Universal Sports Manager
The Staples Center in Los Angeles, where the finals of League of Legends Season 17 are taking place.
Here, the two powerhouse teams from South Korea, T1 and KT, are competing fiercely.
The match unfolded over five intense rounds, with the first four showcasing world-class standards to a global audience. The back-and-forth action was so exhilarating that fans in the arena erupted in cheers, rallying behind their favorite players!
T1 proved its worth as a legendary team, the best in history. In the final game, they demonstrated their resilience. The KT players lacked experience, and ultimately, T1's mid-laner, Faker, played a pivotal role. His Corki dealt an astounding total of 90,000 damage, dismantling KT as a team and earning yet another Finals MVP title.
With this victory, T1 claimed the championship of the World Finals Season 17. Together with their Season 16 win, T1 achieved the remarkable feat of being champions for two consecutive years, boasting an impressive record of eight finals, with six wins and two losses.
A 23-year-old fan was shouting and celebrating this title: "Haha, as long as our dynasty lasts in LoL, no one is more important than Faker!"
Just after those words, Faker took the microphone and began to speak: "First of all, I want to thank Riot Games for giving me this opportunity to address all of you. I also want to express my gratitude to my teammates for yet another title."
For all the LoL fans, these statements hinted at something ominous. Many knew that since 2022, when Faker suffered an injury, they had been anticipating this moment.
Faker continued, "I've been thinking about this for several years. I feel sorry for all the fans, but the time has come to announce my retirement from League of Legends as a player. Since winning my first championship in 2013, I have given my all in competition. I want to thank all my teammates: Benjui, Koma, Impact, Teddy…."
After taking a moment, he added, "I hope everyone continues to support T1 and LoL, even if I'm no longer behind the keyboard. This is Lee Sang-Hyeok signing off," striking his signature thumbs-up pose.
"No, this can't be happening. He's still so young!" thought the previously ecstatic fan.
He rushed to Twitter and started typing: "Today, League of Legends has died; the legend of this sport has retired. The player who turned LoL into what it is today, a winner of one Asian Games medal, one Olympic medal, 12 LCK championships, three MSI titles, and the Golden Road…." He continued posting throughout the night until he eventually went to bed.
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Ding — Ding
"Who set that alarm? I don't have work today!" shouted the young man, now looking a bit different from before.
Opening his eyes, he exclaimed, "Damn, where am I? This isn't my student dorm!" His gaze wandered around the room, taking in the king-sized bed, an expensive-looking painting, a desk with a laptop, and some strange glasses that resembled AI tech.
In that moment, a flood of memories hit him.
"No, no, no! We're in 2012, but in this world, video games have advanced to the point where we're playing against aliens for resources. Holy cow!" He rummaged through his memories for more information.
Indeed, in this world, resources were contested in a virtual landscape filled with various games. Who was in charge? That's an easy answer: aliens had won 35 out of the last 35 universal championships. The reason? There were over 40 planets participating, and none had repeated as champions.
"Crap, my dad is a wealthy American with a fortune close to a billion. Today at noon, we have a family meeting because he wants to open an esports division." After making this realization, the young man jumped out of bed, took a quick shower, and hurried to prepare himself to impress his father and take charge of the new division.
The rest of the morning flew by, and by 11:30, he left his room and headed to the family dining room, taking a seat at the table.
Five minutes later, his father, William Davies, arrived, nodding at him. According to the memories, his father had a rule: greet everyone when he announced a meeting; otherwise, he would speak normally.
Twenty-five minutes later, when all the family members were gathered, William began, "Good afternoon, everyone. I called this meeting to discuss a new department I'll be opening in the company. As you all know, this will focus on Universal Sports, with two specialized sections: Traditional Sports and Esports." Everyone nodded in agreement.
Traditional sports involve physical activities like races, jumps, throws, and scoring, requiring specific athletic skills and abilities. In contrast, esports consist of players controlling virtual characters in digital environments.
"There will be different areas based on various games. If anyone wants to take charge of a specific sport, please raise your hand." After a few seconds, someone did.
"Go ahead, Bruce," William said, directing his attention to him.
"Good afternoon, Dad. I'd like to take charge of an area in esports," Bruce replied. His siblings glanced at him, then turned their eyes back to their father.
"Approved! You'll oversee the League of Legends area," William said, placing one of the six documents on the table. "Sign this, and you'll be responsible for the team's upcoming plans."
Bruce picked up the document and read the contract for the League of Legends team.
William continued, "I purchased a second division team, and the promotion and relegation this coming winter will be your opportunity to move into the first division."
Bruce smiled widely upon hearing "League of Legends" and said, "Thank you so much, Dad!"
As he spoke, he picked up the pen on the table and signed his name in the bottom right corner of the contract.
"Good."
Seeing Bruce sign happily, William nodded and added, "You can make your own decisions regarding all matters related to this team, including personnel changes."
"Ding dong."
Bruce felt an alert on his phone that he had ignored until the end of the meeting.
The eldest sibling raised his hand. "Go ahead, John," William said.
John closed his hands and said, "I'd like to focus on traditional sports."
"Approved! You'll manage a second division basketball team," William replied.
The second eldest raised his hand. "Go ahead, Liam," William encouraged.
Liam placed his hands on the table and said, "I'd like to have another traditional sport, just like John."
"Approved! You'll manage a third division soccer team," William responded.
The third eldest daughter raised her hand. "Go ahead, Emma," said William.
"I'd like to manage a traditional sport."
"Approved! You'll have a tennis team. Lastly, Alan, you'll oversee an esports team, specifically in the new Counter-Strike," William concluded.
Alan nodded, "Understood, Dad."
William placed his hands on the table and said, "You all have your assigned sports. I expect you to focus on these and achieve great things. If any of you fail in your duties, I will promote you out of your positions. The esports teams will be named Gen.G, and the traditional sports teams will be called LA Galaxy."
With that, he stood up and declared, "You can all leave now."
He bid farewell to everyone while remaining seated at the table.
Bruce pulled out his phone, which had just gone off, glanced at it, and saw that the interface at the top had changed.
"Establish an esports team and become the sports director (1/1)"
"Mission complete, system activated."
To be continued