Little Brian secretly glanced over there. The blue-haired troll was wearing a cold expression, lips pressed together. Although he wasn’t physically imposing, he still looked hard to mess with.

Little Brian pulled his head back. “I—I’ll hold back for now. There are so many people watching, it’s not a good time to make a move.”

Pine: “Coward.”

In the end, it was the peace ambassadors from both sides who broke the deadlock.

David Parker bent down and waved at Evan Clark across the two people in the middle. “Evan Clark? You’re here too?”

Evan Clark quickly nodded with a smile. “Yeah, what a coincidence, Mr. Parker. You guys came to watch the match too?”

“It’s close to the base anyway, so we just dropped by.” David Parker looked at the person next to him. “You’re Soft, right? We’ve played together in-game.”

Ryan Cooper turned his head slightly and gave a soft “Mm.”

He was wearing a hat, the brim shading his face, so he couldn’t see the person next to him.

David Parker said, “It’s been a while since we played together. Let’s queue up for a few games next time.”

Ryan Cooper was recalling his earlier conversation with Evan Clark, and blurted out, “Didn’t we just play a couple days ago?”

David Parker was taken aback, then explained, “Ah, that day…”

“That was me playing that game.” The person in the middle suddenly spoke up.

The man’s voice was soft. Ryan Cooper seemed frozen in place, still bent slightly as if to chat with David Parker.

He felt a gaze sweep down from above, landing directly on his hat.

Ryan Cooper started to recall what he did that day.

He seemed to have played a game as Syndra.

Asked “David Parker” if he was imitating Road.

Even pressed further, asking if the one who sent gifts that day was actually Road.

“……”

Brian Carter looked at his hat and said, “My hands weren’t in good shape that day. I didn’t drag you down, did I?”

Ryan Cooper could no longer hear the commentators. He closed his eyes briefly, then braced himself and slowly looked up, meeting Brian Carter’s gaze.

The arena lights reflected in Brian Carter’s eyes, like a lake.

Ryan Cooper struggled out of that lake, his heart beating faster than the drumbeats in the background music.

“Oh.” He licked his lips with a blank face and shook his head. “No.”

Author’s note:

Thanks for waiting.

Red envelopes as usual~

Thank you to the little angels who gave me overlord tickets or watered the nutrient solution between 2020-07-03 22:34:17 and 2020-07-04 23:57:21~

Thanks to the little angels who sent rocket launchers: 枫留儿, Soft’s real dad (2 times);

Thanks to the little angels who sent grenades: 瓜田里的希望工程, 关耳怪, 执素, Sukin, 鞋子我是来看小说的 (1 each);

Chapter 8

After the commentators finished discussing the usual heroes and lineups for both teams, the topic inexplicably circled back.

“This match is definitely going to be exciting, but honestly, I still feel a bit regretful,” Commentator A said. “Everyone would probably prefer to see two LPL teams fighting for the championship on their home turf.”

Commentator B nodded. “Yeah, it’s a real shame about Tank. But they really gave it their all—after all, they made it to the BO5. I believe they’ll get back in form and come back stronger next year.”

While the commentators were saying this, Brian Carter was still looking down at Ryan Cooper, as if their words had nothing to do with him.

Hearing Ryan Cooper’s answer, Brian Carter gave a soft “Mm,” sat up straight again, and casually took off both his mask and hat. Since the cameras had already caught him, there was no need to hide anymore.

Ryan Cooper stared at his chin for a few seconds, only snapping back to reality when Brian Carter turned to talk to David Parker. He quickly turned around and sat up straight.

Even though the surrounding noise was loud, if you listened carefully, you could still hear what the people next to you were talking about.

David Parker and the others were discussing going out for skewers after the match, trying to decide on a place for dinner.

Brian Carter just listened, occasionally saying “whatever” or “mm.”

His voice wasn’t loud, and it sounded about the same as it did in match interviews, a bit deeper than what Ryan Cooper remembered from a few years ago.

Evan Clark called his name, but got no response, so he nudged him with his elbow: “Ryan Cooper?”

Ryan Cooper snapped back to attention. “Huh?”

“It’s starting.”

The stage lights were in full effect, and at some point both teams had already taken the stage. The host was introducing each player to the audience.

PUD is another powerhouse team in the LPL. Even before TTC’s rise, they were already hugely popular. Last year, they brought in two strong Korean imports, making them the second most popular team after TTC.

The ten players took their seats, and the atmosphere in the arena instantly became tense. Once the Ban (ban phase) and Pick (pick phase) started, the whole venue was flooded with chants of “PUD.”

After the lineups were set, Evan Clark asked, “Who do you think will win?”

Ryan Cooper said, “No idea.”

“Come on, give me an analysis. PUD’s jungler picked Jarvan. His Jarvan has a really high win rate—he’s only lost once this season,” Evan Clark paused, “Of course, I know he’s not as good as Road…”