Chapter 61

.Word spread like wildfire online-Cloudstrider, the legendary all-round king, had just logged in.

Inside crowded cybercafes, players who had been glued to their screens ripped off their headsets and leapt to their feet, buzzing with excitement.

"Hold on! Did I hear that right? Cloudstrider's back online!"

"Are we sure this isn't some kind of hoax? People have faked screenshots before just to stir things up."

"No, this one's the real deal! My buddy actually has him on his friend list and showed me a screenshot.Cloudstrider popped online just a few minutes ago!"

"Wait, I'm lost here. Who exactly is Cloudstrider? Is he really as big of a deal as you're making him out to be?" "If you actually played games, you'd already know the name Cloudstrider. He isn't called the all-round king for nothing. It's not just one title he's mastered-he dominates every single game he touches!"

The crowd wasted no time filling in the clueless,recounting Cloudstrider's insane track record and the countless times he'd stunned the gaming world.

Even people who normally didn't care for gaming found themselves impressed, giving nods of approval and admitting that the guy sounded downright legendary.

#CloudstriderlsOnline

#ReturnOfCloudstrider

Within minutes, the news of Cloudstrider's comeback shot to the top of the trending charts,creating a buzz that spilled far beyond the gaming community.

...

At a quiet cafe, Wilbur lazily scrolled through his feed. His thumb froze mid-swipe when the bold headline about Cloudstrider's return appeared on his screen.

"No freaking way! This can't be happening!" Wilbur nearly dropped his phone, his eyes bulging as his whole body shook with excitement.

"What's gotten into you?" Elias asked coolly, a faint crease forming between his brows.

"It's Cloudstrider! He's back online! I need to log in right now and see it for myself!" Wilbur blurted out,his face glowing as he frantically tapped the game icon.

He'd once spent a ridiculous sum just to buy his way onto Cloudstrider's friend list.

Elias, who couldn't care less about Cloudstrider or gaming, sat unmoved.

As Wilbur's excitement mounted, Elias only gave the occasional glance toward the restroom, his expression as frigid as ever. "Holy crap! It'sreal! He's actually online! My idol is back, oh my god!" Wilbur shouted, his laughter spilling out in chaotic bursts.

Elias muttered under his breath. All he knew was that the noise grated on his nerves. His frown deepened,the chill in the air around him intensifying.

All he wanted was for this loudmouth to get as far away from him as possible before he did something drastic.

...

Out in the hospital parking lot, a gleaming black Ferrari screeched to a halt.

The door swung open, and Sebastian stepped out with a stormy look on his face.

The sting of losing to Emilia gnawed at him, and with a surge of anger, he turned and kicked the Ferrari hard enough to make the frame shudder.

The sharp crack of metal echoed through the lot.Pedestrians flinched at the sound, their eyes darting to Sebastian's furious expression before they hurried off, wanting no part of a spoiled rich kid venting his rage on a Ferrari.

"Emilia, you'd better enjoy this while it lasts," he muttered under his breath. "There's no way I'm going to be beaten by some housewife."

Sebastian's phone buzzed in his pocket, and with an irritated grunt he snatched it up. "Talk already, I don't have all day!"

His expression twisted with fury, his jaw tight as though he might explode at any second. But in the blink of an eye, the anger drained from his face,replaced by wide-eyed shock.

"What? Repeat that! I need to hear it again!"