Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

"This was a crushing defeat. Based on the footage from the cameras, we can confirm that from the start of the match until Left-Handed Knight surrendered, he never managed to launch a single effective attack against Meteor Knight! Not even once!"

What does this mean? It means that this match was not a back-and-forth contest at all, but more like a one-sided crushing defeat, a cat-and-mouse game. Roy was the cat, toying with a mouse that had trapped itself in a tin can, while Titus White was the mouse, running around in that tin can, trying to bump Roy and give him a bump, but it was all wishful thinking.

Unable to hit or touch, chased and driven around the field until finally exhausted, he surrendered. This match might not have been as shocking as those who wanted to see Roy decisively defeat his opponent with the Great Wilderness Meteor Shower, but it was undeniably exciting! Not the kind of excitement where he only strikes once and wins, but the kind that suffocates his opponent step by step, because Roy made no mistakes!

Margaret watched thoughtfully as the audience on the screen suddenly realized what was happening and began to applaud and cheer, and as Roy on stage calmly extended his hand to the left-hand knight. The emotions she felt were no less than when she personally experienced the defeat of Titus Poplar.

"To be able to take a match to this level, Roy's skill level might be even greater than mine?"

"Speaking of which, what did it feel like when Miss Nearl competed against the Left-Handed Knight?" Noticing Nearl's dazed expression, Amiya assumed she was feeling nostalgic and recalling past events, so she quickly interrupted her.

Margaret snapped out of her reverie and pondered Amiya's question for a moment.

"What did I feel? When I played against him, I just felt that he was a tough opponent. He was very strong and experienced, and I felt that he had the potential to win the championship, which is why he was a seeded player every year. However, I felt that he was not that competitive? It was as if he had something more important than the competition."

"Alright, you have more important things to do than just compete, right?"

Roy reached out and helped Titus Bai Yang, who was slumped on the field.

This guy's acting skills are truly amazing. If Roy hadn't specifically asked Apophis to investigate the betting odds before the match, even he wouldn't have been able to see through Left Hand's acting skills based solely on Titus White's performance in the game.

But the odds don't lie. According to Apophis's reply, the betting volume for the Meteor Knight vs. Left-Handed Knight match was huge, with the pool of funds reaching hundreds of millions of yuan. And, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the biggest bet on Roy's side was placed anonymously by Titus Baiyang.

Why is Roy so sure?

Because Roy is the bookmaker.

To be precise, the Unarmored Alliance is the dealer.

Isn't that normal? Who else but the Unarmored Alliance has the capability to host a tournament in the underground Casimir region? The Business Federation certainly wants to do it too, but Xuan Tie naturally has ways to shut up those who are trying to steal business from the Unarmored Alliance.

Not only did the Wuzhu Alliance open, but this was also one of the main sources of income for the Wuzhu Alliance. Without this income, Xuan Tie wouldn't even be able to support the Wuzhu Alliance with the monthly activity funds distributed by the Business Federation, let alone secretly establish companies, develop products, and wait for the right opportunity to transform itself.

Upon hearing Roy's words, Titus White Poplar looked up in surprise, his questioning gaze sweeping over Roy through his visor before returning to calm as he asked, "What do you intend to do? Report me?"

"No, it's impossible."

Roy smiled and shook his head.

"I know you voted for me, how about we split it 70/30?"

"Why is it only 70%?"

"Seventy percent is mine."

The left-handed knight's lips twitched. But what could he do when he was being manipulated? He could only nod helplessly.

The turnover in the dish is large; even 30% is not bad.

Besides, Roy might not even get the money.

In the past, the opening odds for the Major tournament were quite substantial, but why did this one break the mold and reach hundreds of millions? This isn't something Left-Handed Knight could raise with his limited capital alone. Behind this lies the influence of the powerful financial backers of the Helmet Knights. To easily pocket 70% of this money and fleece the capital, that will depend on Roy's abilities.

But Roy remained completely unfazed.

If he wasn't mistaken, the Business Federation wouldn't have the time to bother him for the time being.

They will soon be too busy to even take care of themselves.

The first major circuit breaker in four cities is not far off.

Volume 1: Chapter 72 All pieces are in their places, the player makes his move.

"Hinterlea, what made you choose to become a member of the Unarmored Alliance?"

The voice on the phone was unusually clear; it didn't use a voice changer and instead rang out against the background of the cries of birds in the forest.

Is this the Xuan Tie Grand Master? Bai Jin was filled with astonishment. In her impression, the Xuan Tie Grand Masters of the Kazimir Unarmored Alliance should all be shrewd, mature and steady assassin masters. The one who best fits their image should be a mysterious old man shrouded in a black robe and mask.

But the voice coming from the phone sounded so young that Hinterlea even thought the person couldn't be more than five years older than her.

"Surprised?" the voice on the other end of the microphone said calmly, as if she had expected Hintria's reaction. She then activated the voice changer again, and that familiar neutral electronic voice rang out, saying, "Perhaps this will make you more relaxed?"

"No, no, it's alright, BOSS," Hinterlea quickly shook her head. Although she didn't know why Xuan Tie had suddenly revealed his true voice to her, she was unwilling to give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get closer to him.

"Why did I join the Unarmored Alliance? Actually... I just had nowhere else to go."

Recalling that night, a hint of melancholy and loss crossed Hinterlea's face. A disillusioned performing knight, constantly on the verge of being abandoned—this was undoubtedly the biggest blow to her, a woman full of dreams. But when she thought of the man who had led her to this point, her sorrow vanished, and she nodded, saying, "But I know I didn't make the wrong decision."

"Why are you so sure? Is it because you were promoted to Platinum after only one month on the job?" Xuan Tie asked.

“No, there’s no reason, it’s just because this path is bright for me,” Hinterlea said, shaking her head.

Xuan Tie paused, then suddenly said, "What if I told you that Roy has many secrets you don't know, and that he never really intended to hand over the position of Qingjin to you?"

She was the one who had observed Roy the most. She knew perfectly well how Roy had made grand promises and painted a rosy picture for Hinterlea. The reason she hadn't exposed herself before was twofold: firstly, boasting wasn't illegal, and secondly, she was a little reserved and embarrassed.

It was actually she who officially approved Cynthia's application to be promoted to Platinum.

She wondered how Hinterlea would react if she knew all this. Would she be disappointed that Roy had lied to her? Or would she become more cautious? Or would she simply distrust herself and become angry?

Surprisingly, the still-naive Platinum showed no surprise on her face. It was as if she had known all along. She simply pursed her lips slightly and nodded calmly, accepting it all.

"Aren't you angry?" Xuan Tie couldn't help but ask.

Hinterlea frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in her eyes. The person on the other end of the line was indeed Xuan Tie; the anonymous phone number and that familiar, androgynous electronic voice couldn't lie. But why was Xuan Tie so interested in her relationship with Roy? Wasn't that her private life? Even a reporter from the Wine Gazette wouldn't dare gossip about the lives of members of the Unarmored Alliance.

But since the boss had already asked the question, Hinterlea could only shake her head and answer truthfully:

"I'm angry, but more than being angry, I don't want him to retire."

It has been almost two months since she ascended to the Platinum throne. To say that she is still the naive young knight who just joined the Unarmored Alliance would be to underestimate Hinterlea.

She knew very well what retirement meant within the Unarmored Alliance. Her predecessor in that position had been dismissed by the BOSS for "improper conduct," and Roy himself had carried out the dismissal.

"I have high hopes for you. After I retire, I'll give you my position. I guarantee I'll recommend you. I still have some influence with the BOSS." Recalling Roy's confident expression when he said those words, Hinterlea felt a surge of anger, not from being deceived, but from Roy concealing the "truth about his retirement."

She'd rather stay at Platinum for life than see Roy's position replaced by anyone in her lifetime. The implications of this were enough to wake her from her sleep in the middle of the night, filled with unease.

"..."

Bai Jin's answer plunged Xuan Tie into a long silence. After a long while, a sigh filled with complex emotions came through the microphone. Then, as if finally getting to the point, Xuan Tie's tone was no longer gentle, but returned to its usual seriousness and calmness:

"Platinum High Principality, do you know why I sent the Azure High Principality to play the knight-versus-cricket game with those merchants?"

"Because everyone loves cricket fighting?" Platinum thought to himself. Those videos and articles of various game bosses dueling each other online, comparing strength across worlds, are all incredibly popular, often sparking hundreds of posts and tens of thousands of replies. Humans' love for watching cricket fighting is almost instinctive, driven by the human instinct for "competition." Knightly duels are merely following the historical trend; although vulgar, corrupt, and filled with all sorts of transactions and injustices, they do indeed meet people's needs—they're entertaining.

But on the surface, Platinum answered honestly, as Roy always did, "To attract the attention of the Business Federation."

"Aren't you curious why the Unarmored Alliance, as a subsidiary of the Business Federation, would want to attract the Federation's attention?"

"Because the Unarmored Alliance is never content with being a vassal. We do this in order to gain more space to pursue more covert development."

“That answer is too broad,” Xuan Tie said. “To be precise, it’s a rehearsal for a plan.”

She paused, then slowly said, "The Supervisory Council is weak, the National Assembly is incompetent, the Chamber of Commerce is corrupt, and the people are blind. Everything in Kazimierz is fractured in extremes. This will bring chaos, and chaos is the ladder to ascent."

"The Unarmored Alliance has been silent for a long time. We were founded in the wilderness, to speak up for the people and to draw our bows for knights. But now, those we once protected are oppressing those we once volunteered to protect. This has been going on for too long, and we have long known that they have no room for repentance. Therefore, we cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom."

"But the power of the Business Federation is too great. The capital they control is the choice of the times. Even pure force cannot fight against them. Only reform and transformation can bring about the rebirth of the Unarmored Alliance. And now, this opportunity is right in front of us."

"The weak Oversight Council has been distracted by the awakening of the Dark Knight, the incompetent National Assembly is busy compromising in the lawsuit between Peak Esports and Woma Heavy Industries, the corrupt Business Federation is overwhelmed with the unprecedentedly popular but troublesome Major, and the blind masses have already idolized that unruly star player and can no longer tolerate anything else."

"Everything is going perfectly. All the pieces on the board have reached their proper positions. It's time to checkmate!"

"Platinum position".

Xuan Tie's call snapped Bai Jin out of his shock. As the voice rang out, Bai Jin took a deep breath.

Do you remember, [the fuse]?

"Get ready to melt down the grand finale of this show, the Special Championship."

Volume 1: Chapter 73 Maria, what's the story behind the report?

"The Radiant Knight is neither as powerful as the Black Knight nor as terrifying as the Blood Knight. She just happened to win the championship in the lowest-level tournament—even if I comfort myself with this, I am well aware of the gap..."

In response to a spokesperson questioning his defeat, Titus Baiyang replied as follows:

"As for the Meteor Knight, I don't know what his single-word title will be, but he is stronger than me, even stronger than the Blood Knight. I have only felt that kind of oppressive feeling from that lady who has defended her title for three times."

It wasn't stubbornness, nor was it an attempt to excuse his failure; Titus Baiyang was simply stating the facts. Before becoming the head of the Helms Knights, before being bound by those trademarks, he was also a pure knight, a powerful warrior, and he understood the strength of the Meteor Knights.

Perhaps the hidden electric Originium Arts were indeed the key reason why that match became the greatest humiliation of his competitive career, but Roy's strength was undeniable. Wearing that heavy armor, Titus White Poplar couldn't even touch a hair on Roy's head. And without that armor, he was even more defenseless against spells like the Great Wilderness Meteor Shower. This was a dead end from the start.

Surrender is shameful, but losing to Roy is not. Left-handed Knight has a premonition that Roy will create a miracle comparable to Shining Knight in this competition.

And myself...

He looked at the spokesperson in front of him, who was frowning, and his eyes were already showing signs of business.

"My battle with Roy lasted for two hours and three minutes, which is the longest match Meteor Knight has ever had since his debut. During the match, we had both offense and defense, and it was a back-and-forth battle. This is enough to prove my worth."

His voice was remarkably calm, as if he weren't afraid the spokesperson might use this as a pretext to blacklist him like the Rusty Knight had been. Moreover, he confidently presented a completely new idea.

"In the subsequent matches, the value of this achievement will gradually increase with Roy's continued victories. If Roy does win the championship in the end, and the battle with the runner-up is not even as long as my match, then I am at least half a runner-up."

"A runner-up in the finals?"

Even the spokesperson was probably taken aback by such a fresh and unconventional term, and was momentarily stunned. But upon reflection, although the statement sounded abstract, it did seem to make some sense?

Because the armor was too thick, Roy chased after him for two hours before he couldn't hold on and surrendered (x). The two emperors fought all the way to the edge of Terra, even the main road was worn away (√). They stacked the thickest armor and took the most severe beatings (x). The Meteor Knight was just so-so. I was evenly matched with him. Neither of us could break through the other's defense (√).

Suddenly enlightened, the spokesperson could only say that he had suddenly understood! Even his perspective on the world became much clearer, his ears became sharper, his eyes brighter, and he walked with a confident stride. He couldn't wait to go back and tell the boss that although they had lost, they hadn't lost either, and their strength was overwhelming!

He was secretly overjoyed, but considering he had just been scolding his left hand, the spokesperson couldn't openly laugh out loud. So, he suppressed his laughter, patted Titus Aries on the shoulder, and said: