By Zephyria 
Before the semifinals began, Sheep returned to the team right on schedule.
At this stage of the tournament, only four teams remained: Me., Fpn., Bond, and Mox.
These four teams would compete in a two-day showdown, with the winner of each match advancing to the finals.
The two victorious teams would then face off in the championship match, vying for the sole trophy.
Over these two days of semifinals, the third-place winner of the global tournament would also be determined.
As the competition reached its peak intensity, the remaining teams feared becoming that third-place finisher.
But what they feared even more was not even qualifying for third place.
Domestic channels buzzed with heated discussions about the tournament. The team once deemed least likely to contend for the championship had now become the nation’s hope.
And those young players who had been severely underestimated were now about to represent their country, draped in Glory, stepping onto the stage of the semifinals, and possibly even the finals.
[Excited]
[Ahhhhhh]
[Past me: Only dared to hope a little. Present me: Me., go for the championship!!]
[So nervous, what if it ends up being third place like Old Liu said?]
[Let’s be real, third place is still impressive.]
Me.’s first semifinal match was against Bond on the second day of the semifinals.
On the first day, the results of the latest battle between Mox. and Fpn. were freshly announced.
As expected by everyone, Mox successfully advanced, becoming the first team to qualify for the finals!
This put immense pressure on the two teams competing the next day.
After all, the winner would face Mox in the finals.
Then, by the end of the second day’s match…
In the first round, Sheep locked down the enemy’s position, while Red Hair swiftly filled the gap and instantly eliminated the opposing sniper, securing a slight lead in points.
By the second round, the map turned out to be the amusement park.
With Sheep’s support, Mole used the golden silk dagger obtained from an item to slit the Boss’s throat before the red door even appeared.
The system notification flashed:
[Me. WIN!]
With this match concluded, the schedule for the next five days was officially announced!
Me. had ultimately become Mox’s opponent in the finals.
This meant one thing—
—Me. had successfully advanced to the finals!!
Domestic gaming channels went absolutely wild.
Not only did Glory’s login screen prominently feature a splash poster and a scoreboard, but global tournament-related hashtags frequently trended on social media. No one could have imagined that the once-overlooked, fading team would now stand on the world stage.
They would represent their country, competing against the finest teams from around the globe for the championship.
This was a dream beyond the reach of most players.
No one could remain unmoved by such passion.
In the four days leading up to the finals, the players threw themselves into pre-match training. Though they had repeatedly reviewed Mox’s past match replays back at their base in the neighboring city, they still hadn’t cracked the optimal strategy, and even now, the answer eluded them.
Mox’s playstyle was aggressive, their tactics ever-changing and hard to pin down, often relying on unpredictability.
So, the final advice from their external veteran coach was simple: Adapt on the fly, and go all-in.
Perhaps, after diving into the roaring tides of global competitions, every ambush, every moment of endurance, every growth and transformation for Me. was a reckless all-or-nothing gamble.
On the day of the finals,
The tickets were frantically snatched up. The domestic prices weren’t low, yet demand still outstripped supply. Regardless of the outcome, everyone wanted to witness Me. fighting until the very end.
As the players took their seats on the stage, the opening ceremony officially commenced.
When the latest theme song began playing live, its exhilarating rhythm surged through the venue like a tidal wave, electrifying the atmosphere. The video introductions of both Teams’ members were re-recorded and projected onto the holographic screen.
Each player stepped forward, holding their team logo as they faced the camera, their lifelike figures appearing vividly before the audience’s eyes.
Soon after, the real players began making their entrance.
Sheep’s gaze swept across the stage, locking eyes with someone beneath a cap brim.
The young man slowly averted his gaze, his eyes softening into something gentle and warm, the shadows of his usual cold determination receding.
The scale of the finals far surpassed any previous global competition.
When the two Teams crossed paths, the last member of Team Mox to enter the venue, clad in red-and-white team colors, suddenly halted when his eyes landed on Sheep.
Even his expression turned playfully intrigued.
“Hey.”
His voice was loud enough that the members of Me. turned their attention toward him, realizing ZLE was calling out their team’s youngest.
“They say you’re the new star.”
ZLE spoke in English, hooking a finger at the corner of his lips and pulling it down, sticking out his tongue.
“But you’re definitely not the champion.”
Though not a discriminatory gesture, the provocation was unmistakable.
The encounter was brief, there was no time for a prolonged standoff between the Teams, so this provocation wouldn’t be recorded in the official proceedings. Only the front-row audience and a few off-angle cameras captured this subtle moment.
[He’s provoking our baby!]
[Ugh, that gesture is so infuriating!]
[Damn, I used to think this player was strong, but now it’s clear God closed a window somewhere.]
[Isn’t MianMian’s Husband in the audience? How can he stand his wife being bullied like this?!]
[What nonsense are you spouting?]
[You expect our Teacher Ren to storm the stage and beat up the guy? Use your brain before speaking.]
……
Sheep’s expression remained unchanged. Despite being the younger one, the look he gave ZLE seemed to say, What kind of child is this?
ZLE faltered.
Clearly, his provocation hadn’t fazed the other at all. He took his seat, but his gaze lingered on the opposing Team’s table, where the glowing “ME.Sheep” nameplate stood out starkly.
Fifteen minutes later,
The match officially began.
The commentators were ready.
Jing Mian put on his headset.
He leaned back slightly into his gaming chair, the cool air brushing past his ears as the world around him sharpened into clarity.
The previous matches couldn’t compare to the scale of this global tournament. Jing Mian rubbed his fingertips, noticing they were cold. The heightened awareness of his surroundings proved that even he couldn’t avoid feeling nervous.
But Mr. Ren was in the audience.
Just realizing this, the young man imagined his tall husband sitting in the stands not far away, his attentive gaze enveloping him, and an indescribable sense of security welled up inside.
Sheep’s lashes lowered slightly as his eyes focused on the screen.
Faint rustling sounds came through the headset as the interface transformed. Soon, his character awoke from darkness.
He found himself atop a towering lighthouse.
Looking down, a gray misty rain fell outside the tower, the fog so thick it obscured the full view. Only scattered bright lights flickered in the distance, representing countless endless lighthouses.
So the first match’s map was Lighthouses.
Jing Mian was momentarily stunned.
During the pre-match livestream, he’d actually played this very map, it wasn’t that long ago.
A relatively new map released just half a year ago, with highly creative mechanics.
Composed of countless towering lighthouses, the map had dim visuals with only the night sky and lighthouse beams as light sources.
Normally plunged in darkness, lighthouses would only illuminate when players entered, convenient for gathering supplies but inevitably revealing their positions to others.
The more players entered a lighthouse, the brighter it would glow.
Especially when airdropped supplies landed at a particular lighthouse, it would shine more conspicuously than others, attracting players toward it.
In this map, they were like hunters in a dark forest, competing for limited prey while eliminating rivals who revealed themselves, searching for exits while waiting for the next light source to identify their next target.
The more kills a player achieved, the higher the probability a red door would spawn nearby.
High difficulty but extremely spectator-friendly. In other words, perfect for major tournaments.
Sheep started from the second floor of his tower, collecting guns and ammo. Since his lighthouse’s top light was still on, he couldn’t stay long.
While searching the third lighthouse, Sheep first reunited with Little Mirror.
Their combined lighthouse would appear significantly brighter than normal from outside.
Thus this map’s design forced players to operate solo, even after regrouping, teams usually couldn’t stay together.
When Sheep approached the sixth lit lighthouse, he judged from its brightness that two players were inside, evidenced by gunfire.
Just as Sheep prepared to breach, the tower’s top light suddenly shattered with a crisp crack.
Someone had destroyed the lighthouse lamp.
Entering cautiously with heightened alertness, Jing Mian only realized upon reaching the second floor that the tower was full of enemies.
Sheep retreated down the stairs as gunfire rained from above. Instead of returning fire, he decisively lowered his gun muzzle toward the first-floor entrance.
Sure enough, figures suddenly appeared with gunshots.
Bang! Bang!
It was indeed ZLE lying in ambush.
Sheep took damage but still landed a precise headshot on the first pursuer descending the stairs.
ZLE didn’t give chase, likely going to heal instead.
Next, every time Sheep passed by a lit lighthouse, the surrounding area would be sealed off. More and more ceiling lights shattered, and even the airdrops were pitch black.
ZLE took great pleasure in appearing at every corner of the lighthouse where opponents might lurk, even around the toxic zones, but rarely engaged in direct confrontations.
[This bastard keeps ambushing people]
[So frustrating, can’t they fight properly?]
[They’re bullying my wife ahhh]
[Is it just me, or does it feel like ZLE is only targeting Sheep?]
[+1, feels like they’re specifically going after Sheep]
[Damn, this is the first time someone’s bullied my wife like this]
Fifteen minutes later, Me.’s team members fell one after another.
When only two players remained on each team, the big screen showed ZLE as the only one with full health, topping the kill count, with Sheep just one behind.
As the match neared its end,
Sheep struggled to heal.
Like a wounded beast licking its injuries, he was battered and bruised yet remained vigilant and wary, unable to stay in one place for too long, the glowing lighthouse would expose his position.
But outside the lighthouse, the environment was harsh. Healing was slow, and he could easily lose health. He had to keep changing locations, unable to linger.
Given the current situation, it was no longer possible for this player to both eliminate enemies and safely reach the red door unscathed.
The choice now was whether to prioritize survival or fight for the red door while already losing the first half. The point difference between the two options mattered, if it grew too large, it would directly impact the second half’s outcome.
That mox could force Me. into making such a choice spoke volumes about their strength. ZLE’s aggressive, unpredictable playstyle made him the perfect counter to Sheep—a player of immense potential who relied on steady, calculated victories.
In the end, the first half concluded.
Sheep failed to exit.
The screen tallied each player’s overall points, with the team totals at the top. Unsurprisingly, mox held a commanding lead by halftime.
The second half looked extremely unfavorable.
To put it bluntly, for Me. to win this match now, they’d need a miraculous comeback in the second half. But given mox’s overwhelming strength, the odds of that happening were slim to none.
An unspoken, undeniable truth loomed before them:
—Me. was about to lose the match.
The team members, realizing this, grew solemn and silent.
This despair seeped into every corner of Me.’s playing area, even the substitutes’ bench.
Jing Mian lowered his gaze, his cool fingertips flexing unconsciously before curling tight again.
They were going to lose.
He didn’t dare look up at Mr. Ren, he lacked the courage.
More than regret, what filled him was frustration.
After all, they’d given their all just to reach the foot of the summit.
Their dream was now just one step away.
[This is so hard to watch]
[Guys, I think we’re about to lose]
[Wuwu, the chances really are slim now.]
[I’m feeling hopeless]
[It’s over]
[Another runner-up finish… Sheep’s story is so heartbreaking. I want to cry. It’s just like the national finals last time, he was one step away from his dream.]
[Is history repeating itself?]
[To be harsh, mox is just too strong. Sheep might be able to compete, but he clearly needs stronger teammates.]
……
By the coach’s bench, Xuan Cheng seemed to be communicating with the organizers about something.
Soon after, the head referee signaled OK.
The camera panned over, but there was no sound. At that moment, the audience also seemed confused, and the domestic live stream was equally baffled, thinking something had gone wrong within Team Me.
The commentator reacted quickly, promptly explaining in English: “It appears Team Me. is making a mid-game substitution.”
The one being substituted was Song Xianyang, whose familiarity with the new map was relatively lower.
【Substitution?!】
【Holy shit, who are they swapping in??】
【Does Me. even have anyone else?】
【Don’t mess around, okay? The current four are the strongest. The more you change, the worse you’ll lose. Why not leave with some dignity?】
【Looks like they’re completely out of ideas】
…
A seat in the audience stood empty.
Under the tense gaze of the crowd, a tall figure clad in blue-black esports gear walked toward Team Me.’s direction.
Jing Mian’s pupils constricted slightly.
……
At that moment, the entire arena fell into complete silence.
The next second, in front of the empty seat, the nameplate symbolizing the team’s player lit up once more:
「ME.Ash」