"... The international competition is about to begin, and I've invited several team captains and participating players for a brief pre-competition interview."
The video shows Han Xiao's base in the Juberly Hub. Four professional gamers are sitting on a sofa, being interviewed by Meat Bun. The four are Kings and Generals, Hao Tian, Li Ge, Frenzied Sword, all of whom are captains of participating teams or individual players. Snow-Dyed Blossoms, who originally came in second place in the individual competition, did not join Han Xiao's interstellar team and is still playing in the mud on Planet Aquamarine, so he was not interviewed.
The four greeted the camera and then proceeded with the normal interview process. Meat Bun transformed himself as if he were the host of Galaxy Times, sitting upright and meticulously. However, even the most formal posture could not hide the smugness that emanated from him.
The interview consisted of the same old questions, like whether I was confident, what preparations I had made, and what my expected ranking was—the kind of nonsense you'd expect. Asking if I was confident? Try saying "no" in front of a huge audience and see what happens! Does the club even want to stay in business?!
What preparations were made? Who would reveal such team secrets to you? If the enemy sees it, wouldn't you share half the blame, and I share half?
Expected ranking? Which club doesn't say they want to be the champion? Even if our goal is just the quarterfinals or semifinals, we have to maintain our spirit! A professional player who doesn't aim for the championship isn't a good player!
The four professional gamers answered these questions fluently, using template-like responses. After asking these questions, Meat Bun started chatting with the four of them about all sorts of things. In this informal interview, the topics could be more casual. Meat Bun brought up some top players and teams from abroad for everyone to comment on, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
"Who do you think is the strongest opponent you're most concerned about in this competition?" Meat Bun asked.
Li Ge pondered for a moment and said, "The French Tulip Club, the American Devil, ThunderSnake, KEY teams, the British Rose Knight team, the Japan Yamata Team, the South Korea Kimchi Club, and so on. I look forward to sparring with these masters. Although the opponents are very strong, I am confident."
These teams are all renowned powerhouses from their respective countries, holding a status comparable to the four major powerhouses in Huaxia.
Meat Bun nodded and looked at the other three, "So, do you have any opponents you're concerned about?"
Kings and Generals: "No."
Hao Tian: "My only opponent is myself."
Frenzied Sword glanced at the two imposing figures on either side, swords drawn and exuding an aura of power, swallowed hard, and cautiously said, "I... I think Li Ge said is quite good..."
Hao Tian and the Kings and Generals glanced at him sideways, their eyes filled with disappointment and disdain, thinking he was "good-for-nothing" and "young man." Frenzied Saber shrank back, feeling stared at.
Li Ge wore a stiff smile, but inwardly she wanted nothing more than to take off her shoes and slap the two captains, who were acting like gatekeepers, across the face. Did they think she couldn't understand their veiled insults?
While the interview was proceeding in a cheerful atmosphere, the live chat was flooded with a dense barrage of sarcastic comments.
Key of Solomon quickly reviewed the interviews from Huaxia and then switched to interview videos from other countries.
In France, the captain of the Tulip Team, [Lost Angel], gave an interview.
"... You ask me which opponent I value most? Hmm... the three teams from Huaxia, they're formidable rivals. Most teams probably think so too, haha. Besides, Kings and Generals and I are old rivals."
The Lost Angel was a veteran; his voice was warm and gentle, and he answered with a smile.
Key of Solomon also watched interviews with other countries. When the host asked about their most important opponents, the Huaxia team was always on the list. All teams took the Huaxia team very seriously.
The Huaxia esports clubs are quite good, ranking among the top tier, but this is the first time they've been targeted by all the teams. This attention stems from their opportunity: Huaxia is the only region with players who have already participated in StarCraft. These foreign clubs have been paying close attention to the experiences of Huaxia players on Black Star, regarding them as formidable rivals.
After leaving the forum, Key of Solomon looked at his teammates in the room and said calmly, "It seems the other teams think the same way we do; the Huaxia teams are a problem."
Outside the house stretched an endless expanse of snow-covered land, dotted with scattered demon lairs and military camps. Demon armies roamed the land from time to time. This house itself was also a military camp. The players, including Key of Solomon, all resembled demons. Their character profile indicated they were juvenile demons, over two meters tall, with short ram horns on their heads, tails trailing behind them, thick legs with reverse joints, and black demon scales covering their bodies. They were fully armed with armor and weapons, and while their faces were ferocious, they still retained some human facial features, making them distinguishable by their appearance.
This is the home planet chosen by the American club, one of the garrison planets of the Extinguished Legion — Planet Frostwinter! These people are professional players from the Key Club, all of whom are renowned.
The poor Ilex, far away on Planet Aquamarine, is a retired player belonging to the Key Club. KEY is very keen on planting "spies" and has a mature operating team that provides various intelligence and indirect assistance to its own team.
Captain "Key of Solomon" is the club's official account, and every captain uses this name. The previous captain retired, and the current captain, "Key of Solomon," just took office last year. He defeated all the players in the team through the selection process, and the Key Club saw extraordinary potential in him, so they made an exception and appointed him as captain, deciding to focus on his development and placing high hopes on him. The KEY management plans to build an ace team around him and a few veteran players over one or two seasons, betting on the future and hoping to achieve a three-peat dynasty in the future—the dream of every team.
This generation of Key of Solomon is not as steady as the older players. His fighting style and command style are known for being fast, fierce and aggressive. The higher-ups have high hopes for him, but he thinks that with his skills, he deserves this treatment. He is arrogant, but he has the right to be arrogant. His teammates, fans and the higher-ups appreciate his sharpness.
Humility is a virtue of the Huaxia, not of the Americans. Straightforwardness and arrogance are characteristics of United States athletes.
In the first season of the league, most clubs adopted a wait-and-see attitude, intending to integrate their teams and familiarize themselves with the competition, without any mandatory requirements for rankings. But Key of Solomon didn't care about any of that; it had only one goal: the championship!
"We have many opponents, but only a few truly formidable rivals can pose a significant obstacle for us. The Huaxia Dynasty is one of them. Aside from these obstacles, the other teams are no threat; they are merely prey for us to seize points from..."
With his legs propped up on the table, Key of Solomon scanned his teammates, a confident yet disdainful smile playing on his lips.
"Guys, let me lead you to the championship!"
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Han Xiao has finished dealing with the affairs of the mercenary group and will temporarily stop accepting hires. He declares that he needs to take a break for a while. The international competition will last for three or four months, Han Xiao only plans to give players a break in the early stages, about a month. He also wants to rest for a while and work on the job change requirements and secondary professions.
Today is the opening day of the international league. Han Xiao stayed in his room, opened the forum, and saw the live replay of the international league pinned to the top, though it hadn't started yet.
In the base's lobby, all the Black Star players gathered, with the contestants surrounded in the center, waiting for the shop to refresh and give them a gathering crystal.
Frenzied Saber rubbed his hands together, feeling nervous at the thought of sparring with masters from various countries; he had never stepped onto such a big stage before.
"I've made a name for myself in the regional tournaments, but if I don't perform well in international tournaments, most of my previous efforts will be wasted. Only by performing brilliantly in international tournaments can I solidify my reputation and even go further!" Frenzied Saber was burning with excitement, secretly praying that he wouldn't make a mistake.
On the other side, the three captains, Hao Tian, Kings and Generals, and Li Ge, were talking.
"If any of us are unfortunately placed in the same group, it's best to cooperate with each other. If one team loses hope of advancing, then help the other team in the same group. If it's an internal battle, don't fight too hard..." Li Ge said.
Hao Tian interrupted him, saying calmly, "No matter who the opponent is, I will go all out. My professional ethics do not allow me to hold back."
The Kings and Generals, nobles, and generals yawned and said lazily, "Even if I go easy on you, you still can't beat me."
Li Ge was so angry she almost lost her temper. How could these two be so inconsiderate!
We are now representing Huaxia. If we don't get a good ranking, it will be wrong regardless of whether we are right or wrong, and it will have a huge negative impact on the team's reputation. The competition is all about results. What's wrong with making some adjustments for a better result?
People need to learn to be flexible.
Just then, a notification appeared on the contestant panel, and everyone hurriedly entered the shop, where the Collection Crystal had already been refreshed.
After purchasing, the crystal is crushed, releasing a mist that envelops everyone. When the mist dissipates, the contestants disappear from their original positions, just like the effect of Dungeon Crystal, and enter a replicated scene.
In a Frenzied Saber, Kuangdao's surroundings changed drastically. He found himself in a huge arena, surrounded by other Huaxia contestants. Looking into the distance, players of different races appeared out of thin air.
Players from various countries arrived one after another, gathering in groups and sizing each other up; each person's account was renowned.
"French Tulip, British Rose Knight, United States Devil, TS, Swedish Battle Axe..." Frenzied Saber looked at them one by one. They were all world-renowned powerhouses. At this moment, he truly felt like he was participating in an international event. Excitement and elation made his body tremble slightly.
Beside him, the Kings and Generals as lazy as ever, waving and greeting many foreign players from a distance; many of these top players knew each other.
This scene appeared in the forum's live stream video, where players enthusiastically recounted the names of famous professional players, creating a lively atmosphere like a carnival for millions.
The host appeared in the center of the arena, attracting the attention of the contestants. He first congratulated the contestants on qualifying for the national league, and then gave a series of official remarks, such as the event being organized by an international e-sports organization. After talking for about five minutes, he finally got to the formal part and began to explain the competition rules.
"There are a total of 13 regional divisions, with 39 strong teams and individual players from around the world qualifying for the international competition. The competition format continues the regional competition format, with team competitions including team matches and ring matches, and individual competitions including one-on-one matches..."
Listening to the host's narration, Han Xiao nodded secretly. The first league had relatively few competitive events. In his previous life, the competition events in the later leagues were much more varied, including challenge matches, dungeon matches, scene survival matches, hunting matches, speed races, and all sorts of bizarre events. In order to make the events more exciting, the competition events became increasingly outrageous—not only did they have to fight, but they also had to make it a diverse and exciting spectacle, a mesmerizing and captivating spectacle, and even a display of socialist values.
The host continued, "The 39 teams and players will be divided into three groups: A, B, and C. They will compete in a round-robin format within their groups, with winners earning points. The number of points will be adjusted based on losses incurred. The top eight teams and the top sixteen individual players will advance to the finals..."
He looked around; all the professional players had different expressions—some were excited, some were serious, some were confident, and some were focused.
"Then I declare the draw to begin!"