The kings Avater

The Next Morning

"...So what's the next move, CyberDiva?" Midnight asked, voice low and smooth through the comms. "After last night's Godmode performance, I hope you're ready to deliver again tonight."

"Godmode?"

Chan Guo blinked at her screen, a little confused. She tried to recall the end of last night's game.

'Wait… I fell asleep, didn't I?' she thought, piecing it together.

Then it hit her.

'Ye Qiu… he stayed logged in. He played through the end.'

Her eyes widened as the realization washed over her. And then… a smug little smile curled across her face.

Oh, that sly bastard.

Leaning toward her mic with a confident purr, she replied,

"I mean... when I say I go full Everstay mode, I mean it. You know how it is."

"Ohooo—listen to her now," Stormchaser jumped in, half teasing. "Someone's out here celebrating their own victory like they didn't log out on me mid-glory. Tch. Typical."

The smile abruptly dropped from Chan Guo's face.

"Wait. I what?" she asked.

"You don't remember?" he asked,

Realization hit her again.

Damn. I wasn't supposed to say that aloud.

"I mean... I fell asleep. Once the game ended, I probably didn't even realize you were still talking when I logged out," she explained casually. Then, with a sly grin, she added, "Besides, it's not like you aren't an annoying fellow."

Her tone was light, but she meant every word. Whatever had made Ye Qiu log out on StormChaser must've been because the guy pushed the wrong buttons. Even though she'd only known Ye Qiu for a short while, she could already tell—he wasn't the type to lash out without reason. He didn't just blurt things out or act on impulse.

Her reply made everyone on the voice chat burst into laughter. That was classic Chan Guo—always quick with a savage comeback, never missing a beat.

"But seriously, Cyber, how did you pull off the Lightsplash move?" PhantomX asked.

Lightsplash? she thought, blinking.

"Wait—the Lightsplash move?" she repeated aloud, eyes widening as she emphasized 'the'.

"You didn't know that you used the Lightsplash?" Skull asked, stressing the word 'you' with visible suspicion.

"I... I didn't realize that was the Lightsplash move..." she said slowly, voice tapering off as an awkward silence settled over the chat.

"So..." 7thsense9 began "you don't actually know how to use it?" He asked, narrowing his tone as she swallowed hard.

"Well, yeah, I just—combined some moves and then bam! Lightsplash," she replied nonchalantly, trying to sound breezy.

Ye Xiu must've pulled off a ton of moves last night to spark this many questions, she thought. And I haven't even watched the replay yet... What if these lunatics hit me with something tricky? Her eyes flicked around nervously, scanning the screen like it might offer a way out.

As if summoned by her fear, Midnight chimed in again.

"What about the Cypht Slash move? How did you pull that off?" he asked, curiosity laced with suspicion.

"Uh..."

"Come on," Skull cut in. "Are you seriously saying you can't explain any of the cool stuff you did last night?"

He paused, then added pointedly, "It really makes me wonder if you were the one actually playing with us."

"Yeah," Stormchaser added, voice more pointed now. "You were all strategic and commanding before. Now it's like we're talking to someone else entirely."

The comment hit home, and not out of fear — out of irritation.

Chan Guo hated being interrogated like a fraud. Yes, Ye Qiu helped her. But so what? It was still her account. Her name. As far as she was concerned, that made it her win.

She smirked, eyes glinting with mischief.

"Why are you all so desperate for info? Trying to milk me for all my secret moves already?" she said with a raised brow.

"Aren't we supposed to share stuff like that?" 7thSense9 shot back. "That's what gamers do—help each other."

Chan Guo laughed—a slow, deliberate, almost maniacal laugh.

"Our case is different, isn't it? Last I checked, we're not a team. According to you guys—your words, not mine— and i quote this is just a test. We are doing you a favor, remember?"

She leaned forward, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"So what happens if I spill all my secrets now? You take what you need, then toss me aside, yeah? Convenient."

The room went quiet. Even over the mic, you could hear the fire building in her voice.

"And now you wanna suck every last move from me like leeches?" she snarled, voice hardening.

PhantomX tried to interrupt, "That's not what we—"

BANG!

She slammed her desk so hard they all flinched.

"Here's what's gonna happen," she declared. "Until this so-called evaluation is officially over—I am not spilling a single damn bean. Not a move. Not a combo. Not a whisper. Got it?"

Silence.

Then—

Click.

She disconnected from the call without waiting for a reply.

While she was still foaming with irritation from the call, a timid staff member—who had clearly been hesitating for a while—finally gathered the courage to approach Chan Guo.

"Ma'am," the fragile-looking young lady began carefully, "The A and B sections are already full, and the customers are waiting to occupy this side."

Chan Guo didn't respond at first. Instead, she quickly logged into the game, her fingers flying across the keyboard like instinct. The moment the game loaded, a bright notification flared across the screen.

A shimmering gift card hovered in the center.

Curious, her brows raised as she tapped it.

The card spun and then popped open with a triumphant chime, revealing bold, glowing letters:

> "CONGRATULATIONS CYBERDIVA! YOU HAVE UNLOCKED: CELESTIAL WRATH—A LEGENDARY ARCANE MODE!"

Chan Guo gasped, immediately slapping a hand over her mouth to suppress a scream. Her eyes widened with unfiltered joy.

She looked up at the stunned employee, eyes glittering with excitement. "Did you see that?!" she whispered loudly, pointing at the screen. "I just leveled up—big time!"

"It's… amazing," the employee replied, not fully understanding but smiling along anyway.

Adruptly, Chan Guo jumped to her feet in excitement. As she did, a jacket slipped from her shoulders and landed on the floor—Ye Qiu's jacket. She blinked down at it, confused. She had no idea when it ended up on her, but she was certain it didn't belong to her.

"Umm__Take that away__to storage or wherever," she said with a dismissive wave. The employee quickly picked it up, not asking questions.

"You can let the customers in now," Chan Guo added, gently tapping the young woman on the shoulder with a rare, playful smile.

She began to walk off but paused and turned back with a grin.

"Oh, and since I'm in such a good mood—tell the staff they can order from the nearby restaurant. My treat."

Her rare gummy smile lit up her face as she walked away confidently.

With that, she spun on her heels and headed toward the door.

On her way out, just as she reached the front door, something caught her attention.

The door was slightly ajar—its hinges strained, the frame crooked. It was broken.

She stopped. Her eyes narrowed.

If the door was broken… the soundproofing must've been ruined as well.

Just like Ye Qiu said last night.

A flicker of memory returned—

> "No. Here's what I don't get, Ye Xiu," she had snapped. "How did you hear me when this room is soundproof?"

His mouth had opened, but no words came. He had looked genuinely thrown off.

"I don't believe you," he'd muttered. "I know I heard your voice."

Back then, she'd brushed it off. But now… she saw the truth.

Her gaze slowly shifted to the jacket the employee still held—a plain dark coat that wasn't hers.

Her brows furrowed.

Ye Qiu was wearing that last night.

She reached out and stretched her hand toward it.

"Let me have that."

The young worker silently handed the jacket over. Chan Guo took it, staring at it for a moment.

She turned and walked off.