Chapter 8

"You talk as if you can beat me. Who do you think you are, a grand master?" 

Carter said with a smirk, "I doubt you have ever played this kind of game."

Carter was confident that only wealthy men could afford such expensive toys, and Richard definitely didn't look like he could.

"There’s a first time for everything, right?" 

Richard shrugged casually.

Carter laughed with contempt.

It looked like victory were already assured.

He touched his smartwrist, and a 3D hologram of a big mansion appeared.

"This mansion in West Vantican is mine. I bet on it. If you lose, you’ll divorce Sabrina."

Carter had bought that house with his personal savings, thinking it would be the perfect place to take Sabrina to spent night together, not too far from her house.

He was already imagining having two babies with her there. 

He was putting up his best house because he couldn’t fathom losing to a complete newbie.

"Deal," Richard replied with an air of calm.

"Then what are we waiting for? The sooner you divorce Sabrina, the better."

Richard stood, "Where do I start the game?"

Everyone looked at him like he was a complete fool and started to laugh.

"He’s a complete newbie!"

"He doesn’t even know how to start!"

“What a fool! I can’t wait to see him kneel for mercy.”

They were all Carter's fans and friends, and obviously on his side.

"Sir Richard," suddenly a sweet voice called out, "please follow me. I’m Melissa, your personal trainer."

Richard turned to see a woman in her early thirties, the prime of youth blending seamlessly with the maturity of experience.

Her beauty was striking—classic yet timeless, with radiant skin and a figure sculpted with precision and grace.

Her presence alone was magnetic, drawing admiration and respect in equal measure.

"No way!"

"Miss Melissa giving personal training to a newbie?!"

Everyone was shocked.

Melissa was the General Manager of the Noble Knight Club branch in Vantican, the highest authority there.

Even Carter had only been trained by an instructor.

No one ever imagined that Melissa, the General Manager herself, would provide this service.

Richard followed Melissa to the right side of the podium.

Someone asked in shock, "how did he get this kind of service?"

But no one stood up to answer.

Sabrina was equally shocked.

Carter, who never received that level of service, jealously said, "It’s not about the service; it’s about whether he can fight or not."

Inside the big room, with Richard and Melissa, he demanded, "Explain yourself."

Melissa quickly bowed, "I am sorry Sir, I promise not to reveal your identity. You made the highest possible membership, and every time you enter the Noble Knight Club, the top trainer on staff is alerted and assigned to you. And that is me. It’s part of the management."

Richard nodded, "Teach me how to use this machine."

Melissa opened a briefcase she was carrying. 

"This is our special suit for top members, with 100% sensitivity and many other functions."

"Cut the crap. Just tell me what to do."

Melissa nodded.

"Please remove your clothes and wear this suit."

Richard removed his simple shirt, revealing his perfect muscles, marked by a few sword scars. 

Melissa helped him put on the suit, her face turning red as she looked at Richard's perfect body.

Knowing this man was wealthy and handsome, he was the perfect man, though younger than her.

"This suit will cover your body and give you real sensations in the virtual game."

Melissa, in the control room, hit some buttons, and suddenly Carter’s hologram appeared in their room’s ring, ready for the match.

"You can pick your weapon on the wall and fight the hologram here. It will feel like a real fight."

"I know what a real fight is."

Richard said and stepped into the ring with a one hand sword.

Carter, as a hologram, sent a voice directly to Richard, "Let’s secure our bet online so there’s no backing out. If I lose, you will get my house; if you lose, you’ll divorce."

"No problem."

Melissa was making the best preparations when Richard asked, "Does this suit come with gravity weights?"

"Yes, the custom settings can increase gravity for training."

"Give me five times gravity. I want to fight him under that condition."

"Yes," Melissa agreed, and at the same time, Carter received a notification: "Your competitor wants to use five times gravity for himself. Do you allow it for the fight?"

Carter read it a few times and almost laughed.

This newbie clearly didn’t know anything, or he had accidentally pushed the wrong button. 

He quickly hit yes, knowing it would slow Richard's movements down by five times.

Outside the room, people were watching the middle ring where two holograms stood.

Richard wasn’t moving at all.

He didn’t even get the starting stance right for the duel.

"Look at that loser standing there, like a fool."

“A 200% novice, I bet. How awkward!”

“If he were to win, I would livestream eating my boots.”

"Sabrina, I bet Carter will end him with one strike." 

Laura said, smiling brightly, as if she had already foreseen Richard’s failure.

"Carter!" many people chanted his name.

Then Carter started to rush toward Richard with his sword.

“Yeah, right! Come on, Carter! Kick the shit out of him!”

However, the next moment, the text on the screen read: "Richard wins."

"What?"

“No way! It can’t be!”

Everyone was shocked.

Richard was still there, standing and even yawning, with one sword still down.

Meanwhile, Carter’s body was lying on the ground, limp and as soft as an eel.

How had Carter’s body suddenly split in two, causing him to lose?

Nothing made sense. They saw nothing.

"Second round!"

Carter didn’t know what happened either.

He calmed himself, determined not to rush.

He stepped closer to Richard, who was still yawning.

As Carter swung his sword, Richard’s sword, faster than a blink of an eye, had already cut his head before he could even raise his sword.

"Two wins out of three rounds. Richard won the bet!" the system announced.

What the fuck?