Chapter One: The Uncrowned Player Found a Crown

Lin Jin had once passed a youth-team trial, but an old injury in his right wrist reduced the medical report to one sentence: No long-term professional value. Tonight, the final statue stood in the center of the Cemetery—the Dawnblade modeled after Han Xiao, a three-time world champion. The statue had two percent health remaining. Lin Jin had one hit point. Han Xiao's signature Seven-Star Reversal became seven white lines sealing every escape. Lin Jin did not dodge. Before the third slash fell, he canceled the recovery animation of his short sword, stepped onto the first sword mark, and used a collision lift lasting only three hundredths of a second to vault over the statue's head. The movement had no name.