Chapter 1408: Background
Translator: Nomyummi Editor: Nomyummi
Glory!
That was when this word filled the screen.
Everyone was stunned. Glory, that word would only appear when announcing a victory, but wasn’t this match a tie? Glory shouldn’t have appeared then! Could it be…
Everyone scanned the field wildly and, as expected, amidst the light of Eight Note’s disappearing spirits, there stood Deception. Health, 0.7 percent.
He wasn’t dead yet?!
Everyone was shocked. It wasn’t until the broadcast replayed that moment in slow motion that everyone realized what had happened.
That’s right, Deception hadn’t died. In that last moment, he had completed a Shadow Clone Technique, and without their owner’s help, summon creatures couldn’t determine clones from real characters. So when Eight Note’s health hit zero, the Deception everyone had seen take a fatal blow was actually just Deception’s shadow clone.
This wasn’t a tie!
Happy’s home stadium supporters exploded. Though 0.7 percent was practically no different from a tie, victory and a tie were two different concepts. When everyone saw that Mo Fan had won and not tied, the morale in the stadium soared.
“Of course it’s not a tie.” Ye Xiu was smiling. There weren’t many people who had noticed that Deception hadn’t died, but Ye Xiu was doubtlessly one of them.
“He isn’t a killer, he’s a sc.r.a.p picker,” Ye Xiu said.
That’s right!
Mo Fan wasn’t a killer. He didn’t have the mindset of a martyr. He was a sc.r.a.p picker and, no matter when, his own life was the most important. A sc.r.a.p picker, where only survival would make all his actions worthwhile.
“He’s practically made for the group arena,” Ye Xiu praised.
Everyone watched the close up of the victorious Deception. His expressionless face was brought up close for everyone’s scrutiny.
What sort of expression was the player behind this character wearing? Was he cheering? Jumping for joy? Everyone was curious, but they couldn’t tell right now. Since this wasn’t a tie, but Mo Fan’s victory, he had the right to continue, even with only 0.7 percent of his health left. Though some believed that there was no reason to continue with this much health left, even surrendering right now would be fine, Mo Fan didn’t do so.
Over at Blue Rain’s booth, Li Yuan had already gotten out.
In that moment, he had really thought it was a tie, giving him some degree of comfort. Though he hadn’t done excellently, he would have at least taken down someone. However, when Glory appeared on the screen, Li Yuan’s spirits plummeted.
He hadn’t died. It was the opponent’s victory.
This result was a huge blow to their morale.
Li Yuan walked off the stage in low spirits. Right now, the screen was filled with Deception’s most spectacular acts this battle, deepening his sense of defeat.
After he returned to the player bench, his teammates gazed at him, uncertain as to how to comfort him.
This result was rather comedic, but not a kind of comedic Blue Rain wanted to see.
“There’s no difference,” captain Yu Wenzhou spoke up then, “That much health isn’t a threat anymore. It’s the same as if he was dead.”
“Yes,” Li Yuan nodded. He knew that his captain hoped that he could look at this result logically, and try to not let it affect him too much emotionally.
“It’s all up to you,” Yu Wenzhou turned and spoke to another member of Blue Rain. It was the last player for them in the group arena, Spitfire Zheng Xuan.
“How stressful.” Zheng Xuan feigned wiping off sweat.
The predictions for this match had favored Blue Rain. No one had thought that Blue Rain would be in such a condition in just the first group arena.
Happy had only used two players to take down four of Blue Rain’s. If Blue Rain wanted to win, then they could only hope for Zheng Xuan to defeat three of Happy’s players. This clearly wasn’t very realistic. Being the group anchor wasn’t easy. For their opponents, they could see the match as an individual compet.i.tion, because there wouldn’t be anymore opponents to defeat afterwards. So, against their opponent’s group anchor, they could fight it like an individual compet.i.tion. They could be more daring, more direct. Meanwhile, the group anchor wouldn’t have the same privilege. They couldn’t be as daring, as free as they wanted. They had no one to clean up after them. They had to carefully preserve their health, doing their best against all the opposing team’s remaining characters.
Yu Wenzhou wouldn’t place such unrealistic expectations on his teammate’s shoulders, that was really giving them stress. Currently, they could pretty much ignore Mo Fan’s existence. After that, if Zheng Xuan could get them a point, allowing them to enter the team compet.i.tion two points behind, that was enough. Of course, if he managed to defeat two players, leaving them at only a one point disadvantage, then that would be even better. At that point, Zheng Xuan’s performance would be perfect in Yu Wenzhou’s eyes. He wouldn’t consider the possibility of a one versus three.
“I’m off then!” Zheng Xuan got up and straightened his clothes.
“Good luck!” Everyone wished him.
“If I can’t get us a point, then let me be struck by lightning!” Zheng Xuan solemnly swore.
Blue Rain’s members were stunned for a moment before they realized that Mo Fan was also a point for them. A point with only 0.7 percent of his health left.
Everyone rolled their eyes, ignoring his joke.
“What! This is a point even Huang Shao and Li Yuan didn’t manage to win!” Zheng Xuan bemoaned.
“Just get the h.e.l.l out already!!” Huang Shaotian growled. His mood clearly wasn’t the best; after all, he had left the stage amidst mocking laughter.
“Just watch me!” Zheng Xuan sounded confident.
No one was worried for him. Even if Mo Fan had a thousand tricks up his sleeve, and all sorts of unexpected tactics, health was the foundation of everything. A mere 0.7 percent of health wasn’t enough to execute any tricks. Perhaps he had the ability to combo his opponent without taking damage, but those circ.u.mstances and his current 0.7 percent health would have the opponent taking very different choices of action.
Match start.
Pan Lin and Li Yibo didn’t even bother saying anything. Actually, in most people’s eyes, It would be more acceptable for Mo Fan to surrender and leave. Continuing with 0.7 percent of his health seemed like a rather cheap move.
Zheng Xuan’s Spitfire character was called Bullet Rain, equipped with the Silver rifle, Drift. He was one of Blue Rain’s core players and was pretty famous in the scene.
Zheng Xuan was a player who debuted in the fourth season, becoming a pro player alongside Yu Wenzhou and Huang Shaotian.
That was a bright, star-filled season, bringing about the circle of top players now known as the Golden Generation. Zheng Xuan debuted in the same season as the Golden Generation, and from then on, his signature phrase became “how stressful.”
Zheng Xuan was very talented, but back then, there was already a Spitfire player that shone like the sun, so newbies had a hard time taking the spotlight.
There were no Battle Mages, Strikers, Spitfires or Berserkers among the Golden Generation. Was this because no rookies debuted with these cla.s.ses in the fourth season? Of course not. It was because, at that time, these cla.s.ses were all occupied by the group of players standing at the top of the top. New rookies shoving these G.o.ds from their positions? Not even in their dreams.
Zheng Xuan grew up beside the Golden Generation. Perhaps, in another generation, he would draw much attention, but next to the Golden Generation, he was but a drop in the ocean. Just in his own team, there were two eye-catching teammates that outshone him, not just in Glory, but also in their personal characteristics. One couldn’t shut up, and the other had crippled hands.
Zheng Xuan was rather speechless. Considering how normal he was, he could only lament over how geniuses always had their quirks.
How stressful!
Day by day, he matured amidst such complaints and became a reliable helper to his two Golden Generation teammates.
Over the summer between seasons seven and eight, the top Spitfire player Zhang Jiale suddenly retired. Hundred Blossoms flailed, trying to find a successor for Dazzling Hundred Blossoms, and the first name they thought of was actually Blue Rain’s Zheng Xuan.
The two came in contact, but they hadn’t even said much before Zheng Xuan rejected the offer.
The reason?
He was used to being in Blue Rain. Being the team’s ace? How stressful…
That was the reason Zheng Xuan gave for rejecting Hundred Blossoms’ offer.
Perhaps he was a bit of a coward. That’s what Zheng Xuan thought, but really, he was already used to it. From the beginning of the fourth season, under the halo of the Golden Generation, the other player from the same season all seemed negligible. In Blue Rain, he had debuted with Yu Wenzhou and Huang Shaotian, but all everyone saw was the two of them. He had stood by their side for so many years, but when people remembered him, and recalled when he debuted, they were always startled. Hey! He’s also a season four debutee, from the same batch as the Golden Generation!
At first, Zheng Xuan could only reply with a strained smile, but soon enough, he really did get used to it. Whenever Blue Rain did poorly, he would see captain Yu Wenzhou and ace Huang Shaotian get grilled by reporters, sitting in the spotlight, and he would think to himself that his position was quite the blessing.
In a team like Blue Rain, he had an important, but not crucial position. Not as good as whoever was above, but far out of reach to those below. Stability was a realm of life, too!
Zheng Xuan was very satisfied with this realm he was in. He was prepared to maintain this, all the way until the end of his career. To be honest, he had no regrets and would be happy to end it here. He even had a champions.h.i.+p.
Thus, Zheng Xuan unavoidably had some problems with motivation, even in the playoffs. However, that didn’t mean he would be bullied by someone with only 0.7 percent of his health left. Mo Fan’s Deception once again launched a sneak attack and was killed as soon as acted by a head-on trade of health.
He won a certain victory, but Zheng Xuan still felt his excitement rise. It was still a point! He was pretty good at cheering himself on.
Then, Happy’s third player was fielded.
Su Mucheng, Dancing Rain.
“Golden Generation, huh… How stressful,” Zheng Xuan mumbled.