The internet completely exploded.
They had already prepared themselves for EAR to be exposed and crushed—or to struggle through a long fight and ultimately lose.
But now you're telling them… EAR directly crushed HS?
And it was a one-sided stomp.
Perhaps because EAR's image as a bottom-ranked team had been so deeply ingrained, even after winning the Autumn Finals, many people still viewed them as a weak IVL team.
When they returned to the prep room, although HS had lost, they still came over in good spirits and sat down with EAR.
"WILD's kiting just now was amazing," HS's hunter sighed. "I admit defeat."
GOLD added, "Of course. We'll have to train more in the future."
They weren't affected by the loss at all. Instead, they sat together harmoniously.
Everyone knew—IVL was like one big family.
They spent the entire afternoon in the prep room watching matches. As expected, the Chinese teams in Groups B and C both won.
Although Abyss was a global tournament, resources were unevenly distributed. Aside from China and Japan, other regions generally weren't as strong.
Now, all eyes turned to Group D—the biggest threat to them.
Group D had two strong teams: Aurora and Rift from China.
Rift was considered a mid-to-upper-tier team in IVL.
Shen Kuangye needed these matches to get a rough assessment of Aurora's strength.
Before the match, there was a pre-game interview.
Aurora's hunter, Tsuki, smiled at the camera and said:
"This time, besides winning the championship, I have another goal—defeating WILD."
The moment he said that, the previously lively prep room atmosphere turned cold.
Everyone subconsciously looked at Shen Kuangye, who was sitting quietly watching the screen, expressionless.
Tsuki continued, "WILD is very strong. I hope I get the chance to face him."
His gaze was fearless—full of open provocation.
One of the commentators laughed awkwardly, trying to ease the tension. "Looks like Tsuki came well-prepared this time."
Another added, "Well, who wouldn't want to face WILD? We all saw that match against HS—his mind games were incredible. And statistically, WILD is already one of the top survivors in IVL. Didn't people say WILD and SUN are the league's 'final bosses'?"
Livestream comments flooded in:
[This Japanese guy is a bit too arrogant.]
[He has the right to be, Aurora always places near the top every year.]
[Yeah, aside from the championship, they've won plenty.]
[I'm calling it, Aurora might win this year.]
[Same. IVL has gotten a bit stale—some pressure isn't bad.]
[Why does it feel like there's so much tension between Tsuki and WILD?]
[Makes sense. WILD is strong, and Tsuki likes strong opponents.]
[Right, Tsuki's beaten almost every top team in IVL—only EAR is left.]
[Since when is EAR a top team?]
[They're the Autumn champions and just crushed HS—if they're not, then who is?]
Aurora chose to let Tsuki play first.
His character pool was incredibly deep—besides standard picks like Opera Singer, Ivy, Hermit, and Apostle, he also specialized in Spider and Old Man.
Last year, his "Old Man" performance at Abyss had been phenomenal, significantly boosting the character's overall ranking stats.
Aurora also had many fans in China, especially Tsuki. When he appeared, the crowd erupted in cheers.
His aura was completely different from Lu Xiangyang's. Lu Xiangyang gave off a bright, obedient vibe—while Tsuki practically radiated bold arrogance.
When the camera focused on him, he flashed his fangs and held up four fingers.
The commentator laughed, "Tsuki's confidence is sky-high—going for a four-man wipe?"
Another said, "Rift's survivors must be under a lot of pressure. Starting with Opera Singer, a four-man wipe isn't impossible."
And just like he said—Tsuki wiped them out before Rift could even reach endgame.
He stood up, waved to the audience, hands in his pockets, and left casually.
Back in EAR's prep room, everyone frowned.
Li Shu muttered, "Why do I feel like he's gotten even stronger?"
GOLD nodded. "That endgame handling just now… that was something."
Shen Kuangye watched the screen, carefully analyzing Tsuki's playstyle.
He realized Tsuki loved mind games and predictions.
It sounded risky—but Tsuki always predicted accurately.
Rather than liking it, he enjoyed it.
Enjoyed opponents' mistakes.
Enjoyed reading their strategies.
Enjoyed the thrill of winning mind games.
Shen Kuangye thought, he had probably already mastered the psychology of most IVL players.
Last year at Abyss, Rift had at least been able to fight back somewhat—but this year, they had no chance at all.
This wasn't good news for EAR.
But for Shen Kuangye and Lu Xiangyang… maybe not.
Lu Xiangyang said, "I really want to play against him."
Since joining the team, they had faced almost no real obstacles. Aurora was the only variable.
If they could face them at Abyss—it wouldn't be a bad thing.
Aurora continued to dominate in later matches. Rift suffered a crushing defeat.
When they came off stage, Rift looked dejected.
Aurora walked together, smiling and ran into EAR outside the prep room.
Tsuki's gaze moved between Shen Kuangye and Lu Xiangyang before he spoke in fluent Chinese:
"You heard what I said earlier, right?"
"I'm looking forward to our final match, WILD."
Then he walked off, leaving the others stunned.
Li Shu muttered, "Aren't Japanese players supposed to be modest? Why does he feel so arrogant?"
Shen Kuangye didn't respond.
—
On the first day of group stage, trending topics were flooded with:
[EAR 2:0 crushes HS]
[Aurora 2:0 crushes Rift]
In the following matches, teams traded wins and losses.
Ella was unexpectedly eliminated in the Top 20, while the previously doubted EAR became the top-ranked team in Group A.
All the critics fell silent.
Final group rankings:
Group A – EAR
Group B – Echo
Group C – Rage
Group D – Aurora
EAR successfully secured their spot in Abyss.
The day they qualified, everyone was ecstatic—but still didn't relax.
Looking out the window, Xing Xing said, "I never thought we'd make it this far."
Everything started when he handed Shen Kuangye his business card at the training camp.
He never expected Shen Kuangye and Lu Xiangyang to actually join.
He didn't dare dream of playoffs—but they made it. From last place to barely qualifying, to reaching the Autumn Finals—and winning it.
He never dared imagine Abyss.
And now... they had a ticket to it.
Back when he and Yishui were still active, they never won a single championship.
Now… looking at the exhausted players asleep in the back row after a full day of training, he suddenly felt—
Maybe Abyss wasn't so far away after all.
—
On the way back to the hotel, Xing Xing repeatedly reminded them to stay warm during the seasonal change and take care of their health.
But just a few days later, Cheng Rang caught a cold and Pei Xunan not only coughed but also developed a fever.
There were only two days left before Abyss.
Cheng Rang, his voice hoarse, said, "I'll take care of him. You guys stay away—don't get infected."
Xing Xing quickly contacted a friend in Hangzhou and took them to see a doctor.
Some fans had been waiting outside the hotel and took photos of them.
The fan community exploded again.
[What happened to them? Are they sick?]
[Abyss is in two days… I hope they recover.]
[Anyone have contact info? I know doctors in Hangzhou.]
[Big fans already asked BOOK—he said it's not needed.]
[Please… I even paid extra to get tickets for all four days just to see them in finals.]
[Hope they recover soon. It hasn't been easy for them.]
Many people credited EAR's rapid rise to their two "monstrously talented" rookies.
But longtime fans knew better.
Over the past year, the improvement of the other members was just as important.
Cheng Rang's observing became coordinated instead of reckless.
Pei Xunan's rescues became consistently reliable.
Li Shu's support was no longer messy.
And in endgames, they worked together instead of acting alone.
EAR's success was no accident.
—
Back at the hotel, Yishui sighed. "I wonder how this will turn out…"
With matches coming up, they temporarily separated from Cheng Rang and Pei Xunan. Xing Xing took them to the hospital.
Worried, he said, "Last time it was lag in the Autumn Finals. Now two players fall sick before Abyss…"
It felt like EAR always had bad luck in competitions.
"Thinking about that won't help," Lu Xiangyang suddenly said.
"Great responsibility is given to those who can bear it. Maybe this is just a test before we win."
There was a rare confidence in his eyes.
"You guys just focus on staying even, I'll handle the kills."
The boy who once needed reassurance now took responsibility onto his own shoulders.
He glanced at Shen Kuangye, then quickly looked away.
"I also trust the captain's calls."
His voice wasn't loud—but it lifted everyone's spirits.
"You're right," Li Shu said. "This is just a test."
—
On the way back to their rooms, Shen Kuangye hooked an arm around Lu Xiangyang's neck and said softly:
"That was cool."
Lu Xiangyang paused, ears turning red. "Really?"
"Mm."
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself," Shen Kuangye said. "Just trust me."
As long as the hunter targeted him at the start, Shen Kuangye was confident he wouldn't make mistakes.
But Lu Xiangyang shook his head.
"I'm not putting pressure on myself. I've just been thinking about something."
They entered the room, and Lu Xiangyang closed the door.
"EAR's survivor side is only slightly above average. There are many teams stronger than them. Most of the time, we rely on the hunter to gain points. This time, they were eliminated early because their hunter's form dropped."
"I was just thinking… how much pressure you must've been under back then, carrying a team like that into the Abyss finals."
Shen Kuangye frowned slightly. "Don't compare yourself to me."
There was no point comparing these things.
Lu Xiangyang shook his head, looking at him seriously.
"I'm not comparing."
"I just want to tell you—you don't have to carry everything alone. If you can't trust others, then trust me."
"If we reach a point where things seem beyond saving… as long as you give me a chance, I'll turn it around."