The King's Avatar

”If he can’t try?”

Han Wenqing’s words stunned everyone.

”Then… he can only endure and perfect this style,” Zhang Xinjie completed Han Wenqing’s analysis.

Thus, everyone fell silent. As for why he can’t try, that was a problem gossips would definitely be interested in. However, as Happy’s opponent, it wasn’t necessarily important. They only valued the consequence: what kind of player would Mo Fan grow into?

”When we go back, we should take another look at this player’s battles!” Zhang Xinjie decided.

As for the match, it was Mo Fan who claimed the final victory. Just as the match finished, Song Qiying charged out of the booth and rapidly approached Happy’s player booth.

”Is this little guy so persistent post-match? That’s even worse than Zhang Xinjie!” Fang Rui commented.

”You think Mo Fan will pay him any attention?” Wei Chen asked.

”Uh… that’ll depend on if Mo Fan can understand his intentions or not. If he does, then I don’t think he’ll refuse?” Fang Rui guessed.

Just as he said this, Mo Fan also came out from the Happy player booth. He didn’t even look at the other side, walking directly towards the steps that led off the stage.

”Hey!” Seeing this, Song Qiying called out, breaking into a run and eventually catching up with Mo Fan.

Mo Fan looked at him strangely, confused.

Song Qiying didn’t have the sturdiest of constitutions. After sprinting for a few steps, he was left panting for breath.

”I… How can you play like that?” Song Qiying said.

Mo Fan frowned, clearly not understanding what Song Qiying was trying to express. Thus, he ignored the other and turned to leave.

Song Qiying didn’t block his way, panting as he hurried over to Mo Fan’s side. ”What on earth was that tempo of yours? Why don’t you continue with your offensive? With your skill level, isn’t that better?” Song Qiying said.

This time, Mo fan understood him. He didn’t stop walking, turning his head to look at Song Qiying, saying, ”I can’t.’

”Why can’t you?” Song Qiying persisted.

Why couldn’t he?

This question had Mo Fan deep in contemplation, but he wasn’t able to formulate a response to that. In the end, he gave Song Qiying an infuriating answer: ”Because I can’t.”

”What do you mean, because you can’t? Hey hey, everything has to happen for a reason, no? Is it because you have to use such a tempo? What is forcing you to maintain it?” Song Qiying continued to pursue the question.

Mo Fan’s frown deepened, but he didn’t know how to answer. He wanted to get rid of this annoying person as soon as possible, and his footsteps subconsciously quickened.

”How come you’re not speaking anymore? Oh, is it a team secret? Uh, we’re opponents, so I really shouldn’t ask so much, but I think there’s a lot of improvements and adjustments that are worth making to your style!” Song Qiying exclaimed.

By then, they had arrived at Happy’s player bench. Mo Fan quickly walked to his own seat. Song Qiying had followed him here, but, helpless, he knew that he couldn’t go and sit at Happy’s bench. Plus, his last words had been heard by everyone in Happy, all of them looking back at him with no idea what to do. They had been joking that Song Qiying was chasing after Mo Fan for the chance to touch his hand, that he was even more strict and formal than Zhang Xinjie! They hadn’t expected that he had been clinging to Mo Fan, trying to talk about something like this.

”Kid,” Ye Xiu spoke up, ”You’re right in saying that his style needs improvement. However, you’re the same, hm? You have much to improve, too.”

”I’ll do my best, but he…” Song Qiying didn’t seem like he was willing to give up.

”He’ll also do his best. I look forward to your next match against one another,” Ye Xiu smiled.

”Thank you, senior, for your guidance.” Then, Song Qiying actually bowed to Ye Xiu.

”Ah, there’s no need for that…” Ye Xiu hurriedly went to stop him, but there was no way he would make it on time. The entire venue exploded at once, whistling, jeering.

”Look… That’s why I didn’t want you to do that!” Ye Xiu said helplessly. No matter what reason Song Qiying had for bowing to Ye Xiu, the Tyranny fans would immediately be pissed off!

”It was deserved.” Song Qiying refused to be swayed. The reactions of the audience didn’t make him regret his actions at all. Once he had said that, he returned to Tyranny’s player bench. It was, instead, the veterans of Tyranny who were nervous.

”What happened? What did Ye Xiu say to you?” Zhang Xinjie asked.

”Don’t take anything that guy says to heart; it’s all trash talk, got it?” Zhang Jiale said in absolute seriousness.

”He only said that I had much to improve on,” Song Qiying explained.

”Huh? How come it sounds so… nice?” Zhang Jiale was confused and glanced over at Happy. He saw Ye Xiu looking over, too, and smile, waving, when he saw Zhang Jiale look around.

Zhang Jiale decisively turned his head away, face dark as he said, ”Try to not interact with him, alright? Look at how sly and evil his smile is.”

Song Qiying looked back, puzzled. How come he couldn’t see anything that resembled slyness or evil?

”Alright, go and rest. Don’t worry too much about the result of the loss, ” Zhang Xinjie said to Song Qiying.

Song Qiying nodded, returning to his seat, yet his mind was still on the loss just now. How come he absolutely had to use such a tempo? That was the question that had caught his curiosity.

By then, the third player on both sides had gone up already. For Happy, it was as always, Su Mucheng and her Dancing Rain, while Tyranny sent Zhang Jiale and his Dazzling Hundred Blossoms.

”It’s time for us to get a point!” The two Gunners attacked as Zhang Jiale made his proclamation. In the end, Zhang Jiale achieved his goal of gaining a point, defeating Su Mucheng and gaining a point in the individual competition for Tyranny.

Afterwards, Happy sent out Fang Rui, Steamed Bun and Tang Rou for the group arena. As for Tyranny, it was Qin Muyun, Bai Yanfei and Han Wenqing. The two sides exchanged blows, fighting all the way until the fifth round where Tyranny, eventually, claimed victory.

”The instability of this Bao Rongxing is truly quite the headache! When he’s in his element, he can accomplish miracles, but when he’s not, it’s like he’s sleepwalking.” The determinant of the group arena was clear as day: Steamed Bun. His performance wasn’t so good this time, and he was defeated easily by Bai Yanfei. Tang Rou was unable to turn the tides against one and some players and Tyranny gained another two points.

The one on one portion of the match came to a close, and Tyranny was, for now, in the lead 3 to 2. The team competition was decide today’s victor.

”You can take careful note of Zhang Xinjie’s playstyle in the team competition. If I recall correctly, he’s your idol, right?” Ye Xiu told An Wenyi while they prepared for the next match.

This young person, standing in the line of fire, was still holding Happy’s health up match by match. In the previous round, Happy had beaten their opponents 10 to 0, but the team competition had been focused on a vicious, relentless offensive. As a healer, he was more on the defensive end, so An Wenyi had limited space to perform last round. But now, the time for battle had come once more. Tyranny… An Wenyi was once a fan of this team. But after joining Happy, he had slowly begun to see Happy as home, while his feeling for Tyranny cooled. In the first half of the season, when they fought Tyranny, An Wenyi had felt a little weird, but this time he was very calm.

Zhang Xinjie? An Wenyi glanced over at Tyranny’s player bench. Zhang Xinjie sat there, posture straight, as he rested his mind with closed eyes.

”I’ve seen plenty of his matches,” An Wenyi replied. There was no way he wouldn’t have thought of looking to a God for ways to improve. An Wenyi was well acquainted with watching Zhang Xinjie’s matches to learn from him.

”Watching recordings and learning through actual battle are very different. Remember to pay attention!” Ye Xiu said.

”I will.” An Wenyi would’ve loved nothing more than to become the ultimate healer overnight, and he wouldn’t miss any chance to improve. Being able to personally experience the skill of the number one Cleric Zhang Xinjie was a rare chance, something that only happened twice per season.

Soon enough, it was time to start the match.

For Happy, it was Ye Xiu, Su Mucheng, Fang Rui, Qiao Yifan and An Wenyi with Tang Rou as the sixth player, the same line up they had used against Samsara.

As for Tyranny, it was Han Wenqing, Lin Jingyan, Bai Yanfei, Qin Muyun and Zhang Xinjie, with Song Qiying as the sixth player.

”Tyranny is still persisting in their rotation. Zhang Jiale only participated in the individual match and isn’t in the team competition lineup,” Pan Lin noted after seeing Tyranny’s lineup. In this season for Tyranny, even Han Wenqing was no longer a set feature of the core team. The three veterans, he, Lin Jingyan and Zhang Jiale, hadn’t appeared in the team competition together for a long time.

Other teams rotated in order to counter their opponent. However, Tyranny’s rotation seemed to just be for rotation itself. They had persisted like this for half a season. At first, their performance was subpar, and people had been uncertain about them. However, their performance slowly stabilized, and the doubtful voices petered out. Even so, Tyranny’s performance this season was nothing compared to last season. As for this rotation, it was less like strategy and more like reducing strain on their older players so that they could keep up. After realizing this, all that was left were sighs and mourning.

The team competition ended in Tyranny’s victory.

Though Zhang Jiale hadn’t been fielded, their team was experienced and cunning enough. The flaws of Happy’s An Wenyi were magnified whenever they met a strong team, especially since they were against Tyranny and their number one Cleric. In the data for the two Cleric’s performances, An Wenyi had lost humiliatingly.

”Ay…” An Wenyi sighed. He was rather numb to defeat now, and going against Zhang Xinjie directly this match, the other’s performance had An Wenyi’s self-doubt multiplying.

When the two teams shook hands post-match, An Wenyi’s head was bowed low. Now, every defeat of Happy’s had his hand in it. He was probably that ”useless teammate”* in the eyes of his opponents. He didn’t want to face that sort of judgement.

”You have a very good grasp of timing.” It wasn’t until he heard someone say this to him when they shook hands that he lifted his head.

”I finally understand why Happy insists on keeping you,” Zhang Xinjie, the number one Cleric that he had idolized for so long, was saying to him in person.