Chapter 1332: A New Future
Translator: Nomyummi Editor: Nomyummi
These guys actually did it!
Under the eruption of Rising Dragon Soars the Sky and Flash Burst, Vaccaria's health was finally wiped out. Their healer couldn't make it in time to provide support and Vaccaria fell without resistance.
However, Happy had also paid a high price for this.
Soft Mist and Boundless Sea, as they dealt this last blow together, had been killed by Tiny Herb's furious offensive.
Three characters wiped out at the same time?
This was truly a rare and devastating trade. The entire stadium was sent into shock. The three in the broadcasting room were speechless.
Bang bang!
Two gunshots.
In that moment, even the players on the field were stunned, their rhythms slowing. Only one person was still doing as they should. In the face of such a devastating situation, he hadn't been affected in the slightest. He didn't even spare a glance for the three fallen characters before his character switched targets and charged.
Lord Grim's two gunshots had been aimed at Gao Yingjie's Kind Tree.
Naturally, they wouldn't have been able to successfully execute this sort of kill without CCing the opponent's healer.
Tiny Herb's Aweto was being blasted by Dancing Rain to the point where he was completely incapable of acting. Happy's Little Cold Hands, on the other hand, was being knocked witless by Gao Yingjie's Kind Tree.
The kill had only just happened, yet Ye Xiu's Lord Grim had already turned his fire towards his next target. With bullets on the way, Lord Grim used movement skills to flash to Kind Tree's side. Gao Yingjie was a little out of it because of what had just happened and was easily blasted into the air by Lord Grim.
Everyone snapped back to reality, seemingly only just realizing what had happened on the field.
Wang Jiexi, Vaccaria, Tiny Herb's core, the strongest part of their team, had been destroyed by Happy.
The stadium went silent.
No one had any grasp of the weight of the one for two trade. The audience only noticed one thing: Vaccaria had fallen, Wang Jiexi was out of the match.
What now?
Such a thought took over the hearts of countless fans. With Wang Jiexi gone, they were lost. They were used to seeing Wang Jiexi lead Tiny Herb to victory, vying for the championship cup year after year, season after season, match after match. From the third season, when he took the role of captain onwards, the regular season, the playoffs, sponsorship matches, sparring matches, exhibition matches, Tiny Herb's 398 matches, their captain Wang Jiexi was always present.
No matter when, he would be on the field to lead his team.
No matter when, so long as he was there on the field, everyone would feel secure.
But now, Wang Jiexi was the first to be sent out of the match.
In all these years, it wasn't that no team had ever tried, it was that no one that they could remember had ever succeeded.
But now, in front of their very eyes, the one thing that had never happened in all these years had, and in their home game, too, executed by a team that was new to the Alliance.
"The match isn't over!"
On the screen, in Tiny Herb's team chat, a message suddenly popped up.
After Kind Tree had been sent flying by Lord Grim, Gao Yingjie was the first one to clearly understand: their captain had been killed, but the match wasn't over.
In the current situation, Tiny Herb's Wang Jiexi, his Vaccaria had been wiped out, but they still had Xu Bin, Gao Yingjie, Liu Xiaobie, and Yuan Baiqing on the field. Their sixth player Liang Fang had also switched in automatically.
For Happy, two of their characters had been killed and their sixth player Qiao Yifan had been switched in. Currently, only Ye Xiu, Su Mucheng and An Wenyi were there with Gao Yingjie and his teammates.
Their captain was no longer there, but Tiny Herb still held a clear advantage in numbers. They couldn't just stop and stare. Happy, over there, was at a disadvantage, yet their performance was still as stable as ever. Ye Xiu had immediately saved Little Cold Hands, and Su Mucheng's Dancing Rain was still blasting their healer, Aweto, as she ran to regroup.
It's a four versus three right now, and we hold the advantage!
Gao Yingjie told himself again and again.
But, what should they do?
After telling himself that, he then questioned himself.
Should he be making arrangements for what they were to do next?
Gao Yingjie knew of the expectations his team had of him, and the future his captain hoped he could shoulder. He always worked hard for this, yet when this moment was placed in front of him like this, ever so abrupt, he floundered. After he sent that message, "the match isn't over", he didn't know what to do next.
This shouldn't be!
Even if he were just a normal team member, he shouldn't feel so lost, so adrift. He had to do something.
You're going to be the one to shoulder Tiny Herb's future!
His captain's voice echoed in his ears ever so clearly, yet the current him was unable to shoulder such responsibilities. He couldn't even do what he had to do on the field like a normal player.
"With Vaccaria dead, Tiny Herb's morale has been severely impacted." Even the commentator, Pan Lin, could see what state Tiny Herb's players were in. After Vaccaria had been sent from the match, they had lost their way, flailing in the match without direction.
They had the advantage in numbers, their opponents were right there in front of them, but it was Happy's three that had managed to adjust first and it was Happy's three who took the initiative to attack.
"Tiny Herb won't just lose like that, will they?" The difference in the states of mind of the players had Pan Lin doubting Tiny Herb despite their advantage.
"Not everyone," Li Yibo said, abrupt.
"What?" Pan Lin didn't get what this was referring to.
"Xu Bin!" Ruan Cheng yelled.
Wang Jiexi really had been sent from the match by Happy. This was shocking, but fortunately, it hadn't been without dire consequences for Happy. One for two. Happy had killed off their opponent's core player, but dong so had sent themselves into a disadvantage in numbers. Their actions didn't seem worth it.
However, Ruan Cheng soon realized he was wrong.
From the reaction of the audience and the players of Tiny Herb, he finally truly understood what Wang Jiexi was to Tiny Herb. He was no normal core player.
He was their heart, their foundation, their hope, their confidence… Anything that they needed to continue fighting, Tiny Herb only had because of Wang Jiexi.
And now, he had fallen.
What he left to the players on the field was shock, the unknown, the sense of being lost, anxiety.
However, there was one exception.
Xu Bin.
A player who debuted in the sixth season and transferred to Tiny Herb from 301 Degrees, he had been a part of Tiny Herb for one and a half years, seeing great improvement and even becoming an All-Star, becoming Glory's Number One Knight.
He adapted to Tiny Herb well, but, in the end, he transferred over. He had only been a part of the team for a year and a half. Compared to the players of Tiny Herb who were born and raised there, his dependence on Wang Jiexi wasn't that strong.
When Vaccaria had fallen, he felt the same shock, but he didn't lose his cool, nor did he stop.
He had dealt with Soft Mist and had prepared to continue this offensive, but he hadn't expected that all his teammates would suddenly stagnate.
Xu Bin had intended to team up with Gao Yingjie and gang up on Little Cold Hands. So long as they got rid of Happy's healer, then their victory was pretty much assured. Who would've thought that Happy would adjust themselves even faster. Ye Xiu's Lord Grim swiftly came back to support and Su Mucheng's Dancing Rain also hurried over to regroup. However, what was more shocking to Xu Bin was that Gao Yingjie's Kind Tree had been easily blasted away by Lord Grim.
Angelica, having prepared to charge over and help him, could only stop. Then, seeing Gao Yingjie's message, he thought that there would be some sort of arrangement forthcoming. Though he had only come to Tiny Herb a year and a half ago, he had been named vice-captain. However, Xu Bin knew with clarity that Tiny Herb's future captain was Gao Yingjie. He was certain to be the one who would take up Vaccaria and continue Tiny Herb's fight after Wang Jiexi abdicated from his position. As for Xu Bin, he would always be a supporting character.
Xu Bin wasn't that ambitious and didn't have any complaints about this arrangement. After Vaccaria was defeated, the match would go to Gao Yingjie's control, so he was still that vice captain, the Knight that would stand by his king.
Yet after Xu Bin saw Gao Yingjie, the one who should take over, type that message into the chat, the other had fallen silent. In contrast, Happy's three players adjusted themselves decisively, swiftly removing themselves from the devastating trade and beginning to counterattack.
Boom boom!
Dancing Rain's missiles soared over.
No matter how lost Gao Yingjie was, his instincts as a pro player were solid. The opponent had attacked, and if he didn't know to dodge, then he deserved to die. Following Happy's attacks, Liu Xiaobie and Yuan Baiqing started waking up, facing the current situation with a more focused mind.
They still had the advantage.
That was obvious to them.
But, what should they do next?
Everyone looked to Gao Yingjie's Kind Tree
Tiny Herb had always revolved around their Witches. Their strategy and playstyle revolved around the Witch; they needed a hero to guide them.
The Tiny Herb of the past only had a Vaccaria. He was so dependable, always there to guide them on the battlefield. But now, they also had a Kind Tree. The dual Witch arrangement made them feel like they had two safety nets. However, everyone knew that this was merely a transitional period, slowly shifting the core of their team. Wang Jiexi, debuting in the third season, was coming to the end of his pro career. Of the talented players debuting in the same season, Zhao Yang had already retired and Yang Cong had abdicated from his position as ace, changing playstyles.
Only Wang Jiexi remained the way he was on the very first day, shouldering the entire team, allowing them to lean on him.
But now, it was time to switch players. From today onwards, another would hold up this team.
"Yingjie!" Liu Xiaobie called out in the team chat. They were doing their all to avoid Happy's attacks. Though it was four against three, they needed some sort of team tactic. They needed someone to led them into battle, and that person should be Gao Yingjie.
But.. what should I do? Gao Yingjie gazed at their opponent, their numbers depleted yet still closing in. Ye Xiu, Su Mucheng, even against Tiny Herb, who had won two championships, they were still the Best Partners on the field.
Could he do it? Gao Yingjie gazed into the distance as if his and Team Tiny Herb's new future was over there.