Hangzhou Esports Center.
Early in the morning, long lines had already formed outside the venue. There were fans who had carefully dressed up, as well as cosplayers with full makeup and costumes. Everyone wore excited expressions, their eyes constantly drifting toward the esports center.
Outside the venue were all kinds of photo spots. Official cosplayers stood waiting to take pictures with fans, and the support flags of all 12 teams were raised high, fluttering in the wind.
Everyone was looking forward to today's grand finals.
"Play well. Don't be nervous."
GOLD patted Li Shu on the shoulder.
Li Shu looked confused. "Why are you more nervous than me? I don't feel much at all."
GOLD fell silent for a moment, then said, "Then why are your legs shaking?"
Li Shu: "..."
Cheng Rang's cold was severe this time, and his voice still hadn't recovered. Even after taking several throat lozenges, it didn't help much.
Pei Xunan had only just fully recovered from his fever last night and still looked weak.
To avoid infecting others, both of them wore masks and kept some distance.
Teams that hadn't made it to the finals had also come, joking around with EAR to help ease the tension.
Shen Kuangye and Lu Xiangyang stood off to the side. Lu Xiangyang kept subconsciously rubbing his fingers against his clothes.
Shen Kuangye asked softly, "Nervous?"
"A little," Lu Xiangyang admitted, touching his nose.
It was his first time attending Abyss offline. Compared to watching online before, the experience felt much more intense. When they entered the venue earlier, EAR's fans were shouting their names and cheering them on.
Just as Shen Kuangye was about to speak, cheers erupted from the stage.
The opening ceremony had begun.
Staff backstage started coordinating which teams would go on stage next.
Shen Kuangye handed a piece of mint candy to Lu Xiangyang.
"If you're nervous, eat one. It helps."
Lu Xiangyang obediently took it. "Did you use this before to calm your nerves too?"
Shen Kuangye curled his lips slightly. "Yeah."
Lu Xiangyang skillfully unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth. Maybe it was psychological, but he did feel less nervous.
---
Inside the venue, large banners of all 12 teams hung overhead. Fans stared intently at the center stage where a glamorous female host stood.
Her voice was powerful as she fluently delivered the opening speech in three languages. With dazzling lighting effects, the screen behind her displayed each team's official visuals and colors.
"Light of dawn, Aurora takes the stage! With dazzling skills igniting the battlefield, chasing glory at the peak—let's welcome Aurora!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, chanting Aurora's name in unison.
Tsuki smiled toward his team's fan section, causing another wave of excitement.
The Identity V livestream had already reached 5 million viewers.
[Tsuki is so cute!!]
[Adorable.]
[Please win the championship this year!!]
They struck a cool pose on stage before quickly heading backstage.
All 12 teams were introduced one by one. When the final team was announced, the audience held their breath.
The host continued:
"Let us turn our attention to the final team—E ignites the journey, A fuels the dream, guarding the road to glory! Let's welcome EAR!"
Lights burst like exploding stars, brilliant white blending with vibrant colors. EAR's banners were raised high, like war flags waving wildly.
"GO EAR!!" The cheers surged like a tidal wave, shaking the very walls of the arena.
Li Shu walked out first, followed by Cheng Rang, Pei Xunan, Lu Xiangyang, and finally Shen Kuangye.
The cheers grew louder with each step.
Most eyes were fixed on the last two young, striking boys, filled with anticipation.
Shen Kuangye's black-and-red uniform made him look even colder and sharper. His hair was neatly styled as he gazed at the sea of red support banners before calmly looking away.
[So hype, I want to go offline too 😭]
[Tickets are impossible to get.]
[Who are those last two??]
[Two 18-year-olds who became the league's ultimate bosses.]
[If WILD wins today, I'll memorize 1000 words in a day.]
[Not harsh enough, I'll give up getting gold skins for 3 seasons if EAR wins 😭]
---
EAR's match was first, against Echo.
Before going on stage, Xing Xing asked worriedly, "Can you hold up?"
Pei Xunan, pale, nodded. "I can."
"Since we've come this far, just play your best. No regrets."
He extended his hand, and all eight hands stacked together as they shouted, "Let's go!"
The format was still BO3.
Echo chose to send their hunter first.
Shen Kuangye had already formulated a strategy in his mind.
As he stepped onto the stage, the arena once again echoed with chants of:
"GO EAR!"
Echo's fans shouted back just as loudly.
---
The match began.
The in-game music turned tense and oppressive, each beat pounding against everyone's hearts.
Cheng Rang rasped, "I'll play Antiquarian this round."
Yishui nodded. "Okay."
Pei Xunan picked Wildling.
Li Shu picked Gardener.
Shen Kuangye chose Prisoner.
Before the match started, Shen Kuangye said, "Don't overtalk. Listen to my calls."
"Got it," Cheng Rang said.
"Okay," Pei Xunan replied hoarsely.
The map was Leo's Memory.
Shen Kuangye immediately took the big house to kite Opera Singer.
"Chasing me. I'll rotate mid later," he reported quickly.
Kiting Opera Singer avoided mind games—it was best to rely on complex terrain.
But Opera Singer was too fast. Shen Kuangye's Prisoner could only loop the building twice before sending a "Focus on decoding" signal.
Cheng Rang quickly moved in to support.
At the second-floor window, he took a hit and tried to rotate—but suddenly turned back.
Before the caster could finish speaking, Opera Singer blinked directly to the staircase.
Shen Kuangye had predicted it.
The hunter wasted Blink.
Cheng Rang's Antiquarian appeared out of nowhere and struck her twice.
But Opera Singer continued chasing Shen Kuangye.
Eventually, Shen Kuangye was downed—but by then, three ciphers were already completed.
"Two pallets and one window," he called.
---
The match intensified.
After a series of tight plays, Shen Kuangye used a fake movement to bait an attack, then stunned the hunter with a pallet.
"WILD! He landed that?!" the caster exclaimed.
He transitioned again, buying more time.
Finally, the last cipher popped.
"Teleport incoming—leave early," Shen Kuangye warned.
The hunter teleported, but only found the Wildling baiting her.
Meanwhile, the others had already positioned themselves.
Gardener opened the gate.
Antiquarian disrupted.
Wildling stalled.
On Shen Kuangye's side, he opened the gate just in time.
The hunter hit him down—but he crawled.
"Can he make it out?!" the caster shouted.
At the last possible moment—
He crawled out of the manor.
Four-man escape.
The audience froze for a second...
Then erupted into deafening cheers.
On stage, Shen Kuangye calmly removed his headset and walked off, surrounded by roaring applause.