Di fase grup, momentum Long Sky berulang kali dihentikan oleh Dynasty dan Fried Eggplants with Fish. Memiliki harapan pada sebuah tim adalah pedang bermata dua; saat Long Sky tampil buruk, perhatian media justru akan berbalik melawan mereka karena mereka menyanyikan lagu pesimis tentang peluang Long Sky lolos fase grup.
Sebagai tim berpengalaman, Long Sky memiliki ketahanan tekanan yang kuat. Di beberapa pertandingan terakhir grup A, jumlah penonton kembali memecahkan rekor, tapi di pertandingan Long Sky melawan Dynasty, King Admiral sendirian mengalahkan empat lawan dalam duel satu lawan satu grup dan mengamankan peringkat pertama di bracket grup. Dengan itu, Long Sky tergeser ke peringkat keempat.
Di bawah pesimis dan keraguan, ronde terakhir dimulai, dan lawan Long Sky adalah Fried Eggplants with Fish yang menduduki peringkat kedua di bracket. Ada selisih poin yang besar, dan agar Long Sky lolos, mereka harus mendominasi pertandingan sepenuhnya dan mengambil sebanyak mungkin poin. Namun, Fried Eggplants with Fish juga tim tangguh, dan tidak ada harapan Long Sky bisa lolos fase grup.
Tapi justru saat penonton mengira Long Sky akan gugur, Hao Tian dan timnya menampilkan pertarungan tim yang ajaib, yang membasmi seluruh tim musuh. Tidak ada kesalahan yang ditemukan selama duel satu lawan satu, dan mereka menginjak-injak lawan. Tiga Kereta Perang—Dancing Fish Dragon, Perfume Bear, dan Sun Eggplant—dikuasai Long Sky tanpa tahu apa yang terjadi.
Di live streaming, layar meledak-ledak intensitas di setiap frame. Penggemar kedua tim duduk di ujung kursi, seolah jantung mereka akan meledak. Setiap kali ada perubahan alur, penonton berteriak kegirangan dan kegugupan.
Poin Long Sky melonjak, dan dalam sekejap mereka menyamai poin Fried Eggplants with Fish. Hasil akhir ditentukan di pertarungan tim, dan Long Sky mengungguli lawan mereka serta lolos ke tahap berikutnya sebagai peringkat kedua grup.
"Long Sky melakukan reverse sweep!"
"Dalam pertarungan tim tangguh, Fried Eggplants with Fish dihancurkan!"
"Long Sky promosi ke tahap berikutnya dengan selisip rambut"
"Fried Eggplants with Fish dikalahkan dengan memalukan! Apakah ini akhir tim tangguh?"
"Kompetisi grup A berakhir. Dynasty dan Long Sky melaju ke perempat final!"
Kembalinya Long Sky yang tak terduga meledak di forum. Penggemar Long Sky menangis air mata seolah tahun baru, dan suasana tragis serta nada media dengan cepat berbalik; hanya kata-kata pujian yang terlihat di berita, tidak peduli seberapa buruk mereka tampil sebelumnya.
Dynasty, Long Sky, dan Fried Eggplants with Fish semuanya menggelar konferensi pers setelah pertandingan. Wartawan pertama mengucapkan selamat pada tim pemenang, dan perwakilan kedua tim menghargai ucapan selamat itu. Kedua tim menjawab pertanyaan dengan formalitas klise, berterima kasih pada penggemar dan mereka yang mendukung sepanjang jalan.
Di sesi akhir konferensi pers, wartawan menyerahkan mikrofon ke Fried Eggplants with Fish dan bertanya, "Apakah kalian ingin berbagi sesuatu setelah kekalahan ini?"
Perwakilan Fried Eggplants with Fish membeku dan berkata, "Kami tampil buruk di pertandingan terakhir, dan kami tidak memenuhi ekspektasi sendiri. Selama pertandingan, kami membuat banyak kesalahan, dan kami bisa melakukan lebih baik. Long Sky adalah lawan yang kuat, dan semua menyaksikan bagaimana..."
Jawaban ini sudah disiapkan sebelum wawancara pers. Mereka mulai dengan mengakui kesalahan dan mencoba belajar darinya, lalu meminta maaf ke penggemar. Respons ini prosedur standar jika kalah, jadi wartawan hanya bisa diam, dan dia bahkan tidak repot mencatat.
Tiba-tiba, ketua tim, Sun Eggplant, berdiri. Meski dikenal sebagai yang terakhir dari Tiga Kereta Perang, dia pemimpin ketiga orang itu.
Sun Eggplant memotong jawaban dan meraih mikrofon dari perwakilan. Dia menghadap wartawan bingung dan menatap Long Sky. "Aku tidak mau bilang kata-kata basi seperti 'kami sudah berusaha sebaik-baiknya'. Kami kalah, dan itu fakta tak terungkiri, tapi aku tidak bisa menerimanya. Aku akan merebut gelar kembali lain kali. Hao Tian, karena kita berdua lolos ke perempat final di bracket individu, jika kau temui aku, bersiaplah untuk mati."
Hao Tian tidak mundur. "Hasilnya tidak akan berubah berapa pun kau menantangku."
Keduanya menatap satu sama lain, dan tidak ada yang mundur.
Pertukaran seperti inilah yang menarik ditulis. Wartawan tersenyum dan cepat mencatat.
Dynasty, yang di samping, melirik keduanya. Ironisnya, tim benih pertama justru jadi karakter pendukung.
Second Prince mengepalkan tinju dan berkata, "Wartawan mengabaikan kami sekarang. Mending aku pergi menantang..."
King Admiral berjuang menahan mata agar tetap terbuka seolah dia tidur. Dia menampar belakang kepala Second Prince dan berkata, "Jangan cari masalah."
Second Prince mendorong tangannya dan menjawab dengan kesal, "Berhenti memukulku, kau gila. Kenapa kau omong kosong soal aku ikut tantangan?"
"B*stard, kau bahkan tidak masuk semifinal!" King Admiral menusuk jantung Second Prince.
Wajah Second Prince memerah, dan dia menatap King Admiral dengan marah, seolah akan menendangnya di pangkal paha.
Second Prince merasa diejek. King Admiral tidak hanya lolos ke tahap berikutnya di bracket individu, tapi juga benih pertama dan poin terbanyak. Dia diundang ke All Stars, sementara Second Prince gugur. Itulah kenapa Second Prince kesal.
Saat yang sama, Temple of God juga menggelar konferensi pers mereka. Mereka beruntung karena dialokasikan ke grup tanpa banyak persaingan. Mereka juga diundang ke pertandingan All Stars.
Li Ge mengklaim mereka akan membawa trofi dan kebanggaan bagi negara saat menuju kompetisi internasional.
Temple of God mengklaim mereka yang terkuat dan mereka kepala naga dari tim-tim tangguh. Li Ge berjalan di jalur tim representasi China. Meski dia peringkat dua pemain China, King Admiral selalu pendiam dan low-key dengan penampilan santai. Di sisi lain, Li Ge tampan dan kuat, dan mereka memiliki popularitas sama dengan ratusan penggemar.
Ada jumlah perempuan signifikan dalam fanbase Li Ge, sementara kebanyakan fans King Admiral adalah pria dewasa. Pertarungan antara fanbase mereka juga menarik, dan biasanya jadi salah satu pesta terbesar di scene. Selama Li Ge dan King Admiral bertarung, ini pasti jadi tambahan pesta yang pasti muncul.
Tim-tim yang lolos playoff semuanya menggelar konferensi pers, dan segala macam pernyataan dikeluarkan tim. Beberapa sangat yakin mereka akan juara final, sementara beberapa lebih rendah hati dan tersimpan. Adegan-adegan ini pasti menunjukkan beragam cerita yang bisa dilihat di scene profesional.
Dan sekarang, jadwal final diumumkan.
"Delapan besar bracket grup: Lima tim China—Dynasty, Long Sky, Thunder Storm, Thunder Storm, Mystic Nine. Tiga tim asing—Son of Wind, Beast, Golden Orange.
"16 besar bracket individu: King Admiral, Sun Eggplant, Hao Tian, Li Ge, Frenzied Sword, Rainy Kim..."
Melihat daftar itu, Han Xiao tertawa seolah musim panen.
Hehe, cukup banyak dari mereka juga pemain yang terkenal di dunia lamaku. Han Xiao tersenyum. Alasan lain dia mengikuti scene profesional adalah karena itu tempat untuk menyingkir pemain berbakat.
Siapa pun yang masuk scene kompetitif Planet Aquamarine adalah bakat. Dalam kata-kata lebih indah, Han Xiao bersiap membawa bakat alami untuk menjelajah galaksi. Dan kali ini, dia tidak hanya akan membawa beberapa orang—dia akan membawa seluruh armada pemain sebagai asisten.
Karena mereka selalu revive setelah mati, pemain adalah alat yang sangat berguna. Meski mereka agak lemah, tapi akan ada ruang perbaikan di versi baru. Meski robot bisa dipakai sebagai bahan bakar, tetap butuh uang untuk membuatnya.
Pemain gratis!
Han Xiao berencana memulai keluarga dengan merekrut bakat muda. Dia sudah punya rencana.
Membangun markasnya sendiri!
Di Versi 1.0, pemain tidak punya cara melangkah ke galaksi, tapi jika Han Xiao bisa menyediakan transportasi, bahkan pemain profesional akan terkejut. Han Xiao punya cukup banyak misi untuk diselesaikan, tapi tidak akan banyak jika dia membagi beban kerja. Ini akan membatasi jumlah pemain yang bisa dia asah. Namun, jika pemain bisa bepergian ke galaksi dan terekspos pada peluang di seluruh alam semesta, akan ada misi tak terbatas, dan pasti menarik bagi pemain. Dengan cara ini, Han Xiao bisa melewati ambang misi yang bisa diambil Han Xiao.
Pemain akan beruntung jika mereka yang pertama memulai petualangan di galaksi. Tidak ada yang tidak akan iri pada peluang itu. Di saat yang sama, Han Xiao bisa lagi menegaskan kehadirannya dan membuat headline lagi.
Pemain terpilih akan perlahan menjadi lebih dekat dengan Han Xiao sukarela dan menciptakan rasa pengakuan. Han Xiao sudah punya cetak biru rencananya.
Jumlah pemain yang bisa dia bawa tetap bergantung pada situasi.
Di markas rahasianya, Han Xiao bangun dari sofa, menuju senjata, dan memasukkan sandi.
Dinding emas melipat dan terbuka. Tiang transparan ada di ruangan, dan diisi gel dan cairan. Di dalam tiang ada set Amphiptere baru.
"Waktunya pergi."
Han Xiao menekan tombol, dan gel dicuci keluar dari tiang. Permukaan set mekanis Amphiptere memancarkan kilau dingin di bawah cahaya.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the group stage, Long Sky’s momentum was repeatedly stopped by Dynasty and Fried Eggplants with Fish. Having expectations on a team was a double-edged sword; when Long Sky performed poorly, the attention from the media would work against them as they sang the song of pessimism for the chances of Long Sky making it through the group stage.
As an experienced team, Long Sky had a strong resilience to pressure. In the last few matches of group A, the number of viewers again broke the record, but in the match between Long Sky and Dynasty, King Admiral single handedly took down four opponents in the group one on ones and secured first place in the group bracket. Thus, Long Sky fell to fourth place.
Under pessimism and doubts, the last round began, and Long Sky’s opponent was Fried Eggplants with Fish, which was in second place in the bracket. There was a large difference in points, and in order for Long Sky to qualify, they had to completely dominate the match and take as many points as they could. However, Fried Eggplants with Fish was also a powerhouse, and there was no hope that Long Sky could make it out of group stage.
But just when the audience thought that Long Sky was going to be eliminated, Hao Tian and his team pulled off a miracle team fight, which aced the entire enemy team. No mistakes could be found during the one on ones, and they walked over the enemy. The Three Chariots—Dancing Fish Dragon, Perfume Bear, and Sun Eggplant—were dominated by Long Sky without knowing what happened.
On the live stream, the screen was exploding with intensity in every frame. Fans from both teams were on the edge of their seats, as if their hearts were going to burst. Every time there was a turn of events, the audience would scream with excitement and nervousness.
The points of Long Sky skyrocketed, and in an instant, they had the same points with the Fried Eggplants with Fish. The final outcome was determined on the team fight, and Long Sky surpassed their opponent and qualified for the next stage as second place in the group.
“Long Sky pulled a reverse sweep!”
“In the fight of powerhouses, Fried Eggplants with Fish was destroyed!”
“Long Sky promoted to the next stage by the width of a hair”
“Fried Eggplants with Fish was defeated with humiliation! Is this the end of a powerhouse?”
“Competitions for group A have come to an end. Dynasty and Long Sky move on to the quarterfinals!”
Long Sky’s unbelievable comeback exploded in the forums. Fans of Long Sky were crying in tears as if it was a new year, and the tragic atmosphere and tone of the media quickly turned around; only words of compliments were seen on the news, no matter how badly they had performed previously.
Dynasty, Long Sky, and Fried Eggplants with Fish all held a press conference after the match. The reporters first congratulated the winning teams, and the representatives of the two teams appreciated the congratulations. Both teams replied to the questions with cliché formalities, thanking the fans and those who supported them along the way.
In the final session of the press conference, the reporter gave the microphone to Fried Eggplants with Fish and asked, “Would you like to share anything after your defeat?”
The representative for Fried Eggplants with Fish froze and said, “We performed poorly in the last match, and we did not meet our expectations. During the match, we made a lot of mistakes, and we could have done better. Long Sky is a strong opponent, and everyone witnessed how...”
This reply had been prepared before the press interview. They first started with acknowledging their mistakes and tried to learn from it, then they went ahead and apologized to the fans. This response was a standard procedure if one lost a game, so the reporter could only stay quiet, and he did not even bother writing any notes.
Suddenly, the team leader, Sun Eggplant, stood up. Even though he was known as the last of the Three Chariots, he was the leader of the three people.
Sun Eggplant interrupted the response and grabbed the microphone from the representative. He faced the confused reporters and stared at Long Sky. “I don’t want to say these fluffy words like ‘we tried our best’. We lost, and that’s an undeniable fact, but I can’t let it go. I will win the title back next time. Hao Tian, since we’ve both entered the quarterfinals in the individual bracket, if you see me, prepare to die.”
Hao Tian did not back down. “The result won’t change no matter how many times you challenge me.”
Both of them started at each other, and neither backed down.
Such exchanges were the ones that were exciting to write about. The reporters smiled and quickly recorded it.
Dynasty, who was on the side, glanced at the two. It was ironic that the first seed team was just a side character.
Second Prince clenched his fists and said, “The reporters are ignoring us now. I might as well go challenge...”
King Admiral was struggling to keep his eyes open as if he was sleeping. He slapped Second Prince on the back of his head and said, “Don’t find trouble.”
Second Prince pushed away his hand and replied with annoyance, “Stop hitting me, you freak. Why are you bitching about me joining the challenge?”
“B*stard, you are not even in the semifinals!” King Admiral’s poke through the heart of Second Prince.
Second Prince’s face turned red, and he stared at King Admiral with anger, as if he was going to kick him in crouch.
Second Prince felt that he was being mocked. King Admiral had not only advanced into the next stage in individual bracket, but he was also first seed and had the most points. He had been invited to the All Stars, while Second Prince had been eliminated. That was why Second Prince was upset.
At the same time, Temple of God also had their own press conference. They were lucky as they had been allocated into a group without much competition. They had also been invited to the All Stars games.
Li Ge claimed that they would bring trophy and pride to the country as they headed to the international competition.
Temple of God claimed that they were the strongest and that they were the dragon’s head of powerhouses. Li Ge walked on the path of China’s representative team. Even though he was ranked second of China’s players, the King Admiral was always timid and low-key with a casual appearance. On the other hand, Li Ge was handsome and strong, and they had the same popularity with tons of fans.
There was a significant number of females within Li Ge’s fanbase, while most of the fans for King Admiral were adult men. The fight between there fanbases was also interesting, and it was usually one of the biggest shows in the scene. As long as Li Ge and King Admiral fought against each other, this would be the extra show that would for sure show up.
The teams who had qualified for playoffs all had their press conferences, and all sorts of statements were made by the teams. Some were extremely confident that they would win the finals, while some were humbler and more reserved. These scenes sure showed the variety of stories that one could see in the professional scene.
And now, the schedule for finals was announced.
“Top eight of group bracket: Five Chinese teams—Dynasty, Long Sky, Thunder Storm, Thunder Storm, Mystic Nine. Three foreign teams—Son of Wind, Beast, Golden Orange.
“Top 16 of individual bracket: King Admiral, Sun Eggplant, Hao Tian, Li Ge, Frenzied Sword, Rainy Kim...”
Seeing the list, Han Xiao laughed as if it was harvest season.
Hehe, quite a lot of them are also players that were famous in my previous world. Han Xiao smiled. The other reason he had followed the professional scene was that it was a venue for him to pick out skillful players.
Anyone who got into the Planet Aquamarine competitive scene was a talent. In some nicer words, Han Xiao was preparing to bring natural talents to explore the galaxy. And this time, he would not only bring a few people—he would bring an entire fleet of players as his assistants.
Because they would always revive after death, players were an extremely useful tools. Even though they were a bit weak, but there would be room for improvement in the new version. Even though robots could be used as gunpowder, one still needed money to make them.
Players were free!
Han Xiao was planning to start a family by taking the younger talents. He already had a plan.
To create his own base!
In Version 1.0, players did not have a way to step into the galaxy, but if Han Xiao could provide the transportation, even the professional players would be shocked. Han Xiao had quite a lot of missions to complete, but there would not be much if he spread out the workload. This would limit the number of players that he could nurture. However, if the players were able to travel into the galaxy and be exposed to the opportunities around the universe, there would be endless missions, and it would definitely be attractive to players. This way, Han Xiao could bypass the threshold of missions that Han Xiao could take.
The players would be at an advantage if they were first to start their adventure in the galaxy. No one would not be jealous of the opportunity. At the same time, Han Xiao could again restate his presence and make headlines again.
The chosen players would slowly become closer to Han Xiao voluntarily and create a sense of acknowledgement. Han Xiao already had a blueprint for his plan.
The number of players that he could take still depended on the situation.
Inside his secret base, Han Xiao got up from his sofa, reached the armory, and entered the password.
The golden wall folded and opened up. A transparent pillar was in the room, and it was filled with gel and liquid. Inside the pillar was a brand-new Amphiptere suit.
“It’s time to go.”
Han Xiao pressed the button, and the gel was washed out of the pillar. The surface of the Amphiptere mechanical suit gave a cold shine under the light.
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