Chapter 340: ToMB
Alright, maybe Zeno said it on a whim.
And yes—maybe his system wasn’t finished integrating his gaming skill just yet (it said it was on its final stage), but something about the online comments lit a fire in him.
He didn’t get triggered often—almost never.
But Zeno was going to win.
No, it wasn’t because of his pride.
Zeno was going to win because he had his reasons.
One, he wanted to improve his acting.
It was true that this game made him feel more things than usual—rage, anger, even shock when towers killed him.
Two, Mimi needed that prize money. That reason alone had him booting up at midnight just to die less often. Kidneys are pretty important. Her mom needs a new one soon.
And three, Phoenix was smirking like he had already won. Zeno could have overlooked it, but there was a part of him that wanted to see Phoenix’s dissatisfaction once they lost.
Unless it isn’t obvious yet, Zeno is competitive. He just doesn’t like to show it.
“Lacta Lynx” was still trending—again. Before the livestream even started. Even his fan accounts couldn’t hold back. A thread titled “Zeno as Lacta Lynx” had racked up over 300,000 likes.
Meanwhile, the arena was filled to the brim. Zeno, despite having an increase in fans, had even more haters now.
Apparently, his fans had taken all the tickets.
Most of the hardcore gaming crowd couldn’t even get in—and they were mad.
Meanwhile, in Row A, three familiar faces entered: Doha, Minji, and Eli.
Eli sighed loudly as they took their seats. “Why am I here?”
Minji didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed his hand boldly and guided him to the center seat beside her.
Eli hiccupped. “Minji—”
“Come on,” she said with a firm tone. “You’re too cooped up these days. Sit beside me.”
He sat. No question about that.
Doha grinned from the other side. “You look awful, by the way. That’s what lack of sun does to you.”
Back on the stage, the lights finally dimmed, and the spotlight landed in the middle of the stage.
The livestream started as MC Tiny strutted forward with a microphone in hand.
“Welcome to STAR COLLISION!”
The crowd roared.
“We’ve seen memes. We’ve seen meltdowns. And now we’re down to five teams!”
“However, this also means that certain teams are going to be given advantages due to the odd number of competitors,” he continued.
“Of course, we will determine this by a simple game—rock, paper, scissors.”
– What?
– Seriously?
– So, will one team advance straight to the top three by winning rock, paper, and scissors?
The five team representatives were called to the stage.
Phoenix was the first one to arrive, eliciting cheers from the crowd. Faze, too, had his own fandom of gamers. However, when Zeno arrived on the stage, the screams were deafening.
Minji, Doha, and Eli looked around with wide eyes. They knew their friend was famous now, but to see it with their own eyes was something else.
“Alright,” MC Tiny said, capturing everyone’s attention, “on my count!”
The cameras panned in one by one for dramatic close-ups, lingering just long enough to capture their expressions—and then finally, the face the livestream chat had been begging to see.
Zeno.
The camera zoomed in. His hair was still slightly tousled, his jaw relaxed, and his eyes low-lidded in that nonchalant way that drove fans crazy.
– OH MY GOD HE’S SO HANDSOME
– Who let him be this fine??
– his face is already winning
– Looks like a model walked into the wrong tournament
While Phoenix subtly flexed his jaw and Faze cracked his knuckles, Zeno just stood there casually.
His system buzzed quietly in the corner of his interface.
[Skill Integration: Final Touch-Ups]
So close. Just a little more. It would’ve been perfect if they got the advantage to go straight to the top three.
“Rock, Paper, Scissors!”
However, with only one round, the idol team won, and they were granted a spot in the top three.
Zeno pursed his lips but moved on. No use crying over spilled milk.
“Team SPIRIT is exempted!” MC Tiny exclaimed. “Now, it’s time to determine those who will be playing against each other. We’re going to toss the coin. Those who get the same side will be playing each other.”
They were all handed coins while the screen split to show the captains’ reactions.
They revealed their coins at the same time, and again, it was over in one round.
Zeno got heads.
Faze got heads, too.
Zeno’s team vs. Faze’s team.
– UNLUCKY LOL
– bye, bye zeno
– Oh no, they’re gonna get crushed
– Faze’s team is nuts
– Honestly, with how Zeno plays, they’re bound to lose no matter who they play against.
Faze turned slightly to glance at Zeno, his smirk lazy and confident. Zeno simply tilted his head, his hands back in his hoodie pocket.
If he was rattled, no one could tell.
MC Tiny laughed and declared, “That’s it! Match-ups are set! Teams, return to your waiting rooms. Game 1 starts in 15!”
Zeno turned and left without a word, the camera staying on his back longer than it did the others.
***
Back in the waiting room, the atmosphere was tense.
Jace leaned forward, eyes wide. “We’re against Faze’s team?”
Sangwon chuckled, sipping on his coffee. “I told you it was useless to hope, kids.”
Mimi, too, despite being a forever optimist, looked a bit shaken up. She was hoping to go against a weaker team, not Faze’s team or Daebak.
Before the gloom could settle further, a new announcement tone rang the intercom.
“Attention! A special treat for all our viewers and audience today—commentating this tournament are none other than… ToMB!”
The reaction in the waiting room was immediate.
Jace sprang up. “No way. ToMB?!”
Mimi squeaked. “You mean the ToMB?”
Zeno blinked. “What’s ToMB?”
They turned to him with wide eyes.
“You don’t know ToMB?” Mimi gasped.
“They’re the national team for Gear of Guardians,” Jace said.
Zeno gave a casual shrug. “Oh.”
– TOMB?
– They got CRABBY AND REAL-FAKER?!
– No way, omg this is a REAL tournament
– not Zeno getting roasted live by legends lol
ToMB settled in the commentator box.
Crabby, their famous Support player, laughed as he slid on his mic. “I swear, I was watching Zeno’s stream last night. That guy is comedy gold.”
Real-Faker, the cold and technical Marksman, didn’t laugh, but he nodded. “I’m honored to be the commentator of this game. This will also serve as good practice for our team.”
“Well, folks, we have everything ready!” MC Tiny exclaimed. “Now, it’s time to call the first teams to the pods.”
“Let’s welcome—Team UnFazed vs. Team Lacta?”
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