Lin Feng was spot on. This really wasn’t good for Tian Tian. After Tian Tian’s Gnar got caught mid hop by Demon’s Darius, there was no more escaping. He tried to run away, but the Darius attacked his crucial artery–Crippling Strike! The Gnar started bleeding. His movement speed dropped. The Darius attacked him with another auto attack, while the Lee Sin projected a discordant wave of sound–Sonic Wave! It hit the Gnar. The Blind Monk knew where his target was and dashed towards the Gnar–Resonating Strike! He followed up with an auto attack, applying the slow from the Red Buff on the Gnar.

Between the Darius and Lee Sin, there was nothing Tian Tian could do to escape with his Gnar. Even if he flashed away, it wouldn’t matter. He was too far away from his own outer tower. They would just run him down and kill him before he could reach it. He had overextended and he would pay for it. The small yordle collapsed dead on the ground.

《First blood!》

The European crowd in the Wembley Arena went wild! Their Legend had secured first blood! Their team was pulling ahead in the first game of Worlds! They chugged their beers, then hugged the friends and strangers around them, jumping up and down while screaming at the top of their lungs, “KING DEMON! KING DEMON! KING DEMON!”

The four large screens above the center stage at the Wembley Arena showed the player cams for KG and zoomed in on Tian Tian. His face was pale. Beads of sweat stood on his forehead and dripped down his face. He looked at his screen, biting his lips to force back the tears. But he fooled no one. Everyone could see his watery eyes.

Qinghe watched this all happen from behind the caster desk for the official Chinese stream. He shook his head, disappointed. “Ah, he misplayed that. He shouldn’t have died there.”

Stone looked at Qinghe and said, “Uh, no? What are you on about? You can’t call that a misplay. There was nothing Tian Tian could’ve done. This was a perfect play from Demon! Did you see how he flash-pulled the Gnar out of his hop? That was brilliant!”

✹

In a private booth in the NetCow Cafe, Lin Feng and the others had also just watched the Gnar die. They’d watched God Roundy give away first blood. This wasn’t what they were hoping to see. This was a worst case scenario! They hoped to see God Roundy show Demon who the better Toplaner was. But now Darius had the bonus gold from first blood. It would be incredibly difficult for God Roundy to get back into this lane.

“NOO! WHY GOD ROUNDY?” Ouyang screamed. “Why would you give away first blood, bro? You totally had this! Why did you have to get cocky and overextend?”

Yang Fan adjusted his glasses. “Yeah, that was a misplay. I agree with Qinghe. If he had first flashed away before using Hop, he would’ve survived. He can only blame himself for this one.”

Lin Feng listened to his friends discussing the play, his eyes on the stream that still showed a close up of Fatty. This wasn’t a misplay, Fatty. There was nothing you could’ve done about it. Please don’t let it eat you up! He felt a twang in his heart as the stream forced him to look at the pain in his old friend’s face. This isn’t your fault! You can still win this lane! Trust in yourself! He knew that the Seven Kings and Four Emperors were only a title. There were many other really good players. Demon was one of them. His reflexes were some of the best in the game! There was no way Tian Tian could’ve seen this Flash-engage from the Darius coming. That was why Lin Feng felt it wasn’t his old friend’s fault that he gave away first blood. Everyone in that exact situation would’ve died. Everyone!

The stream went back to the game. It showed an exchange in mid lane. But Lin Feng cared little for this. It was a Lulu versus LeBlanc lane. One would defend and the other attack. Neither could pose much of a threat to the other, granted both sides played it correctly. He looked at the minimap in the bottom right corner of the screen. The Gnar had respawned in the fountain and was walking back to lane. You can do this Fatty! This isn’t lost! The Darius only has a small advantage. You can turn it around! He balled his fist. Show everyone what you’re made of!

✹

At 5:40 minutes into the game, while Tian Tian was trying his best to farm his minions and catch back up to the Darius, his Jungler Rek’Sai went to gank top lane. There’d been a laneswap in this game. The bottom lane duo of both teams were playing in top lane. Tristana and Nami on KG and Jinx and Thresh on Legend. Rek’Sai roamed up the river, unnoticed.

The Rek’Sai burrowed into the ground. Her range of vision decreased but her movement speed increased. She passed over a ward as she moved into top lane. The Jinx and Thresh tried to run away when they saw the Rek’Sai, but they were too late. The Rek’Sai was already in lane. She flashed forward, closing the distance with the Jinx, and unburrowed from the ground, knocking her up!

KG’s bot duo knew Rek’Sai was coming beforehand, so they were ready to follow up. Nami threw down an Aqua Prison on the airborne Jinx. Tristana Rocket Jumped forward and started auto attacking the Jinx. Her damage was still low in the early game, but it was more than enough to get a kill in a three versus one.

Legend’s Thresh flashed away towards his outer tower. He threw his lantern back on top of his ally Jinx–Dark Passage! It gave her a shield and she could click it to be whisked away to the Thresh. The Jinx broke free from the Aqua Prison and touched the lantern. The Tristana simply didn’t deal enough damage to burst her down, so she escaped. Then the Thresh threw out his scythe and hooked the Rek’Sai–Death Sentence!

The Thresh pulled the Rek’Sai into range of Legend’s outer tower. He followed up by flaying her deeper into tower range, while the Jinx threw down three snare grenades on the ground–Flame Chompers! They exploded on the Rek’Sai, rooting her under the outer tower.

The Rek’Sai took an energy shot from the tower and lost three quarters of her health before the stun broke and she could escape. But while she was running down the top lane towards the KG’s side of the map, Legend’s Jungler, Lee Sin, came walking up the river. It was perfect timing. The Rek’Sai had no chance to escape, while the Tristana and Nami were forced to flash away and only barely made it out alive. This game was quickly going from bad to worse for KG. Legend was picking up advantages everywhere!

✹

“NO! How is this possible? This can’t be! We were supposed to win this game! Prophet Stone cursed Legend! This is impossible!” Ouyang cried. “Did the prophet lose his power?”

Liu Yue couldn’t believe it either. “Now we’re losing at top too? What are we going to do? How are we going to win this game? Tell me! How?”

“Damn!” Ren Rou cursed. “We’re already down two kills and the game has barely started! This is terrible! If they don’t watch out, this is going to become a stomp!”

Lin Feng didn’t join the discussion with his friends. He sat a little to the back. Just far enough away that his friends wouldn’t bother him, but not so far away that he looked like he wanted to leave. He watched the stream. There was a large minion wave building up at bot lane. A lot of gold and experience for Fatty. Come on Fatty. That’s a big minion wave! When you get them, you should be back in the lane!

Unfortunately for Tian Tian, he wasn’t allowed to take these minions. He got an order from his team. They would be swapping bot and top lane. He was to immediately recall back to base and go to top lane. The minion wave was running right at him. But an order was an order. He hit the B key as blue circles appeared around his Gnar. After recalling back to the fountain, he walked up to top lane, only to find the minion wave frozen just outside of the Red team’s outer tower. It was a one versus two. He couldn’t even get near the minions, let alone last hit them.

Lin Feng watched all of this happen on the stream. He bit his lips. There were many things he wanted to say about this move by KG. But he didn’t. He kept his mouth shut.

At 7 minutes into the game, the minion wave in top lane started pushing towards KG’s tower. Tian Tian would finally be able to get a few last hits on minions again! But Legend wasn’t about to let this happen. Their Jungler and Midlaner had planned for this. The minions pushed into the tower. The Gnar started attacking the minions. His Rage built up until he transformed into Mega Gnar!

Legend’s Midlaner and Jungler knew where KG had placed wards and snuck around them towards top lane. Into KG’s jungle and into a brush just behind the outer tower. Tian Tian farmed the minions while the bot lane duo he was up against kept their distance. Then his Gnar returned to his normal size. It was the moment Legend had been waiting for. The four players towerdived the Gnar and killed him. It was a worst case scenario. Not only did Tian Tian give away another kill, it was Phoenix’s LeBlanc who picked it up!

If giving away first blood wasn’t bad enough already, now Tian Tian was also feeding the LeBlanc! The Chinese fans couldn’t believe what they were seeing! They instantly took to the stream chat to flame.

「the hell is god roundy doing!?!?!??!?!」
「he’s terrible……….」
「INTING?!?!?!!?」
「Did he forget how to play or something? WTF are these plays???? Can the idiot not ward???」
「uch… I told you guys KG needed a new toplaner. One that’s actually a little good……」
「last pro game for the fatso????」

Ouyang and the others shared the sentiment of the stream chat. God Roundy looked useless on his Gnar! He was behind in levels and kept giving away kills! Lin Feng listened to this, but didn’t say a word. He knew how unfair this was. His friends were completely wrong! All the people watching the stream were also wrong! This wasn’t on Fatty one bit! This was on the whole team! He bit his lips and clenched his fists harder, his nails digging into his skin.

✹

Legend’s bot duo recalled back to base after picking up the kill on Roundy’s Gnar. Then they went to bot lane, switching lanes with the Darius. Two minutes later, at 9 minutes into the game, a fight broke out in bot lane. The Thresh landed a hook on the Tristana. He pulled her back towards him and right into the three snare grenades the Jinx had placed on the ground. The Chompers exploded, rooting Tristana! The Jinx switched to her minigun and started attacking, while the Thresh walked up to the Tristana.

The Tristana player was smashing on his W key. His Flash was on cooldown and his only other escape ability was Rocket Jump. It felt like the root would never break! His Tristana’s health was already down by half! Then the root finally broke. Rocket Jump activated. The Tristana aimed her cannon at the ground and fired!

The Thresh player had kept his Flay for this moment. He pressed on his E key. Thresh swept his chain and knocked the Tristana down to the ground mid-jump. The Jinx followed up with a Zap! A shot with her shock pistol that slowed the Tristana. Then she continued auto attacking before firing off her Super Mega Death Rocket!

《Red team has slain an enemy!》

The Chinese fans were starting to get really anxious. Bot lane didn’t get ganked. This was a clean outplay by Legend! At the professional level, dying to the lane opponent in bot lane was the same as giving away a solo kill! It really shouldn’t happen. The Tristana really shouldn’t have been caught out like this. This game started to look worse and worse.

The three Chinese casters tried to paint a positive picture. They forced smiles on their faces as they discussed how it would be an uphill battle for KG. Their main point of conversation was that the game wasn’t lost yet. There would still be plenty of opportunities to mount a comeback. All KG had to do was play it safe and wait for their chances. The only thing they had to make sure was that they stopped giving away kills to Legend. If they didn’t, they might as well surrender.

Legend took the first dragon after getting the kill on the Tristana. KG was in no position to contest it. They were lacking wards and without Tristana they had no damage. Their entire team was built around the Tristana. They were helpless without her.

KG managed to survive the next few minutes without giving away any more kills, but they were falling further and further behind. Then, at the 14 minute mark, KG gave away another solo kill. It was Tian Tian again. He’d been hiding under his outer tower in top lane. But he wasn’t even safe there. The Darius had built up such a large advantage that he could easily towerdive. Tian Tian was forced to run away, all the way back to his inner tower. That still wasn’t enough. The Darius chased after him and came down on Tian Tian with his axe–Noxian Guillotine! Tian Tian’s Gnar had only a little bit of health remaining, which disappeared after taking several more ticks of bleed damage.

The Chinese fans understood from the start that KG wouldn’t necessarily win the game. Legend was a strong opponent. But that didn’t mean they would accept watching their team make stupid mistakes! They wouldn’t sit quietly when someone as great as God Roundy was giving away solo kills left and right!

「hes lost it. EZ GG」
「I hope they boot roundy from the team after this game!」
「^ that…」
「They would probably have a better chance if they kick Roundy right now and play 4v5」

✹

In the private booth in the NetCow Cafe, a dark cloud rumbled above Lin Feng’s head. He was furious! Angry and frustrated on behalf of his old teammate! These so-called fans were blaming the wrong person! This wasn’t Fatty’s fault! There was nothing he could’ve done! His team had sacrificed him! How is this not obvious to everyone? Are they stupid? And now Fatty was paying the price for it! Judging from the camera pointed at his face, he was having a panic attack and tilting!

Professional League of Legends players rarely tilted. They had been trained to stay calm and collected in high pressure situations even when things weren’t going their way. Even when things were going downright terrible! Because if they let a single setback affect them, it would affect the entire team. It meant the difference between winning and losing a game. But because they were so good at bottling up their emotions during a game, when the bottle did end up breaking, it would be disastrous.

The pressure on the professional players was immense. It sometimes felt like they had to bear the entire weight of the world on their shoulders. This was all the more obvious during the biggest event of the year. Worlds! In this event, KG had to play against a favored title contender in their first game. The pressure on their shoulders was crippling! They were probably completely lost on what to do. And what made it worse was that they’d lost grip on the game within the first 10 minutes!

Lin Feng knew Fatty better than most others. He recognized the signs of his old friend panicking. His old friend’s mental fortitude was pretty poor to begin with and he now looked to be at a complete loss. There were no teammates who came to help him and he was left alone in lane against a Darius who could kill him whenever he liked. This is bad. This is really, really bad. If things don’t change soon, KG will lose. Come on, Fatty! You can do it! Tell your teammates to give you a hand! I still believe in you!

✹

KG stopped communicating. The players were upset and needed something or someone to blame. They went quiet on the voice chat and were busier with trying to get some last hit on minions, rather than worrying about stopping Legend from pushing into their base. Top lane was the first to fall. 19 minutes into the game, Legend broke into KG’s base and destroyed the inhibitor. Then they methodically moved to mid lane and finally bot lane. 23 minutes into the game, the third inhibitor fell. With super minions spawning in all three lanes, Legend held the overwhelming advantage. It took two more minutes to close it out. It was a stomp.

The European crowd in the Wembley Arena jumped up from their seats and screamed in joy! Their Legend had won! Europe had won the first game of Worlds! They hugged the people around them and yelled, “LEGEND! LEGEND! LEGEND!” Legend had done them proud! And they looked really strong! Maybe they could really make it all the way to the finals!

In stark contrast to the joy from the European fans, the Chinese were unable to accept this loss. They were angry. Furious! This wasn’t how this game was supposed to go! Prophet Stone had spoken! KG should’ve won this game! This was their game to lose!

「WTF!?!?!?! did they think they were just scrimming for fun or something?!?!?」
「KG IS TRASH」
「god roundy my ass, he played like a fat turd on the road!」
「uncrowned eighth? give me a break….」
「LOL kg is fucking terrible! so what that they’re all chinese?!?!?!」

Tang Bingyao read the messages in the stream chat. All of them were insults, and more than half were aimed at Tian Tian. His Gnar had started the loss. Whatever happened after that didn’t matter. The game was lost after first blood in the eyes of most fans. She then tilted her head and glanced at Lin Feng, worried. He was biting his lips and his face was pale. She whispered, “Are you okay?”

Lin Feng took a deep breath. He forced his eyes away from the screen and to the ground. Then he took another deep breath. He closed his eyes and let his heart calm down. His lips formed a smile. He forced out the familiar him, the him his friends knew and loved, and then looked up at Tang Bingyao. “Don’t worry. I’m fine. Just a little annoyed is all.” If KG’s loss were really Fatty’s fault, he would’ve been frustrated that his old friend played a shitty game. That would’ve been it. But this loss wasn’t Fatty’s fault. This loss was on KG! Their problems started with their team comp and showed through in the rest of the game! Fatty might’ve died a few times more than the others, but this loss was absolutely not his fault!

“It’s KG on the Blue team and Legend on the Red team! We start Worlds this year with a top game between Europe and China! I’m Qinghe, your host! And with me I got Stone and Lolo! We’ll be your commentators! But that’s enough about us. Let’s dive right into Champion Select! KG is first to ban a champion!”

“Yes! Let’s dive into it already!” Ouyang shouted back at the TV.

On the large TV screen in the private booth rented by Ouyang at the NetCow Cafe, the Worlds stream showed the Champion Select for KG versus Legend. There was a live video feed of three people standing behind the caster desk on the bottom half of the screen. Qinghe stood on the far left of the table, with a TV behind him, while Lolo and Stone stood a bit further down the table. They were the two special guests.

Everyone who’d watched the LPL at any time over the last few years knew who Qinghe was. He was the caster of the LPL! He had more experience casting competitive games than any other casters! He knew how to share his knowledge of the game and get the fans excited! And the fans loved him for it. They loved his quick wits and sense of humour. There was never a dull moment when he was on the caster desk!

The second caster on the desk was Stone. He played League of Legends professionally back in Season 1. After leaving the professional scene at the end of Season 1, he started making guest appearances on the caster desk. The fans had welcomed him with open arms. He gave them insightful analyses and explained the thought processes of professional players in an easy-to-understand manner. But this wasn’t why people wanted to see him on the desk. They wanted to see him on the desk for his unbelievable ability to deliver the caster curse! The Chinese fans called it honeyed words. Whenever he said something nice about a player or team, disaster would strike them!

The most famous case of his caster’s curse was way back in Season 3. Stone was commentating on a match in the LPL. He complimented the Blue team for the advantage they’d gotten in the early game. Not even half a minute later, a team fight broke out. The Blue team lost this fight and with that the gold lead they’d built up over the first 20 minutes of the game. Then he praised the Red team for mounting a phenomenal comeback. It wasn’t even 10 seconds later that they gave away an uncontested Baron Nashor, the most powerful monster on Summoner’s Rift. With the buff gained from killing Baron Nashor, the Blue team took control over the game again. In the next team fight, Blue team’s Vayne popped off and got a triple kill. Stone was a little hesitant but still gave a compliment. The caster’s curse struck again. Vayne was wandering through his own Jungle a minute later and got caught out by two players from the Red team and died.

This still wasn’t the end. By the time Red team won, the caster curse had struck another four times for a total of seven times! Seven times in one game! This was still a record today! As a direct result of this game, Chinese fans had nicknamed Stone “Prophet Stone”.

The third caster for the official Chinese stream of Worlds was Lolo. She was a vivacious young woman who enjoyed playing League of Legends in her free time. She also dabbled a little with streaming on Huya, mostly League of Legends games. She was most known for her occasional guest appearances as a shoutcaster during the LPL, just like Stone. But there was a pronounced difference in what they brought to the commentary. Stone was there to provide insights, game play predictions, and reasoning behind player decisions. Lola brought a more bubbly enthusiasm to the commentary. She didn’t have the deep game knowledge that Stone did, but she more than made up for that with the entertainment factor she added to the shoutcasting. It also didn’t hurt that she had fantastic knockers and a preference for skin-tight low cut dresses. Beyond the lighthearted moments she added to the commentary, she appealed to a very specific demographic of League of Legends fans.

While KG and Legend were taking their time deciding which Champions to ban, Qinghe steered the conversation on the caster desk to the upcoming game. “We’ve already talked a lot about the different groups this year at Worlds, and who we believe will make it through to the next round. But we haven’t really talked much about the individual games yet.” He turned to Stone and nodded at him, smiling. “Let’s take a look at the game in front of us right now, shall we? It’ll start in only a couple more minutes. What do you think, Stone? Who’ll win this game? Which team gets your vote?”

Prophet Stone grinned and took the bait. “Well, when I’m looking at the lineups of both teams, I have to say that Legend looks really strong this year. I think they will win this first game! Hehe.”

“Oh, did you hear that guys?” Lolo giggled at the camera, hiding her mouth behind her hand. “Prophet Stone has spoken! We can all relax now, KG is clearly winning this one.”

Qinghe started laughing, loud enough that it almost sounded fake. “Hahaha! Hahaha! You’re so right! Isn’t she guys? Lolo understands! Prophet Stone has spoken! We can rest easy! This game is KG’s to lose now!” He stepped aside and gestured at the TV screen behind him. Then he looked into the camera and said, “Let’s take a look at what some of you guys have to say about Prophet Stone’s prediction for game 1!”

「HAHAHA my man stone is at it again」
「Everyone, take cover! T-minus 30 seconds until the curse strikes!」
「CARRY KG TO A WIN OH LORD PROPHET!!!!」
「prophet stone carrying since season 2!!」

These were the reactions the three casters were looking for. They knew the fans would eat up a simple joke like this. Besides, they didn’t want to give the fans false hope by saying they believed KG would win this game. Legend was a stronger team than KG. There was no way around this truth. They should have what it takes to win this game. It was to the point where even the three casters were hoping for a little bit of black magic from Prophet Stone. It would be a great start to Worlds if KG could pull a big upset in the first game and beat Legend!

✹

In a private booth in the NetCow Cafe, Lin Feng and the others were engrossed in the stream. The ban phase had come to an end. The top tier meta champions in the current patch, like Mordekaiser and Gangplank, were banned. KG and Legend started choosing the champions they wanted to play. Most were standard picks. It was only the picks in Midlane that really stood out. Legend’s Phoenix had decided to go with LeBlanc, and in response to that, KG’s Flintlock chose Lulu. Lulu was originally a Support champion. But in the last few patches, she had turned into a realistic pick for mid lane to counter assassins like LeBlanc.

“I think Lulu is a smart pick. Don’t you guys agree?” Qinghe said. He looked at the other two casters and waited for them to nod. Then he continued, “Phoenix is a really good player. You don’t want him to go Legendary on his LeBlanc. It was smart thinking from KG to go with the safe pick.”

Stone looked at Qinghe and said, “KG doesn’t really have a choice here, do they? Phoenix is so good, you just have to be extra careful. The game would be over if he gets rolling on his LeBlanc. All Flintstock can do is play it safe.”

“WOOT WOOT!” Ouyang cheered at the TV. He jumped up and down as he ran little circles around the others. “The prophet is doing it again! KG has won! Easy game! Let’s skip it and go straight to the second game!” He suddenly stopped running around and laughing for a second, then added, “Let’s not skip it. I wanna see KG crush Legend! Haha!”

Liu Yue shot up from his seat and joined Ouyang, “WOOT WOOT! Keep complimenting them Prophet Stone! We believe in you!”

Lin Feng shook his head a little as he watched the others go crazy over Prophet Stone. If a caster curse really were a thing, KG wouldn’t need to pick Lulu. They could pick anything and have some fun… He looked at the two top lane champions. That lane deserved more attention. Demon had picked a top tier meta champion in Darius, while Fatty had locked in Gnar. Gnar versus Darius… Hmmm, I guess it’s doable. But it’ll be hard… He looked at the rest of the lineup, searching for something that would help KG bring this game home. Huh? Something looked off. There was something wrong with Blue team’s lineup. Gnar, Lulu, Rek’Sai, Tristana, and Nami… What are they doing? Where is their damage? Only Tristana can deal damage. But she’s a late game carry. What are they planning to do until then? Pray that Legend won’t kick their asses? Who drafted this team comp?

✹

《Welcome to Summoner’s Rift!》

The first game of the League of Legends Season 5 World Championships was officially underway! The 10 champions spawned in their fountains. Both teams decided to do a lane swap. This meant that the Toplaners would play in bot lane and the bot lane duo would go up to top lane. Wards were placed all across the river, with a few just inside the other team’s jungle for some extra vision. When the Jungle minions spawned, the Toplaners both took the camp closest to their lane before recalling back to base, while the Junglers started on the Blue or Red Buff with the help of their Supports.

The game ended up in a standard laning phase. In the bottom lane, both Gnar and Darius arrived before the first minion wave died. They got a couple of last hits and were relatively even. Gnar had a slight advantage at Level 1 because of the range advantage of his auto attacks. Tian Tian quickly made use of this and started showing why people called him God Roundy. His positioning and ability to force Darius to miss minions was perfect. Darius tried to counter this by winding up and swinging his axe in a wide circle–Decimate! But Tian Tian sidestepped it and started throwing more auto attacks at the Darius.

KG wasn’t falling behind at the start of the game. Their lanes looked to be doing ok, and Tian Tian looked especially good. The Chinese fans watching the official broadcast felt their hearts racing. Perhaps KG stood a chance! They quickly took to the chat to share their hopes with the other fans.

「GOD ROUNDY FOR THE WINNN!!!!!」
「gnar >>>> darius」
「66666666!」
「i love you roundy!!1!!1」
「We can win this game! China number 1!!!!」
「OMG this is soooo cool!!!!!」

Tian Tian started pushing the minion wave towards Red team’s outer tower. The ward he’d placed at the start of the game timed out. His vision of the river above his lane disappeared. But there were still a few minions to kill, so he stuck around.

Legend’s Jungler was Lee Sin. He’d spotted Roundy Round place a ward down in the river near bot lane at the start of the game. He knew exactly when it would time out. So he adjusted his jungle route to it. The moment the ward disappeared, he walked down the river to bot lane.

“Oh no! God Roundy you need to back! You’re going too deep!” Lolo cried out from the caster desk.

Qinghe was the calm voice of reason. He said, “We don’t have to worry. Gnar has a hop and Flash. It’ll be really difficult for Legend if they want to pick an early game kill on him. They’d better focus their time and energy on another lane.”

Lee Sin appeared from the river in bot lane. Darius used this opportunity to walk out from under his tower and towards the Gnar. Tian Tian saw this happen and quickly had his Gnar hop away–Hop! But the Darius was prepared for this. He flashed forward, then swept the Gnar out of his Hop mid-air before hooking and pulling him back–Apprehend!

The European fans in the Wembley Arena went wild with joy! This was a brilliant play from Demon! He’d perfectly predicted how Tian Tian would play and found a counter to it! There was nothing Tian Tian could do! He still had his Flash, but there was also the Lee Sin coming for him. Everyone knew what was going to happen. Be it the fans cheering in the arena, or the Chinese fans feeling their hearts drop at home, everyone knew that the Gnar would die. Even Lin Feng knew. He slowly shook his head. This isn’t good.

Tang Bingyao looked over her shoulder at Lin Feng. While everyone else in their group was discussing the Worlds schedule for Day 1, he sat back. The excitement from a moment before had left his face. He was slowly shaking his head while looking at the screen. She walked over and sat down next to him, then tapped on his shoulder. “Lin Feng?” She waited for a second but Lin Feng didn’t seem to notice her. She tapped on his shoulder again and asked, “Was Roundy really your teammate?”

Lin Feng nodded, his eyes locked on the TV.

Tang Bingyao looked at Lin Feng. She wanted to ask, Are you ok? Something definitely seemed off. She wanted to be a good friend, but he was barely listening and she didn’t know what to do. After hesitating for a little bit longer, she whispered just loud enough that only he could hear her, “I read online that Legend has a really good Toplaner.”

Lin Feng nodded again. He heard her talk, but he was in no mood to respond to her right now. His eyes were still locked on the TV. On the logo of KG. He thought of Fatty and his matchup in top lane in game 1.

Legend had switched Toplaners after Season 4 Worlds. Their old one just wasn’t up to the task anymore and they’d found a very talented rookie. Demon. He started playing League of Legends in Season 4 and joined the pro scene in the off-season before Season 5. During the next EU LCS spring split, he surprised fans and analysts alike with his strong performance. Game after game. He never faltered. The summer split was much of the same. He dominated in top lane. Many European fans were swept up by the hype surrounding him, saying that he belonged in the Seven Kings.

Lin Feng stared at the screen. Fatty should be better than Demon. Fatty was the Uncrowned Eighth and Demon was still just a rookie! But Lin Feng wasn’t all that convinced. He shook his head and said, “Demon is really good. Pretty much as good as Fatty.”

Tang Bingyao tilted her head, surprised. She’d finally gotten Lin Feng to talk. But she didn’t expect him to say this. It didn’t sound like he was all too confident in Fatty. She prodded, “Who do you think is better? Do you think Roundy will win this game?”

The lineup of KG and Legend appeared on the large TV. Lin Feng looked at it, ruffling his messy, curly hair. He didn’t immediately answer Tang Bingyao’s question. A picture of Fatty appeared on the screen with his biggest achievements next to it. He took a deep breath and said, “That’s all on Fatty. If he stays calm, this will be his game. He’s really good when he’s calm. But if his nerves are getting to him again… I’m not sure he’ll stand a chance if that happens.”

✹

It was almost 2 PM in London. The League of Legends fans had found their seats in the Wembley Arena. All 12,500 seats were sold out, and it looked like more people had managed to sneak in. Above the stage in the middle of the arena were four large screens on which the crowd could see all the action live. The lights in the arena dimmed. There were thousands of lightsticks that started flashing in the crowd. The music stopped playing. Then the four large screens lit up.

3

2

1

A video started playing on the large screens. It showed the highlights of the 16 different teams that would be participating in the tournament. Famous casters hyped up the different plays! The fans started cheering and whistling! The opening ceremony of the Season 5 League of Legends World Championships had started!

The video ended several minutes later as a single ray of light shone down on the center of the arena. It shone down on a pedestal on which the trophy the players would be fighting for stood. The Summoner’s Cup! Then the game announcer’s voice sounded throughout the arena, “Please welcome the teams for the 2015 League of Legends World Championships! Representing Korea and the LCK, Warrior!”

The 16 teams were introduced, one by one. When their name was called out, the team members and their coach stepped onto the stage and waved at the fans, who cheered and whistled in excitement. The crowd went really wild whenever a European team walked up on the stage. Many of them were from Europe and they made sure everyone knew this! Some fans in the crowd started a wave that went round and round the arena. This went on until there were only two more teams to be announced. Legend and KG. The European fans started screaming for their heroes from Legend, while the few Chinese fans in the audience tried to let their voices also be heard. But they were drowned out.

“Go KG!”
“LLEEEGGGGEEEENNNNDDDDDDDDDDD! PPHOOEENIIXXXX!”

“God Roundy, you’re the best!”
“DEMON! DEMON! DEMON! DEMON!”

The Chinese fans were pissed off that their voices were drowned out by the much larger European crowd. They wanted to show support for their team! But there were not enough of them to make any kind of impact. All they could do was hope and pray that KG would shut these European fans up by beating Legend! Preferably by winning a perfect game! If KG could keep all their towers and give away not a single kill, now that would shut these Europeans up!

✹

In the backstage area of the Wembley Arena. A KG staff member pushed the door open to the bathroom. He was completely out of breath as he checked the stalls one at a time. They were empty, until he got to the one at the very end. This one was locked. He knocked on the door and shouted, “Hey! Are you done yet? You need to come out! The match is starting soon! It’s our turn to go up on stage! You need to come out now! Come with me! Please!”

The staff member didn’t have the time nor patience to deal with this player from his team right now. He knocked on the stall again. “Please Roundy! You need to come! We have to go!”

A weak voice came from the other side of the door. “A-alright. Give m-me a m-m-minute. J-just let m-me finish up.”

“Fine.” The staff member shook his head, exasperated. He didn’t know what to do. “Just hurry up please! Everyone is waiting for you! I’ll be right outside.” He then turned around and walked out of the bathroom.

Inside the bathroom stall, Tian Tian sat on the toilet with his hands over his head. He pulled on his hair and bit on his lips. There were tears in his eyes and his heart was beating rapidly in his throat. He could barely breathe. His first match at Worlds was against Legend! He would have to step up to the plate from the start! There was no easing into it! If he fucked up. If he didn’t win. If he made a single misplay. He would be screwing over his entire team!

He would be up against Demon! Everyone was talking about how good this rookie was. How this kid, because he was barely more than that, would soon rank among the Seven Kings! Tian Tian didn’t stop to think about his own skill. All he knew was that his opponent was strong. Really strong. That meant that the odds of him fucking up increased exponentially! He forgot to breathe. The world around him started spinning and turned dark.

A memory from last year started playing in his mind. It was the same back then as it was now. His nerves had gotten the better of him and he’d locked himself up in a bathroom. Back then, an old friend and mentor who he deeply respected came to find him. When his mentor saw the state he was in, they became pissed and started shouting at him, “Grow the fuck up Fatty! This bullshit has gone on for long enough! It’s the same shit every time you have to play in a tournament! You always have your stupid fucking breakdowns! Get your act together man! You’re such a good player! If it wasn’t for these stupid breakdowns, you probably would be an Emperor by now! God! You’re wasting away here in this disgusting bathroom! Can’t you smell the shit?”

Tian Tian had endured the scolding from this retired professional player. He hadn’t said a word. This was a respected mentor who only had the best in mind for him. He knew that. He also knew that he could play really well when he wasn’t stressed out like this. That he was a really good player. But it didn’t matter how he tried to convince himself of this, his subconscious wouldn’t hear it. It didn’t listen to reason, only to fear.

Tian Tian opened his eyes again. He was still in the bathroom stall. Alone. He swallowed his saliva and felt the urge to start eating something. Anything. His stomach agreed, rumbling in response. “M-maybe I s-should go get s-some-something to eat.” He shook his head and pulled on his hair. “T-this g-g-game is lost anyway. W-we can’t win. They. T-they’re w-way too strong.”

Legend didn’t just have a strong Toplaner. They had a strong team. Their Midlaner was something else. He was one of the best players in the entire game! Phoenix. He’d seen Phoenix in action first-hand during Season 1 Worlds. Back then, Lin Feng only barely managed to outplay him. It was almost a loss! And the Midlaner on his current team’s roster was nowhere near as good as Lin Feng was. His Midlaner didn’t stand a chance against Phoenix!

Lin Feng! Lin Feng! Tian Tian smiled for the first time that day. His nerves had completely settled down, if only for a moment. He pictured his old friend in his mind, the one that was always there for him and stood by him. Lin Feng would know exactly what to say right now! He’d probably walk over and tell me I could do it, tell me to focus on the game and just do my best. Because that’s all that matters. The Lin Feng that existed in Tian Tian’s mind, that Lin Feng always knew what to do. That Lin Feng was rock solid and never scared. He’d be right here next to me, with a giant smile on his face. Probably talking about how much more satisfying our win would be against a strong team. How everyone would know how awesome we are if we kicked ass in both games! The Lin Feng in Tian Tian’s mind calmed him down, completely wiped away all the nerves and anxiety. But that Lin Feng only existed in his mind, and wasn’t playing next to him. Once Tian Tian realized that, the anxiety flooded right back in. He started trembling again and mumbled, “I-if you w-were here, e-everything would be f-fine… O-only you can beat t-that guy…”

✹

In the NetCow Cafe in China, Lin Feng and his group were watching the opening ceremony of Worlds. The sound of the event blasted through the TV speakers. It was as if they were in the Wembley Arena, cheering with the 12,500 fans there! Ouyang even started waving his arms around as if he had a lightstick in his hand. Liu Yue joined in, and Ren Rou rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the smirk on her face.

After the last two teams were introduced, it was time for the first game of Worlds. The players from KG and Legend sat down behind the monitors on the stage. The casters announced their names and listed their prior achievements before starting to analyze both teams. They laid out the differences and gave their opinions on the current state of both teams. Finally, they gave their predictions.

However, none of the people in the stream cared for whatever it was that the casters were talking about. They were far too excited to sit still and listen to what the analysts had to say. Rather, they were jumping up and down behind their monitors or TVs and were typing chat memes or other random messages that had absolutely nothing to do with what the casters were talking about.

Inside the private booth in the NetCow Cafe, Liu Yue suddenly cried out, “Look! LOOK! That’s God Roundy! It’s really him! That’s God Roundy! Oh my god! We’re gonna see God Roundy play!”

Yang Fan adjusted his glasses. “Calm down. I can see him too. I might have bad eyesight, but I’m not blind. How could anyone miss him? Look how big he is. He’s filling the entire shot.”

Ouyang inched closer to the TV. The others moved their heads to look around him, but he kept inching closer to the screen until his nose was almost touching it. “Hmm, that’s odd,” he started. “Is it just me or does he look kinda bad? He doesn’t look like himself. Do you guys also see it?”

“We might. If you moved your big head away from the screen,” Ren Rou replied.

Ouyang hurried back but didn’t forget to point with his finger at Roundy Round’s face. “Look! See what I’m saying? He really looks out of it.”

“You’re right. He does look bad.”
“Did he not get enough sleep or something?”
“He does look kinda pale…”

“Do you guys think it’s nerves?” Ouyang asked. Then he shook his head. “No, no. That can’t be it. It must be something else. What do you guys think?”

“Haha! God Roundy doesn’t feel stress! He is God Roundy! Not stresses-too-much Roundy.”
“He’s played at Worlds so many times already. How could he be nervous?”
“You must be joking, right? He’s been to Worlds four times now. He knows the pressure. The others from KG might be feeling a bit nervous, but God Roundy? I don’t believe it!”

Tang Bingyao didn’t say anything. She turned around to look at Lin Feng, worried.

Lin Feng looked at the TV screen. At the familiar figure on it. Fatty… He knew what was wrong with his old friend. He recognized it the moment Fatty stepped into the shot. It was impossible to miss. Fatty, you had another breakdown, didn’t you? He clenched his fist and bit on his teeth. Come on, Fatty! I believe in you! Show everyone how good you really are!

The 16 best League of Legends teams in the world had gathered in London. The venue was booked and the tickets sold out. Everything was set for the biggest tournament of the year. The League of Legends World Championships! Players were fighting their nerves while fans were standing in line to make it onto the venue in time. The commentators were spinning up their pre-show, their voices blasting through speakers all across the world. Fans got into heated arguments on different forums, streams, and gaming websites. Random strangers from around the world would step up to support their point, while others would argue against it. The excitement spread across the world! This was esports! This was the highest level of competition in League of Legends! This was the Season 5 World Championships of League of Legends!

A cold October wind blew through the air. The sun wasn’t up yet but the birds were already chirping. People walked down the streets of the esports capital of China–Shanghai! They had their phones in their hands and their eyes on their screens. Sometimes they would walk into someone, but no one cared. The moment was finally there! The day everyone had been waiting for! Only a few more hours and then the most anticipated event of the entire year would start! The League of Legends World Championships! Everyone was counting down the minutes to the opening ceremony! And preparing to watch it with their friends!

The internet cafes in Shanghai were packed. Large parties had booked entire halls far in advance. But there were still more fans trying to get in. They all wanted to watch the games together. It got so bad that the managers of the internet cafes were forced to place bouncers at the door and let no one else in. There was no extra space for more fans. But that didn’t stop the fans from trying. They were too excited to notice! The managers had their phones ringing constantly. They were frantically trying to convince people to stay away because they were too full with advanced bookings.

“We’re fully booked! There is no more room! We’re very sorry but I have to ask you to please not come!”

“Yes! There really is no more space here! Please listen to me! We’re full! Go look elsewhere!”

“Please, sir, believe me! The private booths are full! All of them! Yes! Even the special ones!”

“I’m not lying! Why would I be lying? Please go and search for another place to watch Worlds! You might have some luck in the suburbs!”

While the managers were pulling their hair out in stress, the owners of the internet cafes were counting their money, laughing. Business was booming! They wished Worlds would last for an entire year! They would make so much money that they wouldn’t have to work another day in their lives!

The reason that so many League of Legends fans wanted to watch Worlds at an internet cafe was the same as why football fans would go to their local bars to watch the game. There was no excitement in sitting at home and watching the TV from the comfort of your couch. There was a certain kind of atmosphere that was needed to really bring these games to life. One of joy and laughter. One where, after loosening the lips with a few beers, friends and strangers would sing and laugh together. Where they would fall into each other’s arms to celebrate a triple kill and scream at the TV if their team gave one away! Sports games had sports bars, and esports games had internet cafes. And those internet cafes were where the League of Legends fans all over Shanghai gathered together to watch Worlds.

✹

The students from High School 13 had booked the NetCow Cafe well in advance. The internet cafe was completely full. There were bouncers at the door, turning away those who were late to the party. The guests had gathered around a large screen in the hall and were watching highlights from last year’s Worlds. In the back, there were several private booths. In one of these were the eight members of Lin Feng’s Legends Bootcamp. The seven trainees had gathered around their coach and looked at him.

Lin Feng looked back at them, one by one. They were all silent, hiding their hands behind their backs. “Ok, guys. This is important. I trust everyone did their part. But let me ask just to make sure. Do we have everything?”

“Yep!”
“I got it, yes.”
“I brought a lot. Hehe!”
“Mhm.”

Ouyang couldn’t look at the serious expressions anymore. He started laughing and revealed what he was hiding behind his back. A bag of potato chips. “I bought 10 bags of chips! I got the others in my bag. You can all have one and I’ll have three!”

Yang Fan adjusted his glasses, smiling. “I bought two bars of chocolates and some fruit gummies. I thought that would be a more appropriate amount.” He looked over at Ouyang who was already digging into the first bag of chips.

Liu Yue raised his hands above his head to show everyone what he had bought. He looked at the others for a response. When that response didn’t come, he said, “Look! three bags of jerky! It’s the big kind! They’re really good! You guys will love them!”

Chen Ze and Wei Dong nodded at Liu Yue, then looked at each other. They’d gone shopping together and bought a bunch of snacks. A lot of everything, including more of the same jerky Liu Yue had bought. They started talking at the same time.
“We got jerky, mel–”
“We bought melon seeds and walnuts! Oh and some jerky!”

Everyone was excited about their own snacks. But when Ren Rou stepped forward, they fell silent. They forgot for a moment about their own things and looked at her. She smiled back at them and placed a large box down on the floor in the middle of the room. She then looked up at the others and said, “Instant noodles! I figured you guys would get plenty of snacks but nothing a little more filling. So if anyone gets hungry later tonight, you can have some of these beef noodles! Just add some water and you’re good to go!”

Everyone looked at Tang Bingyao. She still hadn’t said what snacks she had brought for the party. They thought she waited to be last because she had something big, something that would blow their minds. She started raising her hand up, and anticipation filled their eyes. And then it changed to shock as she raised up a small bag and said, “I brought some dried seaweed.”

Lin Feng didn’t notice the shock or surprise in the room. He was just happy to see everyone had brought more than enough snacks to last them through the night. “Haha! You guys are awesome! Those are all great snacks! That jerky is some of the best, right Liu Yue? Oh, and I love dried seaweed! It has that nice crunch to it! Oh, oh! And nothing beats some chocolate after noodles!”

Ren Rou looked at Lin Feng, but didn’t share his joyful mood. She waited for a few more seconds, but he showed no signs of revealing what snacks he’d brought. It started to look like he hadn’t brought anything! His hands were empty and as far as she knew he hadn’t brought a bag with him either. What is he trying? Does he think we owe him this because he is coaching the team? “Lin Feng,” she said in a stern voice. “Did you forget something?”

Lin Feng looked at Ren Rou. She looked upset. Maybe even mad! He chuckled. She was too obvious. He knew exactly what she wanted. “Don’t worry Ren Rou! I didn’t forget. I didn’t forget!” He grabbed a plastic bag from the floor. “Look! I bought 30 packs of spicy strips!”

No one knew what to say. Seven pairs of eyes stared at Lin Feng, speechless. Until Ren Rou finally blurted out, “Spicy strips?”

Ouyang took a step back from Lin Feng. He stopped himself from eating the potato chip in his hand. “Uhh, I think it’s four bags for me and none for Lin Feng. Spicy strips? Bro… What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Tang Bingyao looked at Lin Feng with the same disgust in her eyes as the others. She nodded at Ouyang and said, “Something’s definitely wrong with him. He’s not getting any of my dried seaweed either.”

“Anyway!” Ouyang said, shifting everyone’s attention away from the plastic bag in Lin Feng’s hands. He waved his hands around him and said, “Do you guys hear that? Like half of Shanghai is here tonight! Isn’t that great? This shit is the best! Beats watching at home by a fucking long shot! Am I right or what? It’s just like a sports bar! But better! Because this is esports!” He was so excited that he forgot to breathe. A few moments and deep breaths later, he added, “You guys should thank me. Did you see that long ass line at the door? That would’ve been us if I hadn’t booked this room! Imagine! We would’ve been standing out there in the cold and miss the game if it wasn’t for my big brain thinking!”

Yang Fan adjusted his glasses. “Hehe. Those guys are screwed. Everyone here has come to watch Worlds. We’re not leaving until after the last game has finished. I guess they can stand out there and watch the games on their phones.” He stopped to think about his last comment and then added, “That must be even worse than watching at home.”

Everyone agreed with Yang Fan. Standing out in the cold to watch the games on a small screen sounded terrible. They continued talking about it as they sat down and lounged back. There were still two hours before the opening ceremony would start. But when the conversation died down, everyone just kind of sat, awkwardly looking at each other. They saw each other almost every day. There really wasn’t much left to talk about. Lin Feng noticed the silence and looked over at the row of five computers. There should be plenty of time to play a game or two. He jumped up to his feet and said, “Since we got some time to kill anyway, how about we get some practice in? Come, let’s play a few games!”

No one spoke up. There was no need to. Lin Feng was the coach. If he said they would play a game, they would play a game. When it came to League of Legends, they did exactly what Lin Feng told them to do. He was their coach. His word was law. So they sat up straight in their chairs and moved to sit behind the monitors. The sound of five computers booting up sounded out.

After the first day of Lin Feng’s Legends Bootcamp, the team members quickly got used to his training methods. They learned on the first day that it was best not to argue with him and instead put their energy into taking in all the information he gave them. Then they would spend the rest of the night applying these tips to their game, improving both their individual and teamplay skills. This wasn’t easy. No matter how easy Lin Feng made it sound, it took them a lot of effort. But they were already seeing the results of their hard work. For example, the bot lane duo of Tang Bingyao and Wei Doing finally started to show some synergy. Tang Bingyao learned to slow down a bit, while Wei Dong stopped hiding behind his tower and started actively supporting Tang Bingyao. They were actually starting to play really well together.

There were also some surprises. Ouyang was probably the biggest one. He was the backup Jungler of the esports club team. When Lin Feng’s Legends Bootcamp began, he was a middle-of-the-pack Gold. He had decent mechanics, but was absolutely terrible at the two most important things a Jungler needed to do: pathing and ganking. He would often wander around his empty jungle, searching for something to do but not really doing anything. Then he would recall back to base and waste another 30 seconds. As for his ganks. They were so poorly timed that it would’ve been better if he didn’t gank at all. He almost never helped the lane he showed up in. Either he came too late and his teammates were already dead, or he popped up right when the other bot lane duo had recalled back to base. But after only a few days of training under Lin Feng, he’d started improving on these aspects of the game. His pathing became more efficient and his ganks actually led to kills! He started winning his games in solo queue, and after the latest five game win streak, he was even in his promotional series for Platinum!

“I swear, you guys. I’m a fucking genius!” Ouyang laughed. He opened his League client and jabbed his finger at the screen. “See? Didn’t I tell you guys? I’m in my Platinum promo series! I didn’t even get boosted! I did this all on my own! I’m the fucking best Jungler ever!”

Ren Rou shook her head. He is hopeless… She listened to him brag for another second before cutting in, “You know it’s all because of Lin Feng, right? If he didn’t help you, you’d probably be down in Silver by now.”

“HEY! What was that? Silver? I’m no Silver scrub! You are! Haha!” No one could kill Ouyang’s mood right now. But that didn’t mean he’d lost all touch with reality. He knew Ren Rou had a point, to a certain extent. “Fine. True. He did help a little. His tips were good. But I did the rest all by myself! I put in the work and now I’m amazing! I can beat any Gold scrub! They are all a bunch of noobs! Isn’t that right, Lin Feng? I did it all by myself, right? You just helped me with a few tips!”

“No.” Lin Feng shook his head. “You were terrible. Really, really bad. Those improvements you made were all on me.”

✹

The esports club team played three ranked games. They won two games and lost one. The loss came in the only game where Liu Yue let Ouyang give Jungle a try. But even that loss couldn’t kill Ouyang’s good mood. He started making up all kinds of excuses about why the loss wasn’t his fault, until his eyes landed on the clock. It was 8:45 PM. There were only 15 minutes left till the start of the opening ceremony of Worlds! His eyes went round as he just about threw his body around to look at Lin Feng. “Yo! Coach Lin Feng! Bro! Look at the time! We can’t play more! Worlds is starting!”

Lin Feng looked at the time. “Oh, I guess you’re right. Alright, let’s go watch Worlds!”

Aside from the five computers on which they’d been playing the ranked games, there was also a large smart TV to watch streams or videos on. Ren Rou turned the TV on and opened up Huya, where she found the official broadcast of Worlds. There were already many people watching the stream. On the right side of the screen, there was a chat that was blowing up with discussion about the matches of the day.

There were six games that would be played on the first day of Worlds. Three in Group A and three in Group B. Hand of God was the Chinese team in Group B and they would play one match. KG was a little bit less lucky. They had to play two games on the first day. If that wasn’t bad enough already, their first game was against the top team from Europe–Legend! Legend was a really strong team and it’d be tough for KG to get a win over them.

Ouyang stared at the screen, speechless. He shook his head and slapped himself. Just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Then he said, “Wow, I can’t believe this… KG is so crazy unlucky! They have to play two games today? Why two? That’s so unfair! Now they can’t focus on pounding Legend’s ass! Why is this even allowed? What the fuck!”

Chen Ze agreed with Ouyang. “KG really is unlucky. They have to play against the strongest team in the group for their first game. Then they gotta reset and be ready for another game right after that. It ain’t right! They’re under a ton of artificial pressure because of the organizers made a stupid decision!”

Everyone agreed with Ouyang and Chen Ze. Legend was a contender for the title. They could make it all the way to the finals and they had a real shot at the trophy! Their Midlaner was Phoenix, one of the Four Emperors! KG should be given the opportunity to put all their focus on preparing for this game. It was ridiculous that they had to split their attention between two games!

Lin Feng didn’t join the discussion. He watched the screen. His eyes were on the team logo of KG. Fatty, you can do this man. I know you’re probably really nervous right now. Probably having a panic attack too. Believe in yourself! You can do this! You’re a really good Toplaner and you have a good team. Please don’t have a nervous breakdown!

“An old friend in KG?” Tang Bingyao tilted her head, bewildered. Her ponytail swung back and forth as she stopped walking and stared at Lin Feng. “Who?”

“Roundy Round! Fatty and I were teammates!” Lin Feng replied.

Tang Bingyao’s eyes went wide. Shock and disbelief were battling it out on her face. Roundy Round? The God Roundy was his teammate? The Uncrowned Eighth? The best Toplaner in China? Is he showing off again, or is he telling the truth here…

Lin Feng chuckled. “What? Don’t believe me?”

Tang Bingyao shook her head, but then hesitated. Maybe… She nodded. Slowly. He’s told the truth about everything until now. If he says he knows Roundy, he must know God Roundy. Right? She wanted to believe Lin Feng, but it was hard. This wasn’t just some random professional player, this was Roundy Round!

“Uhh, is that a yes or a no? You’re making kind of a funny face there,” Lin Feng asked.

Tang Bingyao looked up at Lin Feng. “Tell me the truth! Were you really a professional player?”

“Yes!” Lin Feng pounded his chest. “I was a pro back in Season 1! Really! I was really good at League of Legends! Like Emperor good!”

If it were anyone else saying this, Tang Bingyao would’ve thought they were bullshitting. She’d either make a sarcastic reply or ignore it. What Lin Feng claimed was damn near impossible to believe. But she’d been playing with him for a while now. She’d seen what he could do. On the rare occasion when he went all out, he was unstoppable. His plays were flawless. Then again, they never played at the highest ELO. Mostly in Diamond. But to hard-carry so easily in Diamond. He really could’ve been a pro… Wait. No, that can’t be right. She started walking again and said, “You’re lying. You were only in middle school back in Season 1. How could you play professionally if you weren’t even 16 yet?”

Tang Bingyao remembered a rule that had existed since the dawn of the competitive scene in League of Legends. Anyone who wanted to compete, either domestically or internationally, had to be at least 16. Lin Feng laughed at her question but didn’t reply. Tang Bingyao looked at him and continued to press, “Really? I almost believed you!”

Lin Feng stopped laughing. He looked straight at Tang Bingyao and said, “The rules weren’t enforced all that hard back then. I was too young. But I was also really good! They made an exception for me!”

Lin Feng didn’t tell her the whole story. He was too young back in Season 1 and they had made an exception that let him play. That was only part of the truth. His age had become a huge issue. His team had almost given up hope. Lin Feng started to think he wasn’t going to be allowed to play with his team. The problem wasn’t Riot Games. The competitive scene for League of Legends during Season 1 was tiny and there really weren’t many rules. But the World Championships were regulated by the World Esports Association. Their rules were written in stone. Those guys really wouldn’t listen. He sighed. If it weren’t for the Chinese Esports Association having his back, if it weren’t for the Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Esports Association personally getting involved, if it weren’t for several other important figures speaking out on his behalf.

Especially if those final words hadn’t been spoken. The words that decided everything. If it had gone any other way. He would have had to go home without playing a single game. He would’ve had to bend under their rules and accept that he was too young. He would’ve needed to wait another year and hope that the opportunity to play at the World Championships would come again.

Tang Bingyao looked over her shoulder at Lin Feng, who was standing there lost in thought. She waited for a moment, hesitating, then she asked, “You keep talking about your pro team. Why not invite Roundy Round to join you?”

“Uhh… That is bec– Uhm…” Lin Feng didn’t know what to say.

“Let me ask you something else,” Tang Bingyao said after a brief moment. “Why did you quit back then?”

This was a question that Lin Feng was more than prepared to answer. It was an answer he’d given many times. He replied, “Oh, that’s because of school. I had to study for the entrance exam for high school.” His reply was calm, measured, with no hesitation or stammering.

Tang Bingyao looked at him. She said nothing for a few long seconds. Lin Feng looked right back at her. Then she broke the stand off by asking, “Ok. So why not invite Roundy Round to join your team then?”

“You really are full of questions today, huh? Unfortunately…” Lin Feng ran ahead, up to the next intersection. He waited for Tang Bingyao to catch back up and continued, “Unfortunately, you have to turn here to go home, right? I really want to answer your question, but I have to walk straight here. And look! The light is turning green. No more time! See ya tomorrow!” Lin Feng bolted down the street without waiting for her to say anything or looking back.

“Uh, bye?” Tang Bingyao waved weakly at Lin Feng’s back. That was strange… She stared down the street, watching Lin Feng run home, for a long minute. Then she turned and started walking home. He’s never acted like this before. The Lin Feng she knew never backed down. He wasn’t scared of anything. How many times had he told her that striving for the impossible was the only thing worth doing? Hiding things and running away, that was completely out of character for him. But she understood.

He didn’t want to answer the question. Actually, he didn’t want to answer both questions. Tang Bingyao wasn’t stupid. She knew his answer about studying for the high school entrance exam was just a cover. She stopped walking and stood there, thinking. Then she adjusted her book bag and continued walking home.

If Lin Feng didn’t want to tell her why he stopped playing after Season 1 or what happened between him and God Roundy right now, that was fine. She wouldn’t push. He’d tell her when he was ready.

Lin Feng kept running down the street until he felt like he’d gotten far enough away. He turned around and looked to see if Tang Bingyao was still there. She wasn’t. She’d already turned around the corner and was on her way home. Lin Feng decided he could stop running. He stood there, in the stillness of that empty street. He stood there, breathing heavily. His head slowly dropped down until he was staring at the pavement. He stood there staring at the pavement for a long time.

Dusk fell. The red glow of the setting sun washed over Lin Feng’s body. He stood alone on that empty street, watching his shadow grow long. He stared at his shadow in silence.

He’d run away from Tang Bingyao, run away from her questions, because he didn’t know how to answer them. Trying to answer meant thinking back to what happened back then. He’d need to bring up memories he buried deep in his mind under a tight heavy lid. He didn’t want to think about what happened back then. Didn’t want to think about why he’d ran away from everyone back then. So the only thing he could do was run away from Tang Bingyao today.

The reason he’d cut contact with his former teammates was because he didn’t know how to face them. How he could face them after what he did. He still remembered the disappointment on their faces. The sadness in their eyes. And it was all because of him. He was the reason. He was the reason their team came second in Season 1 Worlds. It was his mistake that led to their loss in the 5th and final game of the tournament. The champion trophy was up for the taking, but he screwed up. It was his fault, and his alone.

✹

When Lin Feng got home, Su Xue had already cooked dinner. He sat down and quietly filled his bowl. His usual smile was nowhere to be found. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating in silence. His shoulders hunched over the table as he buried his face into the bowl.

Su Xue sat across from Lin Feng. She looked at him, worried. “Hey, is everything ok? You don’t look so good. Is there something wrong with the food? I can make you something else if you want.”

Lin Feng shook his head and had another bite.

“Then why are you so quiet?” Su Xue asked. “Did the teacher yell at you? Or did you get in a fight with your friends? Oh! I know.” She grinned, “Trouble in paradise?”

Lin Feng didn’t reply to any of it. He kept shaking his head while eating his food.

Su Xue was starting to get really worried. This wasn’t the Lin Feng she knew! Something was wrong! She got up from her seat and rushed over to his side. Then she placed her hand over his forehead and checked his temperature. “Hey now. You’re not getting a fever, are you? I told you to put some warmer clothes on! It’s not summer anymore. You should listen to me.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” Lin Feng pushed Su Xue away, then focused back on his bowl.

“Are you sure? Okay. Alright then, that’s good.” Su Xue looked visibly relieved. Then she got annoyed. You’re fine but acting like this? Yeah right! You’re not right! Something’s up! She ruffled his hair and said, “Then why are you so quiet? Tell me! Your aunt made me promise to take care of you, you know! You’re scaring me here!”

Su Xue sat back down. It didn’t look like Lin Feng was going to give her an answer. She didn’t know what to do. There wasn’t really anything she could do. She looked him in the eyes, anxiously, and said, “Then what’s the matter? Please tell me. I’ve never seen you like this before.”

Lin Feng scratched the back of his head. “It’s fine, really. Please don’t worry about it.”

“Okay. Fine. Suit yourself. Forget it. Whatever.” Su Xue shook her head. “You kids these days are so melodramatic. I’m done worrying about you.” She frowned. But annoyance was quickly replaced with excitement. “Oh! Worlds starts tomorrow! I was thinking that maybe I could open my stream and watch the game with the viewers. Maybe give some commentary, you know? Do you wanna join? I’m sure those degenerates would love that!”

Lin Feng looked up from his bowl. Really looked up. He blurted out. “You are going to give commentary on the games?”

“What is it? Say it!” Su Xue glared at Lin Feng. “You think I can’t do it? Is that it? How hard can it be? Just say a few words. Anyone can do it!”

“No, no! Not at all. Not at all! I think you’d be great!” Lin Feng replied. He was about to say something more, but stopped himself at the last moment. Then he said, “Oh, but I can’t join tomorrow. I promised my friends I’d watch the games with them at the internet cafe.”

“Oh, I see.” Su Xue nodded and smiled, “But it’s not me you should explain this to. The viewers are expecting you! If you’re going to let them down, you’ll have to tell them yourself. Oh, I know! Come, I’ll open the stream right now and you can tell them!”

“Eh?” Lin Feng didn’t know what to say. But he wasn’t given the opportunity either. Su Xue dragged him into her bedroom and pushed him down on her gaming chair. Then she booted up her computer and opened HuyaTV.

Su Xue stood next to Lin Feng, making sure he didn’t try to escape, while she waited for more people to join her stream. Only after more than a thousand had joined did she explain to them that Lin Feng could unfortunately not join them to watch the first day of Worlds together.

「lilll broooo do you not want us anymooore 」
「How can you just abandon us like this?!?!?!??!??!?!?」
「You heartless traitor! why would i even come to this stream if your not here?????????」
「are you really leaving us with the maid?? what have we ever done wrong to you to deserve this!?!?!?!」
「I WOULD RATHER DIE THAN WATCH WORLDS WITH HER」
「don’t hold me back! I’ll go kill myself right now」

Su Xue was speechless. She needed a moment to process what the chat had just said. She was hurt by their words for a split second. Then she figured out that they were just screwing with her, trying to rile her up. It was part of the streaming experience, so she decided to indulge them by yelling, “WHO WAS THAT? Who said they’d rather kill themselves than watch Worlds with me? You’re all a bunch of drama llamas! You should feel lucky that I’m even willing to watch it with you degens! Pfft!”

“I’m really sorry guys. I’d like to watch Worlds with you guys, but I already promised my friends I’d watch it with them,” Lin Feng apologized. He scratched his head while wearing a troubled expression on his face.

Su Xue found the perfect opportunity to get the viewers back on her side. She flashed a bright smile at the camera and said, “See? See? You can only trust me! I’m the best! He dumps you guys to go hang out with his friends. Right, what friends! He’s ditching you all for a girl! Go on, flame him! Give him your worst!”

The chat didn’t start flaming Lin Feng, save for a white knight or two. Everyone else stopped typing. The chat went silent for a couple of seconds. Then, the messages started flooding in.

「What?」
「lil bro’s going to hang out with a girl?」
「you wanna go spend some time with your girl?」
「he just wants to hang with his girl???」
「Yoo mate! Dont worry, HOS BEFORE BROS!!!!」
「lil bro dont worry about us」
「GO GET LAID MY MAN.!!」
「we can survive one night with the maid. Just for you! tell her i said hi!!!!」
「GO GET HER TIGERRRRRRR RAAWWRRRRRRRR」

Su Xue couldn’t believe what she was seeing in the chat! Her jaw literally dropped for a few seconds. Then she snapped her mouth closed and pursed her lips. She looked straight into the webcam and said, “Huh? How? What? No. NO! What the hell guys? What the fuck is this? When did you guys decide to grow hearts? Fucking ingrates! You should be flaming him! Go flame him!”

Su Xue’s eyes were glued to the screen. She’d tuned Lin Feng out. Whatever he said was unimportant compared to what was going on on her screen. The promotional video was showing one of the Chinese teams! That was all that mattered to her right now. Lin Feng’s job was to listen to her, not give his own opinion. So she completely missed him calling God Roundy “Fatty”, or saying that pinching his cheeks was great. God Roundy was on the screen and he had her complete attention!

Tian Tian was on the screen and being interviewed. He looked like a nervous wreck in the promotional video. His eyes were on his shoes and his face was red. The interviewer fired off questions at him, but he had trouble answering them. It started with the first, which was supposed to be a simple self-introduction. “H-hi, I’m Tian Tian, uh… KG’s Toplaner. Uhh, p-peop– F-fans c-c-call me Rou– Ah, i-it doesn’t m-matter. Fatty, yes… Fatty is m-my name.”

“Hahaha! What was that?” Su Xue spit out her food laughing. She covered her mouth with her hands and swallowed. Then she continued, “Awww! He’s soooo cute! I expected something else from China’s number one top laner. Not such a cutey! Aww, he’s so shy! Look at him! Look at him! I could just eat him up!”

Lin Feng rubbed his nose and smiled. “Yeah, Fatty’s a bit of a coward. Always has been.”

The interviewer was unfazed by Tian Tian’s clear discomfort and pressed him with more difficult questions. “Tian Tian, what are your thoughts on the groups draw? Do you think KG has a shot at making it through the group stage?”

Tian Tian fidgeted with his fingers and bit his lips. “Mhm, y-yea… I t-think our g-g-group is… is d-doable.”

Su Xue shook her head, shocked. “Think our group is doable? He doesn’t sound convinced at all! Does he know something we don’t? Why does it sound like he’s already given up?”

The interviewer was looking for a different kind of answer. Something a little bit more spicy. More provocative. But it was really difficult to get anything out of Tian Tian. She decided to change her tactic. “You’re up against North America’s Flash in Group A. They qualified third in their region, but they do have a King on their roster. Their Toplaner Chris! You’re considered the best Toplaner in China. Your fans even call you the Uncrowned Eighth! How do you think you’ll do against him? Will you show everyone that you’re better than King Chris?”

The camera zoomed in closer on Tian Tian’s face. They could see the beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead. The camera zoomed in even closer. Now his head took up to the entire screen. They could see his upper lip starting to quiver. Tian Tian started blinking. A lot. He swayed back and forth as he stammered out an answer, “U-uhhh… I d-don’t know. B-b-b-but I’ll try my best to win.” He looked like he was about to pass out.

“Oh come on! What was that? Try your best? Can’t you be a little more confident!” Su Xue exclaimed, exasperated. She stared at the screen and started complaining to Tian Tian as though she believed he could hear her, “What is wrong with you? Worlds hasn’t even started yet Roundy! Get your shit together! Everyone calls you the Uncrowned Eighth! Even the interviewer did! You’re basically one of the Seven Kings anyway! Show some confidence! You’re just as good as them! Don’t be scared! Come on! You can do it!” She pumped her fist in the air. She had copied Lin Feng’s signature move subconsciously.

The promotional video moved on to the next team in Group A. It was Flash from North America. This was clearly done by the editors to insert some drama. After a short intro illustrating Flash’s recent achievements, the interview segment began. A young man stepped into frame. He crossed his arms over his chest, confident and comfortable. The camera zoomed in on his face. He had a pale skin, freckles on his nose and curly, red hair. A caption appeared on the bottom of the screen.

Chris, Toplaner of Flash

The camera zoomed out to also include the interviewer in the shot. The interview started with several boring questions about how he and his team were preparing for Worlds. Then the topic shifted to Chris’ rivals. “I spoke to Roundy Round from KG before you. He said that he’ll try his best to beat you! As the number one Toplaner in North America and one of the Seven Kings, what do you think of this challenge?”

Chris chuckled. “He said that? Alright, I welcome the challenge. I’ve known him since all the way back in Season 1. We’re both veterans of the game. We even played against each other in Worlds. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. But. I’ve been watching some of his games lately in the LPL and I have to say that he really looks out of it. He didn’t impress me at all. If he wants to go toe-to-toe with me in top lane, he’ll have to find his old groove back. Right now he’s just not good enough. I really hope I’m wrong. But if I’m not, this is going to be a very boring game. Easy win.”

“What a prick!” Su Xue cursed, slamming her hand down on the table. “This asshole is way too full of himself! How dare he say Roundy has fallen off? Roundy is amazing! Fuck me! What’s so amazing about being in the Seven Kings anyway? Roundy is way better than him! And who even talks trash like that in an interview? He’s pathetic!”

“I know right!” Lin Feng exclaimed. “I can’t stand him either!” He went quiet while Su Xue droned on in the background. His eyes narrowed and focused on the screen. I remember you. They’d played against each other during the Season 1 World Championships. He hated the guy. A real asshole. One of the most toxic, two-faced players he’d ever met. But Chris was also a really good player. One of the best in the world back in the day. Ninth to be precise. For comparison, Fatty only came in thirteenth. There’d been a clear difference in skill between the two.

Lin Feng couldn’t help but smile. Individual skill alone wasn’t enough to make it on the highest stage. Their match during the Season 1 Worlds was the perfect example. Fatty had trouble against Chris in lane, but that was only for the first few minutes. Their jungler arrived and helped Fatty pick up a kill on Chris. That was all the help Fatty needed to lock down his lane while the rest of his team pulled ahead. Then when the team fights broke out in the midgame, it quickly devolved into a one-sided beating. Chris and his team never stood a chance. Lin Feng scratched the back of his head. I wonder if he’s still mad about that game… Maybe that’s why he’s being such an ass towards Fatty.

While Lin Feng was lost in his thoughts, the promotional video moved on. Team after team was interviewed until the video approached the end. The hype music amped up, and the SSK logo appeared on the screen. The last team to be featured was the best team in the world and the current World Champions—SSK! Their roster consisted of three world-class professional players, a King and the Emperor! They were the team to beat!

Lin Feng focused back on the promotional video. The highlights of SSK’s season flashed by, after which the interviews started. He watched that familiar figure walking into the spotlight. So calm. So confident. His eyes trembled. He balled his fists and ground his teeth. You.

The interviewer walked forward to welcome Rake with a big smile. She didn’t fire off questions right away like she’d done with the others. No. She waited for Rake to get comfortable and give her the OK. He was the best player in the world, and for that reason alone deserved her respect. She triple-checked that he was ready and only then started the interview. Her first question was different from the questions she’d asked the other players. “Rake, you’ve already won Worlds twice. No one has ever won it three times. What do you think your chances are?”

The camera switched to Rake. He looked calm and comfortable, like he always did. His expression didn’t change. He didn’t have to think about the question and replied in Korean. Subtitles appeared at the bottom of the screen so that the people watching could understand what he was saying. “I won Worlds in Season 1. I won Worlds in Season 4. I will win Worlds again this year.” This was Rake through and through. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he would win the Season 5 World Championships.

For the first time during the promotional video, Su Xue failed to come up with a witty remark. She was in complete awe of Rake’s confidence. She sighed. “Ahhh, the God of Midlane. I don’t care how cocky he sounds, it just fits him so well.” She looked over at Lin Feng and tapped on his hand. “Hey, didn’t you say you want to become the best player in the world? That’s the guy you’re gonna have to beat!”

Lin Feng’s eyes were locked on the screen. He stared at Rake while giving a slight nod. “I know.”

✹

The next two days flew by. It was Friday afternoon. The students in High School 13 sat restless in their classrooms. They weren’t paying any attention to the teachers. Their eyes were on the clock, waiting for the final bell to ring. Tomorrow was National Day! The start of a week long break and the start of Worlds! They could stay up late to watch the games and wouldn’t have to worry about getting up early the next day for school!

The dismissal bell rang. Students from every year rushed for the door, shoving each other aside to get out first. The floors shook and the excited shouts drummed through the hallways. Club activities were canceled today, so Ouyang and Yang Fan joined the mayhem and were gone before Lin Feng even noticed it. He looked around, confused, and found that only Tang Bingyao was still at her desk. They were the only two left in class.

“Hey, wanna walk home together?” Lin Feng asked.

Tang Bingyao was still reading a textbook. She looked up at Lin Feng, thought for a moment and then nodded.

The halls were already empty when Lin Feng and Tang Bingyao walked out of the classroom. They walked down the stairway and off school property. The two walked in silence on the sidewalk until Tang Bingyao turned to Lin Feng and asked in a rare show of curiosity, “What team are you rooting for at Worlds?”

“KG!” Lin Feng replied without hesitation.

“Why them?” Tang Bingyao asked, tilting her head slightly.

Lin Feng scratched his hair and smiled. “Would you believe me if I told you an old friend of mine is in KG?”

Lin Feng chuckled. These guys have no clue how lucky they are. They’re getting all the perks of belonging to a professional team with none of the downsides, and the whole thing is free! He was coaching them while Ren Rou took care of everything else in terms of management. All the five players from the esports club had to do was work on their game. To improve as quickly as they possibly could! They didn’t even have to think about strategy or what champion to play, he did that for them. It couldn’t be any easier for them!

This was exactly how the professional teams and esports orgs worked these days. After the competitive League of Legends scene had matured, there was a lot of money going around. Team owners woke up one morning with more than enough funding to expand their organizations. There was now enough money for support staff. They already had managers, but now they could start investing in coaching staff and analysts. The coaches made all the decisions. They decided who would play in a tournament, what strategy the team would go for, and which champions the players would use. All that was left for the players to do was focus on improving their play and being in optimal condition when the next game started.

Lin Feng didn’t have this luxury back in Season 1. Not that many people played League of Legends during those days, and  there really weren’t many professional players and orgs. There was no money for support infrastructure around the teams. No coaching staff to tell them how to play. All they had was a team owner, someone who spent most of their time seeking out potential sponsors and convincing them to throw money at the team. They also had a manager who took care of the logistical things, like arranging scrims, booking travel and accomodations, and buying food. The rest was up to the players.

From analyzing the game to staying up to date with the latest patches. They researched their opponents and prepared their own strategies. Lin Feng and his team handled all of that back in Season 1. They had to coach themselves. That’s what Lin Feng drew on for what he was doing with the esports team. As far as game knowledge and tactics went, Lin Feng was good enough that he could be considered about half of a professional coach. Sure, it was a given that he didn’t have anywhere near enough experience to join the coaching staff of a professional team. But it was more than enough to help the esports club prepare for the Shanghai 16 School Tournament.

The five players on the esports club team sat side by side. Lin Feng walked behind them, back and forth. His eyes caught everything, from how they sat in their chair to the smallest mistakes they made in the game. And he was sure to point them out as bluntly as he could. There was no time to be nice about it. They had to be ready when the Shanghai 16 School Tournament started!

“Tang Tang, you have a minimap for a reason! Go to your settings and make it bigger, maybe then you can keep an eye on it!”

“Wei Dong, Tang Bingyao isn’t going to bite you. Stop running away from her! Support her goddamnit!”

“Liu Yue, quit it with the bullshit roaming. Maintain vision and move in when there’s an opportunity! Don’t walk around the map admiring the trees and the rocks! If you can’t find an opening to gank, force one!”

“Chen Ze map awareness! Come on dude, what did we talk about last game? If you pick Teleport, use it. Hey! Chen Ze! Listen! What did I just say? Teleport!”

They tried to do what Lin Feng told them to do, but every time they tried to change things he’d be yelling at them about yet another mistake they made. Another mistake. Another thing they did wrong. Half of the time they didn’t even understand what it was they did wrong. Or how it was wrong! They started to play more carefully, hoping he would stop shouting at them. But he didn’t, he only shouted louder. Their hands felt sweaty and their hearts would skip a beat every time they thought he would scream at them again.

Ouyang tapped on Lin Feng’s shoulder and gestured at him to follow. When they were out of earshot from the rest of the members, he said, “Hey bro. I trust you, really, I do. But are you sure this is the best way to coach them? Look at them! Look! They’re terrified! If you keep pushing them, they’ll snap. They’ll either rage and tilt or give up. You don’t want to see that happen, right? So how about you chill down a bit?”

“No. I can’t.” Lin Feng shook his head. “I would be a bad coach if I did that. If they want to improve, I have to point out their mistakes as they happen. That’s the only way they’ll get any better!” He looked over at the five players, then added, “Besides, I’ve only been pointing out the big, obvious mistakes. I’ll go into a little more depth after the game is over.”

“The big, obvious mistakes?” Ouyang looked at Lin Feng, incredulous. He felt his heart skip a beat. If he thinks those are only the big and obvious mistakes, then what about…? Is he going to scream even more at them after the game…? He grabbed Lin Feng by his arm and asked, “Yo bro, are you sure about this? Don’t you think you’re setting the bar a little too high? It’s only a high school tournament…”

Lin Feng smiled at Ouyang. “Trust me. We need to do this if we want to win that tournament.” He understood better than Ouyang how vast the gap between them and high ranked teams was. If they wanted any chance at winning the Shanghai 16 School Tournament, they couldn’t slack. He couldn’t be nice about certain things. Being this harsh and yelling and hammering down on them, it wasn’t fun for him either. But it was necessary if they wanted to have any chance of beating the top schools like Shanghai International and Shanghai High School.

The team had two weeks to prepare for the Shanghai 16 School Tournament. Even if they trained every single day until then, it was still going to be incredibly difficult to get to a point where they were ready. There were so many variables that had to fall perfectly into place. Even with Lin Feng on the team there were no guarantees. He couldn’t carry them by himself. But if they worked hard and really tried, they would eventually get to a point where they’d be real contenders.

No one gave up. No one tilted. The members of the esports club listened to Lin Feng’s advice, trying to ignore his harsh tone, and worked hard to improve their game. For every failure, they made a mental note to work on it later. They couldn’t let Lin Feng down. They wouldn’t let this golden opportunity to take home the trophy pass by. For the honor of their club and the glory of victory, they would push themselves to their limits and exceed them! They would go beyond plus ultra!

They played several more games like this until Lin Feng noticed how late it was. “Oh, shoot! It’s already seven? I need to go home guys!” Su Xue was probably already in her pajamas, waiting for him with dinner ready. He’d promised to take over her stream so that she could get some sleep. “Alright guys, gather around. Come here for a moment. Let’s call it a day for now. Think about everything I’ve told you and then we’ll continue tomorrow where we left off. Go get some rest. See you guys tomorrow!”

Everyone nodded and started grabbing their stuff, when Ouyang nudged Yang Fan and said, “Hey bro, wanna play a couple more games with me? You know, get some extra practice in before tomorrow? We can walk home together afterwards.”

Yang Fan adjusted his glasses. “Sure, sounds good. I think I finally understand one of the things Lin Feng was explaining to me. I wanted to see if I could get the hang of that anyway. Let’s stay and play a few more games.”

Wei Dong watched the exchange between Ouyang and Yang Fan and then looked at Tang Bingyao, who was packing her bag. He fidgeted his fingers before gathering the courage to walk up to her. “Erm, Tang Bingyao…?” When she looked up at him, he felt his face heat up. He tried to hide it behind his hand as he meekly asked, “I-I feel like our synergy in bot is kind of bad. You’re way better than me. I can’t really keep up. So I was thinking that maybe, if you’re ok with it, that we could play a few more games? That will help me get better… But only if you’re ok with it of course!” He stared at the ground, his eyes wide and terrified, waiting for her reply.

Tang Bingyao was caught off-guard. She paused midway through putting a notebook in her bag and looked at Wei Dong. Then she thought about it for a moment before nodding, “Sure. That sounds good.”

Chen Ze looked at his new teammates. Three of them had already decided to stay behind and get a few more games in to practice what they’d learned today. He couldn’t slack behind them! So he put his bag back down and sat behind his monitor again. “I’ll stay for a few more games too! I have almost no homework for tomorrow anyway.”

Liu Yue looked at everyone and then laughed. “Chen Ze, wait! Don’t queue up yet! I’m joining you! Let’s play some games together. I felt our Jungle-Top combo had great synergy. Let’s work a little more on that and make Lin Feng proud of us tomorrow!”

Ren Rou looked at the excited team members with a smile. “Guys! Guys!” she shouted while raising her hand. She waited until she had everyone’s attention and then continued, “Seems like we’re all staying to get some more practice in. That’s great! I’m really proud of you all! But we can’t work on an empty stomach! So, you guys play one game while I go and get some takeout. Then we’ll have a quick bite to eat together and then play a few more games! How does that sound?”

“Sounds good!”
“Sounds great!”
“You’re the best Rou Rou!”
“Get me something vegetarian please.”
“Only if you pay for it with club funds.”

Lin Feng flung his bag over his shoulder and looked at his trainees. Without exception, all of them chose to stay behind and get some more practice in. It seemed like his first training had lit a fire under their asses! He pumped his fist in the air. “Awesome guys! Train hard! I’m really looking forward to seeing how you’ve all improved tomorrow!”

To Lin Feng, only the impossible and far-fetched could be considered a dream, and working hard to achieve it was one of the most fulfilling things in life. This group understood how difficult it was to reach their goal and how hard they would have to work for it. And they were willing to put that work in! He was incredibly proud of them for this. If they kept it up, then High School 13 would deserve to win the Shanghai 16 School Tournament! In his opinion, at least.

✹

While the high schoolers in Shanghai were excited about the Shanghai 16 School Tournament, there were tens of millions of League of Legends fans in China looking forward to a different event. One that would start in another three days. Worlds! Chinese fans everywhere were in heated discussions on their favourite forums and platforms. Riot put more fuel on the fire by releasing emotes for every team participating at Worlds. Players could buy them and flash them above their Champion’s head during a League game to show which team they were supporting.

Riot also released a promotional video for Worlds. It featured all 16 teams and their achievements as well as interviews with the players. This video became the most viewed video in all of China. Everyone was watching it. Fans would go online and discuss the interview highlights. How one player looked really out of it and how their team had to be preparing poorly for Worlds. Or how another one looked happy and carefree. That had to be a sign that their team was doing great!

Lin Feng and Su Xue also watched the promotional video. Su Xue had put her laptop on the table, and they were playing it on repeat while enjoying dinner. The different teams and players flashed across the screen. Su Xue had something to say about all of them, nitpicking every tiny detail.

“Oh god… That dude is seriously ugly.”
“Oh yeah! Wait, he’s a support? How can a support be that hot!”
“Hahaha! Look at that troll! Haha! That American looks like a troll! What do you think Lin Feng? You think he plays Trundle? Hahaha!”

When KG appeared, both Lin Feng and Su Xue sat up a little. They watched closely on the screen. First they saw some of KG’s previous achievements, after which came the interviews with the players. Tian Tian was also featured here.

“Roundy! Ahhh, he’s so cute!”
“Oh my god and he’s so chubby and totally adorably!”
“You know Lin Feng? I just really wanna hug him and squeeze him and pinch his cheeks!”

Lin Feng looked over at Su Xue and laughed, “I know right? Fatty’s cheeks are really great to pinch!”

Lin Feng was deep in an intense schedule of his own design. He had three things that he couldn’t change. School, homework, and filling in for Su Xue on her stream. Other than that, every spare minute was poured into coaching the esports team. If he wasn’t working with them, he was thinking about strategy and thinking about how to help them get better. Even when he was in class and doing his homework, he was still thinking about the esports club and how to coach them better.

Lin Feng wasn’t just coaching the esports club. He was still trying to help Su Xue get better, but his time with her was much more limited. After he bumped into Nightsong and Hermes in solo queue the other night, Su Xue’s stream hit a record viewer count of 6,000! It never got that high after that. But Su Xue never really expected it to. From that night, Su Xue’s stream gained around 2,000 new viewers who decided to stick with her and keep watching. Far more than Su Xue had expected or even hoped for!

Su Xue made it her mission to convert as many of these new viewers as possible into fans of her stream. People who would buy subscriptions, gift gifts, and participate in chat. Lin Feng played a key role in this. Most of these people had stuck around for him after watching his game with Nightsong and Hermes. They wanted to see him carry. That was why Su Xue was willing to bribe him with two chicken cutlets a night just to have him show off how good he was at the game. But she didn’t stop there. She also worked hard to improve her own skills at the game. That way, she wouldn’t have to rely on Lin Feng to lure these people. She could do it herself!

Hard work could eventually catch up to raw talent. Su Xue absolutely believed in that. As far as League of Legends went, she literally had no talent. Her game instincts were horrendous, and that was understating it. But she overcame all of those hurdles through diligence. dedication, and sheer force of will. She worked harder than most people, giving up sleep and sacrificing her sanity. And all that hard work was paying off. Her skill at the game was rapidly improving, and that directly translated into a higher quality stream. Last night’s viewer count spike was a fluke. A one-off lucky break. But behind that was a steady increase in the number of viewers, all from her own efforts. And with more viewers came more money, and she now had more than enough in her bank account to pay rent.

“Just you pervs wait! Mama’s gonna climb to Diamond!” Su Xue laughed at the camera.

The people watching the stream couldn’t help themselves and turned the chat into “The Roast of Su Xue”.

「climbing to diamond? LOL you called the molehill in the park diamond or something? hHAHHAHA」
「nah, sounds too hard for her! LOL! HARD bet she’ll calls her bootycall diamond and climbs him like a tree」
「oh oh! I volunteer!!!!! climb me xue xueee!!!!」
「yo guys i’m xue xue rl friend!! this is her number: 867-5309! call her!!!!」

✹

Coach Lin Feng’s Legends Bootcamp!

Ren Rou spent a couple of days going through the games that happened during the tryouts, and eventually came up with the official lineup for the esports club team. Her list also included the substitute players for every role. Noticeably absent from the list was Lin Feng’s name. He was good enough that he could play any of the roles for the tournament, so he would fill in whenever it was necessary. Right now, Lin Feng’s job was to be the Coach and get the team for the Shanghai 16 School Tournament.

Which is exactly what Ren Rou told Lin Feng when she came to show him the finalized list for the esports club team. Then she started talking about each of the players, but he cut her off.

“Sounds good! I completely understand.” Lin Feng pounded his chest. “I’m really good at playing every role! Let me see that list.” He snatched the list out of Ren Rou’s hands and started reading.

Name: Chen Ze
Rank: Diamond 5
Role: Top
Main: Irelia

Name: Yang Fan
Rank: Platinum 4
Role: Mid
Main: Twisted Fate

Name: Liu Yue
Rank: Diamond 5
Role: Jungle
Main: All current meta junglers.

Name: Tang Bingyao
Rank: Diamond 4
Role: ADC
Main: Draven, Kallista, Twitch

Name: Wei Dong
Rank: Platinum 2
Role: Support
Main: Nami, Braum

“What about the substitutes? I don’t see their names on the list?” Lin Feng asked after he finished reading.

“Don’t worry about them,” Ren Rou reassured him. “I got a backup for every position. Ouyang is actually the backup for Jungle. I can make a list of them too if you want…”

“Mhm,” Lin Feng nodded, but his mind had already drifted elsewhere. He was thinking about the plan of attack. The first few rounds of the Shanghai 16 School Tournament shouldn’t be too hard. Unless they got really unlucky in the draw again. That meant that he wouldn’t have to worry about playing a specific role for now and could instead put all of his energy into training the club’s team. It was important that the team played together in games that actually mattered, and not just in practice rounds. Team synergy only started developing when the stakes were high. That’s when they would really learn how to come together as a team and grasp victory.

While Lin Feng was thinking about this, Ren Rou continued to talk, “… so I told everyone on the list to come meet us in the club room today. Ouyang’s also coming. We’re going to let them know that you’re a Challenger and that you’re going to be coaching them for the Shanghai 16 School Tournament. Is that okay? I know this is short notice, but are you ready?”

Lin Feng had only heard the second half of what she said and started to answer. But before he could get a word out, Ouyang walked into the club room. “My bro Lin Feng over here is always ready to slay. Amiright Lin Feng?”

Lin Feng gave Ouyang a quick bro hug before answering. “Yeah. We can tell them today. Let’s get started on training as soon as we can! We have to play as many games as we can before the tournament. That’s the only way we’ll achieve the dream of winning!”

Ren Rou jumped in, “Alright Ouyang, I’ll introduce Lin Feng and tell them about the training we’ll be doing. You can jump in when you think it’s necessary or back me up.”

Ouyang vehemently shook his head to indicate how much he disagreed with Ren Rou’s plan. “No way! I’m going to introduce my bro Lin Feng here! Tell those scrubs that he’s the Challenger and they need to fall in line or fall behind! If anyone tries to argue, their ass is grass! I got this!”

Ren Rou sighed, but she just didn’t have the energy to argue with Ouyang. It was probably best just to let him do whatever he was going to do. That was her usual policy whenever he got this hyper about anything.

The three of them talked about the training program and the Shanghai 16 School Tournament until the five players on the main team arrived in the club room. Their arrival was the final piece needed to put their plan in action. Everything else was ready!

✹

The players on the roster for the esports club team had all finally arrived in the club room, and stood there waiting to find out why Ren Rou had asked them to meet. It was now time to introduce Lin Feng and start the training camp for the Shanghai 16 School Tournament.

Ren Rou stood at the front of the classroom and cleared her throat. Everyone else stopped talking and settled down to hear what she had to say. Before she could, Ouyang jumped in front of her and started his own speech.

“Alright. You guys are here today because you’re good! You guys are the best players out of everyone that showed up at tryouts. The best of the best! And that’s who we want. Only with the best of the best can this esports team kiss that trophy from the Shanghai 16 School Tournament!

“BUT…

“You guys aren’t really the best of the best. You guys are only better than the rest of the trash that showed up at tryouts. We gotta forge you into an army! HOW DO YOU TURN TRASH INTO AN ARMY? BY TRAINING!

“We’re going to wash the stink of trash from you guys, from us, from this entire esports team. Right now, I look at you and I think why did they send me daughters when I asked for sons? But that’s okay! We’re going to make men out of you! Then we’ll train some more until we turn you into warriors. Then we’ll train even more until we’re an army! An unstoppable army!

“That’s where my bro Lin Feng here comes in. He’s going to be our coach! He’s going to teach us everything we need to know to not embarrass ourselves at the tournament. He’s going to teach us how not to be trash. He’s going to show us how to grab our dreams with our own two hands!

“Some of you are wondering why you should listen to him, right? WELL I DON’T CARE! You’ll listen because I’m telling you to listen. And if you don’t listen, we don’t need you in this esports club. But all of you saw how awesome his LeBlanc was at tryouts, right? Well, my bro Lin Feng here is an actual Challenger on the Ionia server! THAT’S WHY YOU LISTEN TO HIM AND TRAIN UNTIL YOUR EYES BLEED! OR I’LL MAKE YOUR ASS BLEED!”

“Are you for real? A Challenger? He’s actually a Challenger?” Wei Dong exclaimed.
Chen Ze looked at Lin Feng like he’d seen a ghost. “Holy shit! I didn’t know we had a legend at our school! Oh damn, a Challenger? Holy damn!”

“… wait, did you just say you’d make our ass bleed?” Tang Bingyao asked. She already knew Lin Feng was a Challenger and that his training would work. So most of her attention was on Ouyang’s increasingly peculiar choice of words as he got more and more excited during his speech.

The only one who didn’t say anything was Liu Yue. He just stared at Lin Feng thoughtfully. Where have I seen you before? He knew he saw Lin Feng somewhere before, the guy felt familiar to him. But where? Where was it? He couldn’t figure it out. Damnit where– “Wait!” he suddenly cried out. “That’s where I know you from! You’re that Vayne! I watched you play on Huya! You were that amazing Vayne!”

“Ehh? You caught me.” Lin Feng laughed, scratching the back of his head. It seemed like someone had finally recognized him.

“Huh? What Vayne? Bro, since when are you a streamer?” Ouyang asked, bewildered. He stopped for a moment and then fired off, “What’s your stream called? You stream everyday? Wait! Why haven’t you told me about this? I thought we were bros! What the fuck man! You could’ve invited me. If we duo queued, you’d definitely gotten more viewers! I’d be the sex appeal in your stream. All the girls would show up!”

Liu Yue finally connected the dots in his head. This is him! That was his Vayne! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! His eyes went wide in shock and excitement. “I knew you looked familiar! I was browsing Huya and then clicked on your stream just as you queued up with Nightsong and Hermes! Oh my god! That game was so amazing! Nightsong actually gave you the ad-carry and then you went Vayne! I thought for sure you would fail. But man were you good! Your Vayne was so good! I don’t think I know a better Vayne player! Even Hermes gave you a compliment! Hermes! Your Vayne was just that good!”

“I know right?” Lin Feng laughed and patted his chest. “I’m really good at Vayne!!”

While Lin Feng and Liu Yue were talking about Lin Feng’s plays and how he kept his cool when he was playing with Nightsong as his support, everyone else was silent. They stared at Lin Feng with their mouths wide open. It was as if they’d lost their tongues. Or like they’d forgotten how to function. They just stood there in shock.

Ouyang was the first to recover. He shouted, “You played with Hermes and Nightsong? THE HERMES AND NIGHTSONG?”

Yang Fan followed soon after. He adjusted his glasses and said, “I know I was a little pessimistic before, but man, I had no clue you were that good! If you can even impress Hermes, maybe we really do have a chance to win the 16 School Tournament.”

“Guys, GUYS!” Ren Rou interrupted. “It’s great that Lin Feng is amazing, but that only means we have to work harder! Don’t forget, we can’t drag him down!”

Liu Yue raised his hand and shouted, “I promise to give it my all! I won’t hold him back! I promise!”

Chen Ze and Wei Dong, the Toplaner and Support, looked at each other and found the same excitement in the other’s eyes. They had been with the esports club for a while now, but they had nothing to show for it. It wasn’t because they hadn’t tried. They’d given it their all! But they were just never good enough. Now, though, their team actually stood a chance! For the first time since joining the club, they felt the rush that comes from a chance at victory! A fantastic conclusion to their otherwise dull high school years!

Lin Feng smiled as he saw that everyone was full of anticipation and excitement. He pounded his chest and declared, “Coach Lin Feng’s Legends Bootcamp is going to start!”

✹

The best way for Lin Feng to understand the esports club team’s skill level was to have them play a 5v5 ranked game. They found a quiet corner in the NetCow Cafe and the main team members all sat down in front of a monitor. Lin Feng walked behind them, back and forth. “Alright guys, this’ll be your first match. Just show off what you can do. Try and work together. This game is just for me to get an idea of your skill level. So try your best! Impress me! You guys can do this! Let’s go!”

The team members logged into their account on the Ionia server and queued up as a team for a 5v5 ranked game. This game mode was different from solo and duo queue, because it relied far more on team synergy rather than individual skill. Take the esport club’s team. They all knew each other. They were even sitting right next to each other and could easily communicate. This was impossible to do when you were queued up with random players.

It didn’t take long to find a game, and it also didn’t take long to finish it. The esports club’s team pulled ahead from the start. Every lane did great and pushed for an advantage. The gold lead grew and they got the first and second Dragon mostly uncontested. But their opponents saw it differently. They believed that all it would take to turn the game around was one misplay. One opportunity. But this opportunity never came and when the game hit the 25-minute mark, they gave up and surrendered.

Ouyang walked past the lineup of players, patting them all on their shoulders. “Great work guys! That’s what I love to see! Perfect play! That was super! Keep it up and we’ll definitely win the tournament!”

Lin Feng watched Ouyang and the others. They were all excited. Their first game was a win! He shook his head and mumbled, “This is going to be a lot of work… There are so many problems. Where do I even start?”

Lin Feng knew what to expect when it came to the individual skill of these players. They weren’t half bad. They could hold their own in lane, even against a stronger opponent. That was great in solo queue, but it meant very little in a 5vs5. And he wasn’t training them so they could climb in solo queue. He needed to turn them into a team! This was going to take a lot more effort than he thought it would. He let them enjoy their victory and bask in the glory before starting to give them feedback on how they did.

“Wei Dong, you don’t hide behind your tower when your ad-carry is towerdiving the enemy! Match your ad-carry. Support her damnit!” He then turned to Tang Bingyao. “And you! What was that? Why in the world would you towerdive when your Support is hiding behind his tower? Any decent team would’ve taken advantage of you. You have to play a little bit less aggressively!”

Lin Feng turned to Yang Fan and Chen Ze, both of whom were now a little bit less excited. “And you, Yang Fan, sure your laning was fine. But help explain something to me. Why did you pick Teleport? Why? I didn’t see you use it even once! Why pick it if you don’t plan on using it? Communicate man! Communicate! When you pick Teleport, you have to communicate with your team and find the right place and time to use it! I don’t want to see you do that again! Better yet, you probably just shouldn’t pick Teleport again.” He barely took a breather as he turned to Chen Ze. “Same for you Chen Ze. You did fine in lane but who cares about that? This is a team game! Not solo queue! If you pick Teleport, you have to use it! I didn’t see you leave top lane once!”

The good mood from a moment ago was completely shattered by Lin Feng’s judgement. Tang Bingyao fidgeted with her fingers, Yang Fan was cleaning his glasses and Chen Ze just stared at his screen and his score in the post game lobby. None of them dared to look in Lin Feng’s direction, afraid he would think of more things to fault them on.

Liu Yue looked at Lin Feng, hesitant. “Uh, Lin Feng? What about me? Did I do ok?”

“No. You did not,” Lin Feng replied. “Your Jungle was fun and nice for some random game, but we’re not here to prepare for some random game.” He stopped for a moment and looked at the others, then continued, “Alright guys, listen up. We’re not here to feel good about crushing some silver scrubs in a random game. We’re here to prepare for the 16 School Tournament. We want to win that thing! We’ll be up against Masters and Challengers. Your little win over some silver scrubs? It means absolutely nothing! Get your shitake mushrooms together! We’ve got a long way to go!”

Hermes and Nightsong took a seat at Tian Tian’s table. Nightsong looked at all the plates already on the table and grabbed a small pastry from one of them. He aggressively bit a chunk of the pastry, savoring it as he chewed, and said, “Holy Cannoli! Literally! This cannoli’s so good! Good thing I was smart enough to steal it from you, eh Roundy? Don’t worry, there’s a couple more of them on the other plates. I checked.”

He wasn’t lying. There were five plates spread out on the table, all within arm’s reach of where Tian Tian was sitting. All of the plates were piled high with different kinds of pastries and sandwiches. It was honestly more than a little impressive. Each plate contained enough food to feed a family for several days, and utilized a genuinely creative organization and stacking structure to achieve this. Nightsong and Hermes both took a minute to look at all of the food on all of the plates. For different reasons. Hermes was awestruck at the volume of food and how much was packed onto each one. Nightsong was making sure there were more cannolis like the one he’d stolen. He figured there would be when he said there were, and now he wanted to make sure. Once he confirmed there were, that’s when he saw the bigger picture.

Nightsong’s eyes popped out of his head as he gasped, “Good lord! I know you like to eat Roundy, but what the hell is this? I could literally make a life-size sculpture of you from all this food! This ain’t all for you, right? The rest of your team is coming down? There’s no fucking way you can eat all of this! The UN doesn’t even give Africa this much food! Please tell me you got this for the rest of your team because you got here early! God damn! If I was into food like you were, I’d have a boner all the time!”

Hermes shook his head. Well, at least Nightsong didn’t tell him he’d be trash if he got fatter. He looked at Roundy, “Nightsong’s got a way with the words, right? But you can really pack it away, Roundy! That is so much food! How can you eat all of that!”

Tian Tian shrank into his chair and slid a little more under the table. But he didn’t fit. The table tilted and some of the plates started sliding off. He jumped back into his chair and set the table right, but his face was completely red from embarrassment. “Hahah, yeah. I’ve always been pretty big. Got a large stomach, ya know? So I need to eat a lot…” His eyes fell on the chocolate mousse cakes on one of the plates. The energy he lost a moment ago was back in full. He grabbed two cakes and gave one each to Nightsong and Hermes. “Here! You guys have to try these! They’re super delicious! Probably the best thing they have here right now!”

Nightsong looked at the chocolate mousse then at Tian Tian, amazed. He had no words. He let out a long sigh. “Damn. You’re crazy, man. Completely cuckoo for cocoa puffs. Wait! Shit! Don’t go get cereal now because I reminded you of it. But god damn! I got a big dick and everything, but I’m still freaking out about Worlds right now. Here you are stuffing your face with pastries and sausages, telling me about how good the chocolate mousse is. I gotta know. How big is your dick? Gotta be huge, right? I mean, I can barely keep food down right now! You either have a monster of a trouser snake or you’re chillin cause you’ve been here since Season 1.”

Tian Tian waved his hands and shook his head. “No no! You’re wrong. I’m really nervous too! Maybe you can’t tell, but I’m freaking out!”

“So why are you eating here all by yourself?” Hermes interjected in an attempt to bring the conversation back to a more normal vein. Then he chuckled to himself and added, “I’m sorry but I need to ask. Did you eat your teammates?”

Tian Tian rubbed his hair. “Oh, them… They went sightseeing around the city. I think I heard them say something about a theme park? I don’t really know.”

“Theme park?” Nightsong’s eyes started shining. “Hermes and I were just talking about going there! I heard they got a ton of cool rides and shit there! Also heard that it was a decent place to meet some cute girls. Why didn’t you go? You feelin’ the chocolate mousse more than the girls here?”

“No no no, no. No. No! They’re going for the rollercoasters! I hate those things. They’re terrifying! What if something goes wrong? What if the seatbelt-thingie comes loose? I don’t wanna go flying! Or what if the cart falls off the track… Nope! Just no. I’m never getting on another rollercoaster ever again!” Tian Tian frantically shook his head, his chubby face turned pale. Just the thought of a roller coaster terrified him! There was one time he got talked into getting on one and he made a solemn vow to himself that it would never happen again. That was a memory he wanted to repress!

✹

Laughter rolled through the banquet hall. Nightsong and Hermes were talking and joking around with Tian Tian while tasting the pastries. Tian Tian, on the other hand, had a different approach. He ate like his life depended on it. Like he was worried someone would steal his food if he looked away for a second. He still looked up and replied to the two sitting across from him, though, and they eventually started talking about Worlds.

“The pressure’s starting to get to me. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t.” Nightsong sighed. “I mean, we’ve had our fun in the LPL and those teams were good. But you know, they were only LPL good. We knew everyone we played against from solo queue or from scrims against them. Worlds is a completely different animal! We don’t know half the teams. I mean, not like we know all the LPL teams, and we’re going to be up against many of the Seven Kings and Four Emperors. And yeah yeah, before you guys start about it, I know. It sounds cringy as fuck. Can barely believe hearing myself say it. But it’s still true that those guys are really fucking good. They’re way better than what we have in the LPL!”

Hermes nodded. “You’re right. Every team that qualified for Worlds this year is really good.”

Nightsong suddenly jerked his head to look at Tian Tian. “But you…” He waved at all the food spread out before him. “I don’t know how you do it man. But you don’t look nervous at all. Like not one bit. How do you do it?”

Hermes patted on Nightsong’s shoulder. “Stay frosty, man. Roundy over here has been playing at Worlds since Season 1. He’s been around the block way too many times. It doesn’t freak him out as much as it did in the beginning. It’ll be the same for us in a couple of years.”

Hermes hadn’t started playing League of Legends until Season 3. Then it took him a little over a year to climb up high enough to get noticed and sign with a professional team. His team managed to qualify for Worlds in Season 4. So this was only his second time at Worlds.

Hermes was a baby compared to Tian Tian when it came to Worlds. Tian Tian’s first Worlds was in Season 1, and he even made it all the way to the finals that time. Every year after that, with the exception of season three, his team had made it to Worlds and he’d played in all of them. This year would be his fourth time around the block. Tian Tian was the most experienced player in China and among the most veteran players in the entire world.

“No no, guys, you got it all wrong! It’s nothing like that. I’m really not immune to the stress or anything. I’m also super freaked out!” Tian Tian tried explaining to them. He hated being complimented like this. It made him feel incredibly uncomfortable. Especially since it was the furthest thing from the truth. He wasn’t calm. He was so far from calm that calm disappeared over the horizon. But he stumbled over his words when he tried to explain, and then eventually gave up and slouched in his chair.

Both Nightsong and Hermes noticed that Tian Tian was getting uncomfortable with the conversation. They changed the subject to the most recent game of League they’d played. Hermes made fun of Nightsong and the strange things he did and said. That was just what Tian Tian needed. His breathing calmed and he looked a lot more relaxed. He even sat up straight and chewed his food like a normal person instead of swallowing it whole.

✹

Nightsong and Hermes spent the next 20 minutes eating and talking, enjoying the pastries they picked up from the buffet. They also tasted several that Tian Tian highly recommended. By the end of it, they’d eaten more than they could handle. Their stomachs bulged out and their eyelids felt heavy. The early signs of an impending food coma. Tian Tian, on the other hand, still had several plates to go and was busy stuffing his face with no signs of slowing down.

“Mghmmm?” Tian Tian attempted to ask when Nightsong and Hermes stood up. They looked at him, confused. He gulped down whatever was in his mouth and tried again, “Are you guys done eating? Already? Are you leaving?”

“Nope! No more! I’m not eating another bite! I feel like I’m about to blow up, and not in the good way!” Nightsong yelled while frantically waving his hands around. “You’re something else. I don’t even know why you got into playing League! You should’ve gone into competitive eating. You’re already an Emperor in that sport. Respect man. Respect!”

Hermes picked his plate up and cut Nightsong off, “We’ll let you enjoy your afternoon snack. Nightsong and I are going back up to our rooms. Gotta let all this food digest. We’ll probably chill out on the couch or something for a bit and then get back to playing some more ranked games to warm up for Worlds.”

“Oh, alright then! Thanks for sitting down with me for a bit, it was fun. Good luck in your games!” Tian Tian waved goodbye while the other two walked away. Then he looked back down at the food on his plate. “This isn’t going to eat itself,” he mumbled before shoveling it into his mouth again. It was a continuous fluid motion. Food went up from the plate, into his mouth, and down his throat. But it happened so quickly that it was impossible to figure out when he actually did all of those things. Food disappeared from the plate and his hands blurred while moving up and down. He did this while sitting completely alone in that large banquet hall. The only other people with him were the wait staff who occasionally walked by. In that large banquet hall, he looked all the more lonely.

Tian Tian looked a little different after Nightsong and Hermes left. His hand started trembling. He made a fist, holding onto the fork more tightly. But it still trembled. The piece of cake on it vibrated off and fell in his lap. Then he dropped the fork. It fell onto the plate and the clink of steel on porcelain echoed through the empty banquet hall. His teeth started chattering. He’d been trying really hard to keep himself together in front of Nightsong and Hermes. He didn’t want them to see how absolutely petrified he was. That he was freaking out more than the two of them combined. More than the rest of his own team combined! Once they left, he completely fell apart. Just thinking about Worlds sent him into a panic attack!

The name Tian Tian was made up out of two characters. Tian (田) was his family name, and the Tian (天) in his first name was given to him by his grandfather. It represented the sky and was given to him in the hope that his accomplishments would be just as vast. But Tian Tian worried every day that he had let his Grandfather down over the past 21 years of his life. And that he’d continue to let his Grandfather down for the rest of his life.

For as long as he could remember, he was always the fat kid. But it didn’t stop there. He could’ve been the fat kid who was funny. But no, he was shy and timid. He never found the courage to stand up for himself. All he wanted to do was hide, fade into the background. But that was not particularly easy to do for a fat kid. This unfortunate combination also made him the perfect target for any bully.

From kindergarten to his final day in high school, not a single one went by without someone showing up to bully him. They took his lunch money, roughed him up every once in a while, and made fun of him until they got tired. That last one was the worst. He got used to the fat jokes fast, and they figured that out just as quickly. So they changed tactics and pinpointed the stuff that actually hurt him. That’s when their words started to hurt. Really hurt. But he never fought back. He never tried to stop them. He never even told his parents. Instead, he buried his frustration and pain underneath food. He ate and ate and ate, and then realized that he truly enjoyed eating food. Whenever he was eating, he stopped feeling sad. Stopped worrying. Only through eating could he step out of the mental prison he’d trapped himself in and enjoy life. If only for just a moment.

As the years went by, Tian Tian grew fatter and fatter. He had no real friends at school. The only people that really talked to him were the ones who wanted to bully him. He turned to gaming because it was something he could do alone. He didn’t need any friends to play games. Didn’t need to talk to anyone at all while playing games. And while he played the game, no one needed to know he was Fatso Tian Tian. So no one could bully him.

That’s when he found out about a new game that was just released. League of Legends. He decided to give it a try because he heard that every game was played with nine other real players. He could get to know people from behind a screen, maybe even make some friends. And if they wanted to bully him, they could only do so for the length of a single game. Then he’d never see them again. Picking up League of Legends, that turned out to be the best decision Tian Tian had ever made in his entire life. He was good at the game! It was the first thing in his life that he was actually good at! The truth was that he wasn’t just good at the game, he was fantastic at it. He was so talented that he managed to get noticed and signed by a professional team a few months after he started playing the game! Then he climbed with that team to the very top and played at the very first World Championships. And he’d been doing that for the last five years.

Nightsong and Hermes weren’t wrong when they assumed he wasn’t freaking out about Worlds. He’d been in the professional scene for five years now and played in four World Championships. Most people would think that he’d gotten used to the pressure by now. But that was the furthest thing from the truth. His secret was that he was always worried. More than everyone else combined. The anxiety and panic kept him awake all night. His hands trembled and his knees wobbled.

It was one thought. Just one thought that always ran through his mind and broke his spirit and sent him spiraling into panic attacks. One thought. “Don’t fuck up! Don’t let your team down! Don’t let your fans down! Don’t let your Grandfather down!” He never even thought about how well he’d do. He didn’t think about how happy he’d be if he did well. All he thought about were the countless ways he could fuck up. The things that could make him choke. How he’d let his teammates down. How he’d let all the people that believe in him down. Every second that he was alone with his thoughts, a brand new scenario in which he would fuck up and singlehandedly lose the game popped up in his mind.

It was his anxiety, his fear of failure, the idea that he might choke when people were counting on him that led to the five plates of food in front of him. He was sitting here eating all that food to try and ease his anxiety, to bury it under mountains of pastries. He wasn’t sitting in the banquet hall alone because his teammates had abandoned him. They didn’t want to go and do something without him. He was here alone because he wanted to be here. He wanted to be alone. If his teammates knew how he was feeling, what was going on inside his head, they would worry about him. They would be sad because they couldn’t do anything to help him if they knew the truth. It wouldn’t accomplish anything if everyone felt like he did. That would make things worse. That’s why he was alone.

Every time he took a bite, the rush of sugar and the joy of the flavor banished the anxiety from his mind. He could relax for a second. This was the only way he knew how to cope. The constant need to eat to escape from his crippling anxiety and the desire to not burden anyone with his problems or let them down in any way created a truly unfortunate combination that resulted in him isolating himself from everyone around him.

It wasn’t always this way. Well, the anxiety and panic attacks were always there. But there was a time when Tian Tian wasn’t completely alone. It was four years ago, right before the start of Worlds. His anxiety amped up and he was on the verge of a panic attack. Exactly like today. He couldn’t deal with his thoughts, couldn’t stop worrying and he couldn’t breathe. Before he knew it, he was in a small restaurant across from the hotel he was staying at. He didn’t even remember walking there, that’s how panicked he was. He ordered every single thing on the menu and settled into a quiet corner. All by himself. The first of his food arrived and he salivated in anticipation of both the food and the momentary reprieve from his thoughts. Just as he was about to dig in, he was interrupted by a young man. A teenager, still in middle school, holding a tray with a large plate of food in his hands.

The young guy put his food down on the table and sat down in the empty chair across from Tian Tian. He got comfortable and then grabbed his own fork and knife. Just before he started eating, he looked at Tian Tian and said, “Fatty! Did anyone tell you it was rude to go off and eat by yourself? You should’ve said something if you wanted to eat. I was hungry too! It’s rude when you don’t ask your friends to come eat with you! Haha!”

“Uhh… I, it’s uhm, just I think…” Tian Tian looked at his food and then looked at the guy sitting across from him. He wanted to eat, needed to eat. But he wanted to reply. Back and forth. But every time he tried to say something, he stumbled over his words. It always happened when he got nervous. “You know…. Um…. well, w-w-with the game… hm… err tomorrow. You know… the, uh… The Worlds thing. And I thought. N-n-no, I was thinking… uh, and I was… you know… uh. And. Well, if I eat, my nerves…”

“Oh! So you’re nervous? You got some anxiety and you’re trying to eat your feelings, huh? Bury it under whatever you can put in your mouth?” The youth laughed, “No wonder you’re so fat!”

“Uh, yeah, I guess…” Tian Tian lowered his head, embarrassed.

“Well that makes two of us! I’m also super nervous! Worlds starts tomorrow! Can you believe it? Tomorrow! I can barely keep it together! So I came down here to eat my feelings! Just like you! Haha!” The young man looked Tian Tian right in the eyes and his cheerful tone turned serious. “Fatty, listen up. This is important. Next time you get this anxious and need to eat, call me. I’ll tag along. Then we can both eat our worries away together! It won’t be so lonely!”

Tian Tian looked up and looked in the young guy’s eyes for the very first time. Met his stare for the first time. Tian Tian surprised himself. He didn’t remember the last time he’d looked up at someone, looked them in the eyes. This might have been the first time he did that in his entire life. But something about the young guy made him want to, and when he did he found eyes that were beaming with joy. But he still hesitated. He’d gotten used to eating alone, eating so fast that he could stop his own thoughts from beating him down. If someone else was there, they wouldn’t let him just eat. They’d want to talk. And then he’d be trapped in his thoughts again.

Just as he started walking down the thorny path in his mind that he’d walked so many times before, the one that spiraled into the dark place, the young guy interrupted him again, “It’s so lonely, this whole eating by yourself thing! Isn’t it way more fun to eat with someone else? Food is meant to be shared and enjoyed with friends! Let’s enjoy this meal together!”

Pain shot through Tian Tian’s head and gut at the same time, snapping him out the memory. He picked his fork up off the plate and licked it clean. Then he sat there, staring at the empty banquet hall. Dazed. He didn’t eat or move for a long time. He just sat there without blinking. Then all at once and without warning, he stabbed the fork into whatever was on the plates and started eating. He ate like his life depended on it. Like he needed to bury whatever he was feeling under as much food as his body could handle. Frosting and crumbs combined and created a crust around his mouth. He still kept eating. Some of the crumbs got pushed into his mouth, but they were quickly replaced by new crumbs and bits of food. He inhaled the food in front of him while tears ran down his face. His shoulders trembled. In between bites and the shifting of plates, he cried and mumbled, “L-lin Feng, where did you….go? You said you’d eat with me! You said to call!” But no one heard him or saw his tears in that empty banquet hall.

Su Xue slammed one hand over the lens of the webcam, and then used her other hand to turn it off. Those goddamned perverts! They should’ve closed their eyes! I can’t believe they didn’t have the decency to do that. I know some of them clipped it too. The stupider ones probably took a bunch of screenshots. GAH! Su Xue was embarrassed and upset. She knew it was her fault, she’d been careless. But her eyes still teared up when she thought about all the people watching the stream seeing her like that. Knowing that some of them had pictures and video of her exposed like that just made it worse. Okay. Webcam is off and those perverts can’t see anything anymore! There’s nothing I can do about what they’ve already seen, but at least I’m not giving them any more. Wait! Lin Feng is still here… Su Xue shot a glare at Lin Feng to make sure he wasn’t looking at her the same way the lonely losers on her stream were. He wasn’t. That’s a relief. Looks like those degenerates haven’t corrupted Lin Feng yet. Okay! Now get dressed and deal with this! Su Xue stormed out of her bedroom and into the bathroom to change.

Seconds after Su Xue turned the webcam off, chat started protesting. Quite a few of the people watching demanded that the webcam be turned on. They kept up the demands for a few minutes, and then decided to pivot when they saw that their strategy wasn’t working. They made promises of donations, tips, and gifts that they’d send if the webcam was turned back on. Some of the amounts were beyond absurd. But that didn’t matter, they never intended to follow through on the promise. When that didn’t work, they started pleading. Three of them even wrote extensive sob stories about how their wives had died and Su Xue’s beauty had rekindled passions that they thought were gone. One talked about how he was paralyzed, but Su Xue made him forget how terrible his situation was. It was… something.  Once Su Xue returned and started to turn her webcam back on, the anticipation peaked! Then they saw that she was dressed normally, and they made their disappointment known in the chat.

「Where’s your pajamas?」
「you looked so cute!!! put them back on」
「keep providing us with your special service!」
「hahaha! lewd stream!」

The viewers who’d been watching Su Xue’s stream for a while now knew that she didn’t spend hours putting makeup on and dressing provocatively to draw people into her stream. Most of the time, she wore cute outfits that were comfortable and casual. And the makeup she did use, it was the bare minimum to look presentable on camera. Her stream was about her gameplay, her personality, and her interactions with people watching. But Su Xue was beautiful even without trying. None of her viewers would deny that. She was just as gorgeous as most of the popular e-girl streamers. The fact that she didn’t flaunt her body or her looks, that made her all the more alluring. Even her most faithful viewers weren’t going to complain about a chance to appreciate just how beautiful she was.

Su Xue started reading the messages in the chat and got angrier with each one. Her eyelid started twitching. Then she hit her breaking point. She looked straight at the webcam and yelled, “Alright you perverts! You got to see more than enough! Did you enjoy yourselves? Are you happy? Did I satisfy you? Good! NOW, tell me which of you looked! Don’t try to hide! Start typing! Who looked?”

「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」
「Typing with both hands to prove innocence!」

Su Xue stared at the wall of the same message being sent from thousands of viewers. She read over it again, not understanding. Then she addressed them, “Huh? What? What do you gu–” Su Xue snapped her mouth shut mid-sentence. Starting to say the word “guys” had snapped all the pieces together in her mind.  Her face turned a deep shade of red and she screamed, “YOU PERVERTS! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU GUYS? DID NO ONE EVER TEACH YOU HOW TO TALK TO A LADY? How could you say something like that!”

“Su Xue?” Lin Feng tugged on Su Xue’s arm. “What do they mean? Typing with both hands? Isn’t that how everyone types normally?”

“DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT!” Su Xue snapped at him. Then she took a deep breath and continued in a more measured tone, “Think about it for a minute and you’ll figure it out. If you can’t, that means you’re too young to know. But I’m not going to explain it to you.” Then she took another deep breath.

Su Xue was embarrassed. She was annoyed at herself for letting something like this happen. She was also annoyed at some of these assholes, so much so that she wanted to tear them a new asshole. But beyond that, she was also happy. She started out happy when she woke up and saw the view count. Then she was embarrassed, then angry, and then annoyed, and then angry again. But the memory of her gaffe was fading and she was starting to feel happy again. No, more than that. She was ecstatic! Lin Feng had helped her shatter her view count record! 6,000 viewers! It was a dream come true!

Once chat settled down, they started talking to Su Xue about everything that happened while she was asleep. That’s how she learned that most of these viewers joined after Lin Feng ended up in a game with Nightsong and Hermes. She understood that the stream had blown up because people came to see the two professional players. That meant that her viewer count would start dropping soon. Many of these viewers had only shown up to see Nightsong and Hermes, and then they’d stuck around for Lin Feng. They weren’t here to see her, they didn’t even know who she was. But that didn’t mean that this wasn’t an opportunity. If she played this right and entertained them, she could probably convince some of them to stick around. That could net her anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand new regular viewers. This was a huge win! She could double her average view count!

“I did good, right?” Lin Feng asked.

“Yes. Yes! You did amazing!” Su Xue ruffled his hair, full of energy.

A low growl came from Lin Feng’s stomach. He looked up at Su Xue and said, “Can I get that chicken cutlet now?”

“I should’ve known. Food! That’s all you can think about. Here, take my card and order your chicken cutlet,” Su Xue replied.

Most of the people watching the stream right now had never seen Su Xue before and had no idea who she was. They had joined the stream while Lin Feng was playing and thought he was the streamer. When she took his spot and shooed him away, they got even more confused. To them, it looked like she was taking over and kicking their steamer out!

「Is li’l bro not going to stream anymore?」
「whats going on???? whos that girl?」
「i thot this stream was different with actual content….. turns out its just another THOT stream」

Su Xue knew this was going to happen. Her stream had gone viral with Lin Feng’s face on webcam. But she was ready for it. She explained to the viewers, “Lin Feng here needs to do his homework. And he has school in the morning. He can’t be late for that…” Su Xue had one eye on the chat while she gave the speech she rehearsed in her head, and she saw the tide of resistance to the change rising. But she had a card up her sleeve just for this! “Don’t worry! Don’t worry! He’ll be back tomorrow! He’ll be switching places with me every night!” She tugged at Lin Feng’s arm. “Isn’t that right?”

Lin Feng looked at Su Xue for a moment. She looked right back at him, her eyes pleading for him to say yes. He waited another second and then held up two fingers. “Two! I want two chicken cutlets and I’ll fill in for you!”

Su Xue’s smile disappeared. “You little punk! Are you trying to extort me? Can you even eat that much?”

Lin Feng scratched the back of his head. “Eh, that’s nothing. I know someone who can eat way more than that. Two really isn’t much.”

✹

Over in London, inside the Brighton Hotel, Hermes and Nightsong were still in their room and on their laptops. They’d just finished playing a ranked game. Nightsong cracked his back and sighed. “Great galloping galoshes, man. That was a good game. Only because I was awesome in it. Did you see how fucking fantastic I was at support? If I can’t play as an ad-carry anymore, not that it’s ever going to happen. But if I got so bored of being the most amazing ad-carry in China or something like that, I’ll try playing support.”

“You? Support? Trying to take Ol’ Eight’s job now? Sure. Go tell him you’re going to be a support. And then stand there for an hour while he tells you the three hundred different ways he’s going to defile your mother, your sister, your grandmother, and any other relatives you can think of,” Hermes replied, and then broke down laughing.

Nightsong shrugged, uncaring. “There’s only one rule, my HoG brother. Don’t be trash. And my support game is the furthest thing from trash. But it doesn’t really matter anyway. My magic fingers and insane skills are meant to be playing ad-carry. It’d be a tragedy to waste all of this raw talent anywhere else.”

Hermes shook his head with a wry smile. Typical Nightsong. Could this guy be any more of a narcissist? He’d gotten used to it by now. Arguing with Nightsong when he was in this kind of mood was beyond pointless, it was an exercise in futility. Hermes sighed. If Nightsong’s ego gets any bigger, his head might explode. Then we wouldn’t have an ad-carry for Worlds. But he also knew that pride and ego was well-deserved and hard earned. The guy was an amazing ad-carry. Top three in China, just as good as any of the other great ad-carries in the world!

The players who had a shot at becoming one of the Four Emperors and Seven Kings, all of them had a single common trait. When they played at the highest level and competed under metric tons of pressure, they didn’t just play at their best. They played better. When these guys went all out, it was at 120%. Being able to play at 100% under that much pressure when the stakes were that high, that made a player great. These guys were beyond great. They had found something within themselves that let them go to a level beyond that of a super saiyan, and that’s where their absolute confidence came from.

Take Nightsong for example. He knew exactly how to get into the right mindset for a competition. He knew exactly what worked for him. There were two days until the bootcamp for Worlds started, and he was preparing himself mentally. Instead of decompressing completely by drinking a beer on the beach or going out partying, he played ranked games with Hermes. As a Support. That’s how he relaxed and reset his headspace. By playing games where he didn’t have to worry about his performance as the ad-carry.

It was exactly because Nightsong knew what worked for himself that Hermes had so much trust in him. He had no doubt in his mind that Nightsong would be ready when Worlds started. They had a real shot at winning! At least in the group stage and maybe even in the round after. Making it all the way to the finals, that was probably pushing it. The other teams were just as good as them. Some were even better! They would be playing against the best teams in the entire world! Then there was SSK, and their Midlaner. The Emperor who sat on the throne of Sovereign. Just thinking about that guy sent shivers down Hermes’ spine.

Hermes shook his head. Worrying about the other teams and how they’d do against them was meaningless. All they could do, all he could do, was to give it his all. To keep pushing and never give up. As long as he did that, nothing else mattered.

✹

After finishing one ranked game, Nightsong didn’t feel like playing anymore. He stretched and spun around in place on his chair before turning to Hermes. “Hey, you think the buffet is open?”

Hermes nodded before replying, “I think so, yeah. Didn’t they say something about serving tea and pastries in the afternoon? Why? You hungry?”

Nightsong got up from his chair and patted Hermes on the shoulder. “Come! It’s not like we have anything better to do. Let’s go stuff ourselves!”

Besides Nightsong and Hermes, there was one more Chinese player in Hand of God. Their support, Eight Saltspoons. They went to ask him if he wanted to join them for a quick snack, but found him passed out on his bed in the room next door. As for the other two members of the team, they were Korean and had gone to tour the city after lunch with the team’s translator. Nightsong and Hermes took the elevator down to the second floor together.

The buffet was being served in a large dining hall on the second floor. Nightsong and Hermes stepped inside and looked around. The place was practically empty. Not that it mattered to them. All it meant was they wouldn’t have to spend as long waiting in line. They loaded up their plates with cake, tarts and biscuits. Then they picked up some coffee. Nightsong slapped Hermes in the chest and pointed at the label for the coffee, “You know this coffee, there are monkey-cats that eat the beans and shit them out. They collect the coffee beans from the shit of a monkey-cat! That’s what makes it so good! Super expensive stuff, this is a nice hotel.” Hermes sighed. “They aren’t monkey-cats, the animals are called civets. They have an enzyme in their stomachs that makes the coffee good,” he replied. Nightsong did not look at all convinced by Hermes’ explanation and continued talking about monkey-cats.

They finished picking up their afternoon snacks and started looking around for an empty table in a nice spot. They had prime pick since there weren’t that many people in the dining hall. That’s when they spotted a familiar figure sitting in the corner by himself and eating. The table he was sitting at was full. There was enough food to feed an entire team, and this guy was eating it all by himself. Nightsong called out to the guy, “Roundy!”

Anyone with an iota of interest in League of Legends would know the name. One of the greatest players to have ever come out of China! Everyone, from fans on the street to other professional players, called him by his online handle as a show of respect.

The person eating alone in a corner of the banquet hall was Tian Tian! Roundy Round! God Roundy! He was the top laner of KG and also known as the Uncrowned Eighth. There was no better top laner in all of China, and there were only a few in the entire world who could go toe-to-toe with him. When he heard his name being called out, Tian Tian looked up and saw Nightsong and Hermes.

They walked over and put their plates down on the table. “Hey man!” Nightsong smiled. “I see you’ve come down for a snack. That’s good. I’d start worrying if you lost weight. Me and Hermes here got bored up in our room, so we decided to see if there was anything good here.”

Tian Tian wiped the crumbs from his mouth and swallowed a giant mouthful of food. Then he smiled at them and said, “Hey! You guys! Hi! Here, pull up a chair! We’ll eat and talk!”

Tian Tian was the number one top laner in China. But at first glance, he didn’t look even remotely special. He was chubby with a baby face and wet round eyes. He looked like the mild-mannered kid people would forget was there. Or the target of the school bully. A timid young man who usually minded his own business.

Everyone in the professional scene knew that Tian Tian was a shy and reserved guy in real life. There was even a funny story about him that went around and everyone knew it now. It happened after an LPL match. A beautiful female fan walked up to him for an autograph. He signed whatever she gave him and handed it back. Then the girl asked him if he’d like to join her on a lunch date sometime. When the word ‘date’ registered in Tian Tian’s mind, it went haywire. He started stumbling over his words and his face turned red. The girl asked him again and stood there waiting for his answer. But poor Tian Tian never managed to get the words he wanted to say out. He wanted to say, “YES! I would love that!” The girl was beautiful. He never thought a girl like that would walk up to him and ask him out. She was out of his league. But what he actually said was nothing, and the poor girl walked away thinking she’d been rejected.