Ye Xiu moved around his dorm, carrying out his usual routine. The place was modest—small, but functional—and it suited his current lifestyle. After the years he spent in the world of Glory, he had grown accustomed to a quieter existence, even though the passion for the game still burned within him. His laptop hummed quietly on the desk, the screen dimmed after he had taken a break from the game.
He glanced out the window for a moment, his thoughts drifting back to the earlier events in the café. The glitch he had seen in Glory replayed in his mind like a stubborn memory refusing to fade. Something was wrong, and the news report had only deepened his suspicions. He couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was happening was somehow connected to him, his past, and his old team.
Ye Xiu had just finished drying his hands after washing the dishes when the sound of the TV caught his attention. He wasn't paying much mind to it—it was usually background noise during his day—but something in the announcer's tone made him look up.
His heart froze as he saw the headline flashing across the screen: "Glory Will Be Back!"
At first, he wasn't sure what the news was talking about. Glory had never left—players were still actively engaged in the game. But as his gaze sharpened on the screen, his pulse quickened when he saw a familiar figure standing confidently at the podium, addressing a room full of reporters.
Huang Shaotian.
Ye Xiu's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't seen that face in years, not since their paths diverged after he had left his team. Yet, here he was, Huang Shaotian, standing in front of the cameras, his presence commanding and far different from the person Ye Xiu once knew.
Dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, Shaotian looked completely out of place from the carefree, talkative swordsman Ye Xiu remembered. The once-friendly, chaotic energy that had been Shaotian's signature seemed to have been replaced with a cool, calculating aura that was unfamiliar—and unsettling. The man on the screen radiated confidence, but there was an edge to it now, a sharpness Ye Xiu had never associated with his old friend.
Ye Xiu took a step closer to the TV, his brow furrowing as he studied Shaotian's expression. The mischievous grin he remembered from their younger days was gone, replaced with something more… polished. Professional. And if Ye Xiu wasn't mistaken, even a little bit cunning.
"Glory is entering a new era," Shaotian's voice boomed through the speakers, clear and authoritative. "Under my leadership, we'll be bringing innovative changes to the game, ensuring that its legacy will continue for generations to come."
Ye Xiu's eyes widened. Under my leadership? What was he talking about?
The camera zoomed out, revealing a large banner behind Shaotian that read: "Huang Shaotian, New Owner of Glory."
Ye Xiu's mind reeled. Huang Shaotian… the new owner of Glory?
His thoughts spiralled as the implications set in. The man who had once been his rival but a great friend, the boy he had trusted on and off the battlefield, had somehow risen to a position of such power that he now controlled the very game they had spent their youth mastering.
Ye Xiu couldn't wrap his mind around it. How had Shaotian, who had left the professional scene not long after Ye Xiu, managed to make such a monumental leap? And why now? Why, after all these years, had he resurfaced with this massive announcement?
The TV screen switched to a montage of Shaotian at various public events, all of them recent, showing him rubbing shoulders with high-profile figures in the gaming industry. He was a rising star, it seemed—someone who had seamlessly transitioned from player to a powerful force behind the scenes.
Ye Xiu's grip on the remote tightened as a swirl of emotions coursed through him. Shock, confusion, even a pang of betrayal. How had everything changed so drastically without him knowing? Why hadn't Shaotian reached out to him, especially now that he was back in such a prominent role in Glory?
The once-familiar warmth and camaraderie he had felt with Shaotian now seemed distant, overshadowed by this new, unfamiliar version of his old friend. And the more Ye Xiu thought about it, the more uneasy he became. There was something about Shaotian's demeanour that didn't sit right with him. The playful energy that had made him such a formidable, unpredictable teammate had been replaced by a cold, calculating vibe.
Ye Xiu turned the TV off, his reflection staring back at him from the now-dark screen. He wasn't sure what to make of it yet, but one thing was certain—this changed everything. Shaotian wasn't just a player anymore. He was the one in control, and if there was something deeper going on with Glory, he was right at the centre of it.
And now, Ye Xiu knew he had no choice but to get involved. Whether it was the glitches, the mysterious happenings in the game, or the new face Shaotian was showing the world, Ye Xiu couldn't just stand by and watch. He had to find out the truth.
As he stood in his small dorm, the memories of his past with Shaotian and the team playing like a broken record in his mind, Ye Xiu knew that whatever was coming next, it wouldn't be easy. The game, the team, the friendships—they were all different now.
And Ye Xiu was about to face them once again.