VRMMO: World's First Glyphborne

Chapter 298: Demonstration

Percy was a tad distracted, as he was currently staring at the screen, which was frozen on the scene of the Enforcers leading their arrested criminal from the bank. His eyes, however, was locked onto the lower corner of the screen, as the small image of a woman leaning on a cane, whilst a cat sat on her shoulder.

He could see a hint of her side profile, causing him to frown softly and tilt his head with a strange confusion, before he blinked and finally snapped back to reality. When he turned back to the rest of the room, he paused in slight fear when he found every single set of eyes in the room staring directly at him.

"Wh-what? I’m sorry, I got a little dis-" He started to say, before another voice swiftly cut him off.

"Yes, that is right," Percival the Second said, confusing his son even more, as the father rose from his seat and strode over to his son, before placing a hand on his shoulder and actually acting... caring?!

"My son will happily give you a demonstration, and show up your little Enforcers." He finished with a coniving smile, sending a wicked glare towards the other family heads, who glared daggers back at him.

Percy was far too stunned by the simple touch of his father to recongise the underlying hatred flying between these individuals, and the competitive spirit that was driving them, and it took him a few more seconds to register what was even going on.

But by that time people were already rising from their seats, and filing out of the room with Noel at the head of the pack.

"Wait... A demonstration? You don’t mean... I can’t, I thought it was supposed to be a secret?!" Percy hissed to his father, who laughed like they were joking, before shifting his hand subtly. He patted Percy’s back, rubbing it in a way that could be seen as actually caring before letting his hand rest just at the base of Percy’s neck, where he started to squeeze and apply pressure.

Percy grunted, trying to pull away, but his fathers grip kept him in place, pushing into an especially painful point into his neck that made him squirm.

"What sort of secret can it be when it is advertised like this, for all the world to see? Think for a minute you stupid boy, this is all the fault of that ridiculous game of yours.

But be glad, you have been given a chance to show our families prowess. You will use the tricks you picked up in his little game, and use them to humiliate that prick by defeating his pathetic Enforcers. Such a trivial task is the least I would expect of a son that bears my name.

So make sure you do not disappoint that name, Percival.’ His father growled into his ear, barely hiding the strange amount of aggression building in his voice as he squeezed into Percy’s neck tighter, before finally letting him go with a slight shove that made Percy stumble.

Percival looked over his son, annoyance, irritation and disappointment already in his eyes as he straightened the cuffs of his suit as if that was the most important part of that interaction.

"It’s time to be a real man, or did your mother’s coddling turn you into a pathetic whelp not deserving of our name?" He said with a shake of his head, before turning on his heels and striding out of the room, following after the rest of the congregation.

His assistant, Bai Yin, followed quickly after him. Her eyes lingered on the screen as she walked past it. A deep set scowl creased her face as she stared at the same woman that Percy had been staring at, before she hurried after the Monarch Patriarch.

Percy clenched his fists, tight enough to turn his knuckles white, before finally releasing them with a heavy, resigned sigh. He stepped forwards, a small trickle of blood dripping from his palm, as he stopped in front of the screen.

He touched his hand gently against the small projection of Valerie, standing tall in the bank, as a soft smile danced across his lips, before he exited the room for his big demonstration.

A few minutes later, Percy found himself standing on one end of a basketball court, while he faced down a fully armoured Enforcer who stood underneath the other basket. Of course, since it was the incredibly wealthy, this basketball court was not what you would find in any normal gym.

It was a private, full sized professional court with the rising seats that were filled with the rich and powerful ruling class. That alone gave it the feeling of an ancient Colosseum, to the point that the blood-sport about to be carried out felt like a little overkill.

Percy fidgeted with the sword in his hand. It was real steel, with the proper heft and balance of an instrument of death, with the sharpened edge to go with it. Although Death was unlikely, blood was clearly expected, it wouldn’t be a proper spectacle without it.

Unlike the man in front of him however, he wore no armour. Just the clothes that he had arrived him, which the Enforcer apparently found hilarious.

"I’m sorry we didn’t have a suit for you little boy. Maybe if you ask your daddy, he can buy one for you to play knight in.

Although, I’m sure you already do plenty of playing pretend at home in your little gamer hovel." He cackled, swinging his sword as if it compensated for the inadequacy of his other sword.

In the face of the, admittedly pathetic, mockery Percy simply sighed. He closed his eyes, centring himself like he often did before any competition. In the calm darkness of his mind, the face he had seen on that screen appeared in his mind, and a soft smirk played on his lips again.

He opened his eyes, his gaze steeling, as he quickly sunk into a well trained fighting posture. His feet wide apart and perpendicular, with his sword raised so it rested next to his head and pointed to his opponent.

"Don’t need one." He said calmly, as a set of golden armour made of pure Providence appeared around his body in a flash of light. It’s usually translucent colouration being replaced as his face, and the rest of his body, was hidden behind plates of solid gold.