ADAPTED FROM BUTTERFLY BLUE'S NOVEL OF THE SAME NAME, THE KING'S AVATAR
Do you plan to attack with full strength?
Good plan!
They went different ways.
Everything is in its place.
Whether it's good or bad depends on where you aim.
Try again.
Hit here.
It doesn't matter if you don't have a ball to push.
Focus on the present.
You'll see the future directions more clearly.
What...
What are your future directions?
I...
I just want to play billiards for now.
That's all I want too.
Why are you working as a network manager in such a place?
If you want to start over,
you can pick any team.
Because there are people who love Glory here.
Glory is their whole world.
What does this have to do with you?
I'm just one of them.
-We've passed! -We made it!
That was great!
-Good job! -That wasn't easy!
Don't forget.
You were one of them before.
Right.
At the time, we were just happily playing billiards.
Nice.
Why did I listen to you?
Now I have to watch that bastard move up.
Rather than spending time trying to find evidence that he framed you,
you're better off focusing on training and maintaining your ranking.
One day,
you will encounter him again.
Damn it.
If I encounter him,
only I will be the winner.
Excellent.
We made a deal.
After I win, you'll owe me a piece of equipment.
You have to win first.
You haven't answered my question.
UCI offered a chance for a one-year pro eSports training.
-Will you go? -Why me?
Members of Team One need to go to competition.
A long-term exchange program like this is best for players like you
who don't have to go to competition.
When I get back, can I join Team One?
That's cheating!
You already owe me a piece of equipment.
When are you giving it to me?
When you get back from abroad.
I haven't said I'll be going.
When you get back,
I'll give you one Silver equipment.
Silver equipment?
You mean the Silver equipment that only Team One's members have?
Write down the IOU.
In black and white.
Don't try to back out of it.
You don't trust me?
I trust you.
But you still have to write an IOU.
Write that you owe Qiu Fei a Silver equipment.
Wait. Write down...
You owe Qiu Fei, member of Excellent Era, one Silver equipment. Okay?
I owe you this.
I OWE YOU GLORY
When do you plan on paying off the debt you owe me?
You owe me Glory.
You'll find a way to get it back on your own.
You want to go back on your word?
Right.
Now I have a reason to keep bothering you.
I'll give it to you.
You saw him?
I guess he must have lectured you.
Just like how he turned a duel into a lesson.
He's always insulting others.
COPYING FILES
Qiu Fei, amazing.
You're still trying to improve yourself.
But it's a pity that the things you copied are useless.
Ye Qiu's tactics are obsolete.
I am very happy that you're back from abroad.
With you joining in, it's like adding wings to a tiger.
We are both victims of Ye Qiu.
Why not work together?
His vulnerable team won't last long.
TEAM EXCELLENT ERA
Excellent Era has a new captain.
You don't deserve to mention Ye Qiu.
This is a lesson for you.
If I hear you say his name again,
I will beat you again.
Little Tang, Yifan, and Bao Zi are all not here.
It does feel lonely here.
I kind of miss them.
To them, this is an important choice in their lives.
They should be prudent.
Yifan, good news.
You don't have to go to the training camp.
The captain says he wants to see you.
Keep training in the team.
There's somewhere else I'd rather go.
Train as Phantom Demon.
Manager, what did you say?
The company plans to give you a promotion.
You'll be in charge of this area.
I need a moment.
This is the last day of the invitation.
Have you decided yet?
Yes.
I've made my decision.
Let me do it.
Little Monster came by just now, right?
What plan does Excellent Era have for him?
Given his personality,
no matter what arrangement the team has for him,
he'll be able to get anything he wants.
Actually, be it Qiu Fei or other people,
they're not following you
because they want you to be responsible for their life.
They just want to play Glory with you.
Since they have made their choice,
they will each take responsibility for their own life.
Right?
WIND SPEAR, LEVEL 65, ORANGE EQUIPMENT
If you love Glory, please love everything it brings you.
Be it pain, setbacks, or tears.
I can't be responsible for your life.
But I'm willing to become your choice.
Because where the sword points
is our glory.
Boss!
Senior!
We're back.
HAPPY INTERNET CAFE
ESPORTS MANAGER CERTIFICATION, CHEN GUO
I have to say the weight on my mind is finally unloaded.
You had no confidence in me?
When it comes to the team, I can take care of everything!
I can be counted on!
You worked so hard. Keep at it.
Is it something cheap you bought off the street to patronize me?
It seems so worn out and old.
It's indeed second-handed.
In your hands, it will be third-handed.
Master, can you be a little sincere when you give gifts...
The badge of the first league?
Awesome!
This can be regarded as an antique.
Ordinary players can't even get their hands on it.
Am I an ordinary player?
Why didn't you say so earlier?
I almost missed out on this priceless gift.
Thank you.
I like this second-handed gift very much.
By the way, I also have a gift for you.
What is it?
A new beginning.
What is that?
A new beginning.
Gifts have been exchanged.
Our people are all here.
Starting tomorrow, our mission for the year will officially begin.
-Here's your order. -Give me the gizzards.
-Here. -Thank you.
We met each other in Glory and got together in Happy.
I look forward to working with you all.
-Cheers. -Cheers.
Wait.
-I almost forgot an important thing. -Important?
Important thing?
Ma'am, starting today,
Ye Xiu and Lord Grim will always be with Happy.
After the team is formed,
all account cards must be under one management.
But it's not that urgent.
Tang Rou and Soft Mist will always be with Happy.
Steamed Bun Invasion will always be with Happy.
Qiao Yifan and One Inch Ash will always be with Happy.
Can he find a good boss?
Yes!
-Who is it? -Me!
Since you think that way and they agree with you,
then I'll quit.
You always give up halfway anyway.
Since you want to quit, don't bother pushing yourself.
I am--
The manager of Team Happy.
I am the manager of Team Happy.
I am willing to fight with you all to the end.
Thank you.
I will not let you down.
Thank you.
Happy is bound to win!
Glory will never die out!
The competition...
-Here we come! -Here we come!
Since the establishment of the alliance,
all players have had only one ultimate goal.
That is the Glory championship trophy.
The ultimate throne for all players.
It will welcome a new owner today.
We won! Long live Happy!
Next, please welcome my dear teammates.
Please welcome Qiao Yifan.
Thank you to the alliance for giving us this trophy.
We will continue our efforts.
That's so formal. Come. Next!
I would better not.
Next! Come now.
Actually, I have so much to say.
But the one I want to thank most is our boss.
I feel that this isn't an end,
but a beginning.
The next championship and the ones after that
will all belong to Happy!
Great.
How is the recording?
Is it good?
-Have a look. -Let's see.
-It looks good. -Perfect.
-What were you doing there? -Was your hand shaking?
Remember this feeling.
Try again, okay?
-Come. -Okay, let's go.
Haven't you had enough? Aren't you tired by now?
The Academy Awards owes you an Oscar.
Don't be so dramatic.
Not anyone can have the championship trophy.
-Right. -Well...
I've had it three times.
Apart from the fact that it's too heavy, it's nothing special.
-Really? -I don't know.
-Why don't you join us this time? -Right.
-Come and join us. -Join us.
Come on.
When we take the championship,
we can lift the pure gold championship trophy.
Hello, everybody. I'm Xiao Luo.
This is the 12th game in the 8th season of Glory Pro League.
Excellent Era versus Thunderclap.
This is a destined battle. Why?
You will find out later.
Thunderclap's captain, Xiao Shiqin, is one of the four master tacticians.
He often leads his team to victory against a stronger opponent.
His character, Life Extinguisher, the Mechanic,
is also an All-Star account.
He is Thunderclap's tactical core.
As for Team Excellent Era, it's led by Sun Xiang, the Rookie King,
plays One Autumn Leaf, nicknamed Battle God.
The contest starts now!
The players enter into the map.
The match between Excellent Era and Thunderclap begins now.
Although Thunderclap has Xiao Shiqin, one of the four master tacticians,
the members of Thunderclap don't have enough personal skill,
so this is unfortunately a relegation match.
Excellent Era changed its captain, but hasn't improved much.
They also could be relegated.
What's there to be afraid of?
Come back again by killing monsters and leveling up.
You think it's like raiding a dungeon?
Killing monsters and leveling up? Shame on you.
Only 20 teams can stay each season.
If the team is at the bottom and can't keep their spot,
how could they level up?
So tonight, either Excellent Era or Thunderclap will be relegated.
Yes, the relegated team
will naturally participate in next season's Challengers League.
Challengers League? Is that what we're taking part in?
Winning the Challengers League
is the only way for a relegated team to return to the alliance.
-So-- -The team relegated tonight
will become our opponent.
It's just a matter of time.
Even if we don't meet in the Challengers League,
we will still encounter each other in the league one day.
Every team
will become our future rivals.
The Rookie King has taken away Thunderclap's Cleric.
Thunderclap will lose if this continues.
Thunderclap is in danger! Excellent Era has control of the game.
At this critical point, Sun Xiang stands out!
It's time to end this.
I still can't tolerate Sun Xiang's arrogance.
It's not good for us if Excellent Era loses the game.
Nonsense. I hope Excellent Era loses and goes bankrupt right now.
According to the data,
Thunderclap is far less skilled than Excellent Era.
It won't be surprising if they lose.
If we can choose a team as our opponent,
I would prefer Thunderclap.
Thunderclap continues to retreat.
Excellent Era continues to give chase
to prevent Thunderclap's substitute from meeting up.
Yifan, if you were in Thunderclap,
what would you do in such an unfavorable situation?
I would conserve my stamina and wait for a chance.
Thunderclap is running out of time. You have to create chances for yourself.
Captain, you mean taking the initiative and containing the opponent's main force?
But that's too risky!
You came out on your own.
Saves me the trouble of chasing you.
Life Extinguisher?
Who is he?
Xiao Shiqin, the captain of Thunderclap.
He led Thunderclap, a weak team, into the alliance.
He is the core of all of Thunderclap's tactics.
Apart from the tactics, even in the mental aspect,
he is absolutely the leader of Thunderclap.
Rising Dragon Soars the Sky! Sun Xiang wants to widen the lead!
-One Autumn Leaf's strongest attack! -This is the end.
The second stage of Rising Dragon Soars the Sky.
He'll use Dragon Raising Its Head.
Sun Xiang will use Dragon Raising Its Head?
Dragon Raising Its Head! Sun Xiang uses Ye Qiu's ultimate skill!
Dragon Raising Its Head! What's going on?
He escaped Dragon Raising Its Head!
Life Extinguisher used the rebound of a Mechanical Punch
to step out of attack range!
How did he do this?
Just now, we saw that Sun Xiang used Dragon Raising Its Head.
But it's also the first time we saw someone escape it!
The captain of Thunderclap
figured out Dragon Raising Its Head.
How can that be possible?
Nothing is impossible.
Dragon Raising Its Head isn't invincible.
You knew how to beat it?
This skill constitutes 78 frames from start to finish.
The only flaw is hidden in the 42nd frame.
It's an inevitable part of the operation.
It's hard to find.
I guess he studied it thousands of times
and finally found this solution.
This is really his style.
One Autumn Leaf is in danger.
It takes too long to end Rising Dragon.
To find 1 in about 70 frames.
His sight is too good.
It's his effort, not his sight.
This guy is too frightening.
Any skill is meaningful only when it is used at the right time.
Otherwise, it will become a flaw.
This time, Sun Xiang is paying for showing off.
Earth Dragon Tactic. From now on, fight back with all forces.
Thunderclap begins to fight back, all members focused on One Autumn Leaf.
Xiao Shiqin of Thunderclap is famous for overcoming stronger rivals.
Once he finds a flaw, he won't let it go.
If Sun Xiang hadn't used Dragon Raising Its Head,
Thunderclap might have lost already.
Unfortunately, there is no "if" in competition.
The result has been determined.
Excellent Era is in danger. Time is running out.
He did it!
Thunderclap successfully takes out One Autumn Leaf.
Thunderclap's total health points is higher than that of Excellent Era.
The time is up! Game over.
Thunderclap keeps their spot!
That's splendid. We have witnessed history made again.
Thunderclap made its comeback.
They won the game at the last moment.
Thunderclap keeps their spot in the league?
-This is the last match of this season. -Excellent Era is relegated.
It's also the match that decides the relegation.
-The two teams performed very well. -So we will...
Congratulations to Thunderclap once again on winning.
We also feel very sad for Excellent Era, once a great team in the past.
-We won. -They are relegated from the league.
They will have to start from the Challengers League next season.
We also thank our audience for your continuous support.
We will see you again at the Ninth Pro League! Bye!
We won! Our teamwork was great just now.
-Great. -Not bad.
-Come, have a rest. -Well done.
Captain, where will we celebrate tonight?
-Thanks. -I won't be going tonight.
I know that among all the teams in the league,
no team can beat Thunderclap in terms of diligence.
Tonight, we must have a conclusion meeting and celebrate after.
What's wrong?
From this day on,
I won't be your captain.
-What? -What?
Captain, this joke isn't funny.
What's going on?
These are the tactics of all the teams and coping strategies
that I've compiled over the years.
It will come in handy in the future.
I also added notes to all the tactics.
You can use it for reference.
After I'm gone, a new captain will appear among you.
Please work hard, everyone.
-Captain! -What do you mean?
Are you transferring and leaving Thunderclap?
-Captain? -Captain!
-Come out, Sun Xiang! -Come out, Sun Xiang!
Members of Excellent Era, please leave the competition room.
-Come out! -Come out!
What are you doing? They are fans.
You will be scolded to death.
We lost the game. Someone has to account for this!
Who?
It's not just that we lost the game today.
It's relegation.
Then who should be blamed?
We just followed the tactics that has been arranged.
The current Excellent Era believes in individualism.
Powerless people like us
can't decide the game whether we played well or not.
Today, someone insisted on using Dragon Raising Its Head.
Isn't he ashamed?
Enough!
If you want to continue to shift the responsibilities to someone else,
suit yourself.
I won't join in.
Mucheng, we don't mean that.
We just don't want to lose for no clear reason.
Shut up!
-Come out! -Get out here!
I am the captain.
I will be held accountable.
You think bearing the responsibility is enough?
Excellent Era is relegated.
Not one person is free of blame.
We lost the game.
We are all responsible.
Myself included.
-Come out! -Come out!
-Please behave!
-Please calm down! -What were you doing?
Su Mucheng, Excellent Era was always very stable before.
Why would it be relegated this time?
Does it have to do with the captain, Sun Xiang?
Can you explain?
Can you comment, Su Mucheng?
Is there a problem?
Did Ye Qiu's retirement have a large impact on Excellent Era?
Quiet, please.
Please calm down.
This is not your fault. You are not the captain.
Su Mucheng, don't leave!
Su Mucheng, why?
-Mucheng! -Su Mucheng!
Don't leave!
We don't blame you, Su Mucheng!
Mucheng, don't leave!
Don't leave, Mucheng.
Mucheng.
Today's performance was so good. Yes.
-Team Excellent Era was terrible today. -It was so satisfying!
-That's right. -Great.
Let's go to our old spot.
What would you like?
-One coffee. -Okay.
Thank you.
This is what you meant?
But I've never been here before.
Really?
You think I haven't played enough today?
You don't dare to play?
Let me clarify.
I am furious right now.
I won't go easy.
This map? Isn't it...
You do remember it.
Of course.
How could I forget?
I wasn't lying. This is the old spot.
I still remember that my brother created this map.
I played Glory for the first time here.
Right. Move. Yes!
Now use Floating Bullet. Throw the grenade while changing guns.
This way. He is hiding here. Good.
That's so cruel, Ye Xiu!
You're despicable! Don't misguide my little sister.
Su Muqiu, really?
You designed this map and you know it like the back of your hand.
Shoot him.
You will pay for this.
Okay.
Send that bomb back.
Why can't I move?
She's asking you. Why can't she move?
Is there a bug?
Damn it. I've been revising this map for days.
Why are there still bugs?
Just to trap your sister.
Right, Mucheng?
Every programmer makes progress by fixing his own bugs.
Failure is a ladder to success, right?
What ladder? Take a good look.
It's more of a black hole of desperation.
THE MAP HAS BEEN RESTORED
The bug was right here.
It has been so many years.
That bug was my brother's only error.
It should have been fixed by now, right?
Who knows? How about a duel?
Okay. I'm all fired up right now.
You'd better watch out!
Do you still remember how I taught you to handle your brother?
How dare you mention that!
After that game, my brother forbade me from playing Glory.
He was afraid you'd be a bad influence.
I was a bad influence?
You became a self-taught master.
I'm stuck! The bug is still here.
Let me see.
It's a trap. Be careful!
Where are we?
We'll find out when we go down.
In the past six months,
I have never given up
even though so much has happened.
Without you by my side,
I realized that I needed to rely on myself.
So I've been working harder than before.
But Excellent Era
was still relegated.
What's worse isn't the relegation itself.
Excellent Era as it is now
makes me feel powerless no matter how hard I try.
What should I do in the coming year?
I am at a loss.
We are going downhill.
As for the future,
I don't know where we're heading.
Then focus on the path you're on right now.
Haven't I been going downhill?
Actually, many moments in life are like these stairs.
You think you are going downhill.
Just keep going.
And when you turn around,
you'll find that you're now standing in a higher place.
There is no absolute boundary between winning and losing.
As long as you keep moving forward,
a low point can turn into a high point.
Our world is never a straight path.
There are ups and downs,
wins and losses,
and no end.
After Muqiu fixed the bug,
he left an Easter egg.
It's what you're looking at now.
Penrose stairs.
It still doesn't have a name.
Do you want to pick a name for it?
Then let's call it...
Path of Glory.
You've gotten better at picking names.
At least it's better than One Autumn Leaf.
Your ice cream.
Thank you.
Happy and Excellent Era.
They will eventually meet in the Challengers League.
So...
I look forward to becoming an opponent.
Almost all top players live on this floor.
This is Shen Jian's room.
Zhang Jiaxing is next door.
Sun Xiang lives up ahead.
This was Ye Qiu's room.
One, two, three, four.
I set the password.
It's very simple,
so he wouldn't end up sleeping in the hallway at night.
Come in.
His room belongs to me now?
Consider it a welcome from an old friend.
I never imagined we would be in the same team.
By the way, this board might be a little loose.
The table leg isn't very stable either.
And make sure not to pull this curtain.
Otherwise, it will be worse.
Why haven't these...
been fixed?
Maybe he didn't know how to fix them.
It used to be a good place.
But as time went by, small problems gradually appeared.
Just like this room.
After it was vacant for so long, it became a room with nobody living in it.
Right?
So here I am.
An Excellent Era in need of fixing is one that needs me.
You're right.
Actually, the curtain only needs a new hook.
The table leg only needs a screw tightened.
But the board is completely broken.
I don't know how to fix it.
Fix it if possible.
Otherwise, replace it.
Replace?
Qiao Shiqin, you are such a cruel guy.
You just got here and you're already thinking of cleaning the room.
Don't twist my words.
I'm not.
But as the old saying goes, "One nation can't have two kings."
Tell me.
Are you here to help Mr. Tao take power away from Sun Xiang?
Enough. You're not getting anything out of me.
I'm not here to take power away.
I'm here to give a broken Excellent Era a new look.
How?
Like you said,
change a screw.
-Thank you. -No problem.
-Give it to me. -Okay.
No drinking during the competition.
That is the regulation.
But since you already drank,
why not enjoy yourself to the fullest?
I'll have another, the same as his, with spherical ice.
Here you go.
Adding ice to dilute it?
Coward.
The ice represses the light element in the alcohol,
while the wild and strong element stands out even more.
Oftentimes,
one plus one equals more than two.
I'm the only one
who doesn't need to work with anyone.
Of course you don't.
When genius players like you work with others,
it's more favorable for the others.
It's unfair.