157. Breaking Through the Gloom
After half an hour of rest, Yun Ling finally felt much better and was barely able to adapt to the environment.
No, it was less about adapting and more about blocking it out.
But the impact on him was still significant; at least Yun Ling found it difficult to concentrate as he did at the club.
The second elimination match followed immediately, and Yun Ling continued to make mistakes, giving many the illusion that he could do it too.
The opponent in the second match was clearly stronger, and the pressure was making Yun Ling breathless.
"Huff...huff..." Yun Ling's breathing became rapid, and his hands became increasingly sweaty.
As his screen dimmed, his vision gradually went black, and then he slumped into his chair.
Ai, who had been watching Yun Ling closely, quickly supported him.
Bronya also called for a timeout to the referee.
"He must have fainted from the tension. Sure enough, what we feared happened." Bronya shook her head slightly.
Bronya withdrew from the match almost without hesitation.
This dramatic turn of events drew a barrage of criticism and insults from the surrounding audience.
"I traveled all this way just to watch your match, and you withdraw halfway through!"
"How could you do this to us? RMN, refund our money!!!"
The opponents were also baffled by the victory; they had already prepared to lose.
After all, even without their top laner, BRN was undoubtedly a top-tier team, far superior to their opponents.
This incident quickly went viral in the gaming community, and the club issued an emergency statement explaining that the player's withdrawal was due to health issues.
They also apologized to BRN's fans.
As a result, a group of mindless fans began targeting Yun Ling.
'Playing so badly, how dare he even go on stage?'
'His mental fortitude is terrible.'
'Can't BRN find a top laner? I'm in! Season 7 Unyielding Silver requests to play.'
"..."
"The match!" Yun Ling jolted awake.
Looking out the window, it was already dark.
He hurriedly pushed open the door; the others were leisurely lounging on the sofa.
"Awake? Come and eat something," Bronya instructed.
"The match?" Yun Ling's face showed a hint of anxiety.
"Of course, we lost." Little Rabbit transformed back into her flying rabbit form and sat on Yun Ling's shoulder.
"Don't worry, we didn't take this little match seriously at all. Our goal from the beginning was to train your ability to handle situations."
Little Rabbit casually tossed Yun Ling a piece of bread, gently reassuring him.
"Lost...?" Yun Ling clenched his fists, knowing that he was responsible for the team's loss.
"Not exactly lost, we withdrew from the competition," Ai said, replacing the wording with something more palatable.
"If we continue, our win rate will still be high, but there's no need for it. As Little Rabbit said, the captain's initial purpose in having us participate in this competition was to train you. Winning or losing doesn't matter to us at all, so please don't take it to heart," Ai reassured her.
"No need for further words," Bronya glared at Ai.
"In short, you need more training. There are fewer than two months until the Seventh League, and there will be two or three more offline competitions during that time. Make the most of it."
"Also, don't pay attention to those rumors online. You have to believe in yourself. You're no worse than anyone else. After all, you're the one I, Bronya, chose."
Bronya's tone was calm, but it deeply moved Yun Ling.
"Yes, Captain!"
Yun Ling answered firmly, tears welling in his eyes.
"You're such a grown-up, why are you still crying?" Little Rabbit teased him from the side.
Yun Ling quickly wiped away his tears.
"It's okay to cry, Ai will comfort you." Ai stepped forward and patted Yun Ling's head.
Yun Ling blushed and shook his head vigorously.
Looking at the group before him, a ray of sunshine finally pierced the dark abyss in Yun Ling's heart.
This was his first loss. From now on, he would never lose to anyone again!
He wouldn't show any weakness again!
"By the way, where's the vice-captain?" Yun Ling asked.
"Kiana has already gone back. You'll have a chance to meet her again next time," Bronya waved her hand.
And so, the group embarked on their journey home.
Yes, home!
In the club, Soldier sat on the sofa, anxiously stamping his feet.
He was thinking about how to comfort Yun Ling.
This must have been a huge blow to him!
"Brother Soldier, I'm back!" Yun Ling greeted him warmly, then hurried to the cafeteria.
"Oh..." he responded instinctively.
"Huh?!"
The next second, it belatedly dawned on him—was that Yun Ling? Was he still dreaming?
"Captain, what happened to Yun Ling..."
"He learned a lot from this match." Bronya tossed her hair, not answering Soldier's question.
But Soldier had gotten his answer.
A smile unconsciously spread across his face. He had always felt guilty about Yun Ling's situation.
He thought that if he hadn't gone to Yun Ling's house back then, Yun Ling's life wouldn't have ended up like that.
Now, seeing Yun Ling's change, he was genuinely happy for him.
It was as if there was an extra person in the club; everyone was slightly surprised by Yun Ling's transformation.
Enthusiastic, cheerful, lively...
Perhaps, this was the person he truly should be!
In the second offline competition, facing everyone's doubts, he raised his head and stepped onto the stage.
With perfect positioning and awareness, he completely dominated his opponent.
The audience witnessed firsthand what the art of top lane truly meant.
It was a slaughter, a one-sided slaughter.
It was an all-around crushing defeat, unmatched in any way.
From the knockout stage to the quarterfinals, and then to the finals, every single match was a complete lane domination.
His counter-pick was crushed and was taught a lesson.
Even when five players tried to gank him to end his momentum, he handled it with composure, holding out until his teammates arrived, and even turning the tide to wipe out the opposing team.
The top laner who had been crushed by a second-tier team not long ago unexpectedly won the MVP award for this tournament.
His limelight even overshadowed that of the captain, Bronya.
"Captain, your thunder has been stolen," Little Rabbit teased.
"Do you think I care about that?" Bronya tossed her hair, her face radiating indifference.
"But the MVP reward this time is a limited edition Homu plushie! You really don't care?" Little Rabbit reminded her.
Bronya's relaxed expression froze.
"Oh dear, I forgot to tell Captain Bronya about this. After all, she's always MVP, and I thought this time wouldn't be an exception, but... Yun Ling seems to be improving a little too fast? Hehe~"
Ai stuck out her tongue.
...