Glory e-sports

Translated by 🎏 Edited by apricot, @babyybluebear

The three people off the stage remained the same, and so did the two on the stage.

All five of FTW’s original starters were mavericks; five individuals in a team who each commanded their own domains and never bowed to anyone else.

Of course, their individualistic natures existed on a spectrum. The least extreme was Proud Flower Kim; if it weren’t for Captain Yan throwing him to the wolves, he would have been more than happy to have a support daddy shield. Next was Scum Man Yuan; his mouth isolated him from others but deep down inside… it was a different story. The other three were almost as bad as each other, but the most extreme of them was unanimously Xie He.

Brother Sleep’s physiology made him more withdrawn. Xie He, on the contrary, suffered from a terminal case of social phobia – he was capable of carrying a conversation, but he just didn’t want to.

A believer of actions speaking louder than words, God Xie was the embodiment of a ‘man of no words’.

The policy didn’t apply only to himself but also to others.

Before Close joined the team, Yuan Ze liked disturbing Xie He the most.

Xie He was a great white shark to the outside world – anyone who provoked him would immediately receive a lethal bite. To those in his inner circle, he was a pufferfish – one prod and he would blow up. If he couldn’t blow you up then he might as well blow himself up.

Yuan Ze kept disturbing him, secretly roasting him to Kim Sung-hyun, “Do you think he will self-destruct?”

Kim Sung-hyun rolled his eyes. “Would he die if you didn’t rile him up?”

Yuan Ze: “He would.”

Kim Sung-hyun: “Get lost!”

After Close came along, Yuan Ze locked onto a new target, thus easing off Xie He.

But Pufferfish Xie was slightly awkward at first. He had a frosty demeanour and social phobia, and he never liked strangers to begin with. Therefore, he had a strong aversion to Close who had just entered the team.

Building mid-jungle synergy was impossible. Before Close could go over, Xie He was already solo killing the enemy.

There was also no use expecting any support in the jungle; what could be done when he turned his nose up on even his own team’s jungle?

Upset, Yuan Ze nettled Xie He to be nicer to their little brother. Xie He sneered, “In a tournament, no one will be nice to him.”

Choked half to death by these words, Yuan Ze turned around to console Close, “Ignore him, this brother will double queue with you.”

The moment he looked over, Close had already selected the match button to queue for solo.

Yuan Ze: “……”

Close: “No thanks.”

This little brother was going to make Teacher Yuan pass out from rage!

As luck would have it, after entering solo queue, Close on the blue team ended up meeting Xie He on the red team.

With odds like that, they should seriously consider getting a lottery ticket.

Yuan Ze’s rage instantly evaporated. He didn’t queue for a ranked match himself and instead poked The Proud Flower on WeChat to come over and watch the show.

Kim Sung-hyun replied, “Do you have nothing better to do?”

Yuan Ze gave some live commentary, “Damn, Little Close killed Old Xie!”

Kim Sung-hyun: “..….” Hell, he suddenly lost interest in the game he was in.

God Kim made swift work of his opponent then left to spectate over this trainwreck.

He saw the life-and-death battle between his fellow teammates as soon as he entered.

The murderous aura rolling off the mid laner and the jungler was just missing having the word ‘Die’ stuck to their foreheads.

Kim Sung-hyun messaged Yuan Ze, “I never knew Close was so savage.”

Yuan Ze clicked his tongue. “The ultimate showdown of the hidden wildcards.”

The corners of Kim Sung-hyun’s mouth curled up. “Like you have any grounds to talk.”

Yuan Ze was the picture of innocence. “I’m not secretive about it at all; I’m openly badass!”

Kim Sung-hyun blasted Yuan Ze left, right, and centre with the expression pack reserved for him.

Touch-typing on their phones didn’t stop them from enjoying the game. Close and Xie He were naturally aware that they had encountered each other. Xie He had never changed his ID from the one he used competitively and Close’s ID had recently been verified with an FTW tag at the front.

By conventional logic, a jungler going up against a mid laner would not even qualify as an irritation and only result in a one-sided trouncing. However, God Xie was using an assassin mage. Forget a rookie jungler – with Xie He’s strength, even last year’s world number one jungler from North America was almost driven into retirement.

Mage kings were not all equal in skill. A mage under Xie He was essentially invincible.

Therefore, Close being able to hold his own under the onslaught and even showing signs of turning the tide, was a testament to his strength.

A 17-year-old prodigy. FTW had added another valiant general to their ranks this year.

Because their own teammates in the game were having so much fun watching, the 5v5 match turned into a mid-jungler confrontation over various levels and terrains.

Fighting from levels 4 to 6, then to level 9, level 12, and then finally maxing out.

Their kill counts were also neck to neck. Close killed Xie He thrice, Xie He also killed him thrice, and they had both prepared resurrection armour and invulnerability gear. Seeing that the final solo which would determine the victor was imminent, their teammates got so caught up in the excitement they actually forgot to clear the advancing minions.

Because of this, the crystal on one side was decimated causing the endgame screen to interrupt the raging battle between the two of them.

Close: “……”

Xie He: “……”

Yuan Ze, who had been completely absorbed, felt as though the power plug had been pulled during a critical juncture. He swore vehemently, “Fuck!”

Kim Sung-hyun was so pissed he slapped the table.

Close and Xie He looked at them in unison.

Yuan Ze and Kim Sung-hyun who had been caught in the act, “Ahem…”

Skipping their own training to crowd around and end up watching both little brothers get hit by bad luck… please forget this kind of black history!

It was frustrating not knowing who would have come out on top.

Especially when the game had been cut off at such an intense moment.

Neither of them spoke. Instead, it was Yuan Ze who asked tentatively, “Why don’t you solo queue again?”

The two teens: “Fine.”

Low voices spoke, perfectly in sync.

Yuan Ze arched an eyebrow, a sly thought popping into his head. “Whoever loses has to treat everyone to crayfish as a late night snack?”

But how could Xie He take advantage of a rookie? “I won’t lose. It’s my treat.”

A simple word came from Close. “Mm.”

As to whether he was answering Yuan Ze or Xie He, only those present who heard him would know.

Later…

They did have crayfish in the end – unfortunately, it wasn’t a late night snack but dinner the next day.

When Yan Jiang got up, he saw four pairs of dark undereye circles sitting around a table of peeled, spicy crayfish: “……”

Eating that so bright and early in the morning?

It was like they weren’t worried about their stomachs.

FTW’s mid laner and jungler who had solo queued an entire day away suddenly performed exceptionally well during the practice match that day.

The mid laner still minded the middle lane by himself and the jungler still took care of the jungle on his own, but it no longer seemed as if they were playing alone. 

There was no doubt that Xie He was a serious person.

He took someone he disliked seriously, and took someone he liked even more seriously.

When Kim Sung-hyun had to head back to Korea, by all reason, the one who would take it the hardest ought to have been Teacher Yuan, but it turned out to be Xie He.

He didn’t say a word and ignored everyone, throwing himself into practice for two days straight after receiving the news. He was like a bristling hedgehog, rejecting everything around him.

Overwhelmed, Kim Sung-hyun wanted to comfort him, but he couldn’t.

Yuan Ze prodded him once and immediately withdrew. He didn’t dare try again. Pufferfish Xie might really self-destruct this time.

When Close went for his morning jog that day, he fetched breakfast for the two people in the training room who had pulled an all-nighter.

Yawning, Yan Jiang absently munched on the steamed dumplings.

Xie He remained poker-faced as he silently drank the soy milk.

Close: “..….”

It was impossible that he would try to console the other; in all his years, he had never developed that part of his skill tree.

Xie He looked up at him. “Solo?”

Close: “Okay.”

Once again, they fought until Yan Jiang woke up.

Kim Sung-hyun couldn’t keep watching. “Going without sleep for so long, are you trying to drop dead?!”

Then, ignoring the nasty look on Xie He’s face, Kim Sung-hyun carried him back to the dormitories to sleep.

God Xie’s deepest shame was that he was the shortest in the team, and being carried like this made him furious. “Let go!”

Kim Sung-hyun flew into a rage. “Nothing good lasts forever, you…”

Xie He cut into him, “Don’t be so full of yourself.”

Kim Sung-hyun: “…………” Can you speak more nicely?

Xie He straightened his collar and icily said, “Next season, I’m going to destroy you.”

And the ire building in Kim Sung-hyun’s belly instantly subsided.

Xie He walked away, but for some reason Kim Sung-hyun was tearing up.

Everyone outside said that Kim Sung-hyun had returned to his country with alacrity. Only he himself knew how it cut both ways – the eagerness was there, but it was also too brusque. Like how one needed both the flesh on the palm and back of his hand, both of the countries were equally important to him.

Xie He was on the verge of exploding at Kim Sung-hyun’s departure.

So, when the entire team got listed, Xie He nearly levelled FTW’s conference room.

The person in charge was hoisted up by the collar, his face turning sheet white. “You… You…”

It was Yuan Ze who blocked Xie He and his clenched fists.

The moment an esports player hit someone, no matter who it was, their professional career would be over.

Xie He didn’t want to go.

Xie He, who hated talking, who had trouble communicating and expressing how he felt, said gruffly, “We will all transfer together to the same team!”

Everyone fell silent.

At that time, Chen Feng was present as well. His voice was hoarse as he pointed out the problem with that idea. “Who can afford that?”

The listed price was the starting price, and that was already an astronomical sum, not to mention that there were four players altogether. Let alone domestically, there was likely no team in the world that could swallow that kind of expense.

Xie He was frozen.

Yuan Ze said quietly, “Chen Hongmiao is opposed to selling the Team of Gods as one.”

Chen Hongmiao was FTW’s boss. He was an extremely shrewd businessman; it would be easier to market the four of them as a package deal, but there was no need for that.

FTW could continue creating stars by carrying on the legacy of the Team of Gods. However, if they sold the team as a package deal, then the fanbases behind their beloved Gods would curse the new FTW out of the league.

It was only by dispersing them that the maximum profit could be reaped.

Besides, Glory didn’t need a second Team of Gods.

Xie He said through gritted teeth, “I will make up the difference myself!”

Yuan Ze’s head snapped up to stare at him.

Making up the difference was essentially a pro player forking out money to buy-out their own contract, and there was indeed such an option. It was considerably cheaper than the fee from terminating the contract, but the premise was that they had to have a trusted club they could go to, otherwise they would just end up digging their own grave.

In front of such large sums of money, even brothers would turn on each other, not to mention whatever venture capitalist they might meet who would be a complete stranger.

Making up the difference would involve selling their contracts for a bargain, but if the next club was trash, then a player could die without even knowing how it had happened.

Furthermore, a player’s buy-out price did not equate to their income.

Their net worth was in the tens of millions, but in reality, they only had a few millions in earnings from these two years.

Could any club make up for the disparity?

Even if they did, would they really not be sold off again?

And when that happened, what then?

Yuan Ze’s heart sank. He opened his mouth. “Don’t let emotion cloud your judgement.”

Xie He jerked his head in his direction, shooting daggers at him.

Yuan Ze knew that the other had misunderstood, but… he deliberately allowed Xie He to be misled. He couldn’t allow him to be rash and ruin himself.

Unable to stay seated, Xie He rose to his feet. “I won’t leave. If you want to leave, go ahead!”

Then, he locked himself in his room, refusing to see anyone.

After Xie He retreated to his room, Yuan Ze glanced to the side at Close, who had remained silent throughout. He felt a moment of panic seeing Close’s eyes flicker once beneath his eyelashes.

Yan Jiang also saw it.

Buy out FTW.

Buy all of them.

How was that possible?

But even if it was possible, it just wasn’t feasible.

In the end, Xie He, who was adamant against leaving the domestic pro circuit, left.

It was because he realised that his wilfulness foisted a heavy burden upon Close.

One could let go of the impossible, but once there was hope, then one would certainly work to achieve that at all costs. 

– At all costs.

Three words that were always easy to say, but deadly to do.

Xie He hadn’t taken a single championship title during the three years after he’d left China’s pro circuit.

He abstained from participating in solo and duo tournaments, and his best result in team tournaments was reaching the top four.

Fans all said that Xie He was the weakest among them, unable to carry a team even after leaving.

Was he really?

Was he actually weak?

Could a mid laner with the ability to trounce junglers really be weak?

EVE’s coach, EVE’s players, Yan Jiang, Yuan Ze, Kim Sung-hyun, and Close all knew about the problem he was grappling with.

It boiled down to one thing: Xie He wanted to return to his country.

Ever since learning that Close had bought over FTW, all he wanted to do was to go back.

Unfortunately, there was no way back for him.

The first year was because he lacked the ability, and the next year it was because he owed someone.

He had made a promise to Echo, the one who had pulled him out of the mire – “I will give you a championship trophy.”

And then, I’m going home.

@babyybluebear: honestly didn’t recall much of Xie He because it’s been a while, but lore drops and my heart hurts T^T euhehe thank you guys for the warm welcome last chapter tho ^^