NOVEL WEB Chapter 141: Game of Death (ii)
"Player One, please choose your game."
Xavier leaned back in his chair, eyes scanning the dozens of games displayed on the glass wall to the right. Poker, tiles, cards, dice, mind games, reflex tests, and even newer VR interface tables. All of them flashing with bright titles and insane betting pools.
He had only two charges left in his ability.
And those weren't going to be wasted on a brat's ego match.
So he picked with instinct, not power.
He'd spent the past few hours quietly watching the entire casino—every dealer, every game style, every flaw in the systems. He wasn't the same clueless rookie who stepped into this place earlier. Now, he knew how each game worked down to the decimal point.
He tapped the screen.
A holographic ring flared above the table.
[Selected Game: King's Draw – Royal Variant]
It was a fast-paced draw-pool game with layered bluffing, fake-outs, and crazy multipliers. Played best with seven players. The pool could spike into the hundreds of millions if people weren't careful.
The room adjusted, table split into seven seats, and chips loaded in.
Ethan's group sat in. Yelena gave Xavier a glance and slipped into the seat beside him. The rest of Ethan's crew filled in silently.
The host AI announced:
"Entry Stake: 5,000,000 Credits. Confirm transaction."
The sound of seven confirmations echoed one after the other.
Cards were dealt. Hands stayed hidden.
The game began.
On the stream, the numbers went ballistic.
[XAVIER IS SO CHILL WTF]
[Bro's not even blinking. This is peak silent confidence.]
[5 MILLION AT STAKE?? HOLY—]
[ETHAN GONNA FOLD LIKE A USED NAPKIN LMFAOOO]
First draw, minor shifts. Xavier threw in a raise early just to stir chaos. Ethan's crew followed, trying to mirror his moves, trying to trap him.
Second draw.
Chips started pouring in. Betting escalated.
Third draw—two of Ethan's guys folded.
"Cowards," Ethan muttered under his breath. "You're making us look bad."
But no one replied. The pot had already risen to 200 million credits.
Yelena was still in, calm and sharp, letting Xavier lead the tempo. He didn't even need to look at her—she read the rhythm perfectly.
By the fifth draw, tension exploded.
[IS THAT 200M??!]
[NO WAY. EARTH STABILITY MONEY. NOBODY LEAVES POOR AFTER THIS.]
[Please Xavier, ruin these rich brats. Give us a show.]
Two more of Ethan's side bailed. Even Yelena folded.
Only Xavier and Ethan remained.
500 million.
The room went quiet. Even the chat slowed.
Ethan grinned, leaned forward. "You think you've got this?"
Xavier didn't answer.
He placed his final hand down, one card at a time. Smooth. Deliberate. No drama.
The AI scanned the result.
[Royal King's Sweep – MAX RANK COMBO]
[Winner: Xavier]
The room detonated.
Ethan stared at the cards. No tricks. No abilities. No hacks. Just raw, brutal skill.
[HE DID IT WTF—]
[GODLY DRAW WTF WTF WTF]
[BRO CLUTCHED A 500 MILLION GAME LIKE IT WAS UNO]
[WE ARE NOT WORTHY. I'M MAKING XAVIER MY RELIGION.]
Xavier leaned back, stretching his arms like it was just a warmup. The camera zoomed in on his calm, almost bored face.
The dealer AI chirped.
"15-minute intermission before Round 2."
The fans exploded again.
He had just casually won half a billion credits.
Ethan's crew sat frozen, pale. Only Ethan kept moving—shifting uncomfortably, tapping his fingers, shaking his leg.
Xavier stood up and walked around the table slowly. The lights followed him. He looked straight at Ethan, then bent slightly to his level.
"Hey. It's your turn now, right?" His voice was casual, lazy.
Ethan blinked. "...Yeah?"
"I could choose the next game," Xavier said. "I earned that."
He leaned in closer.
"But it'd be too easy if I picked. So let's make it fun."
He grinned.
"I'll let you decide. Since watching you lose your own game sounds more satisfying."
Ethan's nostrils flared. He stood up. "You'll regret that."
"No, I won't."
[Xavier is so disrespectful and I love it.]
[He's not just playing. He's toying with them.]
[ETHAN'S HAIRLINE LOSING FASTER THAN THE GAMES.]
A new game was about to begin.
But Ethan's ego was already bleeding.
The room wasn't calm anymore.
Not after that.
Ethan's group had scattered around the corner of the lounge, whispering in heated bursts.
Two of them were pacing. One guy just stared at his credit balance with dead eyes.
"Five million gone in seconds, man," one muttered.
"More like fifty. You kept matching his raises."
"I didn't think he'd win! That draw was insane!"
"You're blaming me? We followed Ethan's lead!"
Yelena stayed on Xavier's side, casually sipping her orange soda. She didn't speak, didn't smile, didn't even look at them. She was just there, relaxed, unreadable.
Xavier didn't need to talk either.
He sat with one leg crossed over the other, surrounded by virtual confetti raining down from the fan chat.
[Lord Xavier, just how much money do you have?]
[Are you going to Log in to Celestial Rift later?]
[What will you do with Ethan if you win?]
Ethan reappeared from the corner, face set. His hair was a little messier than before. But his smirk had returned.
He'd convinced them.
Whatever he told his group—it worked.
"Alright," he announced. "Let's make this one interesting."
The lights shifted. A new game rose from the floor.
[Selected Game: Domino Nexus – Alliance Grid Variant]
A complex board-based number-match game. Brutal mental load. But what made it insane was its scaling mechanic—the more players in one group, the easier it was to dominate the map.
This time, Xavier was outnumbered five to two.
The host AI read the terms:
"Entry Stake: 50,000,000 Credits. Confirm transaction."
Everyone tapped in.
Only Yelena paused.
She looked at Xavier once. He didn't say anything. Just gave her a calm nod.
She sighed.
"...I'm out. This one's not for me."
And just like that, Xavier was alone.
[1 v 5? Bro this is suicide.]
[Xavier's cooking something. I trust him.]
[Ethan's face is glowing like he just won a Nobel.]
The round began.
The digital grid lit up. Numbers spun. Markers dropped. Ethan's team played smart this time—efficient, calculated, no room for mistakes. Every formation they laid boosted the others. The board shifted in their favor fast.
Xavier played alone. Slow. Calm.
Still landing perfect placements. Still fighting them toe-to-toe.
The pot climbed.
300 million.
Then 500.
Then 650.
No one on Ethan's side surrendered.
And now?
800 million on the line.
Final phase.
Xavier placed one last piece. The board froze. The room watched.
"Victory: Ethan's Team."
A flash. A siren. Credits transferred. Game over.
Xavier lost.
[Nooo ＞﹏＜＞﹏＜]
[He fought ALONE and still held till the end…]
[It's okay king. One loss doesn't define you.]
Ethan stood, basking in the moment. Arms spread.
"Awww… poor little genius lost, huh?" he said, walking over.
"Looks like you're not so unstoppable after all."
Xavier didn't look at him.
He was stretching again, casual.
[Still proud of you king]
[1 win = legend. 1 loss = still legend.]
[It's okay. Every protagonist needs a little dip before the climax.]
Xavier almost shed a tear after seeing how much his fans supported him— even though he lost on purpose to leave some impact.
Ethan's tone grew sharper. "How about this? You apologize right now. Say sorry in front of all your little fans. Maybe then I won't break your face after this is over."
The crowd went silent.
Even his own team looked uneasy.
But Xavier just laughed.
Softly. Then louder. He turned around, hands in pockets, voice light.
"That was cute," he said.
"Fifteen minutes till the next round. Hope you don't get too tired celebrating."
And then he walked off.
Ethan stared at his back.
[XAVIER IS HIM.]
[Bro just got roasted and walked off like it was a coffee date.]
[Final round's gonna be nuclear.]