CS: The Last Dance, a Dance That Leads to Professional Success

Chapter 142 The War Against Pests! Playing with Machines: Zero! (A combined 10,000-word chapter)

2K's controversial post-match interview video was like a depth charge, creating a huge uproar in the otherwise calm global CS community.

The comment sections of related posts on various forums and social media platforms were instantly flooded with players from all over the world, forming a massive online debate.

On HLTV, the CSGO section of Reddit, and domestic communities such as Tieba and MAX+, the vast majority of comments are overwhelmingly negative, pointing the finger at EG's commander 2K.

"'Pests'? Did I hear that right? If a player like Dark can be called a 'pest,' then EG's 0-3 exit from the Antwerp Major can be interpreted as the entire 'ecosystem' collapsing after the 'pest' left?"

"2K, besides shifting blame and being stubborn, what else can you do with that mouth of yours?"

"'Not suitable for the team's system'—that's the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard. Whether someone is suitable or not isn't something you can just say; it's something you can prove with data!"

"How long did Dark play for EG? Before his hand injury, in every match did he not have the best stats on the team, or even among the top players in the entire game? You say he's not suitable? I feel like the person who should have been kicked from EG back then was you, 2K, yourself."

"You think he's useless? Ask the management of EG Club if they regret it! I bet the owner of EG is kicking himself for Dark's performance!"

"If they had kept Dark back then, even if it was just to get a better price, it would have been much more dignified than this stubborn denial. I seriously suspect that EG's management is now looking at 2K with resentment."

"The guy in front is absolutely right! If I were the owner of EG, I'd be hating 2K right now! This isn't just letting go of a player; it's kicking out a future cornerstone of the team, a superstar who could bring in huge commercial value! This is a prime example of reverse team building!"

"You're right, guys. A top-tier firepower player like Dark means a ticket to the knockout stage of the three major super tournaments for any team. EG giving up that ticket and choosing to trust a commander who is no longer at his peak was a joke in itself."

However, there will always be different voices on the internet.

Especially in the North American CS community, there are still many loyal 2K fans defending him.

After all, the C9 team, led by 2K, miraculously defeated the super team FaZe Clan, led by Niko, at the 2018 Boston Major, winning the first and only Major championship in the history of North American CS:GO.

This victory marked a breakthrough for North American CS fans, achieving their first Major championship and remaining an unforgettable classic memory.

Therefore, despite the criticism of 2K's professional attitude and command style in Europe and the CIS region, he still has a group of staunch supporters in North America.

It can be said,
2K is their "white moonlight".

"I completely agree with 2K! He's right! You people who only look at the data simply don't understand how important team atmosphere is to a team!"

"From the match footage and team voice chat at the time, it was clear that the atmosphere within EG was already very tense, and that Asian player was obviously unable to integrate into the team. Under these circumstances, letting him leave was a relief for both sides, and I don't know why anyone would blame 2K."

"Dark's stats may look good, but that doesn't hide the fact that much of his stats are built on leeching off his teammates and sacrificing team tactics."

"Indeed, he often chooses unconventional and high-risk tactics to get kills. While this may make his personal stats look impressive, it often disrupts the team's overall defensive formation and offensive rhythm. A truly excellent player should shine within the team's system, not be above the team."

"That's right! Esports is not a one-man game! As the commander, 2K needs to consider the team's chemistry and tactical execution. If a player's presence makes the other four players uncomfortable or even affects their performance, then no matter how strong his individual ability is, he is not a qualified team member. 2K made a difficult but correct decision."

"Please, have you all forgotten who 2K is? He's a legendary in-game leader who led a North American team to a Major championship! Is his game understanding and tactical vision any worse than yours, you keyboard warriors? If he said Dark isn't suitable, he must have his reasons. What gives you the right to question the judgment of a champion in-game leader?"

"Those who mock EG, do you really think the Falcons can go very far? They're nothing more than a mercenary group built on oil tycoons' money, with absolutely no team cohesion. Just wait and see, when they encounter truly strong teams, their true colors will be revealed. Meanwhile, EG, after eliminating the 'pests,' is getting back on track!"

In the EG training room at the hotel.

Having just finished an interview, 2K returned to his room, sat down without saying a word, and started scrolling through his phone.

His face was expressionless, but his furrowed brows and rapidly moving thumb betrayed his inner turmoil.

He first clicked on the comments that supported him and read them carefully, one by one.

Every time he saw a comment that agreed with him, the corners of his mouth would curve upwards a little more.

"See? I knew it. Not everyone is blind."

Sure enough, there are still many people in North America on their side.

Reality is not fiction.

There are no bad people in this world without a reason.

The reason 2K stubbornly stuck to his opinion even after Meng Lang won the Antwerp Major was because he firmly believed that he had not done anything wrong.

He found a completely self-consistent logic for his behavior: Dark played too selfishly, disrupted the team atmosphere, did not listen to commands, and was a complete "stat padder".

Now, seeing so many fans online agreeing with his ideas, his logic has become completely closed and even more unbreakable.

My mood improved as a result.

But this good mood,

Before he clicked on the overwhelming number of negative reviews,
It has come to an abrupt end.

When he saw the comments mocking him for "kicking out the Major MVP" and "EG management regretting it to death," 2K's face instantly turned so dark it could drip water.

Involuntarily, the scene of EG being eliminated 0-3 after the Antwerp Major flashed through his mind.

During that time, the management watched as that young man from the East, whom they had kicked out, thrived in G2, overcoming all obstacles to finally lift the championship trophy. The look in their eyes when they looked back at their own team's dismal record was...

Those questioning and disappointed looks were like sharp thorns, piercing deep into 2K's heart.

He gets furious just thinking about it.

Today, when he saw the comment in the CS community that "Dark's firepower is a ticket to the knockout stage of one of the three major elite tournaments," he almost laughed out of anger.

He couldn't hold back any longer and looked up at his teammate Brehze, saying:

"Hey, Brehze, look at this comment! 'Dark's firepower is a ticket to the knockout stage of one of the three super elite tournaments'? Ha! That's ridiculous! Those idiots sitting behind their screens, and those damn oil tycoons, they may have money, but do they really think this tournament is their private property? That they can just win whenever they want?"

Seeing his commander's angry expression, Brehze didn't want to provoke him, so he just smiled and agreed, "Indeed."

2K was clearly still upset, and he continued indignantly, "Many people attributed G2's championship victory to that one guy alone. But don't forget, G2 had an all-star roster! From players to coaches, who wasn't a renowned figure? Niko, m0NESY, even Leonardo DiCaprio! They were all genuine star players. And XTQZZZ, a famous French championship coach. Were all these people's contributions completely ignored?"

"really."

Brehze continued to nod, but his gaze drifted elsewhere.

2K sneered, his tone full of disdain: "What is this Falcon roster? Apart from those three from G2, Snappi and Magisk are long past their prime. The whole team is just a second-tier team that can't even be ranked. Their coach, Zonic, may have a big name, but he can't carry this deformed team. If they're so capable, let them win another Cologne championship for me!"

"really."

Brehze nodded in agreement almost reflexively.

2K, who wanted to say something more, was speechless upon hearing this extremely perfunctory reply.

You little brat, you're just sitting here like a broken record.

Are you just giving me the runaround?

Brehze, possessed by his "definite type" personality, suddenly shuddered. Seeing 2K's unfriendly gaze and thinking of the deep "power" within the C9 clique, he couldn't help but change the subject, "Ahem, well... let's discuss how to draft for tomorrow's Falcon game, shall we?"

When serious matters were mentioned, everyone else's attention immediately turned to them.

Even 2K temporarily suppressed his anger.

After all, no matter how you put it!
esports

Ultimately, the winner takes all.

The winner,

Only then do you have the right to speak loudly.

If EG can cleanly defeat Falcons tomorrow, and crush this fledgling team into the loser's bracket, then everything 2K said in today's interview will become an undeniable truth.

Thinking about this, 2K couldn't help but feel excited.

He cleared his throat and began discussing tomorrow's tactics with his teammates.

"First, ban maps. We have to ban Sand 2. When that guy was with EG, Sand 2 was his signature map. We don't need to go head-to-head with him," 2K said first.

The coach nodded and added, "Based on G2's previous habits, they will most likely ban Death Park on the Falcon side. This way, we can choose a map that is more advantageous to us from the remaining maps."

"I recommend choosing Purgatory Town."

2K said without hesitation, "The Falcon team relies heavily on the individual skills of its players to win the game. The Town map has a complex structure and narrow attack routes. With Banana, Connector, and A bomb site, the map is narrow and has many corners, so the role of utility items is amplified. Here, gun skills alone are not enough; you also need delicate teamwork and tactical design."

He became more and more confident as he spoke: "We, EG, at least the old guys like us, have an experience and teamwork in small towns that their hastily assembled Falcon team can't compare to! We're going to crush them with our teamwork and tactics!"

As a gun commander, 2K is very confident in his marksmanship and command skills!

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

After a detailed discussion

They finalized their BP strategy and tactical arrangements for tomorrow.

At the same time, while EG was plotting how to "eliminate the threat," the Falcon team was enjoying a post-victory dinner in the hotel's buffet restaurant, in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

While picking up a piece of grilled salmon from her plate, m0NESY said somewhat embarrassedly, "I feel like I didn't play well today. I missed several crucial gunfights and wasn't consistent enough."

Niko chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, comforting him, "Don't say that, you've played really well. And, thanks to having such a consistent player on our team."

As he spoke, he looked at Meng Lang, who was engrossed in eating a steak, and asked curiously, "Seriously, Meng, how do you manage to maintain such a stable state? It seems like your marksmanship never fluctuates much at any time."

Upon hearing this, Meng Lang paused slightly in his hand as he cut the steak.

He glanced subconsciously at the system panel, which only he could see; the values ​​on it were clearly visible.

As long as it is increased to this value...
It will always be this value.

Fluctuations are impossible.

How should I explain this?
Meng Lang decided to tell the truth and turned to Old Ni seriously, "Actually, I have a panel! The values ​​are fixed!"

The old nun, who had been listening intently, was suddenly taken aback!
"Kovic, he's flirting with you."

The demon man egged him on.

Everyone burst into laughter!
"Can't you be a little more reliable?" Old Ni was also speechless.

Meng Lang shrugged helplessly.

First, let's eliminate one correct answer, right?
He had no choice but to swallow the steak in his mouth and mumbled, "Well... maybe it's just my mindset. I focus on each round and don't think too much."

"That's more like it," the old nun nodded.

Seeing everyone in high spirits, Coach Zonic smiled and raised his glass of orange juice, saying, "Alright, alright, everyone relax a bit. Today's game, Falcon vs. Mouse, should have been relatively easy. However, we can't be careless in tomorrow's match. Although EG isn't as strong as before, they are still a veteran team, so we can't underestimate them."

Magisk chuckled and interjected, "No need to worry too much. Tomorrow's match against EG will definitely see one person get extra motivated, their firepower will be at full capacity, right, Meng?"

As he spoke, he winked at Meng Lang.

Meng Lang just posted a status update on his Instagram and Weibo simultaneously using his mobile phone.

Putting down his phone, he noticed his teammates were all looking at him. He quickly waved his hands and said innocently, "No, no, no, everyone, don't misunderstand. I have no grudge against EG. We parted ways amicably."

"Actually, I'm in a good state of mind, very peaceful."

Sitting across from him, m0NESY was holding his phone. He was following Meng Lang on Instagram when a notification popped up. He opened it and couldn't help but burst out laughing, almost spitting out his drink.

Meng Lang's latest post consisted of only one concise and powerful sentence:

Brothers, watch me rid the three scourges tomorrow!

At the same time, on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, the comment section under Meng Lang's post instantly exploded with discussion.

"Eliminate the three evils in the dark!"

"So the question is, what are the three scourges? (doge)"

"Needless to say? Banana Man, Automatic Guy, RUSH, none of the C9 clique will escape!"

"I'm dying of laughter! Yesterday, 2K said in an interview that he wanted to get rid of the 'pests,' and today the Dark Lord said he's going to personally 'eliminate the three pests'! This is a head-to-head confrontation!"

"Great! The battle against pests has officially begun!"

"I can't wait to watch tomorrow's game!"

For a time, even though tomorrow's matches are only in the Cologne Play-In Stage, the topics of "Falcon vs EG", "Dark vs 2K", and "Eliminating the Three Evils" have become incredibly popular and discussed in CS communities and on major social networking sites both at home and abroad.

This also prompted many fans of other teams to post sour comments on the forum: "The current Falcon is just a celebrity traffic team that relies on hype and popularity, and has no foundation of a top team at all."

The next day, September 7th.

On the second day of the Cologne qualifying rounds, the first round of the winners' bracket officially began.

6657 live broadcast room.

"Guys, we're here! The match between Falcon and EG is about to start! Whoever wins today will advance directly to the Cologne main event, okay!"

Playing with the machine, watching the live stream where the number of VIP viewers had already exceeded 100,000 shortly after it started, I couldn't help but chuckle and hummed:
"I've noticed that everyone seems to never tire of this 'traitor' versus former team drama. Of course, the main reason is that the Dark vs. EG matchup is just too much of a topic, and there's also some 'enthusiastic citizen' constantly creating new topics. Hehehe, there's nothing you can do about it."

Upon hearing the joke about playing with the machine, the live stream chat was immediately flooded with comments again.

"Hilarious! Who told that banana guy to like dancing so much?"

"I've noticed it. Every time 2K is interviewed, he can't stop talking about Dark. He still can't forget about him!"

"Nonsense! After all, he personally eliminated a rising star through 'palace intrigue,' and now that person has become the Major MVP, how could his moral integrity not be damaged?"

"The Great Battle of the Rogue Ninjas (X)! The Great Battle of the Pests (√)!"

"Huh? There's a pre-match interview segment here. Let's take a look. It seems like this time it's given to the commanders of both sides."

He said, playing with the machine.

The camera then pans to EG's commander, 2K.

The host asked, "2K, facing today's crucial match, especially against your former player Dark, are you confident you can lead EG to victory and advance to the main event?"

Upon hearing this, 2K confidently put his hands in his pockets, raised an eyebrow at the camera, and said, "Confidence? Of course! I've always been full of confidence. I can't speak for other things, but when it comes to commanding, I'm absolutely confident that I can completely crush the opposing commander today."

As soon as he finished speaking, the camera immediately cut to Falcon's commander, Snappi.

The host relayed 2K's words to him verbatim and asked in an expectant tone, "Snappi, what do you think about 2K saying that he's going to completely outplay you at the command level today?"

Faced with this highly charged question, the 31-year-old veteran, who has played professionally for 14 years, remained completely calm.

He simply smiled nonchalantly and said to the camera:

"Since joining the Falcon family, my goal of 'becoming the best commander in the world' has changed. My new goal is to strive to become 'the best Dark user in the world'."

Snappi's words instantly caused an uproar in the chat room of 6657.

"Holy crap! This is a game-changer! Snapchat has really opened up a whole new world!"

"The Best Dark User! Snappi: What command strategy? I'll just use Dark!"

"Hilarious! 2K thought he was ahead, but he didn't realize that Snappi and he are on completely different levels!"

"."

Following the pre-match interviews, the second day of the Cologne Play-In Stage, the highly anticipated first-round match of the upper bracket – EG vs Falcons – officially kicked off!

After the pre-match interviews, the match officially began.

EG had good luck today, winning the coin toss and gaining the first pick/ban in the BO3 series.

They banned Sand II right away, since Meng Lang had been with EG before and was a Sand II expert back then. They didn't need to be stubborn and play Sand II against Falcon.

The Falcons once again proved that G2's true lineage lies with them. In their first BO3 after the reorganization, they banned Death Park, a champion that G2 never used to play.

Next, EG selected the town map as planned.

"Infernal Town? This map does have a lot of limitations for Star Guy and gunners with high firepower. What about Falcon? Oh! Did you pick Maze City?"

Next, both sides banned the Ruins and the Tower, leaving only one core card.

With this, all three maps for EG's Falcon promotion match have been revealed.

Image 1: Purgatory Town!
Image 2: Desert Lost City!
Figure 3: Nuclear Crisis!
After both sides warmed up briefly upon entering the server, the match officially began.

Figure 1: Purgatory Town.

T side: Brehze, Stewie2K, autimatic, CeRq, RUSH
CT side: NiKo, Snappi, m0NESY, Magisk, Dark
This is EG's map selection. Falcon has the right to choose sides. In the past, he would definitely choose T without hesitation at the start, since there is a bad guy in his team who can kill everything with his signature AK.

However, Meng Lang is no longer the same as before. He is now quite good at using the M4A1, and the map "Town" is a weak map for the police, so the CT side has a certain advantage.

After careful consideration, Falcon chose to start on the CT side.

"Alright guys! The match has started! From today onwards! In Falcon's matches, live stream channel 6657 will always enjoy the pistol rounds!" Wanji announced in his slightly Keqing-esque tone.

"Alright, without further ado, let's take a look at the pistol round setups for both sides. On EG's side, 2K started with a P250 and two sets of utility. The default starting position was 2B3A, but the bomber went to the side. It feels like EG's overall strategy for this round is still biased towards site A."

"Falcon has started with a set of items, and unsurprisingly, the dual pistols were given to Dark. They're doing a typical 3B2A opening, it looks like they're going to control the map and take Banana! But Brehze from EG has already pushed into the Banana pit! He can harass from this position in the early game, and he can also cover the rear if they rotate later!"

Bang Bang Bang!
Just then, the crisp sound of a P250 gunshot rang out from the bandit's mouth.

2K circled back and forth at the terrorist spawn point, observing whether any CTs were pushing forward in the middle lane, while simultaneously using gunfire to intimidate the three players in the banana lane, preventing them from making any rash moves.

Upon hearing the gunshots, Snappi on Banana Road indeed gave the order to defend behind the stone slab. With Dark's dual pistols guarding the area, he felt reassured.

As for 2K...

Seeing that no one was pushing forward in the middle, and glancing at his three teammates who had already made their way to the A1 site from the side, he immediately pulled out a smoke grenade and commanded rapidly in the voice chat: "Quick! Now! Sneak forward! Take control of the second floor first! We'll rush A! The enemy's duo guns are most likely in Banana! If we take the bomb site this time, we'll win easily!"

"Roger that!" the teammates replied in unison.

Live stream room 6657
The speed of speech while playing with the machine also increased:

"Oh! We can see that the T side's bomber is already preparing to go up to the second floor. EG is going to use a fly-to-the-second-floor tactic in this pistol round! Hehe! It seems that EG is still subconsciously trying to avoid Dark's dual pistols in the early stages of the round!"

"That's bad! Magisk is defending the second-floor balcony of A right now, and it seems like Magician alone might not be able to hold it off!"

While playing with the machine, he suddenly paused, a look of disbelief appearing in his eyes.

"Wait a minute! What?! The Demon Man and Dark switched positions?! What kind of god-like prediction and command is this?!"

Under the director's camera on the big screen.

The game time is 1 minutes and 20 seconds.

Snappi, who couldn't see the enemy in the banana lane for a long time, decisively issued a command in the voice chat to have Meng Lang and Magisk switch positions, relying on his rich experience and keen intuition.

Send Meng Lang, who is armed with two guns, to defend the second floor of Area A.

This was actually a tactical change that Snappi had planned long ago.

In the early game, defend the banana path from the back post, then quietly switch defenses in the mid-game, shifting the team's strongest firepower to area A to launch a surprise attack.

Although he hasn't played against 2K much and doesn't know much about 2K, he knows Dark and is better at putting himself in others' shoes.

If he were the T side's commander, how would he play against Dark, who might have dual pistols?
Therefore, the call for this switch was executed flawlessly and smoothly.

Watching Meng Lang rapidly move into position on the minimap, and then glancing at the EG trio making their way up the spiral staircase under the director's camera, ready to pre-aim and provide follow-up shots, Wan Ji couldn't help but quicken his speech:
"The EG trio is controlling the second-floor area! But Falcon is only defending the bomb site on A site this game, and there's no one left on A1 or the second floor. 2K has already reached mid and is preparing to bomb! This is a jump shot, a smoke grenade for the second floor of the grass cart! Where is Dark?"

Accompanied by the sound of playing with machines, the director cuts to show Meng Lang nimbly jumping onto the hay cart at point A and landing steadily on the second-floor balcony!

"Oh! It seems like 2K missed sealing the compartment with his cigarette butt; he didn't seal it in the hay cart!"

"But that doesn't matter anymore! EG's three-man squad on the second floor has already flashed up!"

Boom!

Two crisp flashbangs exploded in the air above the second-floor balcony, instantly turning the entire area into pure white!
Just as the flashbang exploded, Meng Lang, who had just jumped onto the balcony, executed a textbook-perfect backflash maneuver! He turned around almost at the same frame as the flashbang exploded, perfectly avoiding the flash effect!

The next second, he suddenly turned around, and the two guns in his hands began to spit fire like holy lances being bathed!

Snap, snap, snap—!
He frantically clicked the left mouse button while controlling the character to sway back and forth with tiny steps, his movements as agile as a ghost!
The first autimatic to rush out from the second floor was instantly melted by a barrage of bullets before he could even react!
The sniper CeRq, who was right behind him, was also riddled with bullets the moment he showed his face!

RUSH, who was covering the rear, tried to finish off Meng Lang, but Meng Lang skillfully dodged the fatal bullet with a side jump, and then easily took him out with another burst of fire!
Falcons Dark headshot EG autimatic with dual Beretta weapons

Falcons Dark killed EG CeRq using dual Beretta weapons.

[Falcons Dark headshots EG RUSH with dual Beretta wields] "Oh! Dark! He's on the second-floor balcony, catching three people flying up to the second floor all by himself! He's low on health! But A1's 2K has also pulled out! Dark only has 7 HP left! Can he finish him off?!"

Seeing his teammates vanish instantly after pulling out 2K from A1, he was also greatly shocked.

He immediately raised his P250 and opened fire on the lowly figure!
Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
Three bullets whistled out!

A bullet grazed my shoulder!

The shot hit the wall next to it!
One shot... I don't know where it flew off to!
All three shots missed!

However, Meng Lang, who had just completed a triple kill, suddenly stopped and turned around the moment he heard gunshots coming from A1. His two guns seemed to have eyes, and he started sweeping around in the direction of 2K!
Falcons Dark headshots EG Stewie2K with dual Beretta weapons.

Playing with the machine, he suddenly drew out his words, producing his alluring, super-sounding bubble voice: "Wow—! Dark! He turned around and used his dual pistols to sweep 2K as well! My god! He really swept from close range to far range! Dark's dual pistols are still so fierce, outrageously fierce! This is the power of the Groove! This is the firepower of the Groove!"

"But then again!" Wanji paused, his tone filled with disbelief and speechlessness, "Dark only had 7 HP left! 2K came from A1, it felt like he could have finished him off with just one shot, right? But he didn't finish him off, he missed all three shots!"

"You could understand if you missed three shots from behind! But this is from the front! Seven drops of health from the front, and three shots all missed! I can only say..."

While playing with the machine, someone suddenly moved close to the microphone!

"Is this even human?!"

The chat room exploded with comments!
Old Ni: ???

"Guided with goodwill!"

"What kind of human outline shooting technique is this?"

"Where did your pre-match bravado go? 2K, where did your confidence go? Why did you falter as soon as the game started?"

"This might be the legendary 'non-killing gun'! Beneath the muzzle, there remains a trace of mercy for his former comrades!"

"That's right! All the memories of the past flooded his mind at this moment, making him unable to bring himself to pull the fatal trigger!"

"I think 2K and Dark are a perfect match."

Let's go get a large portion!

"."

At the same time, on EG's playing field.

After the banana path was cut off, Brehze, who had just heard a series of kill notifications and was preparing to sneak out, froze in the groove when he saw his four teammates' screens instantly go gray. His lips twitched, and only one thought crossed his mind: "It's over..."

Finally, NiKo and Snappi, launched simultaneously from Banana Road, easily defeated the isolated and helpless Brehze.

Snappi was replaced by Brehze, but NiKo finished off the missing shot.

The score on the field is 1-0.

On the Falcon competition stand, m0NESY said somewhat speechlessly, "Wait, buddy? Where are they? I don't see a single one." He had just been blocked by smoke at the connection and had taken a slightly detour, only to find that the battle was already over when he returned.

Everyone laughed when they heard this.

Magisk patted him on the shoulder and said, "Dark wiped them all out. You'll have to be quicker to provide backup next time."

Snappi also jokingly remarked:
"If we can keep you from seeing anyone every time, then we'll have an easy time."

Meanwhile, on the other side, the atmosphere at EG's booth was deathly silent.

2K's face was ashen. He stared intently at his gray screen, his hands gripping the mouse tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hands.

He doesn't understand!

He didn't understand at all!

Those three shots just now,
Why did you miss every single shot?

Could it be a curse from someone on the other side?
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his frustration. Instead of twisting the rope to boost morale as usual, he directly issued the command to start the next round via voice chat.

Brehze was thinking of playing it safe and going with E first.

But hearing 2K's clearly suppressed anger, he swallowed his words.

"No? Forced to get up?"

Seeing EG's equipment setup in the second round, the player couldn't help but shake his head. "EG seems to be getting a bit overconfident! This map, Town, relies too much on items. Even if you have the money to buy guns in a force buy round, if you don't have all the necessary items, you'll be at a huge disadvantage whether you're on the attacking or defending side."

"Let's first take a look at what we have to say about EG's force buy game?"

EG called a fake A, real B tactic in this round.

After creating a lot of noise and item traces at point A and mid lane, they suddenly turned to bomb site B with 40 seconds left on the clock.

However, just as EG touched the stone slab and detonated the bomb, Meng Lang immediately turned around and shouted to NiKo behind him, "Young Master Ni, dodge!"

NiKo understood immediately and unleashed a high-quality flashbang in an instant.

Taking advantage of the flash effect, Meng Lang pulled out the stone slab, his M4A1 like the Grim Reaper's scythe!

Falcons.Dark used an M4A1 to headshot and kill EG.Stewie2K

Falcons.Dark killed EG.RUSH with an M4A1.

Double kill in an instant!

2K, who was charging at the front, didn't even have time to fire a shot before Meng Lang, who had a blank look in his eyes, knocked him out of the head with a single shot!

After killing the man, Meng Lang didn't hesitate to throw a smoke grenade to block the view of the banana path and quickly retreated to a safe position.

EG's follow-up players wanted to give chase, but were blocked by the smoke and hesitated for a moment.

Just then, Meng Lang threw a hidden smoke grenade for NiKo!

NiKo understood immediately and emerged through the smoke, braving the flashing lights!

Falcons.NiKo killed EG.autimatic with an M4A1.

Falcons.NiKo used an M4A1 to headshot and kill EG.Brehze.

Double kill!

Exclaiming in surprise while playing with the machine:
"This is the darkest part of Banana Lane! Two top players have turned it into an impenetrable fortress! EG's force buy and speed boost have left them battered and bruised!"

CeRq, who was holding a sniper rifle at the terrorist's spawn point and was about to ambush someone, was stunned when he saw his four teammates' screens turn gray in an instant.

In the end, he tried to save his gun and armor, but the Falcon team easily found and killed him.

2:0.

In the next round, EG's economy collapsed after their failed attempt to force a buy, leaving them with only E units.

The Falcon took it easily.

3:0.

In the fourth round, the match finally entered the first long rifle round of the first half.

"EG played with a lot of intensity today!"

"But they did an eco round, so it's time to calm down," the commentator said with a smile. "This next round is the first long-range rifle round of the match. Whether EG can pull back a point depends on this round!"

At the EG booth, 2K's face remained gloomy. He spoke very quickly, saying, "This time, we'll still go for the banana route."

Upon hearing this, Brehze, who was standing nearby, instinctively spoke up: "But, the banana road..."

"I know it's difficult!"

2K immediately interrupted him, his tone carrying an undeniable firmness, "But are we supposed to avoid that guy for the entire match? Don't worry, if we can improve our teamwork, we have nothing to fear from him! Once we get to B bombsite, it's just simple defense!"

Simple defense?
But the question is, how did they break in?
Brehze fell silent.

On the field, the commander's authority needs to be upheld.

"Wow! EG's brains still don't seem to have completely calmed down!" Play Machine couldn't help but say with a laugh. "Are they going to fake a mid or A site attack at the start? Wait! It seems like EG is going to speed things up in this round! They're going to launch a fast rush on RUSHB!"

As soon as the game started, accompanied by the sounds of machines being played, the T team's items rained down on the banana lane!

Stone slabs extinguish fire smoke!
Mid-lane harassment with flashbangs and fire!

Sandbag fire plus yellow wall mine!
Smoke from the police station!
"Whoa! This Falcon round is a double B opening, with only Niko and Dark in the B site! Niko got hit by a grenade while throwing a utility, and his health is not full! Dark seems to have sensed that EG is going to rush B in this rifle round, so he immediately threw out a smoke grenade to delay the opponent's attack and wait for his teammates to rotate back!"

On the Banana Road side, 2K passed the stone slab and was overjoyed when he saw the partition smoke!

He yelled into the voice chat, "Quick! Their B site is weak this round! Let's charge in and crush them!"

Upon hearing this, the morale of the EG players soared, and they pressed their advantage by setting fire to the bomb site in B site!
Then, a flashbang followed by smoke!
"Wow! EG is playing very aggressively! They've gone straight for smoke and flashbang!"

"But wait! What?! Dark! At the moment EG flashed, he, who was close to the smoke screen, did not choose to retreat, but instead directly scurried into the smoke!"

"Niko! Niko has retreated to his coffin position and is hooking people!"

"But EG has thrown all their Thunder and Fire attacks over there! Niko is low on health! The Coffin position can no longer hold!"

"Is Dark still not moving?! Is he waiting... waiting for the last 2K, who's thrown all his items behind the smoke, to come over too?!"

As soon as he finished speaking about playing the machine, 2K, having thrown all his items, was indeed the last one to rush out of the smoke.

He immediately gave instructions over the voice chat:

"Count everything first! After counting, seal the coffin with incense and start packing!"

Several EG players were about to rush in.

Execute the command.

But just then, the ghost that had blended into the smoke appeared silently behind them.

The next second, the dull and merciless gunshot of the M4A1 echoed throughout the entire B bomb site!

Puff puff puff!
Like a grim reaper returning from hell, Meng Lang unleashed a precise burst of fire from his M4A1, the muffled sound of its silencer echoing through the air, at the unsuspecting backs of the EG players!
The bullets seemed to have eyes, piercing the skulls of every enemy with pinpoint accuracy!

autimatic, CeRq, RUSH, and Brehze—almost simultaneously, like wheat being cut down, all fell down!

In the upper right corner of the screen, four kill notifications instantly appeared!

Falcons Dark used an M4A1 to headshot and kill EG autimatic.

Falcons Dark used an M4A1 to headshot and kill EG CeRq.

Falcons Dark headshot EG RUSH with an M4A1

Falcons Dark used an M4A1 to headshot and kill EG Brehze.

Meng Lang, who emptied his magazine at lightning speed, immediately turned around and retreated into the smoke.

EG's B site offensive collapsed in just two or three seconds!

"Wow!!!! Quadra kill! Dark got a quadra kill after flanking! EG's speed boost has been completely shattered!" Player Machine shouted hoarsely.

The four of them were stunned when the screen turned completely gray!
You call this weak defense?

2K, who had rushed to the second box, heard gunshots behind him and quickly turned around to help, only to see a cloud of white smoke and his teammates' corpses scattered all over the ground!

2K's eyes immediately turned red!

Labor and management are really messed up!

He raised his AK and unleashed a barrage of fire into the smoke!

Unexpectedly, the coffin fire that EG had just thrown out was extinguished by a coffin smoke that had been thrown out beforehand.

Niko, who had been hiding behind the coffin and unable to lift his head due to the oppression, took this opportunity to quietly slip out from the other side of the smoke!
He appeared behind 2K and with a precise back-to-the-basket shot, easily took away EG's last hope!

The score on the field suddenly became 4-0.

After losing four consecutive rounds without scoring a single point, EG finally called their first tactical timeout of the match.

Although 2K has a history of refusing to communicate and ignoring the coach's tactical timeouts during matches, this time, he was completely dumbfounded after failing to kill anyone or even deal any effective damage in the first four rounds.

It wasn't until the coach called a timeout that he snapped out of his daze and realized what was happening.

The live stream chat was flooded with comments again.

"Timeout! Timeout! The coach's here to cool things down! If he doesn't calm things down soon, 2K's mentality is going to explode!"

"That Dark's reverse smoke-feeding move was absolutely brilliant!"

2K: Where the hell am I? I turned around and all my teammates were gone?

"Is this what top-tier command looks like? He managed to direct all four of his teammates to the enemy's guns. I love it!"

"."

In the fifth round, EG, whose economy had completely collapsed, had no choice but to opt for a pure ECO strategy.

Faced with Falcon's full armament and Meng Lang's discovery of the AK, they couldn't even put up a decent resistance and were easily slaughtered by Falcon like lambs to the slaughter.

The score is now 5-0.

In the sixth round, EG finally saved up enough money to start their second long-range rifle round of the first half.

After the pause, 2K forced himself to calm down and tried to launch a more meticulous bombing run in Area A.

However, the imbalance in mentality has affected the team's decision-making and marksmanship.

Their bombs seemed sluggish and hesitant. m0NESY, who was holding the gun, took one out with his sniper rifle, and NiKo, who was pushing forward at the terrorist entrance in Banana, took another one out. EG's attack was thwarted before it even officially began.

By the time they managed to get into bomb site A, the Falcon team members who had returned from the police spawn and the middle lane had already surrounded them. Meng Lang's AK was like a hot knife through butter, easily reaping the kill.

6:0.

The next few rounds felt like a nightmare loop.

EG's attacks were either brutally crushed by Meng Lang and NiKo's ironclad defense in the banana lane, or scattered and broken by Falcon's omnipresent forward pressure and information gathering during rotations.

2K's command began to become chaotic, sometimes aggressive and sometimes conservative. This irregular variation caused his teammates to make frequent mistakes in their execution.

In contrast, the Falcons, under the command of veteran Snappi and supported by Meng Lang's steady firepower, had an impregnable defense and incredibly sharp counterattacks.

7:0…

8:0…

When the chime signaled the end of the ninth round of the first half, the glaring 9:0 on the scoreboard struck the hearts of every EG player like a heavy hammer.

"beep--"

EG's coach finally lost his temper and called the second timeout of the game.

"My God! 9-0! Falcons are really playing well against EG today!"

In the 6657 live stream, a player watching the score exclaimed in amazement, "The first half is only a little over halfway through, and the Falcons have already taken nine points in a row, completely overwhelming EG! This dominance... wait a minute?!"

He suddenly paused, as if he had seen something incredible, and leaned closer to the screen to take a closer look at a certain comment.

"The chat is saying someone on EG has a 0/9 score???"

The voice playing with the machine was filled with doubt and disbelief, "Let me see... Hiss—! 2K?! Stewie 2K, 0 kills and 9 deaths?! This..."

He scrolled rapidly across the data panel, and when he saw a specific value, his eyes widened instantly, and his voice suddenly rose eight octaves:

"No way! Dude! His... his ADR (Average Damage Per Turn) is... how come it's zero?! Ouch—!"

I was so shocked by the machine that I gasped!
"I can understand that he didn't get a single kill in the first nine rounds; you can't do anything about a crushing defeat. But what does it mean that his ADR is 0.0?! It means that in those nine rounds, he didn't even land a single effective shot?! Not a single shot?! What the hell?! How is that possible?! You could at least land a gadget, right?!"

"Is this Zero Egg even human?!"

The chat in the live stream went completely crazy:
"Haha! 0/9! I could do that too!"

"ADR 0.0??? Is 2K playing with his mind?"

"So this is what 2K meant by 'outperforming the opponent at the command level'? It really did, but it was our own stats that were outperformed!"

"Tell me loudly! Who is the pest?!"

Meanwhile, at EG's competition booth.

The pause notification sounded in his ear, but 2K seemed not to hear it.

He stared blankly at his gray screen, his mind a complete void.

0 kills, 9 deaths...

0 damage...

These two numbers, like two mountains, weighed heavily on his heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He felt like a clown stripped naked and thrown onto the center stage of the world, enduring ridicule and scrutiny from all sides.

He can't figure it out!
He really couldn't understand it!
Why is this happening?

Why is it that every single one of my attacks, every single pre-aiming, is thwarted by that guy in such an inexplicable way?

Why do we keep going until the end!
He didn't even have a chance to fire a shot.
Will they be instantly killed?

broken!

The feel for it is gone!
My touch must have gone cold!

2K knew his touch had been completely ruined!
He immediately gritted his teeth!
Because of that guy on the other side!

Damn it, he killed him seven times in his matchup!

No!

We must fight our way back!

I'd even kill someone else!

This is 0/9!

Data with 0 output!
It's so ugly!

In an instant, 2K became extremely anxious and desperately wanted to kill someone!
at the same time!

The atmosphere at the Falcon competition area was jubilant.

"Nice! Well done, guys!" Zonnick encouraged his teammates. "Keep it up, let's try to score more points in the first half!"

Looking at the 9-0 score on the screen and the glaring stats of the opposing 2K, Meng Lang couldn't help but smile slightly.

Just now,

After Meng Lang used his AK to kill 2K again, helping his team secure their ninth point, a system notification that only he could hear clearly rang in his mind:

[Ding! Detected that the host has used an AK-47 to kill the same target Stewie2K five consecutive times on the same map!]

[The trigger condition for the passive skill "Regal Majesty" for the title "AK Tyrant" has been met!]

[Immediately apply the "Royal Majesty" effect to target "Stewie2K"?]

(System notification: The King's Might effect will last until the end of this match, greatly reducing the target's focus, confidence, and aim stability. The target can attempt to break this effect by "King Killing" the host.)
Meng Lang hesitated almost without hesitation.

Recite in your mind:
"Apply!"

The next second, a pleased smile appeared on his lips.

(End of this chapter)