Chapter 56: Nostalgic for the Self That Was Once Invincible.
In Stream Room 6657.
Wan Jiqi's excited voice still echoed, but his tone had taken on a hint of gravity:
"They couldn't close out the match point, and Vitality called their final timeout on map two! This timeout is crucial, brothers!"
"Honestly, Vitality should have won that round. ZywOo opened the breach with an AWP pick Outside on m0NESY, then rotated inside and chained two more AWP kills—the situation looked amazing! But who could have expected… Dark! After picking up the AK, he just dismantled them with one perfectly crisp spray!"
On Vitality's side of the stage, the atmosphere had indeed grown a bit more subdued.
With today's BO3 reaching map two, Nuke, Vitality had to admit that this young talent G2 had rented—his fragging power… was indeed far more enduring than they'd estimated pre-match!
This was no longer something that could be explained by a simple hot streak. It was a terrifying ability to maintain output under high pressure!
But even though the atmosphere seemed somewhat heavy,
there was no negativity among Vitality's players.
No one was blaming their teammates.
This round, rather than attributing it to apEX's mistake with the Molotov and the smoke duel at the end, it would be fairer to say that after gaining an absolute advantage, the team's response to Dark's sudden eruption had been problematic.
If assigning blame, besides ZywOo still performing at a top level, Magisk and dupreeh being double-flashed and eliminated on site, as well as apEX's final decision, all carried responsibility.
apEX clapped his hands forcefully, his voice quickly regaining its fervor: "Come on! Lads! We still have match point! Remember, we're still ahead!"
"We didn't close that one out, so what! Next round, we're taking it for sure!"
The others quickly recovered their composure as well.
As professional players, they knew deep down that dwelling on the previous round's loss was meaningless; quickly adjusting their mental state to face the next round was what mattered.
At the same time, on G2's side of the stage.
Though Meng Lang had single-handedly turned the tide, after the brief celebration and excitement, the atmosphere did not grow any more relaxed.
In fact, there was more pressure than on Vitality's side.
Everyone knew in their hearts that the previous round had been seized back entirely through Dark alone defying fate against all odds.
On their own map pick, throughout the second half, especially in the crucial rounds, the team's overall performance had been less than ideal; one could even say they had been struggling, and every member felt an urgent sense of pressure.
NiKo kept flexing his wrists, repeatedly adjusting his sleeve guards, his brows tightly knit, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm his restless nerves.
In the first half, he had been like a war god, racking up twelve kills Outside to keep his team in the game, but after switching to the second half, as the rounds grew tighter and more desperate, his aim had only grown colder.
As the team's star player and secondary caller, he knew he had to step up at the most critical moment.
No!
This can't go on!
At this very moment, NiKo's desire for victory reached its peak!
He craved victory in the next round more than anything!
The brief timeout came to an end.
The thirtieth round of map two, Nuke, between G2 and Vitality in the Antwerp Major Challengers Stage was officially underway!
Stream Room 6657.
"Alright! Vitality's timeout is over. Have they cooked up some secret strat for this round? Let's take a look first. After failing their A-site execute last round, what have they opted for this time? Wait—straight Outside smokes to speed their way down K1?"
"But wait! Aleksib read apEX this round and threw a preemptive forward smoke Outside for K1, successfully sending NiKo into K1."
"Oh! m0NESY and Dark have swapped roles! m0NESY went to Squeaky, Dark is holding Outside. If Vitality drops K1 and Dark manages to spray through the smoke from long range, coordinating with NiKo perched at the K1 position, they could completely catch Vitality off guard!"
"The question now is whether Vitality, seeing this aggressive K1 push smoke from the CTs, has the awareness to clear the front of K1. Their four-man stack has already reached Red Box."
"But wait! Dark outside should have received the call to throw a fire-and-flash combo for NiKo at K1! But ZywOo caught him in his utility timing and immediately AWPed Dark outside!"
"Ooh—! So will Vitality still clear K1 now? The four-man stack at Red Box has already committed! I feel like they probably won't clear it! Dark's death has lowered their guard!"
"NiKo! This round is on you!"
"Two kills and it's a massive advantage!"
"Three! Get three and the round is instantly won!"
Accompanied by Wan Jiqi's voice, the atmosphere instantly tensed. The broadcast director's camera cut directly to NiKo hiding by the door at K1.
Yet under the gaze of thousands,
the next scene left countless viewers dumbfounded!
This time, Vitality's four players stacked in a train into K1. Because Meng Lang had been AWPed outside, their guard was lowered, and Magisk at the front was even running with his knife out!
But NiKo's seemingly perfect side-profile M4 spray only dealt ninety damage to Magisk before he flicked away prematurely, then tagged dupreeh for just over fifty!
Combined, he dealt over 150 damage,
yet somehow no one died!
Instead, he himself was stopped cold by dupreeh's AK with a crisp counter-strafe—
sprayed down!
Wan Jiqi's eyes flew wide open as he cried out in disbelief, "What! Vitality didn't clear the angle! But NiKo! NiKo didn't get a single one!"
"Ahhh—! It's over! What's going on! Vitality pushed in a train from Outside, teammates popped flashes to draw their attention for you, but NiKo—you didn't get a single kill! NiKo! What are you doing, NiKo!"
Wan Jiqi's composure was already cracking!
Meanwhile, after Vitality secured K1,
seeing two G2 players down outside, with the remaining ones likely at Squeaky and Lower, they instantly judged that the A site defense was empty.
apEX immediately called for a Main-and-Hut pincer on A!
"How's this looking? Four Vitality members pushing Main, with Misutaaa in Hut throwing utility! Inside A site, only m0NESY is left retaking Heaven from Squeaky!"
"Oh! huNter- is coming up from Lower through Vents! He pops a flash to create space for m0NESY! But he's instantly traded by dupreeh!"
Right as Wan Jiqi was delivering his passionate commentary, Aleksib, rotating up from K1, was also counter-held by apEX watching the flank!
"What? Aleksib is down too!"
"m0NESY——! Now it's only you left! Can you create the same miracle Dark just pulled off, force overtime for your team, and redeem yourself on this map?"
"Oh! Vitality is planting the bomb on A site! Here we go! m0NESY in Heaven peeks out! He was juked by dupreeh! That shot missed!"
"What! He was wallbanged by ZywOo static holding Main!"
"It's completely over—!"
"Alas—! Vitality still closed out map two on match point! G2 ultimately lost their own map pick, missing the chance to directly advance to the Legends Stage. Today's match is really going to map three! Then let's first congratulate Vitality on tying the series!"
"Seriously! Is it really a case of whoever's map pick loses?"
Before Wan Jiqi's words had even finished,
a dull "bang!" suddenly echoed from the studio stage!
The director's camera quickly cut to G2's side of the stage—NiKo had slammed his fist violently onto the table in front of him!
In an instant, the desktop even visibly caved in slightly!
Yet NiKo simply clenched his jaw, his face written with unwillingness and regret, his chest heaving wildly and violently.