The Kings Avatar (PhantomBlade)

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It had been a year since Team Happy ascended to the top, crowned champions in the Glory Professional Alliance. The team had evolved from underdogs to legends, led by the unrelenting genius of Ye Xiu. His name, once a whisper on Glory's servers, was now a roar that echoed across the gaming community. 

But as every champion knew, staying on top was often harder than getting there.

The sun had long set outside the training room, casting a warm glow on the polished floors of Happy Internet Café. Inside, the familiar clatter of keyboards and rapid clicks filled the air as Ye Xiu reclined in his chair, one hand casually resting on his mouse, the other stirring a cup of instant coffee. His character, Lord Grim, was in the middle of a PvP skirmish against an up-and-coming player from a rival guild.

"That's 12 wins today," Su Mucheng said from across the room, her voice carrying a note of playful amusement. "Should I start writing congratulatory posts for you again?"

Ye Xiu smirked, taking a lazy sip of his coffee as his hands moved with precision on the keyboard. "Keep them on standby. I might hit twenty by midnight."

His relaxed demeanor belied the effort it took to maintain his dominance. Even now, in the late-night ranked games, new players were eager to test themselves against the legend of Lord Grim. 

But despite the intense competition, tonight's matches were easy—too easy.

Ye Xiu's thoughts wandered briefly to the upcoming All-Star Tournament. The event was just around the corner, and every professional team was preparing their strategies. Team Happy had been working on some new tactics, particularly to counter the stronger teams like Blue Rain and Tyranny, but Ye Xiu always felt there was more to prepare for.

Just as he began to queue up for another ranked match, his screen flashed with a new message.

[System] Player PhantomBlade has challenged you to a ranked match.

Ye Xiu raised an eyebrow. He didn't recognize the name. PhantomBlade? A new player, perhaps? But what caught his attention was their rank—this player had already climbed into the Top 10 on the leaderboard in just a few weeks. Intrigued, Ye Xiu clicked "Accept."

"Looks like someone wants to test themselves," he murmured.

The match loaded, and within moments, Lord Grim was placed inside a sprawling city map. Ye Xiu's fingers danced across the keys, sending his character racing forward to establish positioning. 

He wasn't expecting much; in his experience, players who rose quickly were usually gimmick users—skilled but predictable. Yet the moment the countdown ended, and PhantomBlade made their first move, Ye Xiu's eyes sharpened.

PhantomBlade appeared from the shadows, their character a Blade Master, an agile class that specialized in quick, powerful sword strikes. But their movements were anything but typical. Instead of engaging head-on, PhantomBlade darted in and out of sight, using cover and terrain in ways that even professional players rarely considered.

Ye Xiu quickly switched to defensive maneuvers, his fingers moving faster now. He knew this was no ordinary player.

"Interesting…" he muttered under his breath. Lord Grim unleashed a flurry of combo attacks, but PhantomBlade responded in kind, matching his speed and intensity. They exchanged blows, and for the first time in a long while, Ye Xiu found himself having to adjust his strategy mid-fight.

"This is getting good," Su Mucheng noted from her seat, leaning in to watch the battle unfold on Ye Xiu's screen.

After several minutes of intense combat, Ye Xiu finally saw an opening. He launched an unexpected Grenade Barrage, a tactic most Blade Masters wouldn't be able to dodge in time. But to his surprise, PhantomBlade managed to parry the attack with a perfectly timed counter, cutting through the explosion and closing the gap.

Before Ye Xiu could react, Lord Grim's health dropped dramatically, and within seconds, the match was over.

Victory: PhantomBlade.

Ye Xiu stared at the screen, blinking once, then twice.

"Well, that's rare," Su Mucheng teased, though even she seemed impressed. "You actually lost?"

Ye Xiu leaned back in his chair, a grin forming on his face. "I did. Looks like we have a new player to watch."

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A New Name in Glory

News of PhantomBlade's victory over Ye Xiu quickly spread across the servers. In the world of Glory, such a feat was almost unheard of. Players and fans alike took to the forums, speculating about this mysterious player who had come out of nowhere to defeat one of the game's greatest legends.

Meanwhile, inside Team Happy's training room, the atmosphere had shifted. Ye Xiu wasn't bothered by the loss—in fact, he was energized. PhantomBlade wasn't just some amateur; they were skilled, precise, and innovative in their playstyle. This was the kind of competition he thrived on.

As he reviewed the match replay, Ye Xiu noticed something strange. PhantomBlade didn't just use standard Blade Master techniques—they combined them with advanced movement patterns typically seen in other classes. It was almost as if they'd mastered the mechanics of multiple classes and blended them into one seamless strategy.

"Could they be a former pro?" Qiao Yifan asked, leaning over to watch the replay.

"Maybe," Ye Xiu replied thoughtfully. "But I've never seen anyone play quite like this."

PhantomBlade's victory wasn't a fluke. And as Ye Xiu watched more replays of their matches, it became clear that this was just the beginning of something bigger. PhantomBlade wasn't just here to play. They were here to disrupt the entire world of Glory.

And Ye Xiu intended to find out who they were.

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