentors was none other than Charles’ father. That’s why they knew each other, and Charles probably went through a similar education to Jasmine.
I couldn’t find out more about the specifics, as this experiment was hidden from the public.
“Mhmm,” Charles said as he read through the document. “As expected, Gilsymbato will be our number one threat.” His gaze wandered to Jasmine, and the smile on his face intensified, turning almost childish. “He ranked Gilsymbato as number one and you as number two. Any comments on that?” he said, rather amused.
However, Jasmine stayed indifferent.
“So, you just wasted 1500 coins on misinformation.”
“Hahaha!”
Charles just laughed, and I observed their banter with utmost curiosity.
I guess this is their form of humor. Though I was pretty sure that Jasmine was serious. However, I wouldn’t change my ranking. In a battle to the death, Gilsymbato would come out on top.
“At number three is Mika. We’ll have to watch out for him, too. Going by his strength, he is on the same level as you, Jasmine, albeit a bit weaker. However, he is highly regarded by the demons in this school and is their undisputed leader. If he gets every demon in this school under his control, they might become a bit troublesome.”
Even though he said that, his face didn’t even show the slightest hint of doubt about his victory.
“There are also a few teachers we have to be wary of, but other than that, there isn’t anyone noteworthy.” He scrolled through the document but halted. “Mhmm, Alvis Silva?”
Charles stared at me, and I immediately understood his confusion.
“I ranked him at seven for the students, but put another ranking for him in brackets.”
“Care to explain?”
“If I had to guess, and probably with a ninety-nine percent accuracy, he, together with the student council led by Lia, will try to find a peaceful way to end this game. Even though we’ve long crossed the point of no return, they will still hold on to their ideals, which will lead to their downfall. However, for the off chance that he would decide to participate in this game and try to win no matter what, I’ve ranked him at number one as my dark horse. This version of him might become a nightmare for you.”
Charles didn’t respond, his face calm and not moved by my words. This was what I thought, but then I could see the subtle hint of a smile creeping up his face.
“Then I hope he won’t disappoint you.”
A cold chill raced down my back, as even I couldn’t tell if he was looking forward to such a future.
“Do you have the other information I requested?”
“Yes, I’ve attached the location of the food reserves and who is guarding them when.”
“Good. Jasmine, you heard everything. Are you finally ready to team up with me?”
“Pay me 1500 coins.”
“Wait, what? Why did you raise the price?” Charles’ eyebrows rose, his indifferent face cracking. “Is it about the comment I made earlier? I just wanted to tease you a bit. I know no one can match your strength.”
However, Jasmine stayed stubborn.
Charles shrugged his shoulders and stared at me whilst shaking his head in defeat.
“Ha, Girls.”
He walked up to Jasmine and paid the 1500 coins. After their transaction was complete, he turned around without another word.
“It was good doing business with you.”
With those words, they vanished — and just like that, the King and his Queen took their place on the board.
I stood alone by the fountain, the night air colder than before.
And for the first time since the game began…
I wasn’t sure who would win.
