The timer was showing the number 3.95, and Finn was grinning from ear to ear.
He wasn't stupid, so he noticed how the other bodyguards were stealing glances at Sophie. This made him even more competitive, and his result showed that he was actually the fastest runner.
The second-fastest runner had a time of 3.97 seconds, and Finn knew that he ended up in first place only because he received an upgraded body from the Second Life capsule, but it felt good to win, so he was extremely happy.
Instead of being angry at Finn for beating them, the bodyguards started cheering, and they all went to congratulate him.
They were all doing their best in front of the gorgeous girls, but it was a friendly competition, so when they realized that Finn was not only polite but also really fast, they started to respect him.
"Good job!"
"Nice! You ran really fast!"
"You can probably compete in the Olympics with that time!"
Finn was a little overwhelmed, but because everyone was older than him, he thanked them all and remained respectful.
David was also pleasantly surprised to see Finn's speed, but he didn't want the bodyguards to appear weak, so he went to give the dash a try too.
After preparing himself with a few stretches, he went towards the starting line.
The bodyguards all stepped aside, and together with Finn, they watched David run.
He dashed forward with incredible speed, and with only a few steps, he crossed the finish line.
Looking at the monitor that showed his time, he smirked.
"Three point eighty-five seconds. Not bad. But I can do better."
"…"
After seeing the time board above the finish line show 3.85, Finn quickly realized that there were always bigger fish in the sea, and his ego, which had grown after he found out he was the fastest, quickly shrank back down.
Jonathan, who was watching from the side, came to Finn and patted his shoulder.
"Great job! Don't worry about David. He used to be a special forces soldier, so you should be satisfied with beating my bodyguards."
"Thank you."
Finn was happy to hear that, but he still felt a little bitter about the fact that he wasn't first.
David then gathered all the bodyguards together and clapped his hands.
"Now we will do the second test, and it will test the stamina. Everyone will start running around the 400-meter track, but if you get lapped by anyone then you are out."
He explained the next test, and Finn thought about the best way he could survive.
Everyone would be running around the track, and they had to run fast enough to make sure nobody overtook them because that would mean elimination.
But they also had to run at a pace that wouldn't completely tire them out in a matter of minutes.
David then told Finn that he expected him to be in the top 10.
Finn wouldn't be punished for underperforming, and all Jonathan was doing was testing him, but he still planned to aim for the top.
Nobody needed a break after the short dash, and so they all went to the starting line. David also joined the test because he wanted to test his limits too.
BEEP
The signal to start sounded, and everyone started running.
There were 30 bodyguards, not counting David, so the track became a little crowded.
Everyone tried to keep a steady pace in the beginning, planning to save their strength, but Finn had a different plan in mind.
Now that he knew he was really fast compared to the others, he dashed forward, planning to overtake and eliminate as many bodyguards as possible.
"Not on my watch!"
David swiftly ran behind him, and the other bodyguards also started sprinting.
After running for a few minutes, Finn finally overtook the first person who had to unwillingly leave the track.
When the others saw how Finn was hunting them down, they grinned, and not wanting to lose to someone younger than them, they started running at full speed.
Everyone thought that Finn's stamina would deplete and he would have to slow down, but Finn's strength stat in the game, which also boosted stamina, was his highest, and he had this stat in real life too, so he kept his fast pace, trying his best to overtake the others.
---
This went on for another ten minutes, and because the bodyguards did their absolute best to stay in the race for as long as possible, they started to drop to the ground and vomit.
Finn passed another bodyguard, who was vomiting, and smiled.
When the others saw that Finn still had enough energy to smile, they started to lose hope.
But they then remembered that they were being watched by their young miss and mistress, so they clenched their teeth and pushed on.
"Bleurgh!"
After passing two vomiting bodyguards, Finn was finally starting to feel his stamina being depleted.
There were only four people left in the race.
Two bodyguards that were holding on for their dear life while looking like they were about to drop to their knees any second.
David, who had some sweat on his forehead, but he was still keeping up with Finn, and finally Finn, who knew that he would most likely be second again.
Running around the track, Finn saw one of the bodyguards finally drop, and the other one soon followed, happy that he made it into the top three.
The bodyguards that had already calmed down and were watching the ongoing race started to think that Finn was a monster.
They already knew that David was a monster, but Finn could somehow keep up with him, which made them respect him even more.
"Go Finn!"
"You can do this!"
"Just a little more! You are both tired!"
The bodyguards kept shouting because they had never seen their captain lose to someone, so they wanted him to finally taste defeat.
Unfortunately for them, after five more minutes, Finn had finally run out of juice after he had been sprinting and not saving his energy.
He dropped to the ground and held his stomach, doing his absolute best to not vomit out the apple that he had before he entered the helicopter.
Finn pushed his body to its limits, and he felt like his stomach was being ripped apart. His lungs were on fire, and his throat was as dry as a desert.
The bodyguards also quickly gathered around him again.
Some were handing him water, and others were handing him a rug to wipe his sweat on.
He might not have beaten their captain, but in their eyes, he had still done an incredibly good job.
Accepting the things they gave him, Finn drank some water and wiped his sweaty face.
He then got up and walked over to David, who looked like he could go for a few more laps.
David thought that the tests would be hard for Finn, but so far, he was destroying them.
"Let's all go back and take a shower to wash our sweat off. Once we are all back in our top shapes, we will continue the tests."
With that, all the bodyguards who had their clothes drenched in sweat walked back to the gym, where they had showers.
Finn looked at Sophie while walking back, and she just showed him a thumbs up before going back inside.
Happy that Sophie appreciated him doing his best, Finn walked with the other bodyguards to take a shower.
There were no female bodyguards. Finn was certain that even women could be very strong, so he assumed that Jonathan didn't hire female bodyguards because the male bodyguards would become distracted by them.
This meant that the changing rooms and showers were all shared, but Finn wasn't a shy kid that needed to hide anything, so he got naked with the boys and entered the shower to wash the sweat off.
Speaking to the bodyguards, Finn found out that they all used to be soldiers or war mercenaries who started working for Jonathan because the work had less danger and higher pay.
They also asked Finn why he was being treated so well by Jonathan, and he told them that he was dating Sophie.
Instead of being jealous and spiteful like high school girls, they congratulated Finn and also started to ask him for tips that could help them get more girls.
All of them were usually stuck in the mansion, so they couldn't really go outside clubbing, and when they finally had some free time, they usually spent that time with their parents or other family members, so there was no way for them to gather experience with dating.
"Hmm… It's all about charisma. Of course, you don't want to be overbearing and force yourself on her, but if you can lead the conversation, you can make her talk about anything."
'If they talk and do not stay silent most of the time, that is.'
Finn chuckled when he thought of Sophie.
"Also, you should learn to observe and listen. If she says she likes something, even if it is just a small thing, it can help you a lot because it will show her that you listen to her and that you care about her."
He wasn't a dating guru, but Finn had some experience with girls from his previous life, so he told the bodyguards some basic things that they all should know.
When he was finally done talking, a crowd had gathered around him, and all the bodyguards were listening to his tips. Some were even feeling regretful that they couldn't write it down.
Finn didn't enjoy being around buff, naked men, so he quickly dispersed the group and everyone went to the changing room to change into clean clothes.
David, who had his own private changing area, noticed that the other men were encircling Finn and interrogating him.
The bodyguards first liked Finn because he was respectful.
Then they started to admire him for his speed.
And now they viewed him as their teacher because tips from someone who had managed to date their emotionless young miss were very valuable.
"...Kuhm!"
David cleared his throat, and all the bodyguards saluted like trained soldiers. Well, they were trained soldiers.
Finn also stood straight, wanting to hear about the next test.
"The next test will test your strength. It will be a tug of war between two teams of sixteen people each. After one team wins, it will get split into two teams of eight and they will go against each other again. The winners will keep splitting until only one person remains standing."
David explained the next activity, and everyone looked at Finn.
They all wanted him in their team because he had shown them that he wasn't to be underestimated.
He was fast and had a lot of stamina, but that didn't mean he was strong. They didn't judge his strength without seeing it first, though, so they all wanted him on their team.
"Also, the teams will be randomized."
When the bodyguards heard that, they shook their heads because they knew that if Finn and David ended up together, they would easily defeat the other team.
"I have randomized the teams on my phone, and I will start with the first team. If you hear your name, then move to the right side of the room."
David looked at his phone and started calling out different names.
Suddenly, he said Finn's name, and the people on the right side shouted in joy.
"Let's go Finn!"
"With you, we are undefeatable!"
They were excited, but the people that weren't called yet became disappointed because they also wanted to be on Finn's team.
David then finished saying the names, and the people that weren't called breathed a sigh of relief that they would at least have David on their team, but he suddenly opened his mouth.
"Oh! I forgot I am also part of the team on the right."
"..."
Silence.
The team that remained standing in their spot knew what was coming, and they did not like it one bit.