notes: based off events of chapter 5 of the prequel

"Watch my sword – fuck!" Huang Shaotian yelled as DEFEAT flashed across his computer screen once again.

"Hahaha, kid, you're still too green!" Wei Chen let out a hearty laugh as he lit a cigarette. But in his heart, he was nowhere near as confident as his laugh suggested.

Just now, at the very end, Troubling Rain's light saber had pointed at Swoksaar's chest, and light had flashed across his screen as the death strike approached. At that moment, Wei Chen had seen the approaching threat, and he had wanted to counter it. But although his brain recognized the danger, he wasn't fast enough to do anything – his reaction and control couldn't catch up. All he could do was watch.

In that instant of helplessness, Wei Chen knew despair.

He had won the match in the end, yes, but that was only because Huang Shaotian had made an error. He had seen the opportunity, but his grasp of the timing and his accuracy had been slightly off. The light from his sword had flashed by harmlessly, and Wei Chen, recovering from the false alarm, quickly struck back with a finishing spell.

Wei Chen continued to laugh loudly, and hoped it masked the sound of his pounding heart.

A hand fell upon Wei Chen's shoulder, and he looked up to see Fang Shijing's face, full of barely concealed excitement. Wei Chen understood the look in his friend's eyes; he was saying, "Did you see it? That strike!"

Not only had Wei Chen seen it, he had felt it. That one blade strike had perfectly demonstrated Huang Shaotian's talent and specialty. One day, it would dazzle on the Glory pro stage.

Wei Chen's thoughts returned to himself. He truly had no more hope of competing with those currently at the summit of Glory…

"Don't be too happy, I should've won that match! Again!" Huang Shaotian yelled. This was his third loss in a row, but this time, he had come closest to victory. Evidently, he too had realized – if his blade had been just a little faster, if he had been just a little more accurate, than the one who had fallen would have been the old man sitting across from him.

Wei Chen brushed him off; one close call had been enough. "Again? Heh, I don't have all day to waste on you. I still need to evaluate all the others."

The reserve players were all very excited for this opportunity. Unlike Huang Shaotian, they all treated Captain Wei very respectfully. To them, he and his account Swoksaar were gods, and it wasn't every day that these players got to challenge a god.

The youths bickered with each other to be next in line, and Huang Shaotian fell to the side. It was only fair, though; he, as the acknowledged future ace of Blue Rain, already got many more chances to battle Wei Chen than the others did.

Huang Shaotian moved to stand beside Wei Chen, on the opposite side of Fang Shijing. Apparently, he planned to spectate the matches from Wei Chen's point of view. Wei Chen glanced at the boy, but at the moment, Huang Shaotian wasn't looking at the screen. No, he was looking off to the side, at one of the reserve players, the only one who hadn't scrambled for the chance to fight their captain.

There was a strange expression on Huang Shaotian's face, but Wei Chen didn't have time to dwell on it, as his next challenger finally sat at the computer across from him. This arrangement wasn't strictly necessary – they could have simply had each player battle from their own computer – but Wei Chen said that this positioning added to the atmosphere. Spectators could crowd around and watch on the players' screens, instead of just watching separately from their computers.

And so, with a cigarette at his lips, laughing all the while, Wei Chen played his way through the reserve players. Some got one round, others two. But even though he wasn't using Swoksaar today – that would just be too unfair to them – he still won every single match with ease, leaving awestruck youths in his wake.

Wei Chen wasn't doing this to build his self-esteem, nor was he purposely trying to impress the youths. He only wanted to cleanly, clearly experience the raw passion of his dear team, for he sensed that he wouldn't have the chance to experience it for much longer.

Wei Chen lifted his head to see the last reserve team member sit before him.

This last youth was also last in the rankings of the training camp, the one deemed to have no future. But no matter how lowly, he was still a member of Team Blue Rain, and Wei Chen had no reason to refuse him a match.

With these thoughts in mind, Wei Chen clicked for the battle to begin.

"Warlock?" Yu Wenzhou heard the captain mutter, a faint exclamation of surprise.

Yu Wenzhou hadn't always used Warlock, no, but he'd been training with this class for the past several weeks, as he'd decided that it was best suited for the type of player he wanted to be.

So Captain Wei really hadn't noticed him, all this time…

But Yu Wenzhou put that aside. It didn't matter; battle was at hand.

He knew, after watching so many battles, that the captain liked to strike first, without hesitation. Indeed, as soon as the two characters appeared near the center of the map, an attack came flying at Yu Wenzhou's Warlock.

Quickly, he ducked behind a nearby giant boulder. With this cover, Yu Wenzhou readied a spell, and counted in his head. Judging by the other Warlock's movement speed, he should be coming around the boulder right… now!

In the instant that the captain's Warlock moved into sight, Yu Wenzhou cast a Hexagram Prison. With no time to react, the opponent was instantly trapped inside.

A Warlock's specialty was control, and a good Warlock had to be able to make accurate and precise calculations. It was said that once a Warlock gained control of his target, that was the end.

Could Yu Wenzhou pull this off? Could he follow through?

In the following moments, nothing existed for him outside of Glory. He became hyperaware of every action he was taking, every skill he cast. Using a precise rhythm of attack and control to compensate for his slow handspeed, he maintained his advantage until the end.

When GLORY flashed across his screen, Yu Wenzhou breathed again.

Against all belief, he had actually won.

Around him, he gradually became aware of the muttering of the spectators. None of them had been watching from his screen; they were either crowded around the captain or sitting at their own computers.

"Did that just happen?"

"Not even Huang Shaotian-"

"The captain must have been too tired."

Yu Wenzhou looked down. There was a point there – the captain hadn't expended much effort in conducting all the evaluations, but still, even if the battles were easy, the fatigue would accumulate. Maybe that was the only reason he had managed to do this.

Yu Wenzhou made to stand up, but was stopped by the captain's gruff voice.

"Not bad. Another round."

He looked up. The computer screens between them blocked his view of Captain Wei's face, but he could see the captain's hands, one of which now extinguished the cigarette it was holding.

And he could see those standing around the captain. Senior Fang, a hand on the captain's shoulder, his excited eyes a sharp contrast to the dubious expressions of those around him, looking like he had just discovered a gold mine. Huang Shaotian, still staring at him intensely, but this time with a stupidly wide grin on his face, as though saying I knew it.

Yu Wenzhou hesitated. It wasn't hard to guess what the captain was feeling, being bested by the deadlast of the reserves. If he lost in this next round, then Captain Wei would regain face, and everyone would dismiss Yu Wenzhou's sole victory as a fluke.

But if he did win, for the second time in a row…

Seize the opportunity.

"Okay," said Yu Wenzhou, and they began round two.

Huang Shaotian knew that Yu Wenzhou could be good. He had fucking called it.

For sure, he had still been surprised by how efficiently the other player had won. The battle had basically been decided right at the start – Huang Shaotian had guessed he was good, but not that good. Even so, listening to the disbelieving comments of those around him, Huang Shaotian wanted to laugh in glee, never mind that he had once thought the same about this player.

And yeah, maybe he was a tiny bit jealous of Yu Wenzhou for doing what he couldn't. But still – what a reversal! What excitement!

On Wei Chen's screen, he watched the second match unfold. Same characters, same map, same starting positions. Old Wei fired an attack, and Yu Wenzhou again dodged behind that same boulder.

Huang Shaotian frowned. What was even the point of doing another round if it was exactly the same?

He saw Fang Shijing quietly walk over to stand behind Yu Wenzhou and watch the match from his viewpoint. Fang Shijing, as another old player, was probably the one person in Blue Rain that understood Old Wei the best. Huang Shaotian wished he could hear his thoughts on this match.

It looked like Old Wei was using the same method of approach as before. Maybe to understand better what had happened in the first round, or maybe just because he was frustrated, Huang Shaotian had no idea.

But Old Wei must know what Yu Wenzhou was planning to do, and there was no way he was stupid enough to get hit in the same way as last time. Old Wei was Old Wei, but he was also a competent proplayer. So what would he do different now? And more importantly, how would Yu Wenzhou adjust?

Wei Chen's Warlock rounded the boulder, and the other Warlock came into sight. But there was a difference in his approach this time – the timing and the angle were altered just enough to allow him to avoid Yu Wenzhou's attack from last time. And so, Wei Chen's Warlock cleanly dodged the Hexagram Prison.

The… nonexistent Hexagram Prison?

Light flashed, and from the sky fell Chaotic Rain. Under his breath, Huang Shaotian swore.

The movements of Wei Chen's Warlock became jumpy, irregular. No experience or talent could control a character under the confusion effect of Chaotic Rain. Yu Wenzhou's Warlock, neither too quickly nor too slowly, began casting spells. Attack and control alternated in perfect rhythm, and Wei Chen's Warlock fell to the ground.

This time, the room was silent.

The first loss, that could be called a fluke. But to lose a second time? To confidently re-enact the events of before, this time with preparation, and still lose?

Many of the spectators, even those who had been sitting at their own places, now drifted to watch from Yu Wenzhou's computer. They didn't know if there would be a third round, but they all wanted to know how Yu Wenzhou did it.

Huang Shaotian stayed where he was, and observed Yu Wenzhou's expression – calm as ever, of course. Unbelievable. This guy was doing something impossible, and he looked exactly the same as he always did. If it were Huang Shaotian in his place, he'd be loudly cheering and gloating long before now.

The others were all sneaking glances at Old Wei, but the only one blatantly staring was Fang Shijing. Was that… ridicule in his gaze? Huang Shaotian glanced down at the old man, but his expression was inscrutable.

Well, Huang Shaotian was inclined to agree with Fang Shijing's sentiment. Old Wei had massively underestimated Yu Wenzhou here, to think that such a small adjustment would be enough to counter him. Old Wei had looked a mere one step ahead; the other player had planned far beyond that.

Yu Wenzhou might have great weaknesses, but throughout his entire time at Blue Rain, he had fiercely dedicated himself to study and improvement. Huang Shaotian had seen that. For the others, this was a rude awakening.

Old Wei's defeat just now, if Huang Shaotian was being honest, was deserved.

"You played very good," said Wei Chen – higher praise than last time. "One more. This time, I won't go easy on you!"

"Okay," again was Yu Wenzhou's simple reply, and round three began.

Fang Shijing could tell that his friend's joking and jovial attitude had finally been replaced with focus. It was about time, too; hadn't they just discussed how important this mindset was for a pro?

Encounter, clash, dodge, retreat… The two Warlocks began an intricate dance, and Wei Chen took the initiative, maintaining a clear advantage in suppressing Yu Wenzhou.

Wei Chen wasn't captain and controller of a god-account for nothing. The spectators were murmuring again, in appreciation of the captain's skill.

But Yu Wenzhou wasn't weak either! Fang Shijing, more so than any of the other spectators, saw this clearly. The youth was performing admirably in enduring the attacks and conserving his health. This face-to-face confrontation truly allowed Yu Wenzhou's ability to shine through.

His handspeed was still terrible; that hadn't changed. But his playstyle didn't rely on his handspeed; instead, he relied upon his grasp of the map's characteristics, his predictions of the capabilities of Wei Chen's Warlock, and his own understanding of the Warlock class as a whole.

Yu Wenzhou was the very last reserve player to challenge Wei Chen. In order to try and be fair to everyone, Wei Chen hadn't changed map or account between evaluations. And so Yu Wenzhou could analyze them beforehand, and use this knowledge to his advantage.

He didn't have the handspeed, but he used well the strengths he did have. He had stood by the wayside and waited for his opportunity. Because of all this, he was able to last much longer than Fang Shijing anticipated.

If this hadn't been the third round between these two, Fang Shijing might have, at this point, quietly encouraged Wei Chen to throw the match, to let this youth feel that his efforts weren't in vain, to give him some hope and confidence.

But Wei Chen had already lost twice in a row. If he lost again, would he have any pride left?

Fang Shijing sighed to himself; he couldn't bear to see his friend lose face to that extent. Still, he hoped that this youth wouldn't become too frustrated by a defeat. These matches had shown that Yu Wenzhou had potential, much more than they had perceived. With the proper help, who knew what he could become?

Hua! Onscreen, purple light flashed. Wei Chen's Warlock once again seized a chance to attack ferociously, and this time, his opponent was well and thoroughly cornered. Nowhere to retreat, nowhere to hide.

It's over, Fang Shijing thought, with another quiet sigh. Yet Yu Wenzhou hadn't given up. Though trapped and suffering attack, his Warlock continued to struggle, and he even managed to cast a skill – Decaying Curse, which decreased the target's attack power. Was he trying to buy time?

What an admirable spirit! Fang Shijing really didn't want to see his friend lose, but at the same time, he internally cheered for the hard-working and steadfast underdog. He was almost tempted to just pull the power on the computer cables, forcibly end the match in a draw.

And then, in the midst of launching a stream of attacks, Wei Chen's Warlock suddenly stopped.

Around him rose the light of a Hexagram Prison.

What-?!

Locked in place by the skill, Wei Chen's Warlock was rendered helpless as Yu Wenzhou began casting. Because his health was dangerously low, he cast several protection spells upon himself as precaution. But his perfect rhythm was the same as before, and his low health didn't affect his control of the situation.

And under everyone's shocked eyes, Wei Chen's Warlock fell for the third time.

What… had happened? Fang Shijing mentally replayed those final, pivotal moments of battle. He thought of Wei Chen, firmly on the offensive, and then…

Decaying Curse!

It was all because of that Decaying Curse! That skill had lengthened the battle, but more importantly, had disrupted Wei Chen's attack rhythm. Wei Chen had maintained this rhythm for almost the entirety of the battle; he had gotten used to it, fallen into a regular pattern. So when his attack power had lowered, he had forgotten to compensate. He had reached for a skill, only to find that it was unexpectedly still in cooldown – and in that instant, his opponent struck.

So that was to say, all this time, Yu Wenzhou's actions in the battle had been intentional. It hadn't been helpless struggle or baseless hope. He had guided the battle's progression, had lulled Wei Chen into a stable rhythm and a false sense of security. And then, right when the opponent had been on the verge of winning, he had used a single skill to completely reverse the situation and seize victory for himself.

Diligence, persistence? Those weren't Yu Wenzhou's most fearsome qualities. It was his brain, his planning, his calculations. Who would have thought that this youth, who had been completely overlooked, was in fact this incredible?

Wei Chen, did you see it?

Fang Shijing looked at his friend, but couldn't tell if he was pleased or angry. After appearing to space out for a moment, Wei Chen eventually let out a long sigh and stood up, studying Yu Wenzhou intently.

"Thank you, Senior, for your guidance," said Yu Wenzhou respectfully as he also rose to his feet.

To defeat Wei Chen three times in a row… Even in the entire Glory professional sphere, the number of players who could pull that off was very small. Wei Chen's condition might have been declining, but he was still a god-level player.

And Yu Wenzhou, a mere reserve player with a pathetic handspeed, had done it. But he wasn't excited, let alone arrogant; he was just as calm as he was when facing the mocking shouts of others taunting his slow hands.

This, thought Fang Shijing, was the spirit of a true proplayer.

Wei Chen nodded. He fished around in his pocket, but in the end only withdrew an empty box of cigarettes. With a face of regret, he tossed it aside.

"Continue working hard!" he said, not just to Yu Wenzhou, but to everyone gathered.

"Yes!" the reserve players answered.

"I'm going to buy some cigarettes." With that, Wei Chen turned and left the room, and Fang Shijing hurried into the hallway after him.

Wei Chen heard the rushed footsteps behind him, and without turning his head knew that it was his old friend.

"It's time," he said, just as the figure reached his side.

"What?" said Fang Shijing, startled.

"I never imagined that this Yu Wenzhou was also so powerful," said Wei Chen, continuing to walk down the hallway. He had underestimated his opponent – and, perhaps, overestimated himself. He had hoped he could push through one more year in the Alliance, but after today…

"No one imagined," Fang Shijing rushed to say. His ever-faithful friend, still trying to reassure him. Wei Chen smiled helplessly.

"We realized it too late. We didn't help them the best we could." Them, not him. He was no longer speaking of just Yu Wenzhou.

"They have a bright future ahead of them." Fang Shijing knew to whom Wei Chen was referring, and spoke with confidence.

"Undoubtedly. But they still need time, and you will have to help them."

"Well, of course," Fang Shijing replied automatically. But after those words left his mouth, he seemed to suddenly realize the second meaning behind Wei Chen's statement. You will have to help them…

"Wait, what do you mean by that?!" he immediately demanded, coming to a stop in the middle of the hallway.

"There was never a place for me in this dual-core era…" Wei Chen sighed and turned his head. In the training room at the end of the long hallway, he could see that Yu Wenzhou had been surrounded by the other trainees, including that talkative Huang Shaotian. They were all jostling for a chance to fight him in a match, to see his unexpected prowess in action once more. To varying extents, all of these trainees had looked down upon Yu Wenzhou during their time at Blue Rain, but he seemed not to resent them for this abrupt change in attitude.

"He is the best choice for captain," said Wei Chen, turning to face Fang Shijing fully. "Swoksaar should go to him as well!"

He had only just begun to understand Yu Wenzhou through the three matches they had fought, yet those three matches had shown him enough. Wei Chen knew he had thoroughly lost to this youth, not only in battle, but in professional spirit as well.

"But, in the meantime, I'll still have to count on you," he added.

"What do you mean?" Alarmed, Fang Shijing grabbed Wei Chen's wrist. "In the meantime of what? Where are you going?"

"Me? I'm going to buy some cigarettes! What, do you want to come with? It's not like you smoke." He shook off Fang Shijing's hand and, with a casual wave and hardly a glance back, headed down the stairwell.

As he descended, his head swirled with thoughts, rationalizing, analyzing, excusing. But in his heart, one feeling rose above all the others.

He was no longer needed by Team Blue Rain.

Fang Shijing didn't follow Wei Chen. He knew that he was making a difficult decision, and didn't want to be bothered during this time. He, Fang Shijing thought sadly, was always the type of person to bear his struggles alone, instead of sharing them with others.

Fang Shijing looked back at the end of the hallway, at the training room, at the two youths in the midst of a crowd.

This was what Wei Chen had entrusted to him. Blue Rain's future, Blue Rain's dual-core.

The Sword, and the Curse.