Chapter 121: Unt.i.tled
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
This solo match against a bot ended in 20 minutes. Results of the match flashed out, Xiao won by a small margin.
Ji Zhiyao asked, “Brother, how does your hand feel?”
“Still alright, now it hurts a little. I reckon the use of my hand cannot exceed this duration for the time being.”
Although he was smiling, but there was obvious sadness deep in his eyes.
Seeing such a gaze, Ji Zhiyao’s heart involuntarily tightened. He understood. As one of the high ranking junglers locally, now that it had become so hard for him to just play a game against bots, he must be very upset deep down.
The rest of the team not gathering to watch Xiao play the bot match, was also probably not to make him feel even worse.
Ji Zhiyao pretended to be unaffected, patting Xiao’s shoulder and saying, “Come, Brother Xiao, we’ll go let the physiotherapist take a look.”
Xiao nodded, he had just taken off his bandage and had to take notes after using his wrist everyday. But he held back Ji Zhiyao, smiling as he said, “It’s not like my legs can’t work, I can go find the physiotherapist by myself. You stay here and do your training, I’ll be right back.”
Ji Zhiyao replied with an “okay”.
After Xiao left the training room, Ji Zhiyao sighed and gripped his mouse, preparing to enter a ranked match.
But heard Mo Huaifeng say, “He’s gotten past the surgery, he will definitely get better.”
Ji Zhiyao glanced inquiringly at Mo Huaifeng, he was watching the gaming video on his screen, looking so peaceful like he hadn’t spoken earlier… Ji Zhiyao smiled, then said, “Mm.”
Everything will get better.
Both Xiao’s injury, and their battleteam.
…
Two days later, Yuan Wei carrying a large black bag, pushed open the door of the training room with great difficulty, “Our team uniforms are here, come try them on.”
Everyone who was still absorbed in their ranked matches stood up and walked towards Yuan Wei in succession, not caring if they were halfway through their games as they opened the bag and looked for the clothes.
Right at the top were seven white t-s.h.i.+rts, whereas at the bottom were thin jackets.
The physique of all the members of Mix battleteam were similar, so they chose L for their sizes. Except for Mo Huaifeng, he was tall, so his clothes were one size larger.
Ji Zhiyao looked at the size of the t-s.h.i.+rt, finding that it was slightly larger and so didn’t not remove his sweater and put on the s.h.i.+rt over it.
Yuan Wei commented as he watched them. “So handsome. Heng, you have to take note of your figure, if you gain another one kg your beer belly would be showing, do you still want to have fans?”
“Wait till when we’re about to take the publicity stills then I’ll start dieting.”
Everyone was laughing and joking, especially happy. The moment the team uniform was put on, it gave one a totally different feeling.
It was a special sense of belonging.
Ji Zhiyao stroked the team logo on the chest of his t-s.h.i.+rt with a cheris.h.i.+ng touch, hearing Yuan Wei say, “Quickly try on the jackets too, see if there is anywhere unsuitable.”
Hence everyone quickly pulled on their jackets.
Dressing so thickly in the house where the heating was very adequate was really a little too warm, after everybody tried on the clothes and found the problems, they removed them again, folding a few times and replaced them into the bag.
“You guys pack your own uniform, don’t forget where you stuff it and when you pull it out again it’s all crumpled.” Yuan Wei finished instructing like a mother, turning to Ji Zhiyao and asking, “Noh.o.m.o, are you starting school soon?”
Ji Zhiyao nodded. “Yes, school starts next week.”
“Okay, I got it. When you’re back do discuss your training timings with Old Ning and coach, when it’s nearing the time to take the publicity stills, I will let you know in advance.”
“No problem.”
Each of them brought their uniforms to their rooms, then went downstairs and began training.
Today’s training method was slightly more interesting, the stats a.n.a.lyzer was the one who came up with it: Use a randomizer to divide Mix internally for 1v1 and 3v3 matches.
As Mo Huaifeng’s individual capability was too strong, and the problem of Nuo’s support champions being weaker in attack, both of them did not take part in the randomly arranged 1v1 matches. Hence, K, Heng, Xiaofei, Ji Zhiyao, four of them drew lots, at last it was decided that Heng would go against Xiaofei and K against Ji Zhiyao.
Whereas for the 3v3 teams, the stats a.n.a.lyzer decided right away, Mo Huaifeng, Nuo and Heng in a team, Xiaofei, K and Ji Zhiyao in another.
Playing against teammates allowed one to be clearer about their teammates’ current standard and gaming habits, making it easier to work together in the future. Whereas the training style of forming different teams was to nurture the synergy and different ways of countering for the Mix members, and was also a more useful form and training.
Heng and Xiaofei’s match wasn’t as worth watching as K and Ji Zhiyao’s, after all, both of them were mid-laners and Xiaofei was Heng’s reserve. Both of them knew each other very well.
Whereas K and Ji Zhiyao was different, seriously speaking, this was their first time playing head-on against the other, both felt eager and excited.
K: “Noh.o.m.o, when you lose later you can just call me daddy, please don’t cry yeah.”
Ji Zhiyao: “This was also what I wanted to say to you, the waves behind ride on the ones before, the new generation excels the old, though I joined the team a little later, it’s enough for me to beat you into a r.e.t.a.r.d.”
The match had yet to begin and the guns were already blazing between them. Nuo brought out a pile of his personal stash of melon seeds, splitting into two sides with the rest of the team as they stood behind K and Ji Zhiyao to watch the show.
Mo Huaifeng and Xiaofei stood behind Ji Zhiyao, while Heng and Nuo cheered for K.
Xiao became the judge and announced the start of the match.
As a top-laner, K has to resist the opposing ADC and support in the long term and was stronger in terms of resisting pressure; while Ji Zhiyao was a jungler with an aggressive style, his ability to control the pace of the game was top-notch. Putting two such people against each other, n.o.body knew what would happen.
In the first few minutes of the match, K very steadily waited for his champion to level; while Ji Zhiyao was also calm, leisurely killing minions while observing K’s movements.
What made the rest of them very surprised was, both of them were in a standoff for a while, K lost patience and made the first move towards Ji Zhiyao.
Xiaofei didn’t really understand that and asked Mo Huaifeng in a soft voice, “Captain, K has always been very steady, why was he so impatient this time?”
Mo Huaifeng’s voice was low and deep. “K is very smart, he figured out that Noh.o.m.o is waiting to drag the match till a later stage when his level is developed and fight him with abilities head on. K’s strength is that he is very good with defense of turrets, but fighting solely based on abilities, he was still slightly weaker.
K had indeed thought that way.
At first he wanted to wait for Ji Zhiyao to take the initiative to attack and reveal his flaws, but he did not expect that Ji Zhiyao would start to drag the game like him. The circ.u.mstances were very disadvantageous for him, he could not sit still and await his doom.
Hence K began attacking experimentally, a few hits with barely any damage, while Ji Zhiyao merely dodged when K’s abilities were about to hit him and did not adopt other measures.
K was a little anxious now.
He took a few steps back, finished the minions then met the a.s.sa.s.sin under Ji Zhiyao’s control head-on. Both their levels weren’t high, Ji Zhiyao did not attack but retreated into his turret.
K could not do anything to him and also could not rush into his turret when he did not have any minions.