vstars Chapter 426 - 393: Uncrowned King, Divine Whitlock
Chapter 426 - 393: Uncrowned King, Divine Whitlock
"Captain, based on our tactical simulations, DAF has a 34.2% chance of winning this time. As long as we stall until the match timer runs out and have more members left than DAF, we’ll win."
Team PL’s data analyst reported to Julian Lawson with a joyful expression, but Julian’s face didn’t share his excitement.
"Under what circumstances would DAF win?"
"According to the simulations, Master Rory will get significantly separated from his teammates during the third phase of the match. If DAF’s Summoner can’t use their positioning to cover for him at that moment, Master Rory will fall right into our trap. So, if DAF wants to win, their only hope is to have an outstanding Summoner like you, Captain, to break the stalemate. Too bad for them, they don’t..."
The analyst said with a smile, his tone feigning regret.
Julian Lawson gave a slight nod. ’Though he knew deep down this match was a sure win,’ as their captain, he couldn’t let it show. His expression remained serious as he addressed the entire team, "Even if victory is within our grasp, don’t get arrogant. Remember, DAF once produced a god-tier Summoner."
"Captain, you’re being an alarmist. Even if they had a god-tier player, he’s a washed-up relic. It’s been over a decade. His techniques have been studied inside and out by now. Even if he really showed up to compete, there’s no guarantee he’d win."
"Exactly, Captain. You’re the number one Summoner now. We can’t go around boosting their morale at the expense of our own."
Aside from him, all of Team PL’s competitors this year were rookies, but they were all top-tier talents.
As far as they were concerned, White was just a legendary player whose old glories were constantly being rehashed.
His skills meant nothing to them.
If they had the chance, they really wanted to defeat this legendary player in front of all those old-school fans and show them that the era of White was over.
Julian Lawson listened to them without arguing. They simply had no idea how powerful White was in his prime.
His perfect tactics, his calm and unhurried command, his clean and decisive mechanics—all of it had left Julian deeply impressed.
When White rose to fame, Julian himself was just a child. He’d gone with his older brother to watch his first tournament, a time when Veridia’s e-sports scene was still far behind the rest of the world.
During international broadcasts, hardly any foreigners tuned in. Even when they did, most of the comments were negative, as if Veridia’s pro players would get completely steamrolled in minutes at any international tournament.
But then White appeared. Like a god of war, he spent three days racking up 200 consecutive wins in the international PvP arena. He defeated the player from Crestland, then universally recognized as the world’s number one, so badly that the guy went into seclusion and didn’t dare log on for a week.
He was a god—the man who single-handedly brought Veridia’s e-sports scene to a golden age.
But White hadn’t competed in over ten years. The new generation was rising faster and more fiercely than ever. And he, one of the last of the old guard who carried White’s legacy, was also on the verge of retirement. Soon, the era of Summoner White would be forgotten.
"Get back to training."
Julian Lawson shut down his computer, stood up, and walked out of the training room.
The stars outside were brilliant, but the star in his heart felt like it was about to go out.
His wait for White had ultimately been in vain.
***
The final showdown between DAF and Team PL would be fought over two rounds.
The two teams were currently 12 points apart, with DAF at a disadvantage. They needed to score at least 17 points in these last two matches to defeat Team PL and win the Veridian championship.
According to the tournament rules, they had to win both team matches, as well as secure an overwhelming victory in the individual matches.
This was next to impossible.
Putting the team matches aside and just looking at the individual rounds, besides Master Rory—who was a guaranteed win—victory was far from certain for the others. As a result, the DAF Team’s fans had already braced themselves for taking second place this year.
Because of this, on the eve of the competition, the fanbases for both teams were surprisingly amicable, with none of the usual tension in the air.
DAF fans even posted public messages to Team PL online:
[Our team’s players are in the finals for the first time, please take it easy on them!]
Team PL’s fans replied:
[Friendship first, competition second. Our boys are kind-hearted, they’ll *try* not to crush you 18-2.]
Under the watchful eyes of the world, the first match of the Glory Finals began.
The tournament host was so excited that his opening remarks were much shorter than usual.
Because he had seen DAF’s starting roster.
"Next, let’s give a thunderous round of applause to welcome the competitors from the DAF Team! They are: Poison Master Joanna, Mage Scrappy’s Tail, Swordsman Cloudpiercer, Divine Archer Windwalker, Boxer Master Rory, and... the legend we’ve all been waiting for..."
The six players’ game avatars were revealed one by one on the arena’s big screens. The reveal started with Windwalker. After a moment of stunned silence, the DAF fans went wild, erupting into deafening screams.