Chapter 306: King

Tilda was a real, drop-dead gorgeous beauty! A stunning gamer girl like her would turn heads no matter where she was.

Just then, a man walked up to sit across from Tilda. He wore a skull-print mask, a cap with “K.O.” written on it, stood at least 6’2", and was dressed all in black. He dropped in coins and hit start. Time for a showdown!

Gasps went around the arcade. “It’s King! He’s here!”

The moment he appeared, the whole arcade buzzed with excitement.

Mystro raised an eyebrow. “Looks like he’s the real deal.”

Dane was about to write in his notebook, but a local standing nearby overheard and joined in. “Hey, no kidding! You must be visiting, right? Around here, King’s the reigning champ. Well, we gave him that nickname ourselves. If he touches a game, he masters it. No exceptions. His skill seems impossible. Once, a pro gamer from Motrar Club tried to act like a rookie here and hustle us. He then met King and got destroyed. The gamer didn’t win a single round, even after spending 100 tokens. He left embarrassed and soon announced retirement, saying King killed his confidence completely.”

Mystro, wrapped in a scarf, mask, hat, and a big puffer jacket, looked like any tourist. No one could tell who he really was. Motrar winters were freezing, and his outfit fit right in.

Dane thought for a moment, erased what he was going to write in his notebook, and jotted down something else. “This guy’s from Cetherland. He’s young and not much older than Tilda. Probably about 23.”

“Agreed.”

Mystro and Dane had both studied under Harvey. They could read people like a book.

Even with King hidden by mask and hat, they noticed details others missed. Tilda sat across, with two machines in between. She couldn’t see his face, but after their first game exchange, she raised an eyebrow. This guy… had serious skills. His combos weren’t just smooth; every hit chained perfectly, like clockwork. He was precise and relentless, like a machine.

In the first match, Tilda lost.

“To push King that far? This girl’s impressive.”

“Yeah, she even took half his HP.”

“King lives up to the name. He rules this arcade. Lately, gaming forums are full of posts about him!”

The crowd buzzed. Tilda didn’t flinch. She dropped another coin.

Round two. Lost.

Round three…

Round four…

All the way to round seven.

“Wow, she’s still not giving up?”

“Is it my imagination, or are her combos getting sharper every time?”

“And King’s health bar—it keeps getting shorter. Feels like he’s barely winning.”

Even King noticed. His opponent was learning too fast. At first, King could tell Tilda hadn’t played this game before. She only learned fast because of her raw gaming instincts. She didn’t even know some of the basic combos that all the regulars use. But when she saw King use one, she memorized it instantly and used it back perfectly. Every move he revealed, every trick, became her weapon in the next round.

She wasn’t holding back. After all, nobody could half-play and still keep up with King. This was simply her first time playing, and she had so much to learn. And with King in front of her, Tilda’s growth was scary fast.

Finally! The word “Victory” flashed on the screen. This time, it wasn’t King’s name. It was Tilda’s.

The arcade went silent. No one thought King could lose, but it just happened right before their eyes. Everyone was stunned.

Mystro gave a low whistle. Tilda kicks ass! he thought.

Dane stayed calm, almost gentle. For them, her victory wasn’t surprising, though they felt a little sorry for King. Anyone raised under Harvey wasn’t normal. His students learned faster than anyone else—not just in gaming, but in any field; they grew faster than so-called “geniuses.”

Behind his mask, King’s expression darkened, a flicker of defiance showing.