Chương 366: Chapter 352

Sam climbed out of the gaming pod, remaining sitting on the edge, sweat streaking down his face as it slowly dripped along his jaw. He wiped it away with the back of his hand before reaching for a towel he had deliberately left nearby for moments like this, pressing it against his skin and letting out a quiet breath as the fabric soaked up the moisture. Once he felt reasonably dry, he picked up a simple notebook resting on the table beside the pod.

Its pages were filled with his own shorthand, written in a coded system that only he could easily follow, and after flipping to a fresh section, he jotted down a few ideas for the near future. Only after that did he push himself to his feet and head for the shower. By the time he returned to the living room, his hair still slightly damp and his body feeling far lighter after the hot water, Sam made his way toward the kitchen area and put together a quick meal.

It was nothing elaborate, just enough to tide him over, since he would be heading out to a restaurant later anyway. Lara had managed to secure a table at his favorite place, and he was looking forward to it. Even so, despite knowing what awaited him, he still felt distinctly hungry, thanks to the hours of intense mental strain rather than physical exertion. It always surprised him how draining the game could be. He glanced down at his thin frame, smiling with satisfaction.

"At least I don't have to worry about getting fat…" A quiet chuckle escaped him as he carried his food over to the couch and dropped onto it, letting himself sink into the soft cushions while reaching for the remote and turning on the TV. The screen flickered to life, filling the room with a low hum of background noise that he had no real intention of paying attention to. There was work waiting for him later.

He still needed to go over the documents Lucy had sent and refine some of his own plans, but for now, he allowed himself this small pocket of rest. With one hand holding his sandwich, he reached for his phone with the other and began scrolling idly. He started, as usual, with his immediate circle. Lara's feed was filled with affectionate pictures of her and Dan, the kind that made it very clear to anyone looking just how close the two had become.

Lucy's posts were far more subdued, consisting mostly of plant photos that ranged from mildly interesting to completely mundane, depending on one's level of enthusiasm for greenery. Katie, on the other hand, continued her relentless assault in the form of chaotic memes that clogged up his messages to the point where he did not even bother opening most of them anymore. After a few minutes, he switched to a different group, one that he kept deliberately small.

These were the people who had been enemies of the body's previous owner, or who would have become enemies given time. Most of them had no idea he existed in this timeline, and yet he found himself checking in on them with quiet regularity, as if maintaining a watchlist that only he knew about. Sarah. His gaze lingered on her profile for a moment.

The ex-girlfriend was currently involved in a very public and very loud fling with a so-called famous guild leader, the two of them appearing together in a series of carefully curated photos taken in expensive locations across the city. In nearly every image, she was draped over him in a way that felt almost rehearsed, and the comment sections were filled with people praising them, congratulating them, or simply admiring them. Sam suspected most of the comments were bots.

He still could not understand how the original owner of this body had convinced himself that she had been genuinely interested in him. The signs had been there from the beginning, obvious to anyone who cared to look.

"But I suppose… love blinds us all…" he murmured under his breath as his thumb moved across the screen. Next came Mike. The moment his face appeared, something in Sam's chest tightened ever so slightly, a faint echo of anger that did not entirely belong to him but had not yet faded either.

"Well, as they say… the best revenge is a dish served cold," he idly commented out loud. At one point, Sam had considered tearing the man down completely, but in the end, there had been nothing concrete to act on. Mike had not done anything overtly wrong in this timeline yet, aside from being unpleasant in ways that were difficult to punish without drawing attention. So Sam had chosen a different approach. Mike was a carrion.

He was the kind of player who moved from guild to guild, quietly gathering information, siphoning off resources, and then disappearing before anyone could properly confront him, only to repeat the process elsewhere while selling what he had taken. All Sam had needed to do was point that pattern out to Tim. From there, things had unfolded naturally. Mike, along with others like him, had found themselves quietly shut out from most of the major guilds in the Emerald Kingdom.

Officially, only AFK and Chrysalis had taken the trouble to blacklist them, but their influence was more than enough to ensure that the rest followed suit without needing to be told. At present, Mike appeared to be working some kind of warehouse job while continuing to play the game on the side, still chasing the kind of opportunity that never seemed to come. Why he insisted on staying in the Emerald Kingdom instead of starting fresh elsewhere was a mystery to Sam.

"He was always stubborn…" After that, he moved through several more profiles, each one tied to someone who had, in one way or another, caused harm to the original Sam. He had made a promise. And he intended to keep it. Most of them had failed to reach the heights they once had in the other timeline. Some remained stuck in mediocre guilds, never quite advancing, while others had given up on the game entirely. What amused him most was the fact that none of them had any idea he was behind all that.

If anything, a few of them seemed to admire him. Based on the posts, some of them were even big fans of his. A quiet, almost amused sound escaped him as he locked his phone and set it aside, his attention returning to the sandwich in his hand. Sam stepped out of the hired car and paused for a brief moment, letting his gaze sweep across the street before moving forward.

The area was alive with movement, people passing by in small groups or alone, conversations blending into a steady murmur that filled the evening air. No one paid him any particular attention, and he preferred it that way. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He adjusted his jacket slightly and headed toward the entrance. Inside, the atmosphere shifted immediately.

The noise softened into something more controlled, more refined, as warm lighting reflected off polished surfaces and carefully arranged décor. A host stood ready near the entrance, and the moment Sam approached, recognition flickered across her face.

"Welcome back, sir," she said, her smile perfectly practiced, though not entirely insincere. A few people waiting nearby turned their heads, curiosity evident as they tried to figure out if he was someone famous or important. Sam inclined his head politely.

"Good evening, Miss Thompson." That earned him a slightly more genuine expression, the professional mask slipping just a fraction.

"The others are already waiting for you."

"The same room?" he asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you." He moved past the waiting area, aware of the faint shift in mood behind him as those still in line quietly expressed their dissatisfaction. Not everyone had the foresight to book a table – or have Lara's connections. A short walk brought him deeper into the restaurant, where the ambient noise thinned further, until he finally reached the private room they used when visiting the restaurant. It had become a sort of hangout spot over the months.

He rested his hand on the handle for a brief second before pushing the door open. Sound rushed out to meet him, lively and unrestrained, a stark contrast to the subdued atmosphere outside.

"Sam!"

"Boss!"

"Hey, you made it!"

"Hello!" The greetings overlapped as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, sealing the noise back into the room. He took a moment to take it all in. Katie and Isabella were seated next to each other, their shoulders almost touching, one hand from each of the young women hidden beneath the table while both of them held glasses of fruit juice in the other hand. After the last time, Katie had been cut off from alcohol, at least for the time being.

Nearby, Dan sat with easy confidence, Lara leaning comfortably against him as she raised her glass toward Sam in greeting. Clarissa sat close by, looking unusually relaxed, her attention focused on a plate of appetizers instead of whatever dour thoughts usually occupied her. On the other side of the table, Tim was seated with Liz, who was watching him with quiet admiration, her attention lingering on him even as she acknowledged Sam's arrival.

Next to them, Adam and Lucy sat side by side, both carrying a more serious air than the rest, the recent events clearly still weighing on them. Sam made his way around the table, greeting each of them in turn, shaking hands, clapping shoulders, exchanging a few brief words where appropriate. The familiarity of it all settled easily around him, a rhythm he had grown used to. By the time he reached the last empty seat and sat down, the door opened again.

A line of waiters entered with practiced efficiency, placing dish after dish onto the table, the rich aromas quickly filling the room and drawing everyone's attention. Plates were arranged with care, glasses refilled, and within moments, the table was covered in an impressive spread. Sam allowed himself a small smile before reaching forward. There would be time for everything else. For now, it was time to make merry and fill their bellies with delicious food. An hour later, the difference was obvious.

The table had been cleared of most dishes, what remained little more than scattered remnants, and nearly everyone leaned back in their chairs in various states of satisfaction. A quiet contentment filled the room, the earlier energy settling into something slower and more relaxed. Sam exhaled softly and shifted in his seat, one hand resting against his stomach for a moment before dropping back to the armrest. He picked up his glass of sparkling water and raised it slightly in Lara's direction.

"Thanks for the meal." Lara huffed, turning her head away as she crossed her arms.

"I'm supposed to be mad at you."

"Grandfather still angry?" Sam asked, a faint hint of amusement in his voice.

"Angry?" she echoed, glancing back at him.

"Try apoplectic…" Despite the words, Sam noticed a subtle smile working onto her face.

"A lot of people lost their jobs."

"Important people?" he asked.

"No," she replied, dismissing it with a small shake of her head.

"Just a bunch of freeloading cousins. No real loss." Sam nodded slowly, as if filing that information away. The rest of the group watched them with the same interest one uses to watch an important tennis match.

"Well then, what's the word?" he asked curiously.

"Is he planning some kind of revenge scheme? Assassination? Hiring thugs to break my leg?" Lara gave him a look that hovered somewhere between disbelief and mild annoyance.

"Who do you think he is? Some kind of mob boss?" Sam did not answer immediately, though the hint of a smile lingered.

"No," she went on, leaning back slightly.

"He's letting this one go."

"Got it. You're being left out of the loop." Lara rolled her eyes.

"If that helps your paranoia, sure."

"Well, I'm a professional paranoid," Sam said lightly before glancing toward Lucy.

"Back me up, Lu." Lucy looked around, her expression flat as several others turned toward her with interest.

"It's true," she said without hesitation.

"He's an idiot."

"See, I told – Hey!" Laughter spread around the table, cutting him off as even he couldn't quite suppress a grin. For a few minutes after that, conversation drifted easily between them, light and unhurried, the kind that came naturally in the aftermath of a good meal. Then, gradually, Sam's focus shifted. He took the last sip of his water and set the glass down with a soft, deliberate sound that carried just enough weight to draw attention.

One by one, the others quieted, their gazes turning toward him as they recognized the change. Sam leaned forward slightly, his fingers interlacing as his face lost the smile and gained an edge.

"So," he began, his voice steady, "we all know why we're here." Lucy let out a quiet sigh, rolling her eyes.

"Just get on with it."

"So mean…" he pouted at her, and the others chuckled. Then he cleared his throat, and the levity was gone.

"This strike cannot go unanswered. We all know that." The shift was immediate. Postures straightened, expressions sharpened, and even Liz's attention moved away from Tim as everybody watched him.

"So," Sam continued, his gaze moving across each of them in turn, "I'll be handling it personally."

"Where?" Lucy asked, her tone already focused. Sam smiled.

"Madspire." The reaction was immediate: a few sharp inhales, a slight tightening of shoulders, the kind of response that came from people who understood exactly what that meant. Lucy, for her part, simply nodded and began making notes on her phone, Tim doing the same beside her.

"Are you sure?" Isabella asked, concerned.

"That's one of their manufacturing centers. They would be expecting the attack." Sam nodded.

"Of course, they are expecting an attack. That's why we're going to give them an attack." It took a moment for the realization to settle in for the people around the table. But the moment the lightbulb went off in their head, they all grinned. It was like looking at a school of sharks eyeing the next meal. Adam raised a hand slightly.

"Where do you want the decoy?" Sam considered for a brief moment before giving a small shrug.

"You and Tim can work that out. Figure out where we would logically strike in retaliation for Deepanchor." Adam exchanged a glance with Tim, then nodded.

"Understood." Sam leaned back slightly, satisfied.

"Good," he said.

"Now let's go over the details." By the time Sam stepped out of the restaurant, the night air felt noticeably cooler against his skin, a welcome contrast after the warmth inside. He took a moment to stretch, rolling his shoulders as the faint hum of the city surrounded him once more. The hired car was already waiting. He reached for the door just as Lucy approached, holding it open for her before slipping in after her.

The door shut with a soft thud, and almost immediately, the vehicle pulled away from the curb, merging smoothly into the flow of traffic. For a while, neither of them spoke. The city passed by outside the window in a slow procession of lights and motion, reflections sliding across the glass as buildings gave way to intersections and back again.

Lucy rested her chin lightly against her hand, her gaze distant, while Sam leaned back into his seat, one arm draped loosely at his side, his attention seemingly on the passing scenery. The silence was not uncomfortable. If anything, it felt natural. Eventually, Lucy moved her eyes from the outside to Sam and broke the quiet.

"Do you think it would work?" Sam did not answer immediately. Instead, he glanced down at the small device resting in his lap, a compact piece of equipment Tim had surreptitiously handed him before they left. His thumb brushed lightly over its surface as he checked the indicator, confirming that it remained silent. Only then did he look back up.

"I trust Tim," he replied with a smile.

"If he said there was a bug in the room, then there was a bug in the room."

"That's not what I meant," she said.

"We've used this approach several times already. You can't expect them not to notice the pattern eventually." Sam gave a small nod, acknowledging the point without hesitation.

"That's true," he said. He shifted slightly in his seat, turning his head just enough to look at her more directly.

"That's why we're going to do the unexpected." Lucy's brow furrowed, curiosity overtaking her earlier concern.

"And that is?"

"We plan the obvious attack," he said.

"The kind they expect, the kind that fits perfectly with the situation." He let the words settle for a brief moment.

"Then we carry it out exactly as planned." Lucy blinked. For a second, she simply stared at him, the idea turning over in her mind. Then, slowly, her expression shifted, the realization clicking into place as the corners of her mouth began to lift. A quiet laugh escaped her.

"I can already imagine their faces," she said, a hint of anticipation creeping into her voice. Sam's smile widened just a fraction.

"How about paying a few streamers to record it?" he asked.

"I do have a few news organizations on tap…" she said, the evil grin mirroring the one developing on Sam's face. He reached over and put his hand over her shoulder, pulling her into a half-hug for a moment before letting her go.

"Lucy, I do love when you're evil!" Lucy stiffened, a faint flush rising to her face as she pulled back just enough to look at him, her composure slipping for the briefest moment.

"I-idiot!"

"Huh?"