The room fell into a sudden, heavy silence.
As everyone returned to the locker room, the coach, having finished his heated discussion with the officials, fixed his gaze on their top-laner and let loose, "Why do you have to be such a disappointment? Fighting before the match, and now they won't let you play!"
The top-laner hung his head in shame, mumbling, "It's all my fault for being too hot-headed."
But the thought of Wade being behind the accident that threw their careers into a tailspin was too much to bear. They were at the peak of their game, potentially with three more years at the top, if not for the injuries. They had clinched the championship three times in a row, and now, their careers were shattered.
Not just him, but Clay and Karl were still reeling from the shock.
Karl, the rookie of the group, couldn't fully grasp the depth of their despair but knew he was up next for major league play, a future now jeopardized.
The locker room was drowned in silence, a heavy air of gloom hanging over.
The coach, lost for words at the sight of their dejection, thought about lashing out at Wade himself if not for the professional constraints holding him back.
Turning to Karl, he sighed, "We're short on players now. Karl, you..."
Karl bit his lip, "Coach, I'm only good at playing the ADC role. I've never practiced top-lane."
The coach glanced at Yates, then quickly averted his gaze. With Karl being a weak link as ADC, they couldn't afford to keep him there. His eyes then landed on Cordelia, a versatile player who had transitioned from ADC to mage. Maybe she could handle top-lane.
But that brought another problem - who would fill in as mage?
The team was in a bind, lacking not just in numbers but in spirit.
EW Club never had substitutes because their starting lineup was unbeatable. Their confidence was once their claim to fame, but now, it was their Achilles' heel.
As the coach pondered over their options, Yates suddenly asked Cordelia, "What about X, Lia? Ever played with him?"
Yates knew Everard was "X", the legendary player. If they could get Everard to fill in...
Cordelia paused, then slowly nodded, "Yeah, that could work."
Floyd was taken aback. Everard, joining an esports competition? Despite being a celebrated all-rounder, Everard had declined all professional invites, preferring to play for fun.
But Cordelia's call was made, and soon after, she announced, "He's in."
Floyd was flabbergasted. Everard had changed, apparently more amenable under Cordelia's influence.
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