Maybe there were miracles.
But the main theme of professional esports was the cruel and cold reality. It had never changed.
League of Legends players all over the world finally understood this truth after the final match of the group stage of the World Championship came to an end, and through the coldest and most merciless reality.
Yes.
They had indeed seen the incredible fighting spirit and fighting spirit of the Assassin Squad, the first seeded team of the LMS region, against the Korean team Minx this morning. They screamed and cheered for Nian Thirteen's world-saving performance when he defeated the Blind Monk in the jungle.
They witnessed a miraculous victory with their own eyes.
And this just happened to fuel the wildfire in their hearts.
It made them even more eager to see the continuation of this miracle. They wanted to see the first seeded team of LMS, who had been pushed to the brink of despair, return to the field under the leadership of their captain, and advance to the quarterfinals in a way that stirred people's hearts like a TV drama.
And then, Team Assassin lost.
They fell in the last match of the World Finals.
They fell in front of Team Fate.
It was like a bucket of cold water had been poured on them. In that instant, the fire in everyone's hearts was completely extinguished.
It was bone-chilling.
It also allowed the people to gradually wake up from the wet and cold feeling and recognize the reality.
They lost.
Just a moment ago, they had been passionately hoping for the assassin. They had almost brainlessly worshiped and supported the assassin, but he had not been able to complete the final feat. He had not been able to bravely kill to the end like the protagonists in TV dramas and novels.
Instead, without any room for manoeuvre, he directly fell at the threshold of the quarter-finals, which was only half a step away from the quarter-finals.
Their heads were bleeding.
Their faces were miserable.
At the end of the match, the close-up footage of Team Assassin's arena was also clearly displayed in front of everyone's eyes.
They saw the captain of the LMS division's Seven King-Class jungler with his head lowered. His expression was hard to see.
They also saw the red eyes of the other members of Team Assassin's main roster.
And the low cries that could not be stopped.
It made people feel like there was a boulder in their chests. It was so heavy that they couldn't breathe. It also made people feel like they wanted to say something, but at this moment, they finally realized how powerless and pale words were in the face of this cold and cruel reality.
"How could this be …"
In the audience stands, there were players who had been cheering for the Assassin Squad a moment ago. At this moment, they had blank expressions on their faces as they unconsciously murmured.
In the official live streaming channel of the online live streaming platform, a lonely message finally appeared in the chat window that had been silent for a long time.
"Speaking of which … Fate has always been this strong, right?"
The atmosphere turned silent again.
Yes.
Fate had always been this strong.
It was just that the players were too focused on supporting Team Assassin. Their eyes were filled with Nian Thirteen's stunning Blind Monk maneuvers, but they forgot that even though they were only the third seed in this year's LCK, Team Fate's strength and foundation had always been stronger than Team Minx's.
Even if you have a top-notch wild king like Nian Thirteen, even if your performance in the morning was amazing.
But in his Fate team's lineup —
But now, he had Moon, a genuine Yonkō (Four Emperors).
…
"Assassin Squad lost for no reason."
After the match, when the audience and players were gradually leaving the arena, Phoenix, the captain of Legend, accepted an interview with an esports media. When the reporter asked the Europe's Number One Wizard for his thoughts on the match between Assassin and Fate, Phoenix, who was facing the camera, said without hesitation:
"Assassin Squad played very well."
"But today, Fate has finally shown their true strength."
Phoenix paused for a moment, then shook his head as if he was touched by something.
"Don't underestimate Fate just because they are the second seed in this year's LCK."
"This team …"
"They are really strong."
"Especially their captain, Moon. Although his ranking is one rank lower than mine in the previous official evaluation, being ranked above him … I've never truly felt at ease."
Compared to Phoenix's emotional response, Autumn, who was also interviewed by another esports media, gave a more concise reply:
"It was a very exciting match."
"What a pity for Assassin Squad."
"Nian Thirteen's performance was amazing, but he was just lacking by a little bit."
Such an answer would have confused anyone who heard it, but regarding the concept of "a little bit", Season's Support God did not elaborate any further.
Only a few people would be able to understand the subtle details and subtleties within.
But just like that, the group stage of this year's finals came to an end.
Regardless of what this "just a little bit" was, Assassin Squad had indeed missed the finals by a hair's breadth, becoming the last team to be eliminated after Minx.
Whether it was Minx or the other six teams that were eliminated in Group A, B, and C, Assassin Squad's regrettable elimination was far more significant and significant than the other seven teams.
This was because Assassin Squad was the first top-tier team to be eliminated so quickly in this year's finals.
In any previous year's finals, Assassin Squad's worst result was at least in the top eight. They had even made it to the top four or even the finals more than once. They were a powerhouse esports team that was on par with God, SSK, and Legend.
This year, however, they had such a tragic ending.
Needless to say, with Assassin Squad's elimination, the entire LMS region's journey in this year's finals had come to an end.
For the LMS region, this was an indescribably huge blow.
So when they returned to the hotel that night, everyone in the LPL region felt a little complicated and heavy. They wanted to find the Assassin Squad members to comfort them, but in the end, they chose to give up after exchanging glances with each other.
At this moment …
The members of the Assassin Club were probably packing their luggage by now.
They didn't know where to start comforting them, but perhaps it was better to give them some space and not disturb them.
Huangxue Nightsong and Shi Hang wanted to talk to Nian Thirteen, but they were stopped by Morning Star, Li Shiyi, and the others.
They all knew the temper of their old friend's old rival.
With his pride, there was no way he would be willing to show his dejected side in front of others.
Everyone decided to return to their rooms to rest.
At this moment, Shi Hang suddenly looked left and right, puzzled.
"Huh?"
"Where's Maple?"
*****
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