The cheers of the crowd echoed long after Tang Rou and her team left the stage. Even as they returned to the quiet of the backstage area, the electric energy of the quarterfinal victory still hung in the air. But for Tang Rou, it was more than just the thrill of another win. It was the realization that a piece of her past had come back to confront her on the world's biggest stage.
Shade. She hadn't thought of him in years, not since that small tournament where he had handed her one of her toughest defeats. But now he was back, not as a ghost of her past but as the leader of one of the most dangerous teams in the world. The thought unsettled her.
After they reached the locker room, the team members took their seats, some visibly exhausted but buzzing from the intensity of the match. Tang Rou sat down quietly, her mind still processing everything that had just happened.
Ye Xiu leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, surveying the room. "We did well," he said, his tone level but filled with a quiet satisfaction. "Starlight was tough, but we stayed sharp. That's exactly the kind of focus we'll need going forward."
Zhang Jiale stretched his arms, letting out a sigh of relief. "That Shade guy was something else. He plays like he's got the whole map in his head."
Bao Rongxing nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, it felt like he was everywhere at once. But Tang Rou really stepped up in the end."
All eyes turned to Tang Rou, and she could feel the weight of their attention. She forced a smile, but her thoughts were still swirling with memories of Shade and the realization that their rivalry had been reignited on this massive stage.
Ye Xiu noticed her unease and gave her a small nod. "You handled it well, Tang Rou. Shade's been a ghost in the community for a while, but now that he's resurfaced, it's clear he's been training hard. You adapted quickly and pushed him out of his comfort zone. That's exactly what we needed to do."
Tang Rou's fingers drummed lightly on the edge of the bench. "I wasn't sure at first," she admitted, her voice quiet. "It wasn't until halfway through the match that I realized who he was. It threw me off, but I couldn't let it distract me. I had to focus on the game."
Su Mucheng, who had been sitting beside Tang Rou, leaned in, her voice gentle but supportive. "And you did exactly that. We all saw it. Once you recognized him, you used that knowledge to your advantage. That's what separates good players from the best."
Tang Rou nodded, appreciating the words, but there was still a knot of tension in her chest. The win against Starlight had been a pivotal moment for their team, but the reality of facing Shade again, after so long, had stirred something deeper within her—a sense of unfinished business.
Before she could dwell on it further, Ye Xiu spoke up again, bringing the focus back to the team. "We'll have a day off before the semifinals, so take tonight to rest. But don't get complacent. Our next opponent is just as dangerous, and the closer we get to the finals, the less margin for error there is."
Everyone nodded in agreement, but the fatigue from the day's matches was already setting in. As the team disbanded for the evening, Tang Rou stayed behind for a moment, staring at the locker room floor, lost in thought.
Ye Xiu approached her, his footsteps light as always. "Something on your mind?"
Tang Rou sighed softly, leaning back against the bench. "It's just… facing him again. I didn't expect it to affect me like this. I've grown so much as a player since we last fought, but the moment I realized it was him, I felt like I was back in that small tournament all over again."
Ye Xiu studied her for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "That's understandable. Facing someone from your past can bring up a lot of emotions. But you're not the same player you were back then, and neither is he. You've both grown, but this time, you came out on top."
Tang Rou nodded, though the weight of the encounter still lingered. "Do you think we'll face him again?"
Ye Xiu's lips curled into a small smile. "Shade? Definitely. He's not the type to walk away after a loss. I wouldn't be surprised if Starlight makes a comeback in the next tournament. Players like him don't just disappear after one defeat."
The thought both thrilled and unsettled Tang Rou. A part of her wanted to face Shade again, to prove once and for all that she had surpassed him. But another part of her knew that their rivalry wouldn't be easily resolved. Shade was a tactician, always learning, always adapting. He wouldn't make the same mistakes twice.
"I'll be ready for him," Tang Rou said quietly, more to herself than to Ye Xiu.
Ye Xiu nodded, his expression calm. "I know you will."
That night, the team returned to the hotel, each player retreating to their rooms for some much-needed rest. But as Tang Rou lay in bed, her thoughts refused to quiet down. The adrenaline from the day's matches had worn off, but the emotional weight of her encounter with Shade remained heavy on her chest.
Sleep didn't come easily. Every time she closed her eyes, her mind replayed the match—every move, every counter, every moment when Shade had tried to gain the upper hand. It was as if her subconscious wouldn't let her forget the intensity of the battle.
Finally, after what felt like hours of tossing and turning, Tang Rou gave up on sleep and sat up in bed. She grabbed her laptop from the nightstand and opened it, logging into the Glory client. If her mind wouldn't rest, then maybe some solo practice would help her clear her thoughts.
As she entered the game's familiar interface, the soft glow of the screen illuminating her face, Tang Rou felt a strange sense of comfort. Glory had always been her escape, the place where she could lose herself in the flow of battle. No matter how chaotic the real world became, the game was a constant, a place where skill and strategy reigned supreme.
She opened a private training lobby and began running drills with her character. Her hands moved automatically, her fingers tapping out a rhythm that had become second nature over years of practice. But as she fought against AI opponents, her mind kept drifting back to Shade.
The way he moved, the way he predicted her actions—it had all felt so personal, like he wasn't just trying to win, but trying to prove something to her. What was his motivation? Why had he stayed in the shadows for so long, only to reappear at the World Invitational, leading a dark horse team like Starlight?
And why, of all the players in the world, did he focus so much on her?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft ping of a message notification. Tang Rou glanced at the screen, surprised to see an unfamiliar username pop up in her chat window. The message was simple, but it made her heart race.
"You played well today. But this isn't over."
She stared at the message, her mind reeling. There was no doubt in her mind who it was from.
Shade.
For a moment, she considered not replying, letting the message hang there like a challenge left unanswered. But that wasn't who she was. She wasn't the type to back down, not from a fight, and certainly not from someone like Shade.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before she typed her response.
"I'll be ready when you come back."
There was a long pause, and for a moment, Tang Rou wondered if Shade had left. But then another message appeared.
"You'd better be. Next time, I won't hold back."
With that, the chat window closed, and the small indicator next to Shade's username went dark.
Tang Rou sat there for a while, staring at the screen, her thoughts racing. The encounter with Shade, both in-game and now through the message, had lit a fire inside her. She knew their rivalry was far from over. If anything, this was just the beginning.
She closed her laptop, the tension in her chest giving way to a renewed sense of determination. Shade had challenged her, and she intended to meet that challenge head-on.
For now, though, the semifinals were the priority. There were still more battles to fight, more teams to defeat. But as she lay back down, her mind finally settling, one thought remained clear.
Shade wouldn't be the last rival to challenge her. But he had reignited something in her—a drive to prove that she was one of the best. And she wasn't going to stop until she stood at the very top.
The next morning, Tang Rou felt refreshed, her earlier doubts replaced by a sense of purpose. She joined her team in the hotel lobby, ready for another day of preparation. The semifinals were fast approaching, and there was no time to waste.
As she sat down with Ye Xiu, Su Mucheng, and the others to discuss their strategy, she couldn't help but glance at her phone, where the message from Shade still lingered in her thoughts. But this time, it wasn't a distraction. It was a reminder.
A reminder that the road to the top was paved with rivals—and she was ready for whatever came next.
This chapter delves into Tang Rou's inner turmoil as she processes her unexpected encounter with Shade, a rival from her past. The tension builds as she faces both her personal