Glory [e-sports]

Translated by 🎏 Edited by apricot, @babyybluebear, teo

FTW knew EVE’s battle tactics and comps like the back of their hand.

Since making it to Worlds, their coaching team hadn’t taken a single breather, studying every potential opponent that they would face.

It was a mountain of reports compiling analysis of teams’ past performance and each player’s current condition and playstyle, which would cause even Little Lunatic Wei’s eyes to grow wide and his jaw slack.

It didn’t need to be said that Chen Feng and Brother Tang spent many hours poring over the data in order to extract insights.

As such, they were mentally prepared for EVE to ramp up the rhythm after Little Ning fell.

Nevertheless, going up against it in real life still shook them up.

Brother Cai had just let out a sigh of relief after arduously taking down a wave of jungle monsters when out of the blue, a wispy cloud sunk over them. His spine prickled with unease. “What the hell…”

Wei Xiao: “……”

Brother Cai reacted swiftly, intercepting with a Ground Stab, and Wei Xiao also flung out a Soul Blade. Their reaction speed should have been quick enough to force Xie He back, however… he lunged towards them with Connecting Clouds, and fog spread from the bushes, coiling around Brother Cai’s legs. Despite the spikes erupting densely from the ground, the Immortal Warlock had actually managed to find an opening to glide through!

Wei Xiao’s dark irises gleamed. His thin lips curled up slightly. “Powerful.”

Truly. He had evaded not only the Ground Stab but also Wei Xiao’s Soul Blade!

The Soul Warlock’s Soul Blade was a ranged attack, and Wei Xiao had deliberately adjusted the trajectory to complement Brother Cai’s Ground Stab. The rapport between the duo could only be matched by few others globally, but despite their tightly coordinated defence, the Immortal Warlock rushed straight towards Wei Xiao as though it posed no resistance to him.

More distressingly, the Immortal Warlock was already level 6!

Wei Xiao had just hit level 5, but Xie He in the mid lane was already level 6!

Taking first blood from Ning Zhehan had awarded him experience, but his current level also showed that he had not missed a single minion in the early stage. The micro play required to subdue an enemy whilst not losing a single minion was insane.

In addition, EVE’s jungler had ceded a blue buff to him, and all this led to the Immortal Warlock’s current level 6.

What did a level 6 Immortal Warlock signify?

The cloud layer that streamed over converged into a deadly blade, slicing them with an icy glint. The Immortal Warlock danced towards them like an assassin under the blazing sun, about to reap a life in broad daylight!

Brother Cai gnashed his teeth. “I’ll block him, you retreat.”

Wei Xiao glanced at the mini map. “Old Yue, don’t come.”

They had no chance. Xie He still had a Light Priest by his side, and any reinforcements could be locked down by a Thousand Cloud Layers coupled with a Light Prison. In the early game, the Immortal Warlock could rely entirely on Connecting Clouds and Landing On Clouds to defend themselves.

As for retreating…

How could a Soul Warlock outrun an Immortal Warlock who flew on clouds?

The Thousand Cloud Layers arose. Wei Xiao and Bai Cai’s vision were blinded by fog, and all they could see were their rapidly dropping health bars.

System announcement –

EVE.xiehe killed FTW.Quiet.

EVE.xiehe killed FTW.White.

Double kill!

Each announcement came louder than the next, and when the last one dropped, the audience spontaneously roared in delight.

It was only after the roars died down that they scratched their heads awkwardly: Ahem, so much for home ground advantage, what the heck were they cheering about!

In the commentary booth, Brother Big Mouth impartially reviewed this wave of attacks, which beneath the tact, could be basically interpreted as this:

Xie He truly lived up to his appellation as Glory’s Mage God.

Despite not clinching the championship title in three years, the supremacy of this player couldn’t be hidden in the slightest.

Knowing that Moonlit was Xie He’s fan, Brother Big Mouth couldn’t help but turn the conversation to him. “Moonlit, what do you think of Xie He’s play just then?”

Moonlit, with an indifferent expression: “Standard combo.”

Brother Big Mouth: “……”

The livestream burst into laughter. With a wave, Money dropped two red envelopes into the chat: “Gee, Little Moon-moon, try to talk more.”

Moonlit: Can’t talk too much. I have to work hard to save captain from losing his underwear.

‘Standard Combo’ Xie He walloped FTW black and blue.

Within a short two minutes, FTW had become a tragic sight.

Little Ning had barely been able to fend Xie He off at equal farm. Now that the latter was far ahead,  the only thing he could do was cry out.

“Ah!”

“Oh!”

“Nngh!”

Glory’s Mic Explosion King: “Don’t ban me, this is really audio captured in-game!!!”

Logically speaking, fans would usually want to curse their hearts out and ram their heads against the screen in rage when their home team got thrashed like this. However, the home crowd and the livestream were oddly composed.

Not only that, they were even gloating a bit.

The people at the stadium watching Little Lunatic Wei die and respawn had a tiny smile sneaking onto the corners of their lips.

The people in the livestream were even more direct, flooding the chat with ‘Little Lunatic Wei is getting pwned’ in concert.

Occasionally, a passer-by would click into the stream and be befuddled by the scene. “Are Glory fans so slapdash? Still able to laugh it off when your home team is being beaten to the curb? What’s up with this grudge, is it FTW or EVE representing China?”

It was a situation impossible to explain without a million word exposition to denounce Little Lunatic Wei’s vile conduct!

Of course, the reason that they could take so much delight in it was ultimately because they had witnessed the Soul Warlock comp in play once.

Compete for the dragon, counter jungle, restrain Close.

It was imperative to slow Wei Xiao’s progress. Every second of delay increased EVE’s likelihood of winning.

As time wore on, the audience’s grins waned.

This kind of rhythm… was a bit draggy.

Wasn’t Wei Xiao’s jungle being robbed blind?

Seconds were just ticking by, why was it so slow?

Why hadn’t Wei Xiao’s experience hit level 6 yet!

Right then, the broadcast observer flashed on the scoreboard. There was a collective gasp when everyone saw the Immortal Warlock’s items and gold.

Fuck.

He had a thousand gold lead over Close, who already had the highest gold in FTW?

Wei Xiao was just about to hit level 6 but the Immortal Warlock was already at level 8?

The fans happily spectating started to feel their scalps prickle…

The disparity in farm was a bit frightening.

Before hitting the cap at level 18, even a single level gap was brutal.

A level gap implied a gold gap, which would further imply a gap in the magnitude of the abilities.

At this rate, the Immortal Warlock could take them in a 1v3 and barely break a sweat!

The audience were able to tell that the situation looked bad, and Wei Xiao was even clearer about the current state. His eyes never left the “scoreboard”, constantly monitoring Xie He’s stats alongside his own.

EVE was indisputably a team that started strong, and their strengths contrasted sharply with that of L&P.

L&P’s core was their top-jungle duo. Incidentally, FTW’s top laner was stable enough that they didn’t have to fear being bombarded in the top lane.

EVE was different. Their core was their mid laner, who possessed a power that manifested itself in a heavy bloodlust.

A mid laner who roamed the canyon – the rightful terror.

No matter how strong a top-jungle duo was, they were constrained by the size of the canyon. Even if the top laner teleported over to support the bottom lane, there was still a lengthy cooldown time.

A mid laner had no such constraints. The high mobility Immortal Warlocks truly allowed them to appear anywhere, anytime.

The middle lane was the central axis of the canyon; the shortest distance to any point on the map.

This was the power of Glory’s Mage God, and the coordination between the mid-jungle-support could raze any field to the ground.

Wei Xiao was level 6 now. At long last his Soul Warlock was able to use Attachment, but given the current stats, he didn’t dare make a move.

Twofold damage of a Thousand Cloud Layers was no different from one from Xie He. How was he meant to fight that?

If Xie He could overpower them in a 1v2 skirmish, then…

Wei Xiao breathed in softly, stabilising his mental state.

The battle today was extremely tough for FTW. Starting from the quarterfinals, each match was a balancing act on a steel cord and each step more perilous than the last.

He couldn’t lose.

Even the thought was not permitted to pass through his mind.

It would be an endless downward spiral if he did. He had to forge forward with indomitable will.

Wei Xiao: “Brother Cai, the Golden Dragon.”

Bai Cai’s pupils contracted and his hands shivered. “Ca-Can we…” Can we do it?

Wei Xiao: “We must.”

With that, he yelled, “Captain!”

Lu Feng: “Come.”

Miraculously, when Lu Feng’s low timbre echoed in his ears, Wei Xiao calmed down.

He stopped staring at the scoreboard and Xie He’s movements, and stopped obsessing over what would happen in the next second.

The most pressing tasks at hand were slaying the Golden Dragon and re-establishing a gold and minion advantage.

This couldn’t go on. They had to disrupt EVE’s rhythm to seize the upper hand.

Wei Xiao gave brief instructions to Ning Zhehan.

Ning Zhehan’s expression was solemn. “Roger that.”

In spectator mode, the commentary booth and the viewers could see and understand what Wei Xiao was planning.

Brother Big Mouth’s voice shook imperceptibly. “The Golden Dragon’s alcove… has been warded by EVE.”

Unlike players, those watching the match could see the match from both team’s sight radius, particularly the valuable true sight. Unless the hero had special abilities, a player would be oblivious that they had exposed their position when stepping into its range.

FTW’s play was simple to understand. They were sure to lose the fight as they were trailing too far behind, consequently, they had to take a risk and raid the dragon pit.

If they secured the Golden Dragon, the entire team would see a dramatic increase in gold and experience. Not only would that even out the gap, it would also provide a massive boost to team morale.

The plan was all well and good, but the risk was extremely high.

The fight for the Golden Dragon at this time could be likened to a monumental battle in books on the art of war.

FTW was determined to have it, and EVE would not relinquish it to them so easily.

To put it plainly, the biggest possibility as to why EVE had yet to secure the Golden Dragon was that they were inviting the opposition to devise their own defeat.

Once FTW entered the dragon pit, it would be a herculean feat to escape intact.

Would Wei Xiao, having made the call, fail to understand something that even the audience could grasp?

He did understand.

But it was a battle that must be fought.

In the mid game, even at risk of a team wipeout, there was still a chance to make a comeback. It was in the late game that they would be powerless to turn the tide.

No matter how high the risk was, it was still the best opportunity.

Wei Xiao inhaled softly. “Let’s go.”

Brother Cai took the teleport and his finger trembled.

The arrival of the Soul Warlock at the dragon pit was detected by true sight. The Immortal Warlock abandoned the Blue Buff he was fighting at once and scaled the wall with Connecting Clouds, charging for the Golden Dragon’s alcove in order to engage them.

They had no vision and had also exposed their own position.

Wei Xiao knew this, but he had to commit.

At this moment, he was the team support and the one who was controlling the team’s rhythm.

He couldn’t panic. He couldn’t get flustered. And he couldn’t make a single mistake.

Ning Zhehan struck Xie He from above with a Landing On Clouds, goosebumps breaking out all over his body. “Stopped him!” Luckily, his mission was a success.

Wei Xiao: “Nice!”

Even slowing him by a single second would be enough.

“Brother Cai, start on the dragon.”

Bai Cai forcibly calmed his racing heartbeat. “O-On it!”

Simultaneously, the Shadow Thief came down from the top lane and was just a few steps away from reaching the dragon pit.

By then, Ning Zhehan already had half his health chopped away by Xie He. He exclaimed, “I can’t hold on anymore.”

Wei Xiao: “Pull back.”

Little Ning beat a hasty retreat, just short of using Thousand Cloud Layers to escape.

Two seconds. He had only stalled Xie He for two seconds, but… it was enough!

The Shadow Thief had already focused on EVE’s jungler, CC.

Wei Xiao attached to Lu Feng, who had reached the fringe of his maximal range, and without further ado, began stacking Light Arcs.

The audience were exhilarated, hollering, “Double Nine, Double Nine!”

Double Nine was not plausible in a drawn-out fight like this. They had to save their abilities; wasting damage would be inexcusable.

Without need for further communication, Wei Xiao used the ability that Lu Feng had prepared for him, dealing out the first of nine Light Arcs.

It radiated a gorgeous glow that the audience never tired of seeing, especially through the holographic projection.

Some audience members who had begun to fret felt their hearts settle down when the Light Arcs landed, allowing them to stay collected.

The outcome was still undetermined, but seeing the unity between the great and little demon king was inexplicably reassuring.

Little Lunatic Wei, who feared nothing and no one.

The Great Demon King, who none could rival or overcome.

The pair who were cast from the same mould began wreaking havoc on heaven and on earth!

Wei Xiao made quick work of CC using a Light Arc, and when he got the kill, Lu Feng activated the teleport he had been holding off on to instantly arrive at Ning Zhehan’s side.

Little Ning sighed in relief. “I’ll leave it to you guys.”

He was heavily wounded. If this had continued, he would simply have given the Immortal Warlock a free kill.

Wei Xiao gave his assent, and at the same time, sent a Soul Blade flying towards the Immortal Warlock.

In a flash, EVE’s support stepped in front of the Immortal Warlock, tanking the blow for Xie He.

Xie He didn’t even blink. Facing the newly crowned best top-jungler duo, he didn’t show the faintest fear.

Clouds coalesced and the Thousand Cloud Layers that he had been saving descended from the sky, shrouding the surroundings with mist. The Immortal Warlock disappeared from sight, about to cause tremendous damage.

Wei Xiao cast a new shield around the Soul Warlock, flush with confidence in Lu Feng. “Captain!”

Lu Feng: “Mm.”

With a silent swoosh, a lethal Light Arc combo was created.

Another nine Light Arcs were delivered effortlessly without needing any other offensive or crowd-control abilities. It was smoothly executed as if it were a single random keystroke.

The thousand layers of clouds collided with nine arcs of light, resulting in stratus clouds glowing with resplendent light.

Both players had damage immunity. However…

Even when maxed, Thousand Cloud Layers would never match up to a Shadow Thief’s nine Light Arcs.

The Light Priest’s Prison was cleaved by Wei Xiao’s Soul Blade, and the Shadow Thief shielded by the Soul Warlock remained standing to the end.

At the same time, another system announcement resounded.

FTW.White has slain the Golden Dragon.

Brother Cai had successfully nabbed the dragon!

The commentator was incidentally on his feet already. If he were seated while giving commentary, he’d surely slap the table and leap up for Brother Cai, calling out: “Beautiful!”

Really too beautiful!

Taking risks was essential for success. By going out on a limb, FTW accomplished three kills whilst securing the Golden Dragon in one fell swoop.

The entire team’s net worth soared, especially for Wei Xiao and Close.

The bounty on Xie He’s head was steep. After killing him, Close became the player with the highest gold on the field.

Wei Xiao had also caught up. Although he was still beneath Xie He, with his current items, he could use Attachment as he pleased.

In addition, their Immortal Warlock and Storm Hunter now had the combat power to go head-to-head with EVE.

Several amateur esports analysts were typing up a storm in the livestream chat, doing a point-by-point breakdown of FTW’s earlier play.

For example, how Ning Zhehan managed to stall Xie He for two seconds.

Also, the way Wei Xiao decisively went for CC and insta-killing him.

Moreover, Brother Cai’s single-minded focus on the Golden Dragon despite the brewing storm around him.

Even Yue Wenle who disrupted EVE’s marksman, Dunn’s, teleport was given a shout-out.

This analyst was top-tier, touching on the intricacies of the highlights better than the official commentary.

While spamming gifts, Money exposed his identity: “Old Fu, how much money did you spend to send such a long comment in the chat.”

Fu Li: “……”

The chat was a sea of question marks: WTF? What on earth is going on? This ‘amateur‘ analyst is actually Captain Fu?

The ‘amateur’ analyst: “Idiot.”

With the vehemence behind the short but powerful insult against Captain Mo, it definitely had to be Captain Fu!

Thanks to the two hotshots gracing the livestream, the viewers spammed the chat with even more gusto.

On the canyon, a myriad of changes had occurred in an instant. FTW, who had been lagging behind substantially, suddenly saw a metamorphosis. Little Lunatic Wei danced like a butterfly.

Even God Xie’s imposing bloodlust couldn’t suppress the unbridled lunacy of this little lunatic.

Little Ning who had been bullied for most of the round was puffing up with pride. He might still be underfarmed compared to Xie He, and his and Wei Xiao’s combined damage might also be less than Xie He’s with the Light Priest’s protection.

But… even David could take down Goliath. Feeling gutsy, all Little Ning wanted to do was to dance on God Xie’s grave!

It didn’t matter whether he died or not. Being swept away by Xie He was the norm, giving him the slip was a win, and trading an eye for an eye was damn well striking the lottery!

By nature, Xie He had always been more easily persuaded than intimidated.

Unable to take the taunting, he hounded Little Ning relentlessly in the middle lane.

Wei Xiao was tickled. “Good going, Brother Xiao.”

The aggro was being solidly pulled.

So much for worrying that Xie He might dodge a fight.

Since he wanted a fight, then they’d take it to the end!

This time, EVE got a taste of their own medicine.

With overwhelming force, FTW built momentum, reset the rhythm, and cut a bloody path out of the battlefield.

Their comeback in the late game hit as hard as they had endured in the early game.

Even Xie He, who was globally notorious for his irascibility, also fell under their crazed, concentrated fire.

In the first game, FTW emerged victorious.

FTW’s Soul Warlock comp had appeared in Worlds twice so far with a 100% win rate.

Glancing at the victory screen before him, Brother Cai was still a little shaky. “Close call.”

Huge beads of sweat were dotting his whole head; this vegetable was so frightened that he had been tempted to crawl under the table.

Little Ning was full of fight. “We won!”

Wei Xiao played it cool. “You were so cool, Brother Ning.”

Ning Zhehan said modestly, “Thanks to your carry, Brother Xiao.”

Wei Xiao’s reply was also modest. “Nothing of that sort, it’s all your natural talent, Brother Ning.”

Ning Zhehan: “All my talent can’t compare to yours, Brother Xiao… oof…”

Chen Feng clobbered both of them, staring down imperiously. “You only won one.” And your tails were already wagging like there was no tomorrow!

The two cubs’ exchange of compliments was halted there.

Chen Feng looked over at the other side, then said in a low voice, “Let’s ban the Immortal Warlock in the next game.”

He understood Xie He. Where other players would deflate after a loss, he would instead become even more explosive.

Especially after such a debacle. If he was unable to redeem himself in the next game, then Pufferfish Xie should apply for a name change.

But little did anyone expect Lu Feng to say, “There’s no need.”

It wasn’t only Chen Feng; everyone was gawking at Lu Feng.

Lu Feng added, “Don’t ban the Immortal Warlock.”

@babyybluebear: aww you did a good job editing apricot: no, you ^^ @babyybluebear: no, you~ <> apricot: no, you! ^ is a figment of my (@bbb) imagination. I’m so used to it being an English meme seeing it in Chinese cracks me up HAHA