Translator: Nomyummi Editor: Nomyummi
Abandoned Capital in the Heavens.
When the audience saw the information about the final team battle map, Happy and Samsara got the information at the same time in their respective prep rooms.
The digital display screen, the holographic projection, the televised broadcast, and the small screens in the two teams’ prep rooms, they all simultaneously presented an overview of this map.
Everyone was shocked!
In the holographic projection, what appeared onstage was a circular island peacefully floating in midair, bathed in starlight.
The pro players immediately began discussing what they saw.
“Insta-kill map?”
This was the first thing they thought.
A so-called insta-kill map referred to a map that had areas where a character’s health would instantly drop to zero. In the “Inevitable Confrontation” map of the group arena just earlier, both ends of the map had had an “intruders die” area, which made it seem like an insta-kill map. However, because those “intruders die” areas didn’t directly kill the characters, but rather relied on the NPCs attacking them, this meant that the players could still defend themselves. Therefore, “Inevitable Confrontation” couldn’t be considered an insta-kill map.
On the other hand, this Abandoned Capital in the Heavens map was floating in the air. If a character reached the edge of this map, they would fall off. This could be an insta-kill mechanism.
The final battle would take place on an insta-kill map?
The pro players all discussed amongst themselves.
The more important a match, the more a team would tend to be conservative and cautious. Unexpected things tended to happen on insta-kill maps, so if a team had the choice, they would tend not to select an insta-kill map for an important match. Everyone hoped to achieve victory through their own strength and hard work, rather than be suppressed by this kind of unexpectedness.
Yet now, the final battle of the playoffs was taking place on an insta-kill map?
Just as everyone was talking about this, they suddenly saw a veil of light expanding above the island, eventually enveloping the entire map. Next, a simple explanation appeared, and the first sentence ended the pro players’ discussion.
This was not an insta-kill map. The shroud of light would protect characters from falling off of the island.
The pro players instantly starting booing.
Couldn’t have said that earlier! Made everyone discuss for nothing.
The camera zoomed in, beginning to display the features of this map.
A bleak and desolate expanse of ruins appeared before everyone’s eyes. Two structures that looked like Aztec pyramids were the most preserved features of these ruins. A quiet river flowed behind the two structures, and on the other side was a tranquil stretch of forest. Bathed in starlight, the tree trunks, leaves, the shades of gray all seemed to be tinted a faint blue.
In front of the two structures, trees were also growing out of the city ruins, quietly erasing the remnants of this ancient city.
As the various pro players saw this map, they automatically began drawing up strategies and how they would play, based on their team’s style and class roster. And Happy and Samsara, after seeing this map, began to formally decide their roster for the team battle.
The atmosphere in Samsara’s prep room had been oppressive this whole time. After being overtaken by the opponent performing that kind of 1v3, their morale would take a blow, no matter how strong or solid their confidence was. Right now, everyone was fairly depressed.
At times like these, someone needed to say something. But Samsara’s captain was Zhou Zekai, who’d had a flawless performance in the group arena. Forcing him to say something now would just be too hard on him.
Vice-captain Jiang Botao was usually the one who led the motivational words and such before a match, but in the group arena just now, he had been the anchor who was unable to stop Tang Rou from playing a 1v3 and completing Happy’s comeback. He was part of the reason for damaging Samsara’s morale, so if he said something now, the effect probably wouldn’t be very good. Jiang Botao clearly understood this point, and so he didn’t say anything either.
So, when they returned to their prep room, the first to open their mouth was actually Sun Xiang.
“Everyone, get your spirits up! It’s only one point, all we need to do is win it back in the team competition,” Sun Xiang said.
These were the words, this was the logic, everyone nodded after hearing it, but after that… there was no after that.
Everyone heard Sun Xiang’s words, and they tried to snap out of it, but ultimately this depression in their hearts couldn’t be dispelled.
At that moment, the map that they would be using for the team competition was announced.
“Let’s look at the map first,” Fang Minghua said.
The prep room quieted down. Everyone watched the map introduction.
Very soon, the introduction finished.
Abandoned Capital in the Heavens, it floated in midair, very close to the stars, but the contents of this map weren’t especially new or unique. It was just another environment that they weren’t too familiar with.
But faced with this unfamiliar environment, they still needed some strategy and planning. Before that, they needed to decide on their roster, so that their plans could be specific.
Everyone realized what was about to happen next. Samsara’s reserve players, even though they knew that it was extremely unlikely that they would be appearing in this finals match, still couldn’t help but hold a sliver of hope in their hearts.
Who would be fighting in the final match?
Fang Minghua finally spoke once again: “Boyuan, your condition today isn’t too good.”
Lu Boyuan was startled.
He knew what Fang Minghua meant by these words, and he was saddened. Of course, he didn’t want to lose the chance to appear in the final battle, but he knew that Fang Minghua spoke the truth. Last match he hadn’t been in good condition, and during the two days’ rest he was in deep sorrow as he made up his mind to play well today. Yet, it hadn’t played out the way he’d hoped.
The team hadn’t immediately given up on him when they’d seen his subpar condition. They gave him time to adjust. But now, in the team battle that would determine the final victory, this truly wasn’t the time to place a bet on whether he could settle back into his normal condition.
“Yes…” Lu Boyuan was saddened, but he wasn’t surprised. He couldn’t let his subpar condition continue to drag down the team. He accepted Fang Minghua’s judgment, and he would respect the decision that was coming.
Fang Minghua discussed with Zhou Zekai and Jiang Botao for a few moments, and finally this decision was announced.
“Then, Boyuan, you can take a break during the team battle!” Ultimately, it was Jiang Botao, as vice-captain, who made the announcement.
“Understood.” Lu Boyuan nodded. He was unhappy, but the team’s victory was the most important. Individual feelings had to be set aside for now.
“Team competition, Wu Qi, you’ll replace Boyuan in the starting lineup,” Jiang Botao announced.
“Alright.” Wu Qi nodded.
Before Sun Xiang had joined, Lu Boyuan, Wu Qi, and Du Ming were all part of Samsara’s main roster. After Sun Xiang had joined and firmly taken up one spot, there were only two spots left for the three of them.
Lu Boyuan was an All-Star, somewhat more famous than the other two, so his spot was naturally a bit more stable. Thus, Wu Qi and Du Ming entered into rotation.
Last match, Wu Qi hadn’t played. This time, now that Lu Boyuan’s condition wasn’t good, this player who’d also been a main part of their consecutive championship roster finally had the chance to play in the final battle. Even though his popularity was a bit lower than Lu Boyuan’s, within the team, everyone had the same trust in him as they did for every other player.
“Play well!” Lu Boyuan was the first to go up, patting Wu Qi’s arm.
“I will.” Wu Qi nodded. He didn’t seem very outwardly excited.
At this moment, Du Ming’s heart was beating very rapidly.
Wu Qi’s spot was confirmed, and Zhou Zekai, Jiang Botao, Sun Xiang, Fang Minghua, the spots of these four players were very set. Then for the final spot, would he be playing?
Even though Du Ming frequently appeared in the starting roster, his position wasn’t stable. Even Lu Boyuan had been switched off, which instantly caused him to worry. After all, he had been 1v3’d in the group arena…
“Du Ming.”
But just as he was worrying, he suddenly heard his name called. Du Ming immediately stood up.
“Team competition, you’ll be sixth player.”
“Ah? Oh!” Du Ming was overjoyed. But he was considerate of Lu Boyuan, who’d just been switched off, so all he did was quietly clench his fist.
After that, it was basically a formality to announce Zhou Zekai, Jiang Botao, Sun Xiang, and Fang Minghua. No one would think that these players would sit on the bench for such a critical match, unless they were in really bad condition.
“Then, let us six players chase that one point!” Fang Minghua said, after the roster was finalized.
No fierce speeches, no light humor. But in the very normal process of studying the map and deciding the roster, the mood of the Samsara players gradually returned to normal. When the roster was finalized and they announced they were going to win this point, everyone’s spirits were jolted.
For the championship. Everyone was very clear on what they’d been chasing all this time.
Did it need to be said?
No.
All they needed was to walk onstage, and win.
They’d done this kind of thing once, twice, three times, many many times. In these past three years, they were the team that best understood how to win.
“Let’s go!” In the end, the silent captain Zhou Zekai only said these two words. In this aspect, he really couldn’t be considered a satisfactory captain. But after saying these two words, he walked at the very front, leading all of Samsara’s players, those who would be playing and those who wouldn’t be. Together, they walked that player passageway that was neither long nor short, returning to the main stadium area.
Booing?
There was no more booing.
The booing had been to express their dissatisfaction with their earlier condition. And now, as Samsara walked toward the moments that would decide their final victory, what they needed was encouragement, and so what the fans gave them was encouragement.
Applause and cheers greeted Team Samsara’s players.
And not long after them, Happy’s players also returned to the main stadium area.
It wouldn’t be long until the final team battle began. Everyone was paying attention to the player areas, guessing at the team rosters.
The judge appeared, and called for the two teams’ players. In each of the two player areas, six players stood up.
Samsara: Zhou Zekai, Jiang Botao, Sun Xiang, Wu Qi, Du Ming, Fang Minghua.
Applause. No matter who from Samsara was playing, the Samsara fans in the audience would give nothing but support and well-wishes.
And Happy? They also already had six people walking toward the stage.
Ye Xiu, Su Mucheng, Tang Rou, Qiao Yifan, Bao Rongxing, An Wenyi.
