Rumors travel faster than truth in the gaming world.
By morning, the entire league knew ECLIPSE had challenged ZGDX to a "friendly" scrim.
By noon, it was trending.
I stood behind my team in the soundproof booth, headset resting against my neck.
The audience outside was already electric — fans waving ZGDX banners, others holding signs that read "ECLIPSE = HYPE."
Ashen leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Friendly match, huh? They don't look friendly."
I smiled faintly. "Good. Neither are we."
---
Countdown begins. 3… 2… 1…
The moment the screen loaded, silence fell.
My role: mid-lane.
His: jungle.
From the corner of my vision, the minimap pulsed — a shadow weaving between lanes. Lao K.
Efficient. Clean. Predictable… almost.
He moved like a whisper — invisible until he struck.
I'd studied him enough to know his rhythm, but today… his timing was different.
> Ashen: "They're baiting top lane."
Me: "No. He's testing us. Don't bite."
Luna: "Nyx, jungle's missing."
Me: "He's not missing. He's watching."
And right on cue — ambush.
Lao K emerged from fog like a phantom, blades flashing.
My character's health dropped — 70%, 50%, 30%.
Then— blink.
I countered, baiting him into a false kill.
Luna's stun landed perfectly. Ashen's ult followed.
> First blood — ECLIPSE.Nyx.
A ripple of gasps filled the arena.
"Calculated," I murmured.
My voice was calm, but my pulse wasn't.
Across the stage, Lao K leaned back in his chair, gaze flicking to mine through the glass.
He didn't look annoyed. He looked… intrigued.
He mouthed something.
Not bad.
---
The match went on like a chess game played in firelight.
Every move of his was answered by mine, every trap of mine countered by his.
We danced around the map like two tacticians speaking in code.
By the final round, the score was even.
One mistake would decide it.
> Ashen: "We can push mid!"
Me: "No. Jungle's too quiet. Pull back."
Ashen: "You think he's waiting?"
Me: "He's always waiting."
But before I could pull the team back, a sudden flash of light tore through our flank — Lao K's signature move.
Perfect execution. No hesitation.
Three of my teammates fell instantly.
Only I survived.
"Checkmate," I whispered — and smiled.
Because even in defeat, I'd learned something.
He played for victory. I played for control.
But beneath that icy precision, there was warmth — curiosity, maybe admiration.
---
When the match ended, the crowd roared ZGDX's name.
I stood, pulled off my headset, and walked toward him.
Lao K was waiting near the exit, calm as ever, towel slung around his neck.
"Good match," he said, voice low and even.
"Good ambush," I replied. "But you're predictable when you're overconfident."
He smiled — just barely. "And you're dangerous when you're losing."
I tilted my head. "Then you'd better stay careful."
His gaze held mine, steady, unflinching. "I intend to."
For a second, the noise around us faded. Just two players — two minds locked in the same silent rhythm.
Then the moment broke.
Reporters swarmed in, flashbulbs exploding, questions flying.
> "Miss Qin, how does it feel to lose to ZGDX?"
"Lao K, what do you think of ECLIPSE's captain?"
He looked at me before answering.
"Lose?" he said simply. "They didn't lose. They learned."
And somehow, that stung — and soothed — at the same time.
---
That night, I watched the replay in silence.
His movements. His calculations.
Every click and combo felt like a message only I could read.
Maybe rivalry wasn't the right word.
Maybe it was… recognition.
---
✨ End of Chapter Four — "The First Clash."
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