ATIBTF Chapter 83

Ji Xiuyan was completely at a loss.

Lu Huai was so close that he could almost feel his heartbeat being noticed by the other person.

“Uh, um… what, no, I…” Boss Ji was in chaos, completely unsure of what to say.

After teasing him, Lu Huai chuckled lightly, sat by the bed, and started putting on his clothes. “You drank too much last night and threw up everywhere. I wiped you down a bit. I was too tired, so I slept here.”

Wiped down?

Ji Xiuyan’s mind exploded.

Not only had he been seen, but touched too? This was bad, so bad! Just imagining the scene made him want to bleed from his nose.

However, no matter how chaotic his thoughts were, on the surface, Boss Ji still maintained his usual composed CEO demeanor.

“Uh, ahem, well, thanks for the trouble.” He didn’t dare look Lu Huai in the eye, turning his head to fake a cough, but his reddened ears and flushed cheeks gave him away.

Lu Huai found him adorable. His shirt still half undone, he turned his head slightly, with the light behind him outlining his perfect silhouette.

“So, Xiao Yan, since you’ve been seen and touched, don’t you want to consider dating me?”

Wh-what!?

Ji Xiuyan’s eyes widened.

“Uh… huh?”

———-

While Boss Ji and Captain Lu’s relationship progressed rapidly, the WOC division was struggling in the R-country qualifier.

PH was indeed a world-class team. Unlike their previous opponents, the members of JW had to give it their all, even performing beyond their usual level.

After four intense matches, the score was tied at 2:2.

Following a short break, the final match to determine the R-country qualifier champion was about to begin.

“Man, this is the closest I’ve ever been to a world championship! Sure, it’s not the world finals, but if we win this, I could brag about it for the rest of my life!” Hao Qianyi said while stretching his wrist. “We can’t let down our folks back home!”

“Sugar God, how’s the pressure from facing off against DNA?” Yu Hao, however, wasn’t too focused on the result, paying more attention to the process of the upcoming match.

After all, he didn’t want to regret anything after the game. It was essential to communicate properly before the match began.

“Not bad.” Jiang Min twisted open a bottle of water and took a few gulps.

In the first four matches, Jiang Min and DNA were evenly matched in their 1v1 mid-lane battles.

However, PH’s strategy centered around DNA, which put quite a bit of pressure on Jiang Min.

Fortunately, Wei Yabo had been performing well recently, and the coordination between the two carries allowed JW to take two points from PH.

“Guys, play your best. If we win this fifth match, we’ll earn the qualifier points, and securing a spot in the world championship this year will be certain!” Fan Dadi encouraged the team.

“JW team, please get ready.” A staff member knocked on the door, reminding everyone that it was time to go on stage.

The five players, along with Coach Yan Junying, exchanged glances.

“I have faith in you all. Go for it,” Yan Junying said.

The finals had lasted for nearly four hours, and it was already close to 10 p.m.

The BO5 (Best of 5) format was exhausting, and by this point, both teams were physically and mentally drained.

Once the players took their seats, it signaled the start of the final match in the R-country qualifier.

Commentators from different countries, who had been passionately narrating the matches, were also feeling the strain.

The three “golden trio” commentators from WPL (World Pro League) took a brief break and jumped back into their work.

“The match between JW and PH has reached the final game,” Uncle Yuan began.

“Yes, many people probably didn’t expect JW to push PH this far,” Lack added. “To be honest, PH has always seemed like an insurmountable mountain. In the past, even top domestic teams like AFK and OVO have never beaten this Korean team. But today, JW has given us hope for victory.”

“Indeed. Although we shouldn’t be biased, as WPL commentators, I have to say—Go JW!” Ruby seemed completely immersed in the excitement of the match.

Cheering for a home-region team wasn’t inappropriate or against regulations.

“Go JW!” The other two male commentators also cheered the team on.

“Alright, the match has started. JW’s head coach, Chaos, begins the BP (Ban/Pick) phase,” Uncle Yuan announced. “I have to say, Chaos has performed impressively in this qualifier. Whatever training he did with JW before the match has visibly improved their performance, and his BP choices have been spot on.”

“That’s right. At least JW hasn’t been suppressed by the opponent in the BP phase,” Lack agreed.

“JW has first pick and chooses a Position 5 Light Priest, a very common choice,” Ruby commented, looking at the screen.

Lack: “PH responds with a Position 3 Centaur and a Position 5 Flower Goddess.”

Both teams continued their bans from the previous four games, showing great respect for each other’s mid-laners.

Uncle Yuan: “JW chooses a Position 4 Spellcaster. Honor’s performance as a Spellcaster has been outstanding in recent matches.”

Lack: “Yes, when a team has more than one standout player, it complicates the ban phase for the opposing team. Because PH had to ban some of Tangshen’s champion pool, they didn’t have enough bans left, allowing Honor’s Spellcaster to slip through.”

Ruby: “PH follows up with a Position 4 controller, Fara, while JW chooses a Position 3 Stone Golem—a strong initiator. We can look forward to another heroic performance from Q.One.”

Uncle Yuan: “PH’s Position 1 is the Tyrannosaurus, a top choice in the current meta. Meanwhile, JW opts for the Meteor Hunter, with long-range attacks that might give them an edge in the early laning phase.”

Both teams had only one pick left, reserved for the mid-lane.

“PH’s Position 2 is the Sea Dragon King Shen! This is a hero that DNA has used multiple times in major tournaments with excellent results. It looks like PH is bringing out their best for this final game,” Lack commented.

“Sugar, are we choosing this?” It was JW’s turn for the last pick, and after all five heroes were selected, they would be swapped to their respective players.

Wei Yafeng’s mouse hovered over the hero’s icon, seeking the mid-laner’s opinion.

“Yes, pick it,” Jiang Min nodded.

“Sugar, don’t worry, just go for it,” Yu Hao encouraged from the side.

Jiang Min took a deep breath to relax himself.

“JW has locked in! Hell Mage!” Uncle Yuan exclaimed in shock.

Sugar God had used the Hell Mage as a mid-laner before, even in WPL matches.

However, Uncle Yuan hadn’t expected him to choose this hero in the final game of the BO5, the crucial match that would decide the championship.

After JW locked in their pick, the live audience erupted.

[“Whoa, Hell Mage? Are you serious?”]

[“Sugar God’s Hell Mage is really strong!”]

[“But no matter how strong, it can’t be stronger than DNA’s Deep Sea Dragon King, right? This BP from JW, I don’t get it.”]

[“It’s over. How can they win with this snake-like hero pick?”]

[“I always thought Sugar God was pretty stable, but why is he taking such a risky pick in this game?”]

The majority of the comments were not optimistic about JW.

In the previous four games, both teams had used standard mid-lane heroes and fought on equal footing. But this time, Sugar God made an unexpected choice, deciding to face off against DNA’s Deep Sea Dragon King with his Hell Mage.

[“It’s over, JW:PH = 2:3”]

[“Oh well, second place isn’t bad. At least they still have the Spring Championship points.”]

No matter how the outside world reacted, both teams remained focused on the match in front of them.

Contrary to the audience’s worries, JW’s lineup wasn’t randomly chosen. They had carefully considered their strategy and were confident in their choice.

On PH’s side, the moment DNA saw that the opponent picked Hell Mage, a sense of familiarity struck him.

This feeling had lingered from the first game until now, and when he saw the Hell Mage, he suddenly realized something.

In the past, when WPL’s AFK team invited them for a scrim, they had eventually won, but DNA was left with a deep impression of AFK’s mid-laner.

In that scrim match, it was also the opponent’s Hell Mage facing off against his Deep Sea Dragon King.

So, the person he faced in that match wasn’t AFK’s current mid-laner, Flow; it was very likely JW’s mid-laner, Position 2, Lollipop, who was now sitting in the room across from him, competing in this final match.

If he had that level of skill, it was no wonder he could fight him to a standstill in the mid-lane.

DNA gripped his mouse tightly.

He was determined to win this championship.

No matter what hero the opponent picked, this game was his to win.

The match began.

With the Hell Mage’s [Mana Burn], the Deep Sea Dragon King didn’t have enough mana to roam to other lanes, which eased the pressure on JW’s side lanes.

PH frequently ganked mid, but JW defended tightly.

After some back and forth, both sides passed the laning phase smoothly.

However, in a small skirmish in the mid-lane, PH outmaneuvered JW, resulting in two casualties for JW.

PH then took the opportunity to go for the freshly spawned epic pit monster.

If they managed to secure it, one of their players would gain an extra life.

Naturally, JW couldn’t let that happen.

The remaining three—Wei Yabo, Yu Hao, and Jiang Min—moved towards the pit.

Wei Yafeng and Hao Qianyi couldn’t afford to buy back yet.

“They’re going for it. Should we engage?” Wei Yabo asked.

With the vision in the pit cleared, Yu Hao could only estimate the monster’s health.

“Fight, we can’t let them have this,” Yu Hao decided.

PH’s five members had also lost some health in the previous skirmish, and fighting the epic monster had drained them further. They weren’t at full health or mana either.

“3, 2, 1, go!”

Jiang Min used his jump boots and initiated with his ultimate [Demonic Whisper], silencing all five enemies and starting the fight.

Yu Hao immediately jumped in and managed to copy the Flower Goddess’s [Flower Shield], placing it on Wei Yabo’s Meteor Hunter, who was charging in from the pit entrance.

The Meteor Hunter activated [Splash Damage], dealing massive damage.

The Hell Mage cast [Mana Shield] on the Meteor Hunter, then followed up with [Earth Spikes], lifting the enemies into the air. All skills were cast in an instant.

Now, it was all up to Wei Yabo.

The Meteor Hunter, who had been quietly farming the entire game, now had two shields and faced a PH team with no major ultimates left from the previous fight. He unleashed his full damage potential.

The Hell Mage was focused and killed instantly, but Yu Hao’s Warlock managed to steal a crucial skill, the Deep Sea Dragon King’s [Sea Surge].

This skill, which JW’s team had dodged earlier, now lifted three PH members into the air when used by Yu Hao.

Seizing the opportunity, the Meteor Hunter used a scatter shot and took down three PH members.

PH was left with two low-health players, while JW also had two members in bad shape.

The Warlock seemed to retreat.

PH’s two players decided to finish off the near-death Warlock.

Just as they reached the pit entrance, the Warlock turned back, jumped into the middle of them, and stomped.

The Centaur’s [Trample] ability—when had the Warlock copied it?

PH’s two players were controlled again, and Wei Yabo didn’t give them another chance, finishing them off in one swift move.

PH was wiped out.

Author’s Note: I’ve been a bit busy lately, so I’ll be updating just once a day for now. Thank you for your understanding.

¹You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you and Enjoy reading! ❤️” -TL: Ysiad

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  You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you and Enjoy reading! ❤️” -TL: Ysiad