Chapter Three: Beyond Seven Seconds

“Wanqing, break the shaft! Lin, shoot where Pei Jin was three seconds ago!” Wanqing converted all her pain into one punch. Cracks webbed the glass. Lin fired into empty space; three seconds later Pei Jin reappeared there, caught the arrow, and used its momentum to swing clear. The central mind fell and shattered into blue light. 【Victory. Qualifiers: 2/12.】 Before the map dissolved, Oracle's captain shouted, “We aren't volunteers! Sixteen teams were chosen. Only the world champion survives!” “Then we won't fight for only one champion,” Gu Chen answered. He woke to an electronic ruling that restored his professional eligibility, issued by a global esports tribunal that did not exist.