Chapter 12

Jack discovered that after developing his super brain, not only had his songwriting and composing skills skyrocketed, but his gaming abilities had also become downright terrifying. Recently, a real-time strategy game called Skybound Wars had taken the world by storm. Developed by the global powerhouse Stormspire Interactive, it was the hottest game on the planet. All the major gaming tournaments, both domestic and international, were dominated by Skybound Wars, cementing its status as the undisputed king of competitive gaming. Wesley and Eddie were utterly obsessed with the game, and Jack had recently joined in. At first, Wesley and Eddie had a field day bullying Jack in matches, easily crushing him. But after just two days, Jack had caught up to their level. By the end of the week, Jack was on a completely different level. With just one hand, he could annihilate both Wesley and Eddie in a two-on-one match. One morning, after finishing breakfast, Wesley and Eddie dragged Jack to the Skyburst Gaming Cafe. "Wesley, you've gotta help me out. Some young punks are here to cause trouble," a cafe attendant approached Wesley, his face full of desperation. Jack had only been playing Skybound Wars for a short time, but Wesley was a regular at Skyburst Gaming Cafe and had earned a solid reputation in the Skybound Wars community. His skills ranked among the best. The cafe often hosted Skybound Wars challenges, and Wesley was usually one of the players defending its honor whenever challengers showed up. Seeing the cafe attendant's plea for help, Wesley readily agreed without hesitation. He immediately grabbed Eddie and Jack, and the three of them headed over. The attendant glanced toward a row of high-end PCs. They've already taken their seats. Four of them are set to play, and there are two more standing behind them, probably their backup. To Jack's surprise, the four opponents sitting across from him were all quite striking, not just in appearance, but also in their demeanor. At the center sat a young man who exuded an air of calm, yet there was a maturity about him that seemed beyond his years. There was a hint of arrogance in his brows, and whenever others spoke to him, their faces carried a subtle trace of deference. Next to him was a chubby guy, whose greasy appearance and oversized frame were so unappealing that Jack's gaze skipped over him entirely. Jack couldn't muster the slightest interest in looking his way. However, what truly caught Jack's attention were the two stunning women seated beside the guys. On the left was a haughty girl whose beauty was undeniable but accompanied by an overbearing arrogance. She seemed to flaunt her good looks and likely privileged background with an air so condescending it felt as though her nose was perpetually pointed at the sky. But it was the other girl who truly intrigued Jack. Her appearance was wild, almost absurdly so. She sported an enormous, fiery red afro that looked like a bomb had gone off on her head. A lollipop dangled from her lips like a cigarette, and to top it off, she even had tattoos. But none of these eccentricities could overshadow her striking beauty. For Jack, Phoebe and Feena had already set a high standard for beauty. Phoebe was like a secluded orchid in a quiet valley, exuding an ethereal and independent grace, while Feena had a warm and friendly charm that made her naturally approachable. But this girl with the red hair was different. Her beauty was tinged with the allure of a mature woman, exuding a sensuality that carried a hint of dominance. It was mesmerizing. Jack found himself momentarily stunned as he stared. As for the Skyburst Gaming Cafe side, aside from two older men, there happened to be just two vacant seats. Wesley and Eddie quickly took them. Seeing there was no seat left for Jack, he casually said, "I'm going to the restroom. You guys go ahead and play." After using the restroom, Jack felt a bit thirsty and went to the counter to buy a few bottles of water. He then strolled leisurely around the cafe, taking his time. By the time he returned, both teams were already locked in an intense battle. Skybound Wars was somewhat reminiscent of classics like StarCraft or Age of Empires. The gameplay revolved around building up your base, amassing troops, and engaging in battles. However, its 3D graphics and intricate backstory added a layer of depth that made it far more engaging. At the moment, though, things weren't looking good for Wesley and Eddie. They were being utterly crushed by the four young challengers. In Skybound Wars, players could level up their forces to a total of twelve tiers. Reaching the maximum level made the player nearly invincible. However, in real matches, players rarely progressed beyond three or four tiers before engaging in battles, as opponents wouldn't allow you the time to reach the highest levels. Instead, games were often a mix of skirmishes and disruptions, with players reaching only levels five or six by the time one side was defeated. For now, Wesley and Eddie had only managed to upgrade their forces to level two when their opponents launched an all-out attack. Forced into a desperate battle, Wesley's team had no choice but to fight tooth and nail. Wesley, struggling with his slower reaction speed, couldn't spare any time to develop his resources further. Meanwhile, their opponents, who were clearly faster, managed to fight fiercely while simultaneously upgrading their forces. The most dangerous opponent was, surprisingly, the stunning girl with the fiery afro. Not only was her speed incredible, but her army was the strongest, and she even knew how to employ tactics. While engaging Wesley and Eddie head-on, she sent a detachment of troops to sneak around the back, laying traps and ambushes. She set Eddie's base ablaze, forcing him to pull his troops back for defense, but only to fall into another ambush. His forces were surrounded and pummeled, leaving him nearly wiped out. When Eddie finally recovered and turned his attention back to the girl, he looked at her as if he'd seen something scary. From that moment on, he avoided her troops whenever possible. By the time Wesley's forces painfully climbed to level three, their opponents were already at level four. The afro-haired girl had even reached level five, giving her an overwhelming advantage that crushed Wesley's team. The outcome was predictable. Wesley and Eddie's nation was utterly annihilated. "I thought Skyburst Gaming Cafe was supposed to be full of hidden experts. Turns out it's just a bunch of trash!" The chubby guy sneered, puffing on his cigarette and letting out a cloud of smoke with exaggerated arrogance. Wesley's face turned pale at the insult, but having lost so decisively, he couldn't find the words to argue. The afro-haired girl noticed Wesley's unwillingness to accept defeat. Her bright eyes sparkled mischievously as she said in an innocent tone, "What's wrong? Did my brother say something that wasn't true?" The haughty girl next to her covered her mouth and let out a light laugh. As for the guy who seemed to be the leader, he remained silent the entire time, not even sparing Wesley's group a glance. To him, Wesley and the others were simply beneath notice. "That's the best of five rounds. Don't celebrate too soon!" Wesley snapped, his voice tinged with frustration. He then pointed at Jack. "We're switching players for the next match. He's up." The leader of the opposing group didn't even lift his eyes to acknowledge the change in players. However, the afro-haired girl glanced up at Jack, her gaze flickering with a hint of interest before she smirked, her tone dripping with disdain. "So you found another piece of trash for us to crush?" The haughty girl chimed in with equal sharpness, "Trash is still trash, no matter how much you pile it up." Eddie stepped down, and Jack took his place. The battle began. When both sides reached level 2, the war broke out in full force. Jack, after familiarizing himself with the enemy's tactics just once, quickly grasped their patterns and began tapping furiously on the keyboard. Flanking reinforcements, creating diversions, bluffing strength, feigning weakness, luring enemies deep into traps, and executing strategic retreats to counterattack. Jack seamlessly executed 15 classic strategies of deception and warfare, weaving them into the gameplay like a master tactician. The opponents found themselves completely outmaneuvered, caught off guard at every turn, scrambling to respond. By the end, they were so rattled that they hesitated to make any move, as though every step they took would trigger another one of Jack's traps. The afro-haired girl, however, proved to be more capable than her teammates. Relying on her level-four troops, she attempted to overwhelm Jack with brute force. But to her dismay, she discovered that Jack wasn't just a master of deception and strategy. His forces had quietly advanced to level four as well. Luring her troops into a trap, Jack launched a two-pronged ambush. The afro-haired girl's forces were caught in a brutal pincer attack, unable to defend on either side. Under Jack's relentless and savage assault, her nation fell, and she was forced to endure the humiliation of utter defeat.