The venue on the day of the finals was like a volcano about to erupt, surging with scorching crowds and deafening roars. The huge circular screen reflected the solemn faces of the players from NF and their opponents, KING, and the air was so tense it felt like it could be squeezed dry.

In the backstage dressing room, Xie Chen leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed. Su Nian sat beside him, her fingertips resting on the inside of his wrist. It wasn't intimacy, but rather she was using the gentlest icy power to repeatedly cleanse and reinforce the defenses surrounding his consciousness, like giving a warrior about to embark on a final wipe of his armor.

The cold imprint belonging to "Star Remains" deep within their souls had been in a strange state of silence since the semi-finals were forcibly disrupted, but Su Nian and Xie Chen both knew that this was the calm before the storm. Their opponent would definitely not be absent from the finals.

"How are you feeling?" Su Nian asked in a low voice.

Xie Chen opened his eyes, the previous restlessness gone from his deep gaze, replaced by a calm, cold sharpness, like a sword honed to its limit. He grasped Su Nian's hand firmly, saying, "Very good." He paused, his gaze falling on their clasped hands. "With you here, I am invincible."

This wasn't sweet talk; it was his truest belief at that moment. She was his anchor, his light, his only pillar against the out-of-control beast within him and all the malice from the outside world.

Looking into his eyes, filled with a desperate trust and reliance, Su Nian was deeply touched. She smiled and squeezed his hand back: "Then, let's go and bring the championship back together."

The final match has begun.

As expected, the interference from the "Star Remnants" was ever-present. It wasn't a direct energy attack, but rather a more insidious and cunning method—they would choose to activate the mark remotely at the most crucial moment of the team battle, attempting to create even a fraction of a second of distraction or decision-making error.

In the first game, Xie Chen made a very slight deviation in his positioning during a crucial chase, which led to a miscalculation of damage, allowing the opponent to escape with low health, and NF lost a good opportunity.

In the second game, during the life-or-death struggle for the Elder Dragon, Xie Chen's skill release was a beat too slow. If it weren't for Su Nian's last-minute rescue, it would have almost led to disaster.

A chorus of regret and doubt rose from the audience.

"Shen isn't acting right today..."

"Is your injury not fully healed yet?"

"Is the pressure too much?"

Only Su Nian knew what Xie Chen was going through. Every time the mark was activated, he needed to use willpower far beyond that of ordinary people to fight against the interference of his soul being torn apart, while also completing top-notch professional operations. His face appeared somewhat pale under the light of the screen, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead, but his hand holding the mouse was as steady as a rock, and his eyes remained cold and focused.

Su Nian became his strongest support. Although her Ice Soul Power couldn't directly purify the marks on the field, it could act like the most precise fire hydrant the moment a mark was activated, instantly "cooling down" and "soothing" it, minimizing interference. Her command was also more decisive; she could always anticipate potential risks Xie Chen might encounter, promptly filling in, reminding him, and even sacrificing her own actions to compensate for any minor mistakes he might make.

They were like two dancers teetering on the edge of a knife, one bearing the dual pressures from within and without, the other giving everything to protect him. This unspoken understanding and protective bond, transcending mere game comprehension and reaching almost a spiritual level, allowed their bot lane duo to maintain terrifying dominance even in such dire circumstances.

In the third and fourth games, NF withstood the pressure and won two games in a row!

As the battle anthem begins, the final match enters its decisive fifth game!

The atmosphere in the deciding game was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Both sides fielded their most potent lineups, and every last hit and every vision contest gripped the hearts of countless viewers. As the game dragged into the late game, with both teams evenly matched in gold, any single mistake could cost them the game.

Forty minutes later, the decisive battle for the Ancient Dragon Soul will erupt.

Everyone held their breath.

Just as both sides were probing each other in the Longkeng River, searching for an opportunity to engage—

Xie Chen shuddered violently!

It's here! More intense than ever before! That mark is no longer a simple interference, but like a red-hot branding iron, fiercely searing into the core of his soul! A cold, violent will, filled with destructive desire, like a flood bursting its banks, tries to forcefully overwhelm his reason and take over his body!

His vision began to blur, and all he could hear were those cold calls and roars. His fingers were moving uncontrollably, wanting to make crazy movements!

"Xie Chen! Look at me!"

Su Nian's clear and firm voice, like a sharp sword piercing through the fog, penetrated the icy erosion and resounded directly in his mind! At the same time, a vast and gentle power of ice soul, no longer satisfied with the outer defense, surged into his sea of ​​consciousness along the soul link without hesitation, like a warm ocean current, enveloping his soul core that was about to be frozen and torn apart!

The clash between ice and fire erupted deep within Xie Chen's consciousness!

"Ugh—!" Xie Chen let out a suppressed growl, veins bulging on his forehead, his hands on the keyboard trembling violently, almost unable to hold the mouse!

"Shen Shen! What happened to him?!" the commentator exclaimed in shock!

The audience erupted in uproar!

On stage, the KING team seized this fleeting opportunity, with their support player boldly flashing in to initiate a team fight! Their target was Xie Chen, who was in an abnormal state!

It's over! The hearts of all NF fans sank to the bottom!

At this critical moment!

The figure that should have been controlled and destroyed suddenly raised its head!

What kind of eyes were those? No more confusion, no more pain, only a burning, insane desire that seemed to consume itself and the whole world... Awakening!

The stellar power within him, protected and stimulated by Su Nian's icy soul power, was on the verge of spiraling out of control when his will forcibly twisted, compressed, and condensed it! It was no longer scattered starlight, but transformed into an invisible blade of will, powerful enough to sever everything!

"Get out!"

He let out a silent roar in his heart, and fiercely slashed the blade that contained all his unwillingness and all his obsession with protection at the source of the cold mark deep in his consciousness!

"Snap—"

A soft cracking sound, seemingly originating from the very depths of the soul!

That mark, like a maggot clinging to a bone, along with its cold connection, shattered instantly! Vanished into nothingness!

Almost at the same time, the outside world—

Xie Chen, controlling his hero, with micro-management that transcended human comprehension and resembled a script, deftly dodged a fatal control skill! He countered! All the damage, like a premeditated galaxy pouring down, instantly engulfed the core of the KING team!

Explosive damage numbers appeared!

Sold out instantly!

"My God!!!! Shen! He did it! In a desperate situation! He pulled off an incredible comeback!!" The commentator's voice was hoarse and almost cracked!

The entire venue erupted in cheers! Like a tsunami!

Without their core player, the KING team suffered a crushing defeat!

Team NF pressed their advantage, wiping out their opponents and, with the Ancient Dragon buff, marched straight to the heart of the enemy!

The base crystal exploded with a deafening roar!

"Victory!"

Golden rain fell from the sky, sprinkling across the entire venue!

"We won! We are the champions! NF is the champion!" Manager Wang and the coach rushed onto the stage, hugging the team members wildly, crying tears of joy.

Amidst the golden rain, Xie Chen slowly released the mouse. He didn't look at the word "victory" on the screen, nor did he pay attention to his teammates rushing over. Instead, he immediately turned around and, under the gaze of countless cameras and eyes, tightly hugged Su Nian beside him.

He buried his face deep in the crook of her neck, his body trembling slightly from exhaustion and excitement. No one knew what kind of life-or-death ordeal and spiritual transformation he had experienced in those brief few seconds.

Su Nian could clearly feel that the unsettling, icy erosion deep within his soul had completely vanished, replaced by a more refined, profound, yet also... stable stellar power. He had succeeded; not only had he won the competition, but under her protection, he had also broken free of his shackles through his own willpower.

She hugged him back, gently patting his back, her eyes welling up with tears. At that moment, the joy of victory and the relief of having gone through life and death together intertwined, making her truly feel that the person in front of her had long surpassed the mission objective for her.

"Congratulations," she whispered in her ear.

Xie Chen raised his head, his deep eyes reflecting the golden rain and her image, shining with an astonishing brightness. He looked at her as if trying to etch her image into the depths of his soul.

The host handed over the microphone, and the entire audience fell silent, waiting for the newly crowned FmVp to give his acceptance speech.

Xie Chen took the microphone, his gaze remaining fixed on Su Nian. He took a deep breath, ignoring all the cameras and noise, and in a voice slightly hoarse with excitement, yet incredibly clear and solemn, declared to her, and to the whole world:

"This championship is a promise I owe you."

He paused, his gaze both gentle and obsessive, carrying an undeniable certainty:

"Now, I'm taking it, along with everything I have—"

"My championship, and my heart, are all yours."

As he finished speaking, amidst the golden rain and witnessed by hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide, he bowed his head and, with devotion and deep affection, kissed his one and only salvation in this life.

After a moment of deathly silence, the stadium erupted in screams and cheers loud enough to lift the roof off!

"Silent Couple! Silent Couple!"

Amidst his passionate kiss, Su Nian heard the familiar notification sound from 088 in her mind:

[Ding—Volume 4 mission complete! Target character 'Heart' confirmed! Points being calculated...]

[A world jump is imminent... Destination: A barbaric dynasty, a world ruled by slavery.]

[New identity loaded: Princess of a destroyed kingdom. Core mission: End tyranny and obtain the crown.]

As golden light gradually enveloped her vision, in the last moment before her consciousness faded, Su Nian responded forcefully to that kiss.

Goodbye, her e-sports god.

A new journey is about to begin.

(Chapter 98, End of Volume 4)

---

Volume 5 Preview: The Demonic Consort of the Slave Dynasty

Foreword: From the spotlight of the e-sports arena to the blood-soaked court of a slave dynasty. He is a tyrant, born a slave and rising to power over corpses; she is a plaything forced upon her after her country's destruction. This time, there are no cheat codes, no precognitive advantages, only a battle of wits and hearts. How will she, in this cannibalistic world, leverage the power of fate and make those eyes that only see slaughter linger only for her? And how will he, for her sake, overturn the rules of an era?