Supremacy Games Chapter 4: The Three Choices

Upon finally making it to the ground floor of the hotel, Felix—who had intended to go for a lengthy stroll along the seashore—collapsed onto a sofa near the reception desk, gasping for air like a dog.

'If descending the stairs left me in this state, what would have happened if I tried to climb them?'

As he visualized that grim scenario, his eyelid began to twitch at the unpleasant thought. He shifted his gaze toward the receptionist, Leila, who was engrossed in her phone while casually snapping her chewing gum.

"Leila, you had better pressure the maintenance crew to repair that elevator immediately. If it isn't fixed by the time I return from my walk, I swear to God I’ll make you carry me up those stairs on your back. Am I clear?"

Disturbed during her peaceful gaming session, Leila heard Felix’s threat and accidentally popped a bubble over her face, her cheeks flushing red.

"Ye—yes, Young Master! If the elevator is still broken when you get back, don't just talk about riding me up the stairs—I’ll let you ride me whenever you please!"

The words had barely left her mouth before Leila felt a wave of regret. She wasn't thinking straight, having harbored a long-standing crush on Felix. Honestly, her attraction was understandable. Despite being a lazy brat, he was undeniably handsome, wealthy, and the heir to a massive business empire.

'What have I done? He must think I’m some kind of easy girl now,' she thought, her eyes nearly welling with tears.

"Do you really think I’m so desperate that I’d force myself on you?" Felix tossed his head back and pushed himself off the couch with considerable effort. He then began hobbling toward the wide-open main entrance.

"Just make sure the elevator gets fixed. I'll be back in four hours."

'Even when I practically threw myself at him, he didn't bite.' Leila watched his retreating back and let out a dejected sigh.

"Well, at least there’s still a chance he’ll have to ride on my back if the repairs fail," she whispered to herself, her face still burning.

However, she quickly snapped out of her daydreaming when she realized the reality of the situation. It wasn't worth the fantasy.

In truth, she could barely manage those stairs on her own, let alone while lugging Felix’s weight. It might feel pleasant for the first few minutes, but after that, it would be nothing but pure agony.

Wasting no more time, Leila picked up her phone to contact the technician. "Hello, Mr. Kled? Can you give me an estimate on how long the elevator repairs will take?"

"Eight hours, Miss Leila," a gravelly voice replied from the other end. "And that’s only because it’s me. Anyone else would need at least sixteen."

Leila’s heart sank at his words. "Listen, I need it operational in four hours. I don't care what methods you use. It must be working by the time the Young Master returns."

"If you pull this off, you’ll be rewarded by Young Master Felix himself. You know how lavish he is with his tips."

Leila felt zero guilt about making promises she couldn't personally keep; her own survival was on the line here.

"Challenge accepted then. I'll have it fixed within four hours, I promise. Just be sure to put in a good word for me when you see the Young Master," Kled answered, his voice now filled with enthusiasm.

Relieved, Leila replied reassuringly, "Don't you worry; the Young Master won't treat you poorly."

"Thank you, Miss Leila. Goodbye, I have to get my tools ready."

"Goodbye." She hung up and began peeling the gum off her face while checking her reflection in a small hand mirror.

.....

On a hill overlooking the beach.

Felix stood at the summit, staring down at the entire resort hotel with eyes full of contempt. He wondered which idiot in his family had decided to sink money into such a moronic project.

After all, who in their right mind thought it was a viable business move to build a hotel on a deserted island in the middle of the North Pacific? The nearest landmass was America, and that was a staggering 3,000 kilometers away.

Who would pay to come here when the only selling points were fresh air and clean water—things one could easily find in Hawaii or other famous destinations?

The island possessed nothing unique to lure in tourists. Consequently, the resort had been left to rot for over fifteen years, ignored by the family since its inception.

It was no mystery why not a single junior member of the family had chosen this location for their revival mission. They all understood that success was impossible with the measly 30-million-dollar budget provided as starting capital.

That amount wasn't even enough to renovate the hotel, let alone the airport, the hospital, the seaport, and other vital infrastructure that didn't even exist on the island yet.

To make matters worse, Felix was forbidden from taking out loans or seeking outside help.

Given these hurdles, the hotel was essentially a dead asset that no one could possibly save.

However, Felix’s look of scorn soon shifted into one of appreciation. A cunning strategy had begun to form in his mind the moment he witnessed the hotel's dilapidated state.

It was a plan that could turn the impossible into a reality if he managed to execute it perfectly. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pen and a small notebook, beginning to jot down the steps with a calm hand.

'The gears will start turning once the Supremacy Games Invitation arrives fifteen days from now.'

He stopped writing for a moment, searching through his memories to recall exactly what had happened during that fateful time.

....

The date was June 15, 2024. 8:00 PM.

The Earth continued its orbit around the sun, the moon circled the planet as it always had, and humanity lived on the surface with their usual arrogance.

They viewed themselves as superior beings, masters over the animals and the very Earth that provided them with food and shelter.

They took pride in the belief that they were the only intelligent life in the cosmos, simply because they hadn't stumbled upon any other beings outside their own solar system.

But those delusions were shattered in an instant when a voice echoed within the consciousness of every living creature.

No one was exempt—from the beasts of the field and the fish of the sea to the birds in the sky and, finally, humanity itself.

The moment that Decree vibrated in their minds, the entire world seemed to stand still. Every person froze, regardless of what they were doing—whether they were sleeping, in the middle of an intimate moment, driving, posting to social media, or reading.

The Decree bypassed all physical barriers to penetrate their minds, a calm voice speaking directly into their souls.

"Greetings, Primitive Earthlings. We are the scouting and colonization team of the Alexander Kingdom, a realm spanning ten districts and thousands of solar systems. We happened upon your planet by accident due to a minor glitch in our Interstellar Coordinator."

"Now that introductions are out of the way, let us move to the matter at hand. In accordance with the Supremacy Games Alliance treaty, specifically Rule 12 of the SGA charter, we are required to present you with the three paths you may now take.

The first option is to surrender to the Alexander Kingdom and pledge your eternal fealty to our royal bloodline, which will ensure your protection from other predatory forces.

The second option is to refuse, in which case you will be invaded and stripped of your resources by our scouting fleet. Given your primitive technological state, our AI has calculated your probability of success at 0.00000000000...1%. The only way you could even achieve a stalemate is if your sun were to go supernova, destroying us both simultaneously.

The final option is to join the Supremacy Games Alliance. This path guarantees your survival so long as you do not violate its statutes. Details regarding this third choice can only be provided in person."

"You have seven days to designate a representative for your planet to deliver your final answer. Our temporary base is located in the center of Antarctica; the coordinates are 76.299965, -148.003021."

"We look forward to a favorable response. This mental transmission will now conclude."

As soon as the message ended, the world fell into a stunned silence. A whirlwind of emotions took hold: shock, bewilderment, denial, and finally, a paralyzing fear that sent shivers down every spine.

They couldn't grasp what they had just heard, nor did they want to believe it was real.

Every human being—whether man or woman, young or old, world leader or homeless—was forced to face a terrifying truth.

The realization that their entire race, despite their "advanced" technology, was viewed as nothing more than primitives by these aliens made them see the truth: they were merely frogs at the bottom of a well. They had been staring at a tiny patch of sky through a hole, completely oblivious to the vastness of the universe beyond.

June 15, 2024, 8:00 PM.

That moment signaled the start of a long and dark era known as...

The Great Chaos.