Chapter 8: Backstabs and Big Breaks
The final score was 16 to 9.
Jake and his team took the win. It wasn't because his Eye of Death could out-aim a high-tech "Spin-Bot"; it was simply because the opponent's cheat was too blatant. Whether out of a sense of fair play or pure fear of getting their accounts nuked for being boosted, the enemy team eventually voted to kick their cheater. Without their "immortal" carry, they crumbled instantly.
Jake wasn't ready to call it a night. He was about to hit 'Search' again when a red dot popped up on his friends list. [Friend Request: Wen Zhong]
Hmm... so it's that bot, Jake thought. Does he want a carry? I'm not running a charity here. He hovered over 'Reject,' but then he paused. That ID... he'd definitely seen it before his rebirth. It felt like a pro's handle.
He clicked 'Accept.'
The messages started flying immediately. Wen Zhong: "Yo, are you a pro? Your aim is disgusting." NIKO Himself: "Nah, just a guy with a dream. Your ID is familiar though—are you a streamer?" Wen Zhong: "Uh, not exactly. Ever heard of Advent?"
Jake practically slapped his forehead. I knew it! It's Advent—aka 259—the IGL of Rare Atom! No wonder his aim was so tragic!
Jake had only started following the pro scene closely around 2021, so he wasn't an expert on the "old guard," but he knew 259 was a legend who had already earned a Major sticker in the past. Currently, he was the brain behind RA.
In the original timeline, 259 would retire in mid-2024 without ever getting a second sticker. In his later years, he was the definition of "all brain, no aim." Jake vividly remembered a clip where 259, standing right behind an enemy, emptied an entire P250 mag into the air, throwing a 5v3 advantage. He was even featured in a "Who is the worst pro in CS history?" video by a famous YouTuber.
Still, Jake knew the man wasn't useless. 259 had a god-tier eye for talent. His "disciples"—JamYoung, Mercury, and Moseyuh—would all become Asia's top players by 2025.
If I join RA, I could learn the European style of play from the best tactical mind in the region, Jake realized. He quickly switched to "fanboy mode" to butter him up.
NIKO Himself: "Of course I know you, Advent! The #1 IGL in the country! What's up, man?" Wen Zhong: "I wanted to talk to you about something. You're sure you aren't a pro? Your entry-fragging is too clean." NIKO Himself: "100%. I'm just a ranked grinder."
Jake's heart raced. This is it. He's interested. I might actually get a trial before the RMR qualifiers! He stared at the chat box, but 259 suddenly went dark. Two minutes passed. Nothing. NIKO Himself: "Advent? You there?"
A reply finally blinked onto the screen. Wen Zhong: "Emergency. Add me on WhatsApp/WeChat first. We'll talk later. My ID is [Number]." NIKO Himself: "Got it."
Jake sent the request and, seeing that 259 hadn't accepted yet, jumped back into another match. He hoped for good news, but little did he know, things were falling apart on the other side.
City Hospital.
Tires screeched as a taxi pulled up. Lao Jiu (259) and Ju sprinted into the building and headed for the third floor. They saw two teammates sitting outside the operating room. 259 stomped toward them like a T-Rex. "What happened to aumaN?! Is he okay?!"
"aumaN" (Zhihong) was their veteran core player. Mercury (Hamburg) looked up, looking exhausted. "We were walking back from dinner when a 'Great Luck' truck lost control and swerved toward us. To avoid getting flattened, aumaN jumped over a fence... it was a five-meter drop. He broke his leg. He's in surgery now."
Kaze, the team's Malaysian sniper, looked like he wanted to punch a wall. "The doctor said the surgery is simple, but he's out for at least three months," Mercury added.
"Are you kidding me?!" 259 collapsed onto a blue metal chair. "The RMR is in weeks! We already had a slim chance against the Mongolians, and now our anchor is gone? Is the universe trying to kill RA?"
"We have to stay calm," Ju said, sitting next to him. "Maybe we pull Moseyuh up from the academy? He's a young gun, he's got the drive, and he's played with Mercury before."
259 covered his face. "Mo Siyu is talented, yeah. But he's a project. We don't have time to develop a rookie. We need a 'plug-and-play' monster—someone who can just walk into a server and delete people. Otherwise, we're missing the Major."
With less than two weeks before the roster lock, 259 felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. He needed a miracle. He needed a shooter.
And then, he remembered the "NIKO" from his last match.