Chapter 471: The Art Of Loosing

While Zack and Zoey argued, Camilla moved around the flank. Stan followed her, keeping close enough to provide support. The two of them approached the final squad from an unexpected angle and opened fire at almost the same time.

The enemy team barely had time to react.

Within seconds, the final opponents were eliminated.

The screen flashed brightly.

VICTORY.

Zack stared at the screen in disbelief before slowly leaning back.

"We won."

Zoey glanced at him. "You contributed nothing."

"I contributed morale."

"You screamed."

"Morale."

Camilla removed one side of her headset and looked at them.

"Again?"

Zack immediately pointed toward her.

"See? She’s addicted."

"You’re the one who wanted another match," Zoey reminded him.

"Yes, but I didn’t expect consequences."

The attendant, who had been watching their increasingly chaotic session from nearby, wandered over with an amused expression. He glanced at the scoreboard and then at the four of them.

"You guys still alive?"

"Barely," Zoey replied.

The attendant looked at the scoreboard.

"Camilla carried?"

Zack’s expression tightened.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

The attendant pointed toward the screen.

"Because she did."

Zack stared at the statistics for several seconds before finally sighing.

"Fine."

He leaned back and folded his arms.

"I accept that she is currently better than me."

Camilla looked at him.

"Currently?"

Zack immediately straightened.

"Don’t push it."

Zoey laughed so hard that she nearly dropped her controller.

After another match, they eventually decided that they had spent enough time shooting one another. Their hands were beginning to feel stiff, and even Zack’s endless supply of competitive energy was starting to diminish.

The attendant noticed this and gestured toward another section of the gaming center.

"Why don’t you give your fingers a break from shooting each other?"

Zack frowned. "I don’t need a break."

"You’ve been holding that controller for nearly three hours."

"Exactly. I’m warmed up."

The attendant stared at him for a moment before shaking his head.

"That’s not how hands work."

They eventually followed his suggestion and moved to a racing station. The large screens displayed a collection of high-performance cars, colorful tracks, and various game modes. After spending so much time fighting enemies, the change of pace immediately felt refreshing.

Zack scrolled through the available cars and selected the fastest-looking vehicle he could find.

Zoey deliberately chose a car that looked ridiculous, with an exaggerated body and comically large tires.

Stan selected a balanced vehicle that offered decent acceleration, handling, and top speed.

Camilla remained on the selection screen for several seconds, studying the different vehicles with the same seriousness she had shown while examining weapons in the previous game.

"What is the fastest?" she asked.

The attendant pointed toward one of the cars.

"That one."

Camilla selected it without hesitation.

Zack laughed. "Speed isn’t everything."

The race began.

Camilla immediately drove straight into a wall.

Zoey burst out laughing.

"Finally!"

Camilla reversed slowly and examined the road ahead.

"Interesting."

Zack, meanwhile, had already accelerated far ahead.

"See?" he shouted. "I’m a natural!"

Five seconds later, he missed a turn, slammed into a barrier, and sent his vehicle flying off the track.

"WHAT?"

Zoey smoothly passed him.

"Natural."

Stan passed him as well.

Zack struggled to regain control while muttering under his breath. "That turn came out of nowhere."

"It was on the map," Stan pointed out.

"I wasn’t looking at the map."

"That sounds like a you problem."

Camilla gradually figured out the steering. Then she learned how to drift. Once she understood the mechanics, her improvement became almost ridiculous.

By the third lap, she had climbed into first place.

Zack stared at her vehicle on the screen.

"How?"

Camilla kept her eyes on the track.

"You told me speed wasn’t everything."

"I didn’t tell you that!"

"You said it."

"I meant it philosophically."

"You are losing."

"I am aware."

Camilla crossed the finish line first.

Zoey finished shortly afterward, followed by Stan.

Zack crossed the line in fourth place and immediately removed his headset.

"I hate racing."

The attendant grinned.

"You’ve lost every game you’ve claimed you were good at."

Zack pointed accusingly at him.

"That’s slander."

"It’s literally on the scoreboard."

They moved on before Zack could come up with another excuse.

Their next choice was a fighting game, and the moment the character-selection screen appeared, Zack’s confidence mysteriously returned.

"This," he announced, "is something I’m actually good at."

Zoey groaned.

"Here we go again."

Zack selected a heavily armored character who looked as though he had been designed specifically to survive explosions. Zoey chose a fast, agile fighter, while Stan selected a balanced character.

Camilla studied the roster for nearly a minute.

"Which one is strongest?"

The attendant smiled.

"That depends on who’s playing."

Camilla considered his answer before selecting a character whose appearance she simply liked.

Zack nodded confidently.

"Finally. Something I’m actually good at."

The match began.

Zack immediately attacked.

Camilla blocked.

He attacked again.

She blocked again.

Zack attacked a third time.

Camilla blocked once more.

His expression gradually changed from confidence to confusion.

"Why aren’t you fighting?"

Camilla looked at him.

"You keep attacking."

"So?"

"I am observing."

Zoey immediately burst out laughing.

"She’s studying you."

"Stop laughing!"

Zack attacked again, this time with a longer combination of strikes.

Camilla waited until the final attack before countering.

Her character suddenly moved with incredible speed.

One strike connected.

Then another.

Then another.

Before Zack could recover, Camilla chained the attacks together into a full combo that launched his character across the arena.

Zack stared at the screen.

"Wait."

Camilla followed him and continued attacking.

His health bar rapidly disappeared.

Then came the final blow.

K.O.

The gaming attendant actually laughed.

Zack sat completely motionless, controller still in his hands.

"I was distracted."

Zoey nodded sympathetically. "By losing?"

"No. By the controller."

"You’ve been holding it for three hours."

"Exactly. My grip is tired."

Stan smiled. "Rematch?"

Zack immediately selected the rematch option.

"Absolutely."

His competitive spirit had apparently returned in full force. If anything, losing had only made him more determined to prove that his previous defeat had been a fluke.

Zoey leaned back and laughed.

Camilla quietly adjusted her grip on the controller.

The next match loaded.

And judging by Zack’s expression, the gaming session was nowhere near over.