Chapter Two: The Price of Ten Seconds

Seven minutes after Obsidian posted its announcement, the comments passed ten thousand. The video showed Lin Zhou walking down the windowless corridor in a black-and-gold jersey. It avoided Shen Yan's name and ended with a slogan: A NEW DAYBREAK. THE FUTURE IS HERE. The top comment read: Steal "day" for his ID and he thinks he can replace Ash's dawn? Another asked whether Obsidian planned to surrender at ten minutes with the academy's ninth-ranked jungler. Shen Yan owned two domestic titles and a Worlds semifinal. His fans did not believe the wrist-injury story, so Lin became the easiest target. Someone edited together every invasion he had suffered in academy play.