Love at First Game

Episode 9 Duel

Dinner at Aroma Haven had left Stella daydreaming about what might have been if she’d arrived earlier and dined next to Daniel Thorne. Mia teased her mercilessly. “Stop fantasizing. The people dining with him are professionals, probably talking about high-level business deals in the Private Lounge.”

Elle hesitated before adding, “Actually, I heard there are some issues with Daniel Thorne’s company.”

That got everyone’s attention.

“Impossible,” Vivian and Mia said simultaneously. For computer science students, Daniel Thorne was almost mythical—brilliant, untouchable, and invincible.

Elle explained, “David told me. One of his basketball teammates works at Daniel Thorne’s company and let something slip after a few drinks. There’s been some trouble with investors, apparently.”

Vivian, busy chewing on a chicken wing, nodded along with the conversation. Daniel Thorne, a genius, having problems? It felt unreal, like hearing about a rhinoceros tripping over its own feet.

But when she thought back to his cold, detached gaze earlier, a pang of doubt crept in. Could there be something he couldn’t handle after all?

An Unwelcome Discovery

The conversation soon drifted to lighter topics, and after returning to the dorm, Vivian logged into Dreaming of Jianghu. To her surprise, her friends were all offline, leaving her feeling restless. She decided to visit the game forum to see if there were updates about the upcoming couple’s PK competition.

Vivian rarely browsed forums, preferring to explore the game on her own. However, since marrying Nathan and feeling a sense of responsibility for their team, she had started researching strategies. Her brief foray into the mechanics of in-game childbirth had been particularly scarring—reading about weakened stats and potential miscarriages during combat had promptly killed her curiosity.

Today, the forums were abuzz with trending posts, and one caught her eye: "(Video) ‘Participating’ in Our Story - Rain Falls, Water Ripples, Fragrance".

The post was Mason’s submission to an in-game event where players created short love-story films. Curious, Vivian clicked on it. The video, set against picturesque backdrops, featured Mason as the hero and Ruby as the damsel in distress. Supporting characters included members of The Ruby Family, and—much to Vivian’s shock—a character named Vivian Ashcroft.

Vivian Ashcroft was a caricatured red-clad female warrior, rude, narcissistic, and infatuated with Mason. Her over-the-top antics contrasted sharply with Ruby’s elegant demeanor. The resemblance to Vivian’s character was glaringly obvious.

By the time the real-life Ruby appeared on-screen, asking for votes, Vivian was seething.

"What is this?!" she fumed. If you want to express your love, fine, but why drag others into it as a joke?

Unable to vent her anger directly—Mason wasn’t online—she furiously typed a message to him: "Is it fun to insinuate and ridicule others like this? I never thought you were that kind of person!"

Feeling too frustrated to play further, she logged off and went to bed, fuming.

Mason’s “Apology”

The next evening, after a full day of classes, Vivian logged in again. Her friend list was lit up with notifications, and she quickly saw a message from Mason:

"OK, I admit defeat. My skills aren’t as good as yours. I’ll delete the video and reshoot it with Ruby. But I need to explain—the lewd portrayal wasn’t my idea. Some Ruby family members added that family as a prank. By the time I noticed, the video was already finished, and redoing it felt like too much effort. I apologize for that. I’ve been demoted as compensation, so let’s let bygones be bygones."

Vivian blinked at the screen, confused. "What do you mean by demoted? What’s going on?"

Mason didn’t reply.

Curious and a little worried, she checked her friend list. Nathan Daniel Thorne’s avatar was lit up, and she sent him a message: "Did you kill Mason?"

Nathan’s response came swiftly: "Come to the Lush Mountains. Boss."

A Duel to Remember

Vivian rushed to the Lush Mountains, where George immediately shouted, “Sister-in-law, come finish the boss!”

The boss was down to its last sliver of health, and with a single blow, Vivian brought it down, gaining a flood of experience points.

As everyone divided the loot, Vivian turned to Nathan. “Did you kill Mason?”

Nathan replied casually, “Yeah.”

Vivian gawked. “Why?!”

Nathan’s response was typical of him: “I don’t like his face.”

George, ever the instigator, chimed in, “Sister-in-law, have you seen the video?”

Vivian sighed. “Yeah, since none of you were online yesterday, I got bored and browsed the forums.”

Miles groaned. “We were hoping to keep it a secret from you.”

Vivian frowned. “By the way, how did Mason get demoted? PK doesn’t cause demotion.”

Max clarified, “It wasn’t PK—it was a duel.”

The Difference Between PK and Duels

PK, or Player Killing, was treated as sparring in the game. Even if someone lost, their rank or standing wouldn’t be affected. However, formal duels were different. Initiated with a special challenge, duels were public events that drew spectators. Losing a duel could result in significant penalties, including demotion in rank.

Nathan explained with a smirk, “I challenged Mason to a duel. He accepted.”

Vivian stared at him, incredulous. “Why would he accept a duel against you?”

Nathan shrugged. “Because I offered to leave him and Ruby alone if he won.”

George burst out laughing. “And of course, he lost miserably.”

Vivian sighed, feeling both exasperated and amused. Typical Daniel Thorne—ruthless, cunning, and always one step ahead.

Miles teased, “See, sister-in-law? Nathan always has your back.”

Vivian rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a smile. Maybe being his sidekick isn’t so bad after all.