Chương 1: The Cost of Arrogance
Key Story (1) - Chapter 1
The evening had settled comfortably over the city, the fading light casting a warm glow through Raxian's window. After finishing his dinner and cleaning the dishes, he took a quick shower to wash away the remnants of the day. Most people might slip into their pajamas after a long day, preparing for a restful night. But Raxian had different plans. Instead, he slipped into his favorite gamer outfit: an oversized hoodie featuring the bold True Damage logo, layered beneath a fitted jacket with dark shades and neon accents. Paired with comfortable sweatpants, the ensemble was perfect for those long grinding sessions, blending comfort and style effortlessly.
He stepped back into his room, keenly aware that his dad was already asleep and that his mom wouldn't be home until late. This was the perfect opportunity for him to dive into a solid gaming session. Settling into his gamer chair, he booted up League of Legends, his heart racing with anticipation as he entered the ranked solo duo queue, waiting for his match to pop. With 90 LP under his belt, he was just one game away from ranking up to Diamond IV—finally escaping Emerald hell and joining his friends.
Posters of Ekko lined his walls, each serving as a reminder of his dreams of becoming a professional player. As the queue popped, Raxian entered champion select. He didn't get first pick, but his teammate agreed to swap with him, allowing him to select Ekko first and ban the champion he found most annoying—Akali. She always felt like she had no counters at all, so eliminating her was a relief, especially for this promotional game.
However, his confidence faltered when he saw the last pick lock in Fizz. Raxian's stomach twisted slightly at the sight; Fizz was a notorious counter to Ekko. Shaking off the worry, he reminded himself not to panic. Just play it cool, he thought. You main Ekko, and you're mechanically solid. Just play it out like any other game and carry your team. Everything will be fine.
As the loading screen appeared, he checked the ranks of his teammates and opponents. To his relief, the enemy Fizz didn't have much experience with the champion; they hadn't even unlocked a mastery level on him. Raxian rationalized that his opponent might have picked Fizz just to counter him without actually knowing how to play the champion, making the laning phase an easy win for him.
The game began, and Raxian confidently secured the jungle, ensuring their side wouldn't be invaded. He then headed to lane, his early bravado pushing him to act cocky toward his opponent, assuming they were inexperienced.
But to his surprise, Fizz played exceptionally well, dodging Raxian's abilities and punishing him for his arrogance. He pinged for a gank, but it turned disastrous—their jungler couldn't secure a kill, and they didn't even burn any summoner spells. Dammit, Raxian thought, frustration bubbling beneath the surface as he grappled with how to handle this unexpected challenge.
Despite his best efforts, Fizz snowballed out of control, leading to Raxian's ultimate defeat. As the game ended, the harsh reality set in: he had lost 15 LP, dropping him down to 75 LP and shattering his hopes of promotion.
Raxian leaned back in his chair, the weight of defeat pressing heavily on his chest. He had just lost his promotional match to AkarisLite, the Fizz player who had utterly dismantled him in mid lane. The humiliation surged through him like a hot tide, and he felt the heat rise to his cheeks.
"What a joke," he muttered under his breath, frustration bubbling over. He had taunted her at the beginning of the match, confident in his skills, and now he was left to stew in his embarrassment. How could I let this happen? The thought echoed in his mind as he stared at the screen, the reality of the loss sinking in.
Who was this player that had so effortlessly kicked his ass? He squinted at the name: AkarisLite. Curiosity piqued, he clicked over to her match history. The records revealed a wide variety of champions played across different roles, but none had high mastery scores. This has to be a smurf account, he concluded, frustration gnawing at him as he leaned back, letting the weight of his defeat settle heavily on his shoulders.
In a moment of desperation, he opened his friend list and noticed Raze was online. Grabbing the opportunity to vent, he quickly shot him a message.
"Raze! You won't believe it! I just lost my promos to a smurf account!! They stomped me mid with Fizz!"
To his surprise, Raze replied almost instantly.
"Sounds like someone got a taste of their own medicine. What happened? Did you rage-quit?"
"No, but I definitely should have dodged the champ select when I saw them lock in my counter! How was I supposed to know they'd be that good?" Raxian typed back, irritation still simmering in his words.
"You should totally add them," Raze suggested, a mischievous smirk creeping onto his face. He relished the chaos this would surely bring. "I want to see you go off! This is going to be hilarious."
Raxian hesitated, his fingers hovering uncertainly over the keyboard. "What? Why would I do that?"
"Come on! You're heated and caught up in the moment. Just imagine the chaos that'll unfold! Plus, I want screenshots of your conversation!" Raze's playful tone only intensified Raxian's curiosity.
As he reflected on the match, Raxian's initial frustration began to morph into something deeper. He realized that his anger wasn't solely about losing to AkarisLite; it was about the insecurities that had resurfaced—the nagging fear that he wasn't good enough to achieve his goals. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this, he thought, pushing his chair back and staring at the ceiling, grappling with self-doubt.
Shaking his head, he was determined to push those negative thoughts away. No, I can't think like that. I need to learn and get better.
Moments later, Raxian's phone buzzed. It was Raze. "Time to add them and give them a piece of your mind!"
With a determined nod, he added AkarisLite as a friend, surprised when they accepted the request almost instantly. His heart raced with a mix of adrenaline and apprehension. What do I even say?
After a brief moment of contemplation, he typed: "Congrats on kicking my ass! Did you enjoy ruining my promotion?" His finger hovered over the send button, a mix of anticipation and dread swirling in his stomach. Would they respond with sarcasm? Would they brush it off?
He hit send, feeling a rush of defiance. The need for confrontation simmered beneath the surface, still stinging from the encounter.
A few tense moments passed, and he stared at the screen, waiting for their response. He wondered if he had crossed a line, if he had pushed too hard. But deep down, he felt he needed this.
Suddenly, a reply popped up on his screen.
"It was fun! Sorry about your promo, though. You're not bad for an Ekko player."
Raxian felt a mix of irritation and intrigue. This wasn't the reaction he had expected.
"Not bad? Is that your way of saying I'm terrible?" he shot back, a hint of sarcasm creeping into his tone.
"Just saying you have room for improvement," they replied, and Raxian could almost picture their smirk.
Raxian frowned, torn between annoyance and a strange sense of camaraderie. "Room for improvement? More like you're lucky I wasn't on my game today. I've beaten better players than you," he fired back, feeling the anger bubble up.
"Right, because losing to a 'smurf' means nothing," they shot back, their tone sharp. "If you were really that good, you wouldn't have lost to me in the first place."
"You think just because you picked my counter, you think you're better? I don't even know why I'm wasting my time talking to you," he fired back, feeling the anger bubble up.
"Wow, real mature. Keep blaming your losses on everyone else. That's a great way to improve," they retorted, and Raxian could almost hear the eye-roll through the screen.
His fingers trembled with frustration as he typed, "At least I'm trying to climb, unlike some players who just smurf around to feel good about themselves."
"Enjoy your little tantrum, Ekko. It's clear you're just mad because you got outplayed. Maybe focus on learning from it instead of lashing out."
With that, Raxian felt the rush of adrenaline fade, leaving only embarrassment and regret. "Fine. Enjoy your win, Fizz," he typed, and as he hit send, he realized he might have just made an enemy instead of a rival.
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