“KPL, also known as the Professional League of Honour of Kings, is the highest official professional competitive event.”

On the dimly lit competition stage, there were three commentators sitting there, their faces unclear to the audience, but what they said was like a hammer, nailing every word into the hearts of the audience under the stage. Some people even involuntarily grasp their friend’s hand while listening to their commentary, their eyes revealing their worries for the team that they were rooting for.

There were not many spectators left at the scene, more than half had left as compared to the beginning—many people had felt that it was hopeless and were no longer fans. 

Commentor B, who was sitting in the middle, continued on, “Under the KPL, there is also a sub-league of Honour of Kings. Teams that fail in the relegation match will enter the sub-league.”

Commentor A, “Do you know which match I’m most afraid of commenting on?”

Commentator C answered very cooperatively, “The elimination match?”

“Not only that, there’s also the relegation match.” Commentor A said. “Teams that fail in the elimination match will enter the relegation match. If they also fail in the relegation match, they will be dropped to the sub-league. It’ll be very difficult to come back. The team that lost today may never have the chance to be on the KPL stage again.”

Unless they buy a quota.

But KPL’s team quotas were expensive and simply unaffordable! Either that or don’t drop to the sub-league. Dropping down to the sub-league was equivalent to disbanding the team.

The match ongoing right now was an elimination match.

JK versus CHERRY. Best of three matches. Right now, the score was 1:1. This was the last match, also the decisive match.

Both teams were at the edge of the cliff, this match was either you die, or I die.

As Commentor B commented unhurriedly, “Both teams are equally brilliant, whoever lost will make me feel unbearable.” A girl at the scene could not help but shout:

“JK fighting!”

“CHERRY victory!”

“Qi Ge^[1]Bro; brother is unbeatable! You can do it!”

. . . . . .

Backstage, in JK lounge, a young lady was sitting on a sofa holding a notebook and pen, staring at the screen and writing furiously. 

She was not very old, about 18 or 19 years old, her tender white face still containing traces of juvenility, like an obedient primary school student.

She was so serious that she looked like a well-behaved girl who knew nothing about the game, writing everything down in her little book, seemingly wanting to swallow everything in one gulp^[2]囫囵吞枣: to accept without thinking. However, if anyone cared to take a look at her notes, they would discover that she summarized the mistakes made in the matches as if those were the mistakes she made herself, much more seriously than the person sitting on the stage playing the game himself:

“At the start of the game, Senior Lian picked a hero weak in the early game like Sun Bin without permission to harass the enemy’s jungler, got ganked by the enemy’s mid laner, jungler, and support, and gave away the first blood (general knowledge mistake, should have help mid-laner God Qi level up to level 2);

Two minutes into the match, failed to secure the vision for the Tyrant at the pit, causing our team to lose the dragon and the enemy to get their ultimate first, putting our team into a passive situation;

In the first small team fight, our team’s gold was behind but Senior Lian still rashly initiate a team fight causing our team to be wiped out and lost two outer turrets, incurring heavy losses;

Thirteen minutes into the match, under the protection of the top laner, Qi Ge risked his life to snatch the Overlord, slightly gaining a small advantage (however, the vision should have been provided by the support).”

At the sixteenth minute, she released the pen with disappointment.

At her side, a young clean-cut boy who was scrolling through Tieba^[3]贴吧: Tieba; A Chinese online forum approached her, “Aiyo, stop recording already, it’s all useless anyway since you’re not the one going on stage. Why don’t you join me in reading all this tea? The fans are all going crazy on Tieba.”

At this point, JK’s chances of overturning the match were slim, hence Yu Yue opened Tieba and joined the boy in reading the tea.

[Don’t even know what they’re playing. I play, I also can. The results will still be  getting busted by CHERRY anyways.]

[Relegation match confirmed.]

“How come this time they’re even scolding Qi Ge?” The boy asked in puzzlement.

Hearing the name of her team’s captain, Lu Qi, Yu Yue leaned her head towards him, “It’s normal, our team didn’t really play very well in this match. But I think the support is the main reason for it.”

The boy took a sip of water from his cup, “As the support of the main lineup, Senior Lian’s condition this season is baffling. However, those people on Tieba couldn’t tell and thought that it’s the top lane that collapsed too fast. But, as substitutes sitting on the cold bench like us, these words dissing the main lineup players should only be said in private and not spread to their ears.”

After a pause, he continued, “Speaking of which, Yue Yue, I think you’ll be able to play soon! As for me, well, who can take the place of Qi Ge? That’s Lu Qi, one of the finest mid laners in KPL!”

Yu Yue pursed her lips and smiled, “I just want to play. Whoever that can let me play, I’ll repay that person even if I have to work like an ox or a horse.”

The fellow substitute mid laner reached out and patted her shoulders, empathizing with her.

Those who entered the E-Sports scene, which one didn’t want to go up on stage to play? The road to go from a substitute player to part of the main lineup might not be long, it was just a matter of the coach’s arrangement; it might also not be short, some people spent the majority of their career on the cold bench watching others play.

[200L:  I can’t watch anymore! JK playing this badly is all Lian’s fault. He doesn’t want to win at all! Not switching this support out, they ought to be eliminated!]

[201L: Before, didn’t JK poach a girl in a public game to play professionally? I think her ID was called Eden? As the first female pro player in the KPL, there was so much publicity back then. Afterward, she was kept as the substitute player. If she’s still around, let her play.]

[202L: Is upstairs trying to be funny? Is Lian not strong? He’s been playing for so long. Also, E-Sports is male strong and female weak. If a male can’t do it, letting a female play will make them die even faster! Think about your rank games and your fear when you meet female players. They don’t even understand the map or what the support does!]

[240L: Gender aside, JK’s support didn’t show up this season, not even once. I heard that the team rarely schedules training matches for her too. Female supports are also normally used for publicity, her capabilities might not be as strong as Lian’s. JK might flop if they let her play.]

In Hero’s Gorge^[4]Hero’s Gorge: Name of the map. More info here, the support is an obscure but extremely important role. Compared to other roles, the support rarely has any highlight moments, but they are responsible for important tasks like providing vision for the team’s carry, protecting the ADC, creating the best environment for the carry, and initiating the team fights.

A good support, to everyone on the team, was like a tiger that had grown wings^[5]Meaning with redoubled power.. 

For the same reason, without the protection of the support, Qi Ge would not be able to exhibit his maximum potential. 

Yu Yue could understand the feelings of those who did not want to switch the support.

On the viewing screen, JK had a mini wiped out, mid laner Lu Qi only had half of his health left, but relying on his excellent positioning and maneuvering, he managed to kill CHERRY’s mid laner, hunger, and support before being killed by the enemy’s marksman.

The whole time, JK’s support Lian did not use any of his skills or tank the damage. He just stood there watching the show. 

Soon after, CHERRY’s marksman pushed to the high ground with the top laner. As the support and the only one alive, Lian was powerless to stop them.

The blue Nexus representing JK exploded.

Tieba also exploded.

[251L: That last team fight was really…… Does Lian still remember his responsibilities as the support? If that young lady in JK is still around, can you please let her play in the relegation match?]

[252L: There’s a problem with Lian’s attitude this season. I can’t see any desire to win on his face. Does JK want to gamble? After all, if they lose the relegation match, they would be disbanded.]

Between the comments, there was a lot of mockery toward female players.  Following the commentators congratulating CHERRY, the boy said slowly, “Looks like you have a chance. Remember to perform well and strive to keep Lian on the cold bench.”

Yu Yue smiled and did not answer him.

If they wanted to switch players, they would have done it a long time ago.

The two competing teams left their seats to shake hands and left the stage. Yu Yue’s eyes were glued to the young man at the head of JK’s team.

“Qi Ge and the others are coming back soon.”

The boy hastily closed the Tieba. After losing a match, Tieba would be full of nasty comments that should not be seen by the players.

“If JK also loses the relegation match, they might face withdrawal of investors and disbandment, what would you do then? Would you retire or transfer? I’m not sure if other teams want a female player.”

“If I can play in the relegation match……” Yu Yue hesitated but continued on slowly, “I will do my best and not lose.”

“For me, I’ll probably transfer, “ he sighed. “With Qi Ge around, I won’t have any chance of playing and I can’t just sit here and waste my time.”

Before he can finish speaking, the door to the lounge was thrown open with a loud bang.

The first to enter the room was a male of medium-sized build and eyes filled with resentment, “I already said that I also didn’t want to play like this. Don’t just blame the support when you lose, okay? How would I know Qi Ge would continue even with his low health at that last fight?”

It was JK’s main lineup support, Lian.

To be precise, his ID was JK-Lian, Lian was just a homonym.

Following him was JK’s top laner, jungle, and bot laner. They came in with their heads down, sitting upright on the sofa, like children ready to be criticized.

Looking at this situation, Yu Yue knew that the captain, Lu Qi, was really angry this time. She shared a look with the substitute mid laner and the both of them hastily sat upright.

Sure enough, their mid laner soon barged in, held back by the coach as if he was a raging three-headed dog from hell, ready to pounce on Lian anytime and bite him to death, “We’ve been playing training matches and competitions for so long together and you’re telling me you’re not accustomed to our pace? Fine, we won’t talk about that last team fight! Do you know how many mistakes you’ve made throughout the game?! Just say it if you don’t want to play! Let’s stop wasting each other’s time!”

Lian turned his face away in disdain.

Yu Yue understood what he was thinking. 

No matter how well or badly he played, or how angry Lu Qi was, the relegation match was a matter of life and death for them and the coaching team would not switch him out easily.

When Lu Qi’s anger subsides, he would still be part of the main lineup and he would still be able to play.

He had no fear at all.

The top laner, seeing the thick tension, rushed out to smooth things over, “Qi Ge, calm down. If we play well in the relegation match, we shouldn’t be facing disbandment.”

“Yes, calm down,” the coach persuaded. “Give Lian another chance. He’ll definitely be playing seriously in the relegation match.”

Lu Qi was held back by the coach and could not reach Lian, but his hatred was so much that every word seemed to come out from gritted teeth, “Let’s switch players.”

“What?” The coach exclaimed.

Lian looked up, his face full of disbelief. Was this person crazy? This crucial match and he wanted a young girl with similar capabilities but no experience to play?

Yu Yue also raised her head, her heart pounding.

“Change players for the relegation match, or else don’t even bother.”

Change players? Who? She was the only substitute for Lian.

That meant that……

She shifted her gaze towards the tall man standing at the doorway, only to find that Lu Qi was also looking at her, his eyes filled with calm after his rage. And in his eyes, she seemed to realise something. 

It was a bold decision.

As they gazed at each other, Yu Yue’s heart pounded faster, and everything fell into a state of stillness.

She saw tiny dust clouds in the light and the thin lips of the man standing in the light moving.

“The relegation match in two days, she’ll be playing.”

TL Note: Ello everyone! This is my first time translating, so go easy on me and I hope you enjoy this novel!