Chapter 17

Noelle stood in the hallway, her gaze locking on Lucas. Lucas, clearly embarrassed and on edge, was the first to break the silence. "You came to enjoy the show, didn't you? Having fun? Does it feel good to watch people mock our family's team? Bet you're loving this!" Noelle's expression remained cold and unyielding. "You're just not good enough." Before Lucas could snap back, Team Trailblaze entered the backstage area. Noelle's sharp gaze shifted toward their captain, Marty Gildon. He had been the one to spew insults before. "Let me ask you. Are you an orphan? Do you have any parents?" Marty's face darkened. "What's that supposed to mean?" "It's literal. Your mouth is so disgusting. I figured that your parents might have passed away early and never had the chance to teach you any manners," Noelle said smoothly. Marty's fury ignited instantly. "You brat! Say that again, I dare you!" Noelle's icy demeanor didn't crack for a second. "Here's the deal. If you lose this match, you'll publicly apologize to my parents in front of the press for the garbage you've just said." "Lose? Us? You're out of your mind!" Marty sneered. "What's wrong? Too scared to agree?" Marty took the bait without hesitation. "Fine! But if you lose, your captain has to publicly apologize for what you just said, too!" With that, Team Trailblaze stormed off, their aggression practically radiating off of them. Noelle remained calm. Deep down, though, she already knew how this would end. Team Luminark was enveloped in a tense atmosphere. Lucas scowled, his frustration boiling over. "If we lose, you're the one apologizing. Don't act like you're a part of this team, Noelle. You have no right to make decisions for us!" "I'm only doing this to make him apologize for insulting my parents. Nothing more." Noelle's tone remained steady as she spoke. Before Lucas could argue further, Frank came rushing into the room. "Noelle! Seeing you here makes me so happy. Finally, our family is back together." Noelle pressed her lips into a thin line, offering no response. Frank glanced around the room. "Where's Xenia?" Lucas' expression hardened, his jaw tightening. "No idea. She ran off after I called her out." The rest of the team shifted uncomfortably before speaking up. "Lucas, Xenia was just really desperate to win. That's why she got so worked up. She didn't mean for things to go wrong." "Exactly. She's been working so hard. She often trains on her computer late at night. She's doing her best," another chimed in. "Yeah, Lucas. Honestly, what you said earlier was pretty harsh," added a third. Lucas' frustration simmered as the words sank in. "Harsh? What do they mean, I was too harsh?" he thought bitterly. It had been Xenia's idea to join the team. Naturally, without the talent, she would have had to work harder to maintain her position. The reality was that Xenia didn't have much talent. She had just made a big mistake. Lucas wondered if he couldn't call her out on it as the team captain. Noelle chimed in with the other team members, adding fuel to the fire. "Exactly! Xenia's worked so hard—sacrificing her schoolwork, no less—yet you still scold her, Lucas? Sure, you're only about to lose the match, but Xenia? She's lost her dignity!" Lucas felt his chest tighten with frustration. He questioned the reasoning behind this argument and wondered why this was suddenly his fault. Xenia was the one who didn't know what she was doing! Frank, who was standing nearby, fixed Lucas with a disapproving look. "Lucas, you really need to work on your temper. Think about how good Noelle used to be to you, and look at what you did to her. You yelled at her, broke her heart, and drove her away. Is that what you want to happen with Xenia, too?" "Frank, that's not even the same thing! This was Xenia's fault—" Lucas shot back. "Enough. I watched the live stream, Lucas. It's obvious. You're the one who led the team into that trap. As the captain, you're responsible for the team's performance. Xenia only made mistakes because she was too anxious." A wave of helplessness washed over Lucas. No matter what he said, Frank refused to listen. Off to the side, Noelle watched the scene unfold, her arms crossed and her expression coldly detached. "Finally, Lucas is getting a taste of his own medicine. How does it feel to be blamed? Misunderstood? To have no way to defend yourself?" she thought. Meanwhile, Frank pulled out his phone and tried calling Xenia, but the line went unanswered. "Forget about her for now. Let's focus on the game plan." Noelle's voice broke through the silence. "If you want to win this match, you'll have to follow my lead for the rest of the game. No exceptions." Lucas immediately scoffed. "And why the hell should we listen to you?" Noelle's dark eyes locked onto his, steady and unyielding. "Because I know how to win." Her tone was sharp, measured, and cold as she began to outline her strategy. During the earlier part of the match, she had closely observed Team Luminark's gameplay. She understood their strengths and weaknesses better than anyone. After all, they used to train together. "Anyone can talk a big game. Don't act like you're invincible just because you've got some talent. You haven't even been training lately, so what makes you think you can guarantee a win?" Lucas sneered. Noelle's lips pressed into a thin line. "If you don't follow my lead, I'll quit the match entirely." Lucas scoffed again, the sound filled with derision. "Quit, then. You think you're so important?" Before the argument could escalate further, Frank stepped in. "If no one else has a better plan, we should at least try listening to Noelle." Lucas opened his mouth to argue but found that he couldn't. Deep down, he knew that Frank was right. They didn't have any better options. Shortly after, the match resumed. Noelle took Xenia's seat. In her previous life, this seat had been hers. As she slipped on the headset, her eyes sharpened with determination. This time, she wasn't here to win Lucas' approval. She was fighting for herself. The unexpected player substitution by Team Luminark stirred up murmurs of curiosity and speculation among the audience. On the second floor of the arena, Cedric stood by the window, his gaze fixed on Noelle as she sat, focused and calm. Albert, standing beside him, spoke first. "Didn't you say that she was just here to watch the chaos? Yet look at her now—she's stepping in to compete. No matter how unfairly her family treats her, she still puts them first." "You're wrong. She's doing this for herself," Cedric replied. He understood exactly why she had stepped in. It wasn't for Lucas' sake. The light radiating from Noelle now wasn't borrowed or dimmed by anyone else. It was entirely her own. As the match resumed, the commentators quickly picked up on the substitution. "There's been a shake-up on Team Luminark. A roster swap just happened. This new player isn't someone we've seen before. It's hard to tell how strong they are. Given the current state of Team Luminark, turning things around will be no small feat." Noelle entered the game. Xenia's account was set up with the same class Noelle had mastered in her previous life—a long-range gunner. That familiarity allowed her to adjust instantly. Noelle efficiently established a formation and positioned the team to wait for the enemy's approach. But just as the strategy was falling into place, Lucas broke ranks and charged ahead, completely exposing their position. Noelle cursed under her breath. "What are you doing?" "Stay out of it! I can handle this on my own!" Lucas shouted. He couldn't stand sitting still, determined to prove himself. Instead, the enemy pinned him down, their relentless attacks leaving him helpless. Noelle wasn't surprised. Not even a little. She gave the next command without hesitation. "Support, cover me. Everyone else, stick to the original plan." With her launcher in hand, she vaulted over a nearby wall and fired a barrage of attacks. Her character's figure darted through the battlefield, weaving between buildings, appearing and vanishing unpredictably. The enemy team scrambled to keep up, their rhythm completely disrupted. The commentators grew more animated with every passing second. "My god, look at the precision from this gunner! Those moves are so polished. This doesn't look like someone new to the scene. It's the kind of play you'd expect from a seasoned pro! "She just stopped dead in her tracks and dodged the opponent's ultimate skill at the perfect moment. How did she know it was coming?" "And there it is! She's charging straight into the fight—mid-air double jumps—and lands a 12-hit combo! That's a move only King, the legendary pro player, could ever pull off! How is this so-called rookie executing it so flawlessly? It's unbelievable!" The crowd instantly erupted. King was a God in the world of competitive gaming. Although he retired years ago, his legacy still burns brightly in fans' hearts. The crowd wondered who this girl was and her connection to King.