Chapter 1
**Title: I Really Like You [E-sports]** **Author: Wanqiu Chushi** **Tagline:** "You are both my faith and my journey." --- Chapter 1: An Unexpected Encounter Alaric Nightshade was wrapping up a live stream when an unusual fan caught his attention. He was used to the usual comments and virtual gifts pouring in, but this one was different. Daily messages flooded his private inbox, reading: “Streamer, I see mistakes in your gameplay! How about joining our A&S Guild, the Order of the Lion?” “Flawless tactics, champions of the world – it’s a sure thing.” “And our captain… tall, handsome, and perfect.” “Fulfill all your e-sports dreams and secure a glorious future!” Alaric could only blink at the enthusiastic messages, his mind racing. After days of feeling pestered, he reluctantly signed a challenge agreement and temporarily joined the newly formed A&S Guild, the Order of the Lion. On his first day, he was stunned to find a blank-faced young man entering with a suitcase. The entire team gasped. This… this was the same kid who had abruptly retired a year ago—the number one sniper in the country who had taken the league by storm, astonishing everyone with multiple MVPs in his debut tournament. Pluto? The living legend stood right before him! But the real shock came when Alaric laid his eyes on Evelyn Dusk for the first time. The resemblance was uncanny—Evelyn looked just like his missing two years ago, his lost star. Evelyn Dusk had always thought Alaric Nightshade was a cold, aloof captain with no patience, often wearing a lasting icy expression. In the team setting, he was addressed more by his name than as "Captain," which was understandable given how intense competitive players could be. All that changed one night during a team dinner at the Feasting Hall. After a few too many drinks, Alaric became tipsy. Evelyn, feeling a sense of responsibility, assisted him back to his room. Once inside, he was about to leave when he felt a tug at his shirt. Turning around, he found himself captivated by Alaric’s clear, bright eyes, now softened by the haze of inebriation. The once indifferent boy had transformed into someone vulnerable and boyish as he murmured, “Captain…” The softness of Alaric’s voice, laced with a hint of drunken warmth, struck Evelyn deeply. It lingered in his mind long after, and from then on, the way Alaric addressed him became an obsession. It was a classic tale of contrasts: the cold, stubborn leader and the warm, straightforward striker. **Reading Guide:** 1. SC (soft core), with characters who have not loved before. Each will be the other's one and only. 2. [Highlight] The lost star is the antagonist! 3. This synopsis captures moments from April 21, 2020, along with a chat log of inspired ideas—archived. No copying or referencing permitted. **Tags:** Strong Strong, Competitive, Sweet Story, Refreshingly Real **Search Keywords:** Main Characters: Alaric Nightshade (the soft one), Evelyn Dusk (the assertive one) **One-Line Summary:** A very sweet e-sports story. **Theme:** With faith in their hearts, they carry heavy burdens forward.
Chapter 2
Alaric Nightshade stared at the barrage of comments flooding his livestream. “………” Every single message seemed to come from the same person, single-handedly creating an army of enthusiastic viewers. “Hey, streamer! I’ve been watching you for days. Your skills are insane; you’d be perfect for eSports.” “Seriously considering joining our team, the Order of the Lion.” “Our captain just got back from Europe—he's not only talented but also good-looking and super supportive.” “The Order of the Lion’s base is temporarily set up at a lakeside villa. The views are amazing!” “Breaking into the top forty in the world is way too easy for us. That goal isn’t ambitious enough.” “Our aim is the world championship.” “You’re just one decision away from the title. Come join the Order of the Lion!” “You have to dream big to carry the weight of the world, my friend.” Alaric grimaced and blocked the barrage of comments. “………” Dream big, my foot. He was just a streamer, one of those types who broadcast two hours a day to earn a paltry nine hundred bucks a month, minus whatever the guild decided to take from him. His only aspiration this month was to secure that nine hundred dollars. He logged into his game. He was playing a title called WIT Consortium—known in Chinese as "Chronicles of Time." It was a blend of PVP and competitive shooting that required five players to cooperate. Having launched just two years earlier, it had already generated more buzz than PUBG and LOL, and its professional league was developing nicely. Alaric chose the solo queue option. This was a popular spot, so he waited a moment before entering the game, casually selecting a fill-in role. In WIT Consortium, there were five character classes: Support, Warrior, Mechanic, Mage, and Sniper. The first five minutes of the match were devoted to establishing a time realm, after which teams had to defend their own while trying to destroy the enemy's time realm. As the other four teammates selected their roles, the system automatically assigned Alaric to the Mechanic class. The Mechanic class was often seen as the weakest in early game play; most players would rather opt for Support, resulting in mechanics always being left as fill-ins. However, Alaric didn’t mind—he could handle any class. His streaming account was high-level, which made matchmaking feel like an easy win. His previous focus on gameplay meant he didn't have to pay too much attention to the game itself; he could check back on his stream chat from time to time. Current viewers: 50. Fifty—that's practically nothing. Well, whatever. Alaric didn't care about that. After all, as a streamer who barely scraped by, he had no high expectations for fame—he just needed to clock in those two hours daily. He preferred solo play anyway; less interaction meant more freedom for him. To his surprise, as the match approached its end, a few comments trickled in. “Whoa, that was an amazing play! How did you get that kill?” “The streamer is incredible!” “This is definitely the hand speed of a pro player. I’m dizzy just watching him gather resources!” “That’s insane; you can’t possibly play the Mechanic class this effectively. Is the streamer a professional Mechanic?” “Just a heads up, he’s actually a Sniper main. I accidentally wandered into his stream the other day, and his fast-paced sniping skills were out of this world!” The comments were normal, devoid of the incessant pleas from the one person urging him to join the Order of the Lion. Alaric let out a sigh of relief.
Chapter 3
Just as Alaric Nightshade was about to exhale and relax, his phone on the table began vibrating like mad, notifications flooding his screen. It was from WIT Consortium's game box. 【New Message】Borin Stonefist: "That was insane, streamer! Using a mechanical arm to hide your hand? You’re stacking buffs to push the sniper's aim across the time zone. That's elite level play!" 【New Message】Borin Stonefist: "Seriously, you should join my guild, The Order of the Lion. It would be perfect for you, especially since you primarily play as a sniper, right?" 【New Message】Borin Stonefist: "I remember your first game was as a sniper. It blew my mind. Don’t you want to join us at The Order of the Lion?" Alaric had sent back a thumbs-up emoji, thinking that would finally shut the guy up. Borin had been relentless for the past two weeks. Ever since Alaric started streaming, Borin had bombarded him with messages—starting with flood posts in the chat room when Alaric was still trying to figure out how to run his stream. After several days of Borin spamming the chat, Alaric figured out how to block him, only for Borin to find him in-game instead. Alaric had been using a secondary account for streaming, but his ID was still visible in the chat, so Borin had added him repeatedly through the friend request feature. Even after numerous rejections, Borin found a new way to track him down—through the game box. And here he was, having to block Borin for the eighth time. 【New Message】Borin Stonefist: "I know what you're up to." The guy typed fast. 【New Message】Borin Stonefist: "Please don’t block me! Just one last message!" 【New Message】Borin Stonefist: "I'm being completely sincere here." Alaric ignored the last two messages and was about to hit the block button again when he heard a frantic shout in his headset. “Help! Help! Help—” The sniper in his squad had tried to play hero, going solo to scavenge for supplies. He’d just gotten ambushed by the enemy team of five. Now, he was all out of gear, spraying his economy on speed items to escape. The sniper continued his frantic squealing, “Support! Support! I need a buff! Mechanic! Mechanic! Protect me! I can’t take this anymore!” “Ugh…” Alaric thought, annoyed at these two idiots. He was not about to ruin his record of consecutive wins because of their reckless play. —He had a mild obsessive-compulsive tendency when it came to games. Setting aside his phone, Alaric maneuvered his character towards the sniper’s position. Two hours later, Alaric concluded his stream decisively, ready to log out of WIT Consortium when a flurry of messages popped up in the global channel, dominating his entire interface. 【A heartfelt invitation for ‘Nine Realms Broadcasting-daiuhasi’ to join us at The Order of the Lion!】 【Your name is surprisingly catchy; it’s almost too good to be random. But that doesn’t matter. We need you in The Order of the Lion!】 【We have the best location, with an outstanding team led by elite players. All of us are top-tier, positioned perfectly between the main routes of Elysium City and major attractions!" The messages kept rolling in—over a dozen in rapid succession. Alaric rubbed his temples, exasperated. Seriously? This guy had to be an idiot. The global channel in WIT Consortium was essentially a paid advertising slot—one message for a thousand credits, able to run for a whole day. Borin had just blown through more than ten thousand credits in one go and showed no sign of stopping. Alaric had no interest in engaging with some rich kid who threw cash around without a care. Most of them were just people who thought gaming was fun, spending money to join a guild like The Order of the Lion, and bailing when they lost interest.
Chapter 4
The enthusiasm of people like this can last for a while… Alaric Nightshade looked around before logging out of the game. E-sports wasn’t just a fleeting impulse; it required commitment. He stretched his neck, glancing at the clock. It was four in the afternoon—time for him to head out for his part-time job. His shift was five hours long, from five to ten, but with enough time to grab a bite in the cafeteria if he left now. Just as he was about to change his clothes, his roommate suddenly slid in on his knees, grabbing Alaric's arm. “Alaric, don’t go!” “What?” Alaric replied, bewildered. The one begging was Leoric Brightblade, his roommate. A hardcore gamer and a devoted fan of the WIT Consortium, he was known for his poor skills, leading to frequent losses. However, he loved to socialize and had friends all over Scholar's Haven. He enjoyed using cutesy nicknames like "Alaric" in an overly familiar way that nearly made Alaric gag the first time he heard it. “Alaric, please help me!” Leoric's eyes were almost teary. “I’m in placement matches, and my team is terrible—I can't keep up! Just play one game for me; I’ve got the sniper role.” Alaric tried to pull his arm back. “I don’t have time.” “I’ve failed five times in a row!” Leoric gripped Alaric tighter. “Don’t you feel sorry for me? Help me, Alaric. Five times! Five!” Alaric was at a loss for words. Seeing that Alaric might give in, Leoric practically dragged him to the computer, forcing him into the gaming chair. “Come on, just one game.” It would be quicker to wrap it up. Alaric thought. Leoric hastily pulled up a chair next to him. He was still a bit embarrassed. After all, his team was in dire straits; halfway through the match, they were losing, with his team’s economy only half of the other side's. Even Alaric might not be able to… He felt an unexpected rush of inspiration, his thoughts barely processing before he watched Alaric sell all his items, stacking critical hit gear, and executing a flawless one-on-two takedown. “Whoa, amazing moves!” Leoric couldn’t help but shout. “How are you so good at this, Alaric?” “Seriously, that stream of yours could really take off; consider becoming a professional gamer. You’d be great at this, and with the way things are trending …” Alaric had initially rejected the idea of streaming, suggested by Leoric. The Nine Realms Broadcasting was collaborating with the WIT Consortium to launch a streamer training program. Back then, Alaric had brushed it off immediately. Leoric pulled up the details on the screen again. “No, really! It’s decent work—streaming for just two hours every day with WIT Consortium, and the guild guarantees you nine hundred bucks a month.” Nine hundred dollars was a tempting sum for any college student struggling with finances. Especially for someone like Alaric. After a moment of silence, he finally said, “...send me the link.” With Leoric's high rank, they quickly turned the game around with Alaric's extraordinary plays. The teammates were all praising him: “Nice job!” “Incredible!” They practically followed him throughout the match. When the game ended, Leoric successfully ranked up, overwhelmed with joy. Alaric seized the moment and excused himself to change before Leoric could wipe his happy tears on him. With only the two of them left in their room, Leoric attempted a casual conversation. “Alaric, got any plans this weekend?” “No.” “Oh.” Leoric sounded disappointed. “What do you have to do?” “Organizing the library,” Alaric responded. “Ah, working hard, I see. So, that’s three jobs for you then,” Leoric remarked, calculating out loud.
Chapter 5
"Are you really that short on cash? How much do your parents give you for living expenses each month, Xun Xun?" Alaric Nightshade didn’t respond to the question. Leoric Brightblade didn’t dwell on it either. Anyone who got into Avalon University was a top-tier student, and Alaric had entered with the highest scores in his major, even serving as a student representative during orientation. Maybe it was just a family upbringing thing; some families expected their kids to experience the world and become independent at an earlier age. A moment of silence passed. Alaric finished changing and, on the other side, Leoric excitedly elbowed his phone toward Alaric. "Hey, Xun Xun, check this out. The WIT Consortium has officially launched a professional league! There’s a new competition this year." Alaric didn’t seem interested and replied in a monotonous tone, "Just focus on learning. Stop getting lost in all this." "Hey, if my mom said that to me, it wouldn’t matter, Xun Xun. You don’t need to echo her," Leoric continued scrolling through related news, "I knew this game would explode when it came out. And I think it’s about to go viral. I gotta start saving up for some skins that might get discontinued in the future." Alaric stuffed his belongings into his backpack without responding, and Leoric was used to Alaric’s aloofness by now, able to carry on a conversation by himself. "By the way, since you’re such a good player with the sniper class, haven’t you thought about joining the Order of the Lion? They’re actively recruiting members right now." The Order of the Lion. Alaric lowered his eyes, "I’m considering it." "That’s a pity," Leoric shot over another link and continued to scroll for a bit. "Oh right, let me introduce you to my gaming idol. He’s a sniper like you, an ancient god of the game named Pluto. Well, maybe more like two years ago when the WIT Consortium first launched. That competition took the entire scene by storm." "In the early days of the league, it was their Order of the Lion that was carrying the weight, especially with SAT Guild’s captain, Astrid Starfire. She was a legendary mechanic and the best in the national server, able to make the weakest characters shine… Hey, Xun Xun, what’s wrong?" Leoric couldn’t help but notice at that moment, Alaric had suddenly paused his movements. Just then, the video he had sent over finished loading. The video quality was pretty low, and after being saved and uploaded multiple times, it was a mere shadow of what it once was, but the gameplay was still intense: various skills exploding and stacking, showcasing the flawless coordination between the mechanic and the sniper as they dismantled the opponent's Realm of Time amidst a shower of light. ——It was this competition that catapulted Pluto to fame. Leoric had never understood why Alaric, despite excelling at the game, always shied away from discussing it with them, as if he were avoiding something. But Alaric hadn’t said, perhaps he knew something. In the video, SAT Guild had achieved a sweeping victory, and the cheers of the crowd echoed as the footage abruptly ended. It seemed like Alaric was lost in thought for ages before he finally reacted. He let out a near self-deprecating laugh. "You say Pluto is your idol. A legend." "Yup, that’s right!" Leoric replied enthusiastically. Alaric slung his bag over one shoulder, his fingers tracing the strap, "Legend? That’s a joke." Leoric didn’t catch his meaning, "Huh? What do you mean?" Alaric's voice dropped low and heavy, "Pluto was expelled from the Order of the Lion."
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