The King's Avatar

Happy faced Tyranny in their home game. The first round of the group arena would be Ye Xiu versus Qin Muyun. The match was at the loading screen stage, but the crowd had yet to quiet down. The people didn’t care about the match itself. Happy’s fans were booing loudly at Han Wenqing for not coming out, while Tyranny’s fans felt like they couldn’t hold their heads high. They forgot that although Han Wenqing hadn’t been sent up this round, the player who had, the poor Qin Muyun, wasn’t getting any attention.

Up until the match began.　　

When Qin Muyun’s Negative Nine Degrees appeared on stage through Glory’s projection technology, on the big screen in the stadium, on the TV or computer screens of countless Tyranny fans, they finally realized that though Han Wenqing may not have gone up, their Tyranny was still fighting.

”You can do it!”

Cheers erupted from the away-game seats, Team Tyranny’s fans.

The loud cheers all of a sudden gave Happy’s fans a fright.

Excellent Era fans were experts at competing against Tyranny fans. Although Happy’s fanbase had some crossover with Excellent Era’s fanbase, it wasn’t a majority. Happy’s fans couldn’t beat Tyranny’s fans in a yelling contest, and the regular season had already proved that.

But this was the playoffs, a competition where one side died while the other side lived. Happy was a new team that was creating a miracle. Once this thought came across their minds, Happy’s fans started to feel their blood boil too.　　

This is our home field. How can we let Tyranny overwhelm us?

The first intense battle of this playoffs round began with the audience.

In the meantime, the two players on stage were calmly making their way forward.

Happy had chosen the map, Thatcher Manor. It was another setting from a map in the Heavenly Domain. The map consisted of a multitude of elements: a lake on the west side, a small forest on the east side, and a two-story tall manor in the center of the map. Apart from that, there were all sorts of small buildings scattered throughout the map such as a mill, a stable, gardens, and so on.

The two characters spawned on the north and south end of the map. Both of them chose a direct route straight to the center. However, because of the obstruction from the manor, neither of them could see the other side.

Qin Muyun’s Negative Nine Degrees came from the north side towards the back of the manor. It looked like he wasn’t a complete stranger to this map. After arriving there, he had Negative Nine Degrees move towards a corner and then borrow window sills and pillars as platforms to jump on. Shortly afterwards, Negative Nine Degrees made his way to the roof of the manor, giving him a wide view of the map.

But Qin Muyun immediately had Negative Nine Degrees crouch and search for an appropriate position before carefully looking outwards.

He was looking towards the south, but there were no signs of anyone.

Judging by Lord Grim’s movement speed, if he had taken the middle road, he should be here too.

But he wasn’t. 　　

The left? The right? Or could it be...

Qin Muyun looked downwards.

The manor wasn’t just decoration. It could be entered. If he and Ye Xiu chose to take the middle road, while he had been jumping onto the roof, he could have easily entered the manor without him noticing.　

There was a door at the back of the manor too, but Qin Muyun chose not to go in. Sharpshooters held an advantageous position in an open field. Fighting inside the manor would not be a good idea for a Sharpshooter.

Perhaps Ye Xiu had chosen to go in for that very reason?

As Qin Muyun pondered over this question, his Negative Nine Degrees took the next step.　

Boom!　

He vaguely heard an explosion, seemingly far yet seemingly close at the same time. As the explosions continued to sound, he was able to accurately determine that the explosions were coming from below.

Hua!

Negative Nine Degrees was laying on the rooftop. However, he hadn’t expected Lord Grim to fire shots from the inside and blow a hole in the roof to force Negative Nine Degrees to fall towards him.

Qin Muyun reacted quite fast. He immediately had his character jump to the side and throw a grenade into the hole.

Ye Xiu’s Lord Grim was standing there with his umbrella open, looking at the roof and admiring his masterpiece. Then, he noticed a grenade roll out from cloud of black smoke.

Bang, boom!

Ye Xiu fired at the grenade, making it explode. For a normal player, executing this move would make them feel unbelievably cool, but in Ye Xiu’s hands, it just looked like any other day.

The grenade was no threat to him, but it gave Ye Xiu second thoughts. He could have Lord Grim fly through the hole in the roof and give chase using Rotor Wings, but he had to consider the possibility of an ambush from Qin Muyun.

As a result, Lord Grim went towards the window. He jumped up, shattered the glass, and leaped out.

It was the second floor, but Lord Grim didn’t fall. The moment he was outside, his umbrella transformed into a ninjato and stabbed into the wall. He used it as a lever to jump and then stabbed his ninjato into the wall again...

Ye Xiu was very familiar with the Ninja’s Rock Climbing technique. It was difficult for the audience to keep their eyes away from Lord Grim’s fluid movements.

Lord Grim climbed up the wall, his direction clear. After a few rises and falls, he made it onto the roof. He didn’t stop to rest. He rolled towards a bunker to hide, not making a sound the entire way through.

Then, he peeked out his head and looked towards the other end.

Nothing!

Negative Nine Degrees wasn’t there. Qin Muyun hadn’t chosen to mount an ambush.

Ye Xiu didn’t waste time just because it was outside of his expectations. Lord Grim quickly looked around and found a few potential spots on the rooftop.

From Lord Grim blowing a hole in the roof to jumping onto the roof, the entire course of action took only 5 seconds.

5 seconds. Ye Xiu had checked where Qin Muyun could have moved to within those 5 seconds.

There were only two other possibilities.　　

First, he could have jumped off the roof. But Ye Xiu’s Lord Grim had just climbed up the wall and didn’t see him, so it was unlikely.

The second possibility was that Qin Muyun jumped through that hole.

Calm, collected, and exceptional at picking spots. These were the characteristics that Ye Xiu observed from the fifth player who stood beside Tyranny’s Four Heavenly Kings.

Exceptional at picking spots?

Ye Xiu suddenly realized something. Lord Grim immediately rolled to the side.

Bang!

The sound of a gunshot.

A bullet pierced through the roof and shot towards the sky.

”Whoa!!”

Gasps came from the crowd as the bullet flew.

The viewers had an omniscient view and could see everything. Lord Grim had jumped out the window and made his way to the roof, while Negative Nine Degrees did the opposite and fell through the hole in the roof. Then, just like how Ye Xiu had accurately determined Negative Nine Degrees’ position, Qin Muyun accurately determined Lord Grim’s position.

How had they done it?

”Intuition and deduction.” Li Yibo had commented on this point when Ye Xiu had found Negative Nine Degrees’ position. After Lord Grim entered the manor, he immediately moved towards a spot. From that spot, he was able to catch a catch a glimpse of Negative Nine Degrees jumping towards the roof.

This wasn’t a coincidence. Ye Xiu knew that it was possible to jump onto the roof from the back of the manor, so he looked for a spot for which he could see that. Then, once Qin Muyun got to the roof, what hidden observation spots were there?

Ye Xiu knew of a spot, and it was the spot that Qin Muyun had found. As a result, he attacked there.

Vice versa, Qin Muyun had predicted what Ye Xiu would do, so he had Negative Nine Degrees fall through the roof into the manor. If Ye Xiu wanted to catch a Negative Nine Degrees that was laying in wait for an ambush, where would he go? As a result, he attacked there.

A high-level confrontation and high-level deduction. If neither side was exceptional at picking spots and didn’t choose the most optimal position, the two would have predicted incorrectly.

Li Yibo had given them praise for this point.

And this time, Qin Muyun’s sneak attack didn’t need his explanation. Everyone understood it now. But everyone was astonished that Qin Muyun’s sneak attack actually missed. He had used a high-level Snipe, but it missed its mark. Lord Grim suddenly rolling as if he had a premonition was just too miraculous.

”How did he know?” Pan Lin couldn’t help but ask Li Yibo.

”Ye Xiu probably made a prediction one step ahead...” Li Yibo forced out his words. He wasn’t sure if he was completely correct this time. There was some level of prediction for Ye Xiu’s dodge. But to just barely dodge it in such a timely manner, reaction speed had been a part of it, but luck had been very important too.

Two guns, two switches in position, fluid movements, and deep mind games. The level of skill displayed in this match could clearly be seen.

”It looks like this match will be brilliant game of hide-and-seek.” Just when Li Yibo made this statement, he heard a crash.

The rooftop broke apart.

Collapsing Mountain!

After Lord Grim dodged that shot, he didn’t stop to take a break. He immediately jumped up and used Collapsing Mountain towards the roof.

Happy had certainly figured out just how durable the roof was. This Collapsing Mountain split open the roof as Lord Grim crashed down.

One in the air, one on the ground.

Lord Grim and Negative Nine Degrees saw each other.

Hide-and-seek? Li Yibo hadn’t even finished his words, when the two characters found each other. He had spoken too soon and didn’t have time to swallow back his words.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

Qin Muyun stayed calm. His Negative Nine Degrees fired at Lord Grim as he moved.

Hua!

The Myriad Manifestations Umbrella opened, blocking the bullets. Collapsing Mountain had ended when the roof broke apart. Right now, Lord Grim was falling freely. If he were hit by bullets, he would certainly be Delivery Gunned away.

But with protection from a shield, everything changed. Sword light flashed, Falling Light Blade!

Lord Grim changed directions in the air. His umbrella retracted, but... Negative Nine Degrees? He was gone.