The King's Avatar

Ye Xiu slept for an entire day. The rest of the team felt sluggish for a day after all the drinking and celebrating. Chen Guo spent her time on the web, surfing through all the reports of Happy’s victory in the Challenger League and bursting with joy. Yet, on this day, they also received a phone call from the Alliance. Happy was solemnly admonished for their conduct during the press conference after the competition.

”We forgot! We were so happy that we completely forgot.” Chen Guo gave this explanation.

The Alliance immediately communicated that they would not be launching an investigation. However, as one of the new teams entering the Alliance next season, there would be another press conference that they would have to attend. Obviously, Chen Guo had no way of refusing this request. After asking for a date, she found that they still had a week. This press conference for new teams would only take place after the season had ended. They at least had to figure out which teams each of the two new entries would be replacing first!

That day was also the second to last round of the season. Because Heavenly Swords would be preparing for the competition, they only congratulated Happy on their championship over the phone the day before. They obviously didn’t have the chance to gather together. This Saturday, Luo Guanning sent over a stack of tickets, inviting everyone in Happy to watch the match.

After that night’s match was finished, the two groups pooled together, once again enthusiastically celebrating.

This was partly because Heavenly Swords wanted to make up for the lack of in-person blessings during the previous evening. At the same time, after this round, they also had a reason to celebrate themselves. They had maintained their spot in the Alliance!

Maintaining a spot in the Alliance.

This was Heavenly Swords’ goal after realizing their own strength. This was definitely below the expectations that the media often painted for them. All of Heavenly Swords’ publicity after their announcement of joining the Alliance had shown off their financial resources, leading many to expect them to be a dark horse. The pre-season forecasts even dared to place them in the number ten spot.

All of this failed to sway Heavenly Swords from their intended path. Every step that they took was sure and steady. In this way, the early stages were unusually tough. The professional league was indeed not as simple as they had once thought.

Luckily, this season, Glory had released an expansion, winning them an opportunity. This kind of change was very good news for low to mid-tier teams. The widespread emergence of Level 75 Orange equipment allowed them to somewhat shrink the character strength gap between them and more powerful teams in a short amount of time. Yet in addition to this, Heavenly Swords was also an in-game ally of Happy. This allowed them to focus their energy on competitions. It could be said that, while many pro players rushed into the game, they were freed from such a burden by Happy’s presence.

All of this was left unsaid between the two sides, but within their hearts each knew this clearly.

Now, the second to last match of the season was complete. Team Heavenly Swords ultimately locked in 14th place. The outcome of the last match of the season wouldn’t affect their ranking. Although this contradicted the pre-season media expectations for the team, Heavenly Swords had completely achieved the goal they had set for themselves. They were especially aware of the fact that had it not been for the expansion, had it not been for the fact that they could continue to concentrate their energy on the matches during that time period, they would be in a precarious place right now. Before this, Heavenly Swords’ placement had been just around the relegation zone, their situation an imminent danger.

”To Happy’s victory! To Heavenly Swords’ continued spot in the Alliance! Let’s toast!” Luo Guanning took the lead to cheer. However, Happy had been completely intoxicated the day before, so today they really needed to demonstrate some control. As for Heavenly Swords, they had all been pro players for a year now, so they would also control themselves when celebrating.

”Next season, we’ll be opponents.” Luo Guanning said with infinite sorrow. Interacting with Happy, especially interacting with the God Ye Xiu, had really brought a considerable amount of profit for their Heavenly Swords. If he had a choice, Luo Guanning obviously wouldn’t want to give up this kind of friendship and become opponents.

”I hope that in the future, we won’t run into a kill-or-be-killed situation against you.” Luo Guanning raised his glass towards the ladies and gentleman of Happy. ”However, even if this happens, no matter the outcome, I swear our friendship off stage will not change.

”Hahaha, you’re thinking too much Little Luo.” Ye Xiu laughed, ”I’m afraid our two teams have completely different goals. That type of kill-or-be-killed situation shouldn’t arise.”

”Oh? What’s Happy’s goal for the next season?” Luo Guanning asked curiously.

”Champions.”

”Pffff...” Even with all of his etiquette training, and despite his usual unshakable elegance and composure, Luo Guanning spit out the sip of wine he had just taken. He hurriedly apologized to the person he had spit on.

Just a while ago, when the five of them had gathered together to create a team, their goal had also been to directly aim for the championships. They had been prepared to take the Alliance by storm. After they met the God, he had helped them realize how unrealistic their goal was. For a team that had been constantly pulling small heists within the game, saying that they were directing aiming to become champions was really too disrespectful to the Alliance!

But God, you, you can’t have this kind of double standard!

You called us unrealistic and impractical, yet your team, which has just joined the Alliance, is already shouting about becoming the champions? Isn’t that too unconvincing?

Even though you have the strength of a God, what about the other characters and players on your team? Glory isn’t meant to be played alone... wasn’t this what you said at the end of the competition yesterday?

Luo Guanning couldn’t accept this, yet this also wasn’t something he could easily say out loud. However, whether or not he said this out loud didn’t even matter. The mouthful of wine that he had spit out had already made his thoughts very clear!

”Hahaha.” Ye Xiu nevertheless laughed at his appearance, not giving an explanation for his words. He simply raised his glass, also giving a toast: ”Everyone come!”

Tonight’s celebration was subdued, yet when all was said and done it couldn’t really count as any kind of real rest. After today, Chen Guo didn’t even call everyone back to City H, instead looking for a resort within City B. She directly dragged the entire team over for some real rest and recuperation.

The place that Luo Guanning introduced was truly a location on the level of The Peach Spring beyond this world.** It was only through his name and connections that Happy’s people got the chance to enjoy it. This place was truly detached from the outside world and devoid of distractions. However, going online every day and seeing everyone’s reactions to their victory was still Chen Guo’s greatest joy.

The praises showered upon Happy and the questions aimed at Excellent Era all made Chen Guo sigh with contentment. She felt especially vindicated seeing that reporters had visited the Happy Internet Cafe, and had been given a tour of Ye Xiu’s previous dwelling in the storage room. Their violent denouncements were simultaneously laughable and sad.

Finally, we’ve won!

Seeing all the different news reports and remembering everything that had happened over the past year, Chen Guo felt very moved. Although she was this team’s boss, in reality she really hadn’t done much. All of the most demanding burdens were pretty much being shouldered by Ye Xiu alone. In a year and a half, starting from a brand new server and a new account, leveling up, finding people, fighting for materials, upgrading equipment, training the other players ...

Ye Xiu had truly done so much, yet Chen Guo, who was always by his side, had only become aware of it now.

They relaxed in the resort for a week. Meanwhile, the Pro Alliance had reached its final stages. Excellent Era also dropped a bomb: they had entered the scrap market and were ready to sell.

During this week, Chen Guo had also been contacted many times by people who wanted to meet and interview Ye Xiu. She rejected all of these requests. Although she had long wanted Ye Xiu to step out and and give a serious response about the true nature of his retirement, at this time, she just wanted Ye Xiu to get some good rest because she had discovered that this was truly the most important thing to Ye Xiu. He needed to recover his health and adjust his mental state. Only like this could he continue persevering on the Glory stage.

To Ye Xiu, this year and a half wasn’t as simple as merely missing the pro stage. When all was said and done, how much did this year and a half of demanding labor shorten the career span of this already aging pro player?

A week of recuperation might not be able to save much. Yet, Chen Guo did not wish to see Ye Xiu spending more time and energy doing other things during this period of time.

He’s truly too tired. He needs to rest properly.

Wei Chen words rang true. Chen Guo could only do her best to create for him a good resting environment. This at least was something she could work hard to achieve.

On Saturday night, amidst the dispute and clamor that Team Excellent Era was facing, the regular season of Season 9 of the Glory Pro League officially came to an end.

Team Tyranny did not fail to meet expectations, placing first in the regular season. However, they failed to break Excellent Era’s old record score. After all, now was a shining era filled with stars. With the immense improvement in technology, Excellent Era’s overwhelming strength from those days was becoming increasingly difficult to duplicate.

Tyranny and Excellent Era, a pair of mortal enemies from the past.

However, Tyranny was the team at the top. Even as people felt sorrowful that such a record could not be surpassed, they also thought about how the record-holding and archenemy team Excellent Era was currently crumbling to pieces on the side. In the interview with Team Tyranny’s captain Han Wenqing after the season ended, the question of the captain’s opinion on Excellent Era’s situation was posed. Han Wenqing did not take joy in his opponents’ suffering, yet he mercilessly replied with one sentence: they reaped what they sowed.

After Tyranny, the previous championship team Samsara stood in second place. Their ace player Zhou Zekai was the same as ever, gorgeous and powerful. Although they were nominally second place, compared to the previous season, Samsara was surprisingly even stronger than before. It could only be said that this season, Team Tyranny was more steady and efficient.

In third place was Team Wind Howl. Under the lead of their new ace Tang Hao, Wind Howl displayed their strength from the start. Their goal was no longer simply making playoffs; instead, they were aiming for the championships. However, in the end, they still failed to surpass the two teams ahead, although they did manage to beat Tiny Herb and Blue Rain by a full head.

Tiny Herb and Blue Rain stood in fourth and fifth place. The greatest excitement that this pair of old powerhouses brought were their two young rookies. The prodigy Gao Yingjie had officially become a part of the main force of Tiny Herb this season, with many eye-catching performances. On Blue Rain’s ride, the 14 year old Lu Hanwen was even more extraordinary, directly filling the gap left by All-Star Yu Feng after his transfer. He truly embodied the saying, the newborn calf isn’t afraid of the tiger, radiating all kinds of passion and enthusiasm on stage. Even though he still had many flaws in his playstyle, outside of him there really wasn’t a choice for this season’s Best Rookie. Gao Yingjie very much regretted that he was already a second year player, and thus no longer qualified for the title of Best Rookie.

After these five teams, Misty Rain, Void, and Hundred Blossoms occupied sixth through eighth place

Translator’s Thoughts

Nomyummi Nomyummi

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