Chapter 74: Totally Destroyed!

Crack.

[HEADSHOT — Luna_Sky]

Crack.

[HEADSHOT — Luna_Sky]

Two more lightning-fast kills flashed across the screen before I could even re-adjust my crosshairs. Her raw mechanical speed was terrifying, locking down the map with mathematical precision.

The next round loaded. This time, I didn’t push forward. The second I respawned, I held my position, crouching behind a heavy concrete pillar. I stayed completely still, holding my breath and keeping my audio channels crystal clear to track her footsteps and pinpoint where those lethal angles were coming from.

Thump... thump... bounce.

A fragment grenade landed right at the edge of my cover.

I reacted instantly, diving out of the blast radius just as the explosion ripped through the pillar. My health bar dropped into the flashing red, hovering at a dangerous 12 HP.

Without pausing, I unclipped my own grenade, cooked it for half a second, and hurled it back toward the corridor wall before sliding into the tight corner of the adjacent hallway.

BOOM!

The explosive damage flushed her out of her angle. The second her model crossed the doorway with low health, I squeezed the trigger—landing a raw, desperate spray that took her out.

[ELIMINATED: Luna_Sky]

"Yes!" I muttered under my breath.

But there was zero time to breathe. Amanda’s respawn was instantaneous.

The score banner flickered above: First to 5 Wins. She had four kills; I had two.

Before I could even reset my crosshairs or map out her next spawn point, her avatar vaulted over the high ledge above me. A flashbang popped directly in my face, completely blinding my screen in white.

Crack.

[ HEADSHOT — Luna_Sky ]

!!!DEFEAT — MATCH OVER!

My screen faded to black as her final victory animation played across the display.

Silence hung over the voice channel for two full seconds before Amanda finally let out a huge, breathless gasp of relief through her high-end microphone.

"YES!" she cheered, her hyperactive energy instantly erupting through the comms. "Five to two! I won! I actually won! Investor, please tell me you recorded that because I just put you in a total blender!"

I leaned back in my chair, loosening my tie slightly as a calm, amused smirk settled on my face.

"Enjoy the victory, Luna," I said, my baritone smooth and unbothered. "Because now that I know your exact movement patterns, round two isn’t going to end the same way."

The rematch ended exactly as expected: another brutal loss. I knew from the start she’d take it, but poking her ego and making her fight for it was the only way to keep that raw, competitive predator locked in.

By the time the screen faded to black again, the clock on my desk read 5:00 AM.

"Alright, S-rank," I said, my tone shifting into an absolute command over the comms. "Log off and go to sleep. You’ve proven your point."

On the webcam stream, her eyes were drooping, heavy with fatigue despite the triumphant smirk still lingering on her lips. "Fine... but only because I dominated you twice," she babbled softly, her voice trailing off as she rubbed her eyes, closed the game client, and disconnected from the call.

The moment her stream went black, a translucent interface shimmered to life in front of my eyes.

[System Alert: Locked Cashback Triggered!]

[Target: Amanda (Luna_Sky)]

[Active Investment: $148,000 (New Hardware & Gear Setup)]

[Note: Destroyed $148k hardware and $50k cash bribe classified as non-asset operational overhead. Excluded from multiplier base.]

[Multiplier: x50 Cashback]

[Total Potential Cashback: $7,400,000]

[Status: LOCKED]

[Requirement to Unlock: Complete Phase 2 — Team Formation & Official Esports Brand Launch]

I stared at the glowing notifications, a cold, calculating smirk touching my lips. Seven point four million dollars sitting in reserve, waiting for her full evolution. Equipping her with top-tier tech was just the groundwork; turning her into a global esports powerhouse with her own elite roster was where her true value would ignite.

I closed the system window, leaned back in my leather chair, and watched the sunrise bleed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my estate.

I woke up late the next morning to the quiet, mechanical hum of the robot vacuum gliding across the hardwood floor. Right on cue, the automated curtains glided open, flooding the master suite with harsh morning sunlight.

My head throbbed slightly. Barely two hours of sleep. I sat up on the edge of the bed, running a hand over my face as my body registered the exhaustion. I needed to keep my health in check—pushing multi-million dollar deals and grinding till 5:00 AM wasn’t sustainable.

Once I finish setting up Amanda’s career, I thought, pulling myself out of bed, I’m taking a full, uninterrupted vacation.

An hour later, I was down in the estate’s private gym. The heavy metal beat of the sound system echoed off the glass walls as I pushed through my final set of heavy bench presses. Releasing the bar back onto the rack, I sat up, grabbing a white towel to wipe the sweat from my neck and tossing it over my shoulder. My morning routines were paying off; the physique in the mirror was getting leaner, sharper, and distinctly built.

Before I could start my cool-down stretches, my phone on the workout bench started vibrating. The caller ID flashed: Luna_Sky.

I grabbed the phone, hitting speaker as I took a slow sip of water.

"You’re up early for someone who went to bed at five," I said, my voice low and steady.

I woke up late the next morning to the quiet, mechanical hum of the robot vacuum gliding across the hardwood floor. Right on cue, the automated curtains glided open, flooding the master suite with harsh morning sunlight.

My head throbbed slightly. Barely two hours of sleep. I sat up on the edge of the bed, running a hand over my face as my body registered the exhaustion. I needed to keep my health in check—pushing multi-million dollar deals and grinding till 5:00 AM wasn’t sustainable.

Once I finish setting up Amanda’s career, I thought, pulling myself out of bed, I’m taking a full, uninterrupted vacation.

An hour later, I was down in the estate’s private gym. The heavy metal beat of the sound system echoed off the glass walls as I pushed through my final set of heavy bench presses. Releasing the bar back onto the rack, I sat up, grabbing a white towel to wipe the sweat from my neck and tossing it over my shoulder. My morning routines were paying off; the physique in the mirror was getting leaner, sharper, and distinctly built.

Before I could start my cool-down stretches, my phone on the workout bench started vibrating. The caller ID flashed: Luna_Sky.

I grabbed the phone, hitting speaker as I took a slow sip of water.

"You’re up early for someone who went to bed at five," I said, my voice low and steady.