Chapter 249
Chapter 249
The coach left feeling light-headed, still half-convinced he was in the middle of a surreal dream.
Could it really be that X had joined their EW Club team for an eSports competition?
It was like something out of a fantasy!
As the coach had anticipated, the officials were surprisingly lenient about their last-minute addition of a player.
They looked at the coach of EW Club with a mix of pity and sympathy. After all, the team had been through a rough patch, akin to a series of unfortunate events.
EW Club, having clinched the championship three times in a row, had become the rock stars of the eSports world, attracting a massive following-the crème de la crème of the gaming community.
The officials genuinely felt for them.
So, in a comforting tone, one official said, "Don't worry, every cloud has a silver lining. Be brave. Now, what's the ID of this new player you're adding?" The coach lifted his chin slightly, "X."
Official: "What?"
Having been in the industry for years, the official knew exactly who X was. At one point, they even suspected X might be an Al, given his dominance in the game. They'd even asked him for identification and had to nerf a character just because he was too good, disrupting the game's balance.
Back then, X was unyielding, refusing to provide identification and challenging any threats to ban his account. X was, without a doubt, a whale in the gaming world, causing the officials quite the headache since he wouldn't consider any form of collaboration.
But then X disappeared from the gaming scene, leaving the officials almost nostalgic for his presence.
And now, EW Club had managed to bring X back as a substitute player? Incredible!
The coach, chin now higher, confirmed, "Yes, you heard right. It's him. Hurry up and register him, we need to get ready for the match." "Oh, alright, alright."
As the match was about to start, the members of EW Club made their way to the stage.
On their way, Cordelia stopped reviewing her English vocabulary to focus on the team's strategy. They discussed their tactics as they walked, with Cordelia listening intently.
Everard, following behind her, suddenly took off her white baseball cap, letting her black hair, tied in a ponytail, cascade down her back. He then placed the cap on his own head.
Cordelia paused, turning to look at him.
Everard grinned, "Makes me look younger."
Cordelia: "..."
When the team reached the stage, there was a moment for greetings.NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.
CM was first up, and Wade, after talking tough, passed by EW Club and glanced at Everard, then chuckled loudly enough for EW Club to hear, "Is EW Club now picking their eSports players based on looks? Who's this new substitute I've never seen before? With looks like that, are you planning to make him a star? But remember, in the eSports world, looks won't attract the fan girls if there's no skill."
His words enraged the members of EW Club.
Wade smirked and walked away.
Due to their top lane player being unable to play and having a new substitute, expectations for EW Club were low. Thus, as they walked onto the stage, their fans were visibly anxious.
Cordelia glanced at the VIP section and saw Lorna waving glow sticks and greeting her. Cordelia smiled back, forgetting she was wearing a mask, rendering her smile unseen.
After bowing to the audience, the team took their seats at their stations.
Over at CM's area, Wade, with his headset on, remarked, "That new top laner, with a face like that, his skills must be lacking."
Someone agreed, "Yeah, and I heard he's not even a real substitute. They just pulled someone in last minute and had to register him with the officials."
"Hahaha, then this game's in the bag for us! We don't need to target anyone specifically, just break through their top lane!"
Wade smiled smugly, his eyes fixed on the trophy, "This year's championship is ours. No question."
They had put in so much effort for this moment. First, the car accident, and then EW Club managed to find an even stronger mage and marksman.
In their last scrimmage, they had almost beaten them.
Wade knew this championship
match would be tough. If they could compete based on skill, especially
with the opposing top laner and support in poor form, CM still had a
fighting chance.
But Wade didn't want to leave it to chance, so before the match, he made a risky move to ensure their top laner was out.
Now, with the top laner gone, victory seemed assured.
That is until the game loaded, and he saw the opposing top laner's name: X.
Wade's pupils dilated in shock, “What the hell?"
X, a player whose very presence in the game was like a shadow cast over the entire valley, was now EW Club's top laner? That incredibly handsome man was X?!
The rest of the team was equally stunned, their confidence waning at the thought of facing X.
Was this the X they had heard so much about?
Tension filled the air as they realized the gravity of their situation.
Without a doubt, the game was a disaster for CM.
Floyd couldn't hold the top lane against Everard, who dominated solo, even managing a triple kill against a gank!
Cordelia, focused on the mid lane, was bewildered by the kill feed. But in the final team fight, Everard charged into all five opponents.
Cordelia thought he was making a sacrifice and rushed in to maximize damage. She had calculated that with Everard's death, she could take down four members of the opposing team.
Everard, who had been planning a strategic retreat after his initial assault, paused, realizing that leaving now would mean allowing Cordelia to bear the brunt of the enemy's attack.
Hesitating for a moment, he decided to stay in the fray.
Everard was
the
first to fall, his
demise paving the way for the
remaining four adversaries to be swiftly dispatched by the young
prodigy of their team. The rest
Club rallied, taking down the final
EW
opponent in a heroic effort.
It was a bittersweet victory for EW Club, who had sacrificed their comrade Everard but managed to annihilate the opposing team in return.
With clear paths ahead, four of them moved to demolish the nexus, victory within their grasp.
Cordelia glanced back at Everard's fallen figure on the battleground. A wave of emotion halted her steps, and she circled his digital corpse twice, lost in thought.
She remembered Little Parrot mentioning that the game offered special effects for purchase.
With victory nearly secured and the task manageable by three, she decided to stand still. On the virtual battlefield, she spent real money to lay dozens of flowers by Everard's side.
The crowd was baffled.
Each flower cost three dollars, a
price she had balked at during a match with Sweetheart, refusing to spend a dime. Yet, for Everard, she now easily parted with over a hundred dollars in the blink of an eye.
If only the game allowed, she would have offered more!
Everard: ...
Undoubtedly, this match was a resounding win for EW Club!
Amidst the roaring cheers, the team made their way backstage to freshen up before the award ceremony.
While they were at it, Floyd, the team captain, stepped out for an interview.
Whatever he said sparked an uproar, turning the venue into a frenzy of noise and confusion.
Cordelia and Yates exchanged a glance, their curiosity piqued. They hurried to the front, only to find...