Li Rui vigorously refreshed the ticketing app page until the screen popped up with that frustrating message again, "We are sorry, the session you selected is sold out."
Annoyed, he threw his phone onto the sofa and collapsed into it.
As a veteran league of legends player and a die-hard fan of Star Sea Team, he had set his alarm and was eagerly preparing long before the World Championship tickets went on sale.
However, he still underestimated the appeal of this unprecedented esports spectacle.
Tens of thousands of tickets were instantly snapped up by players worldwide the moment they went live, and scalped ticket prices were inflated to astronomical figures, far beyond what he, a regular office worker, could afford.
"Sigh..." Li Rui let out a long breath, looking at the bright sunshine outside, feeling as if he could hear faint cheers coming from the distant venue.
Not being able to attend in person and experience that overwhelming atmosphere was undoubtedly a huge disappointment.
But disappointment aside, the matches must go on!
He sat up abruptly, quickly turned on his computer, and connected it to the curved monitor he had purchased at "great expense."
Logging into the Star Sea Live platform, the homepage prominently featured the exclusive live stream room for the Star Sea Cup World Invitational, where the heat index had already exceeded an astonishing nine digits.
He skillfully clicked into it.
The live broadcast screen hadn't started yet, playing warm-up music and a cool promotional video filmed earlier.
Taking advantage of this break, Li Rui quickly pulled out his "otaku happy water" (soda) and the chips and spicy strips he had prepared from the fridge, then checked the status of his fried chicken delivery order on the app "Rider is currently rushing to your location."
"Perfect!" He nodded in satisfaction, adjusted the angle of his gaming chair, sank deep into it, and prepared to enjoy this esports feast day.
First up was the second round of the Swiss Stage.
Since Royal Knights had defeated Bangkok Pythons in the first round, this round would feature matchups between two 1-0 teams and two 0-1 teams.
The first match was Aurora Borealis versus Flash Wolves.
"Here we go, here we go!" Li Rui took a sip of his cola and focused intently.
Although he wasn't a fan of either team, there were no weak teams in the World Invitational, especially when it was North America artists facing a powerhouse from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
During the Banning and Picking phase, the power of Global Bans was starting to show.
Both sides cautiously avoided the opponent's potential signature champions while tentatively releasing some strong picks of the current patch, making the strategic exchange tense.
"Aurora Borealis's Bard support pick is cheeky!" Li Rui couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the North America player's funny expression after locking in Bard on the screen.
"Truly an artist; daring to pull off something flashy even in the World Invitational."
When the match started, Aurora Borealis indeed took their "art" all the way.
The jungler's unexpected pathing choices and the support Bard's various ingenious roams and magical wall-crossing tunnels made the scene joyous and chaotic for a time.
Flash Wolves were clearly uncomfortable with this wild, unpredictable style, and their early game rhythm was frequently disrupted.
"Hahaha, this Bard! If I were Flash Wolves, my mentality would collapse!" Li Rui laughed, slapping his thigh, completely immersed in the fun of the match.
He even temporarily forgot his regret about not being able to attend in person; the brilliant plays on screen and the commentators' passionate shouts brought him just as much satisfaction.
However, Flash Wolves showed their strong resilience.
After withstanding Aurora Borealis's early "artistic assault," they slowly clawed back the disadvantage using more solid team fight coordination and stable macro play.
During a crucial mid-game Baron fight, Flash Wolves' ADC aphelios (a new champion making his first appearance in the World Invitational!) dealt explosive damage under his teammates' protection, securing the cleanup and cementing the victory in one fell swoop.
"Ah, what a pity!" Li Rui clicked his tongue, feeling a touch of regret for Aurora Borealis.
"Flashy tricks still can't beat solid fundamentals.
But that aphelios damage is truly outrageous!"
Just then, the doorbell rang.
His fried chicken had arrived!
Li Rui happily took the takeout; the rich aroma instantly filled the room.
He felt he had reached the peak of life as he munched on a crispy fried chicken drumstick while watching Flash Wolves demolish Aurora Borealis's nexus on the screen.
Next up was the match between Siberian Bears versus Samba Legion.
"Holy moly, this is a 'madmen' showdown!" Li Rui perked up.
CIS giants facing Latin American wildness just thinking about it made his blood boil.
The match certainly didn't disappoint him.
Starting from the level one fight, both sides slaughtered each other in the jungle; concepts like macro play or vision seemed non-existent in this match there was only the most primal, bloodiest brawl!
Siberian Bears' top lane Darius chased Samba Legion's jungler from the river all the way to the inner turret; Samba Legion's mid lane champion dashed through the minion wave, sliding across the screen...
"Holy crap! He dared to go in there?"
"Awesome! That reversal kill!"
"Hahaha, that champion, all about the fun!"
Li Rui shouted and cheered as he watched, forgetting to eat the fried chicken in his hand.
The chat was flooded with "???" and "666" in various languages; global audiences were entertained by this chaotic yet thrilling match.
Ultimately, Siberian Bears' "brute force" prevailed.
Relying on superior individual skill and unreasonable team fight aggression, they forcefully shattered Samba Legion's formation and took the win.
"Thrilling! Truly thrilling!" Li Rui leaned back in his chair, feeling satisfied.
Although his favored Star Sea Team had yet to play, just these two contrasting matches made him feel that watching the stream today was worth... well, since he didn't spend money, it was a huge profit!
He glanced at the schedule.
Next up was Star Sea Team's match against the Korean overlords, White Tigers.
"The main event is here!" Li Rui immediately sat up straight, tidied up the snack wrappers on his desk, and his expression became focused.
Although he was at home, he felt as if he could sense the suffocating tension of the live venue.
He was proud to be a fan of Star Sea Team, but also worried about the powerful opponents they were about to face.
On the screen, the view switched to the player preparation phase.
The Star Sea Team members looked serious, intently listening to the coach's final instructions.
The White Tigers members, true to their team name, were calm and deadly.
His home internet was smooth, the screen was clear, and the snacks were plentiful.
Although he couldn't be there in person, Li Rui knew that at this moment, in countless rooms around the world just like his, countless eyes were glued to the screen, their heartbeats accelerating with the progress of the match.
This, perhaps, was the charm of esports.
It could make people from all over the world, who had never met, feel passionately excited over the same match.
And this carnival belonging to global Summoners had just begun.