129 Dropping the Champion
“Triple-kill!”
“Quadra-kill!”
“Penta-kill!”
The game seemed to have been paused. Qiao Yu’s character stopped moving, as did the support, sharpshooter and top lane. Everyone’s attention turned to Qiao Yue. Though she did not have much health left, she still stood proud and tall in a corner where the enemy turrets could not reach her.
[ Amazing! ]
The sharpshooter’s words brought them all back to their senses. The jungle began to type:
[ That was amazing! The brilliance of that execution blinds me. Boss, you should take the jungle role next time! ]
To the discerning eye, it was no secret that Qiao Yue could have taken more kills for herself, but she had not. Not only did she not steal kills from her fellow teammates, but she also ensured the gold deficit between their team and the enemy closed. Her selflessness was a surprise in a game where many sought benefits for themselves before others.
[ Boss, let’s add each other as friends. Please carry me! I’ve been stuck in Starshine for so long… I need help getting into the next rank! ] The sharpshooter typed into their chat.
Qiao Yue smiled but did not answer. After that last team wipe, the enemy had no chance of a comeback. Now, they had to wait for their minions to catch up so they could destroy the turrets and end the game.
[ Cooking Wine, were you a beta tester? ] The support asked.
Cooking Wine was Qiao Yue’s current in-game name.
Qiao Yue quirked a brow when she read what the support player had typed. Just as she was about to reply, the sharpshooter posted another message.
[ Test server? Why would you ask something like that? ]
The support player did not respond to the sharpshooter’s question and continued asking Qiao Yue:
[ Did you play during the open beta? ]
[ I played a little. ] Qiao Yue answered.
The support quickly followed up: [ Was your username Don’t Hit Mage? ]
Qiao Yue was quiet for a moment before answering no.
The support did not seem to expect Qiao Yue’s answer and fell silent.
Despite the awkward lull following her response, the jungle and sharpshooter grew excited.
[ You’re right! Cooking Wine’s play style is very close to Don’t Hit Mage. There are still a few videos on the forum showcasing their skill. Watching their videos always inspires me to play a few rounds. ] The jungle���s words dominated the screen.
To stop them from gossiping further, Qiao Yue destroyed the enemy nexus as quickly as possible.
While she could hide the fact from those on the internet, she could not hide from Qiao Yu.
As soon as she looked up, Qiao Yue felt a burning gaze land on her.
“Qiao Yue, shouldn’t you explain yourself?” Qiao Yu looked at Qiao Yue with a dark expression.
Qiao Yue fiddled with her phone, not looking at Qiao Yu. “What do you mean?”
“Are you Don’t Hit Mage?” Qiao Yu’s words rang heavily in the air.
Qiao Yue chuckled, refusing to admit to anything. She did not want to be in the spotlight.
Qiao Yue’s refusal to admit to anything cemented Qiao Yu’s belief that she was the character Don’t Hit Mage, who had played in the open beta version of the game. Since Qiao Yue chose to remain silent, Qiao Yu did not force an answer out of her.
Didn’t one of them mention something about a forum? They were likely referring to the Glory Forums. With a goal in sight, Qiao Yu logged out of the game and visited the website.
Qiao Yu clicked on the last page of the forum since the topic they were discussing involved the open beta. There it was. On the last page was a post involving a player called “Don’t Hit Mage”.
The post denounced “Don’t Hit Mage” as a cheat, attaching a video of their performance as proof.
The video showed Don’t Hit Mage could change their equipment in seconds, boosting their damage output beyond reason. Even as it looked like they were about to lose, Don’t Hit Mage would always survive with a smidgen of health.
Subsequent posts continued to deride Don’t Hit Mage. Some went as far as saying they had lodged reports against them for cheating. However, when a third person recorded their encounter with Don’t Hit Mage, it dispelled the rumours circulating like clouds on a sunny day.
A pair of hands appeared on the screen. Those slender fingers and joints could be seen tapping away on a mouse and keyboard as if it was natural for them to be so good. Don’t Hit Mage possessed a strong rhythmic ability that bolstered her reactions, making her movements very pleasing to the eye.
After the video was uploaded, no one questioned the Don’t Hit Mage’s actions anymore. Those who had insulted Don’t Hit Mage before were all called out to apologise. Only one poster remained staunch, refusing to apologise.
Qiao Yu grew curious. Why didn’t that one individual retract their post?
It was not until later, when he read other posts, that he found out the answer.
It turned out that this post had been deleted before, but the forum administrator always restored it. When the original poster noticed the public uproar caused, he immediately abandoned that account.
Qiao Yu browsed through several forum posts, all related to Don’t Hit Mage. Some asked for their contact information, while others wanted to spar. There were even some who asked to be allowed to record these battles.