Outside the cubicle, the deafening cheers acted like a solid wall, squeezing out the already scarce oxygen in the cramped space. Su Nian could feel the low pressure emanating from Xie Chen beside her—or rather, the "Lin God" of this world. It was a mixture of a professional player's desire to win, the anxiety of a slump, and an instinctive coldness that distanced him from her, the "source of trouble."
The "final ultimatum" on the table served as a branding iron, reminding them of their current desperate situation.
“Dirty secrets…fake girlfriend…” Su Nian quickly sorted through the fragmented memories of this identity flooding her mind. Maliciously pieced-together chat logs, cleverly angled photos, the original owner's weak yet vain personality—she was powerless against the manipulation of real e-sports industry capital and public opinion, becoming the perfect scapegoat. Xie Chen, on the other hand, was implicated, falling from grace and bearing the dual burden of declining performance and being deceived in love.
"Your execution was off." Su Nian suddenly spoke, her voice calm, breaking Xie Chen's silence. She pointed to the huge screen outside, which was replaying a potentially fatal mistake Xie Chen had made in the previous game. "It's not because of public opinion, it's because your hand speed and reaction time had a 0.1-second delay during certain combos. An old injury?"
Xie Chen (Lin) turned sharply to look at her, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Even his coach and teammates hadn't explicitly pointed this out!
How could she...?
Su Nian didn't explain, but continued, "In the next round, they will definitely continue to target you. To win, you can't just rely on brute force." Her gaze swept over the top-of-the-line peripherals in the cubicle, "We need a little... 'strategy'."
She walked to the original owner's computer, skillfully turned it on, and logged into her game account. Her movements were fluid and without the slightest hesitation, as if she had rehearsed it a thousand times. Although the power of ice essence was suppressed, her subtle control over her bodily functions and her ability to process information seemed to have been preserved.
Xie Chen gazed at her focused profile, the light in her eyes so different from the "Su Nian" he remembered who only knew how to cry timidly or try to explain herself. A strange, absurd sense of familiarity, mixed with a wariness of the professionalism suddenly displayed by this unfamiliar "teammate," grew in his heart.
The fourth game began under immense pressure.
Just as Su Nian had predicted, the opposing Kings team launched a relentless invasion and targeting of Xie Chen's jungle position from the very beginning. Xie Chen's skills remained top-notch, but that almost imperceptible lag was magnified infinitely in high-level matches, leading to several close calls in the ensuing skirmishes.
Gods team fell into a passive position, and the economic gap gradually widened.
Below the stage, Gods' fans were completely silent, while their opponents' fans cheered wildly. The live stream chat was filled with taunts and insults directed at Xie Chen and Su Nian.
"Lin God has really gotten old!"
"That woman has dragged me down!"
"Gods, you really need to replace them!"
As the game progressed into the mid-game, a crucial team fight around the dragon was about to erupt. Gods' lineup was at a disadvantage, their vision was suppressed, and they were on the verge of being pushed into a desperate situation by Kings.
The atmosphere in the team's voice chat was heavy.
"Let it go, we can't win this fight." The top laner said dejectedly.
"I can't get into the game, they're marking me like crazy," the mid-laner said helplessly.
Just when everyone thought Gods was going to abandon the dragon at this strategic point—
"beat."
A clear, calm female voice rang out in the team's voice chat. It was Su Nian.
(change)
"Xie Chen, go to the triangular bush above the Dragon Pit and block their vision when they come back to defend."
"Top laner, teleport to this ward, ignore the front line, and go straight for the backline."
"Mid laner, watch my position. I'll flash to initiate the team fight, and you follow up with crowd control."
Su Nian spoke rapidly, issuing clear commands one after another, as if she had already memorized the map and the opponent's movements. Her support hero was an initiation tank, currently hidden in an extremely tricky, almost undetectable shadow on the flank of the dragon pit.
The Gods team members were stunned. This command... was too audacious! And how did she know there were no eyes there?
"Listen to her." Xie Chen's deep voice rang out, carrying an unquestionable tone. He controlled his assassin hero, stealthily moving towards the location designated by Su Nian like a ghost.
Seeing that Gods seemed to be giving up, the Kings team relaxed their formation slightly and began to focus fire on the dragon.
Now!
A cold glint flashed in Su Nian's eyes (that was the decisiveness of the Ice Soul Saintess), and her fingers left afterimages on the keyboard! Her support hero suddenly flashed over the wall, and a perfect, devastating crowd control skill covering all four members of the Kings team was unleashed!
"Four were controlled! My God! Su Nian's Flash initiation was divine!" The commentators erupted in excitement!
Almost at the same instant the control took effect, Xie Chen's assassin pounced out of the shadows like a cheetah that had been waiting for a long time, aiming straight for the enemy's core carry! His hand speed exploded, without any hesitation, and a set of skills was unleashed in the blink of an eye!
Sold out instantly!
Gods' top laner also teleported in at the same time, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, disrupting Kings' backline!
The team fight situation was instantly reversed!
"Kill! Leave no one alive!" Su Nian's voice remained calm. Her support skill moved nimbly through the crowd, releasing each skill at the perfect moment, providing protection, control, and damage supplementation, maximizing the role of a support!
With her support, Xie Chen's assassins moved with impunity, reaping the spoils of war!
[AcE! (Total wipeout)]
A system notification sound rang out loudly!
Team Gods pulled off a perfect 0-for-5 team wipe! And then they took down Baron Nashor!
The entire arena fell into a brief silence, which was then followed by a deafening roar of cheers from the Gods fans!
On the field, the Gods players excitedly high-fived each other, their eyes filled with disbelief and admiration as they looked at Su Nian.
Xie Chen took off his headphones and turned to look at Su Nian beside him. Fine beads of sweat covered her forehead, but her eyes shone brightly, and a faint, triumphant smile played on her lips.
In that team fight just now, her command, her skills, her awareness... she didn't seem like a substitute who was being questioned at all, but more like a seasoned commander.
"You..." he began, his voice slightly hoarse.
Su Nian turned her head and smiled slightly at him. That smile dispelled all the unfamiliarity and barriers, and carried a kind of familiarity that stirred his soul.
“I told you,” she said softly, “I will help you take back the throne.”
Amidst thunderous cheers from the audience, the live stream cameras remained firmly focused on the "controversial duo" who had just pulled off a stunning comeback. The tone of the comments section began to subtly shift.
"Holy crap! Who's this support player? Gods struck gold?!"
"This team fight, this awareness! It's like Lin the God has returned!"
"Those who criticized Su Nian before, come out and show yourselves?"
In a secluded corner where no one was watching, Su Nian quietly moved her stiff fingers. The extreme maneuver just now had not only drained her energy, but her body also seemed to be...approaching its limit?
She glanced at the "victory" sign on the screen, then at Xie Chen beside her, whose gaze was complex yet intense.
Their journey in the world of esports has only just begun. Hidden beneath the glamour and the dangers lie mysteries concerning power, identity, and clues to the main god, waiting to be unraveled.
(End of Chapter 74)
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Next Chapter Preview: A meteoric rise to fame, a complete reversal of fortune! How will Su Nian cope with the subsequent public opinion and team pressure? What lies ahead for Xie Chen's hand injury and recovery? How will their forced "bonded" teammate relationship subtly evolve in this modern e-sports world? Is the "otherworld" hidden beneath the city's neon lights related to the Main God Space? Beneath the throne on the keyboard, undercurrents surge.
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