The King's Avatar

When Samsara’s six players went onstage, everyone instantly noticed that their roster lacked Lu Boyuan, but no one was too surprised. After all, everyone had seen that he wasn’t doing too well, and so it wasn’t unexpected that he would remain sitting in the player area.

But on Happy’s side, when the six players came out without Fang Rui, everyone was shocked. Even Samsara’s fans were confused as to why Happy didn’t send Fang Rui up.

After all, in recent matches, Fang Rui’s performance had been too eye-catching. Last match, MVP, just that was enough to prove this. And today, in the group arena, even though Tang Rou had been the one to complete the comeback with her 1v3, the sound of comeback had begun with Fang Rui.

Who had been the one to ultimately take down Zhou Zekai, who’d just completed a 1v3 and whose character was still at 45%? Fang Rui!

And who had been the one to knock away most of Chaotic Cloudy Mountain’s health? Also Fang Rui.

Such an outstanding performance, yet he wasn’t playing in the final battle?

Discussion began in the audience, and those who paid attention to news after matches immediately remembered the press conference of last match. They’d asked about Fang Rui, and Ye Xiu had indeed said, Fang Rui had worn himself out, and it was uncertain if he’d be able to play in the final match.

Most people had treated this as a misleading smoke bomb. Especially when Fang Rui did finally appear in the group arena, many people who remembered this started discussing it again.

But now, Fang Rui was still sitting in the player area. As Happy’s players began their final sprint toward the championship, this player on their team with the highest salary and the strongest character was watching from the sidelines.

Watching the backs of those six as they walked onstage, Fang Rui was also saddened. But he knew clearly that now wasn’t the time to challenge his own spirit and stamina. He would be better off trusting his own teammates. Happy’s players were all outstanding. Who said that they couldn’t do this without him?

“This excellent chance to shine, I leave it to you youngsters!” After returning to the prep room, this was what Fang Rui grandly announced.

He couldn’t see it himself, but from the worry revealed in the eyes of his teammates that couldn’t lie, he knew that he couldn’t hide his condition from them anymore.

“Great, leave it to me!” Steamed Bun said enthusiastically.

Fang Rui was gratified. If everyone could be like Steamed Bun, he thought, this would certainly be a very sweet world.

“Senior, you’ve worked hard.” Qiao Yifan was always rather sincere. He clearly understood the reality of the situation.

Fang Rui patted Qiao Yifan, and his attitude was also very sincere. “Without me, you guys will be the ones working very hard.”

Everyone laughed. But after laughing, they felt that these words, although shameless, were true. Fang Rui’s strength, Boundless Sea’s strength, were stronger than the new players and new accounts of Happy. Without him, the rest of them really would have to work very hard.

“Then we’ll work harder.” Ye Xiu nodded, and began listing names. “Team battle, me, Mucheng, Qiao Yifan, An Wenyi…”

He named four first, and those who’d been named all nodded.

Ye Xiu’s gaze turned to Tang Rou. “Tired after that 1v3?”

“I’m still sunk in regret!” Tang Rou said.

Yes, regret! Those words that Tang Rou had said after that 1v3, almost everyone thought that it was mockery, but in reality, it really was regret, pure and simple. She felt that she could still challenge more players, but unfortunately, because of the match format, there’d been none left for her to fight.

“Alright, you’re about to have five – no, six more opponents,” Ye Xiu said. “Team battle, we five will start, and then, sixth player…”

His gaze swept over. Luo Ji’s heart rate quickened, and it became difficult for him to breathe. Will it be me? The finals? Final battle? Me? I’m nervous! But, I’m excited…

These imaginings were suddenly shoved into the wall by Steamed Bun.

“Move aside, this sort of thing should obviously be left to the eldest brother!” Steamed Bun said.

“Mm, sixth player will be Steamed Bun!” Ye Xiu announced, and then he quickly explained to Luo Ji, “But it’s not because you can’t beat him!”

“I understand…” Luo Ji nodded. And standing in the corner, Mo Fan, who always had an emotionless expression, now showed a flicker of disappointment across his face. But he didn’t step forward to try and argue anything, and only squeezed his hands into fists.

Ye Xiu saw it, and he knew that Mo Fan was very dissatisfied. Of the five people who’d appeared in the group arena, he was the only one who’d accomplished nothing, all because he didn’t know the design of the map and accidentally triggered the ambushing troops. In the end, no matter how hard he tried, he’d still lost completely.

Mo Fan wasn’t in poor condition. If not for that accident, no one knew how that battle would have played out.

But in the end, Ye Xiu still chose not to have Mo Fan appear in the team battle.

Mo Fan didn’t say anything, but Ye Xiu still gave him an explanation. What he said was simply what he’d told him long before, a sentence that was very simple and very ordinary: “For now, you’re still not used to playing in the team battle.”

Mo Fan’s face was still expressionless, like every time Ye Xiu said anything to him. But this time, his fists, which were already clenched, tightened further.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t played in a team battle before. During the regular season, Ye Xiu would still sometimes put him into the team battle. But unfortunately, after this season, although Mo Fan had made breakthroughs in his individual technique, he was still lacking when it came to playing in a team. Perhaps it was because of his natural personality, but even though he understood that team battles required teammates to coordinate, his performance was still extremely mechanical and clumsy.

Not used to it, not suitable for it…

Other people could see it, and Mo Fan himself could feel it even more clearly. Ye Xiu only repeated this point, but it was convincing enough, because that was just the reason.

And then, Wei Chen.

For him, Ye Xiu also had an explanation, but it was only two words.

“You understand,” Ye Xiu said.

“You bastard, don’t you dare lose!” Wei Chen slapped Ye Xiu.

“Every season you were here, I was the champion,” Ye Xiu said.

“Fuck!” Wei Chen’s expression darkened, but it was the truth. During those two seasons, he and Ye Xiu had still been enemies.

“So this time, it should be the same,” Ye Xiu said.

“As long as we win, I’ll be your mascot,” Wei Chen said vehemently.

“Mascot…” Everyone stared at Wei Chen.

“How disgusting, just give me a cigarette!” Ye Xiu said decisively.

Let’s go, the final battle!

Happy walked out of the prep room. And now, Ye Xiu was walking with five others onto this ultimate battlefield.

Once again, standing in this moment.

Ye Xiu felt it was very familiar, and yet at the same time, not.

Cheers, shouts, applause, it was all for the title that was about to be claimed.

Who will be the champions?

“We will!” Samsara’s six players said.

“We will!” Happy’s six players also said.

The battle began.