Chapter 1

"Just another five minutes, than my strategy will be completed and the final battle will commence. I hope what I've done will be enough." I spoke out loud as I cracked my knuckles. I got up and began stretching because for the next hour I will be in a non-stop battle that will need my full attention. I lit a cigarette and sat down in my gaming chair. There was a knock at my door.

"Come in!" I raised my voice just loud enough so the person could here me because I had some music playing in the background. My best friend Raven but that wasn't her real name but that's what she went by.

"Hey Alex. How are you feeling? A bit nervous I can imagine, but what I came in here for is too ask if I can watch in the Virtual Stragey War Tournament Finals. I promise to keep it quiet." Raven came into my flat talking, and finally went quiet as she sat on my old office chair.

"Of course Raven but nobody else." I responded as I got up from my gaming chair which had a built in speakers to add to the suspense while playing these intense games.

"Sweetness!" Raven jumped on to my bed and crossed her legs as she got comfortable.

"What class are you choosing?" Raven asked me while she lit her cigarette and grabbed an ashtray from my night stand. I looked up at the ceiling contemplating the question she asked, I took a hit from my cigarette and exhaled before answering her question.

"Beserker class." I answered as I got more adjusted in my seat and getting more comfortable.

"That's the class that you said that was added just this last update. So do you think you gotta shot? At winning I mean." Raven reminded me as she flicked her ash into the ashtray, and as she asked the question I couldn't help but feel nervous, but that's normal being in this kind of situation and the stakes this high.

"Yes, new class means new strategies and I am confident in myself and my strategic methods." I cracked my knuckles after I died my cigarette out. I looked back at the screen and grinned.

I sat there as the clock struck down to zero. I put the head set on, then the gloves. I got comfortable in the chair and took a deep breath as I was uploaded to my avatar, Varrik the Karthanian and the savior of the enslaved Demonic Overlord, Likael. I was in front of the Armada that I have gathered from the entire season, plus everything I have gathered and gained from the tournament up to this point, I had catapults, archers, bombers, a cavalry, lancers and, a swordsman. I breathed as war horns echoed in the deep, the ground grumbled with the large force approaching. I readied the lancer's to the front and archer's to the back. The cavalry is held to the back to wait for a charge, as a safety precaution I readied the catapults, I took the cavalry an the swordsman with me to go around the back of the enemy army and if everything goes to plan I will catch them off guard. I got this method from the Greeks during their times of War an their strategies barely failed, as I rode my heart began to race faster and faster. I sent a few scouts ahead to get a lay of land as we stopped before we got too close. After a few moments they came back to give me a full report.

"My Lord Varrik the enemy has pushed further ahead than we thought and they will not see us coming but we must move with haste." the scout try to catch to his breathe and slowly his breathingwent back to normal.

"Let's move out!" I ordered the men. We moved as quickly as the Garthak horses could move. Veiwing the enemy line, I realized that I have choesn enough men and women to join my army.

"Destroy them! Right flank take out their long range offense, swordsman lay waste to their warriors, and cavalry run through them. Full charge!" My army immediately followed my orders. As we got there, the enemy was already engaged with my army so they were unaware of the rear attack. I came across the leader of the opposing army, Lord Barquis the destroyer of Kartha. I jumped off the horse and he jumped off the ground with a large leap to match mine from my house, I weapons clashed as did our bodies in mid air but we landed the both of us unscathed.

"Ready to bleed, you puny Karthanian!" Lord Barquis roared as he charged blindly which gave me the advantage to slice his leg in the back of his knee with both of my katanas. He fell to his knee for a moment but regained his stance and looked at me curiously.

"Gotcha!" I snickered as I slid a few feet backwards to gain ground which worked. I moved slowly forward, waiting for him to push the offense. As he did, a random arrow landed in his back, which gave me the opening to slice him in the throat. As he fell to the floor, his head fell off of his body. I looked around. My army had won and the rest of his army gave up.

"Varrik! Varrik! Varrik! Varrik!" the Armada began cheering and a loud bell rang, indicating my victory and the championship match had ended. I took the headset off, the gloves and I was met with Raven screaming. I looked at the clock. Three hours had gone by which was by far my longest match. My phone rang with notifications with my winnings and phone calls from unknown numbers.

"What should I do?" I asked out loud as I looked at Raven.

"Answer it, you idiot!" she shrieked out of excitement as she slapped my arm.

"Hello?" I answered the phone. I was so nervous, I could hardly catch my breathe.

"Mr. Thomson I'm calling to let you know that your new assistant will be joining you soon, but we could only give you twenty thousand dollars in U.S dollars and the rest of eight hundred thousand dollars will be in your account at the end of the month. Your assistant's name is Tony Scheffield and will handle rest from here. Congratulations Mr. Thomson." I dropped the phone out of pure disbelief. Raven put it on my night stand and she opened a can of Red Thunder caffeine drink. As I look at Raven, I started to laugh nerously, tears began to form at the corners of my eyes. I was over came with different emotions; from shocked and scared, to excited and nervous.