Sam winced as Perseus tightened his grip, the confident smirk on his face fading into a grimace of pain. He quickly released Eris's hand, raising his other hand in a placating gesture."Alright, alright, no need to get violent," Sam said, trying to sound nonchalant despite the discomfort. "I was just joking around."Perseus didn’t let go immediately, his intense gaze boring into Sam’s eyes, making sure the message was clear. When he finally released Sam’s hand, Sam stumbled back, massaging his wrist.‘Why is his grip so strong?’ Sam thought to himself."Joking or not, don't touch her again," Perseus said coldly. "And if you have something to say to me, say it to my face."Sam rubbed his hand, glaring back at Perseus. "You got lucky last time," he muttered, referring to the last tournament they had together, where Perseus had intentionally flopped. "But luck runs out eventually.""Luck has nothing to do with it," Perseus replied, his tone calm but with an underlying threat. "If you wan

Perseus glanced at the rest of his team. Both of their gazes lingered on him, and they began to wonder how he had known about the prize the first group would receive.“How did you bring us here so fast?” Savi questioned. “How come I don’t remember coming here?” He checked the distance he had been sitting and how far it was from the place he was currently at.“I feel the same way too,” Cole added.“Me too,” Perseus lied, his gaze not leaving them, nor did it waver. “I just grabbed both of your hands, and we found ourselves here.”Perseus had noticed one thing: his speed had improved drastically, perhaps because he was still merged with Lint. And now, he could move people without actually carrying them.“Why do I feel like you are lying?” Cole asked, adjusting his glasses and peering at Perseus intently. “You know something.”Perseus held his gaze and shook his head. “I do not.”Savi frowned and folded his arms. “We don’t have time to waste,” he began. “Since we’ve taken the lead by bei

Perseus listened as the questions continued, noting the answers given by the others. It took about an hour for the game to finish, and the results were announced six minutes later.Perseus secured the highest score with 350,000 points, followed by Eris with 150,000 points, and Sam in third with 100,000 points. The other participants scored below 50,000, with Cole and Savi failing to earn any points, along with a few others. Only a handful managed to score above 20,000, far below the 50,000-point limit.As the results were called, everyone stared at Perseus with envy. He had more than double the points of the second place and far exceeded the perfect score."The perfect score should have been 200,000 points," Liliana announced. "That's all for the game today. The livestream will continue, but you can return to your rooms until further notice."Perseus liked the sound of that and proceeded to head to his room, but Savi and Cole intercepted him."You owe us an explanation," Cole demanded

Sam stopped in his tracks, his grin faltering slightly as he looked at the necklace in his hand. "Cheap? You're calling me cheap?" His voice dripped with irritation.Perseus shrugged, feigning indifference. "I mean, look at it. Who would want to waste their points on something like that? Especially when there are better items around."Sam's grip tightened on the necklace. He glanced at it again, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. "Then why were you interested in it?"Perseus laughed lightly. "Interested? I was just curious why you'd waste your time with something so worthless. But hey, if you want to throw away your points on that, be my guest."Sam hesitated, his expression shifting between doubt and anger. The thought of Perseus mocking him for choosing something cheap gnawed at him. He turned the necklace over in his hand, now uncertain about his earlier decision."You know what?" Sam said, tossing the necklace back onto the display. "You're right. It's not worth it."Perseus ke

The Risthans had picked items small enough to fit into their pockets, making it impossible for the others to see what they had chosen. Sam’s smug expression made it clear that he expected them to have picked worthless items."We have them with us," Eris replied coldly. "What does that have to do with you?"Before Sam could reply, Liliana’s voice rang out, cutting through the tension. "The result will be announced in ten seconds."Sam grinned at Eris, clearly relishing the moment. "You guys are going to get the lowest mark here. If I’m wrong, I’ll apologize for speaking to you all like this. But if I’m right, then you all will be my slaves for a day."Eris’s eyes flashed with anger, and she was about to retort when Perseus intervened, his voice steady and controlled. "It’s a deal unless you want to change your punishment."Sam frowned at Perseus. “What do you mean by changing my punishment?”“You said we will be your slaves for a day if we lose, and you will only get to apologize. That