Noelle stared at the screen. "My goal is the national team," she said calmly.

"Join Team Celestial, Ms. Nelly. It'll get you there," a voice suggested.

"Luminark only made the finals through a repechage. They're weak!" Noelle countered.

"Exactly! Internal issues, too. This amazing player was benched until they almost lost. Then she pulled off a twelve-hit combo!"

Noelle scanned the comments. "I haven't decided which team to join. The PK match is starting."

She logged in, preparing for the Player Kill match. Meanwhile, Lucas slammed his keyboard in fury at her response.

Xenia offered a false comfort. "Lucas, relax. She's just being arrogant, trying to boost her value. Offer her more money."

Lucas frowned. "Useless."

"Let me handle this," Xenia said, a gleam in her eye. She watched the livestream, plotting.

Mid-PK match, Noelle sneezed violently, a shiver running down her spine. Her opponent capitalized, landing a devastating ultimate move. Health critically low, Noelle darted for cover inside a building. After a tense wait, she burst out, almost instinctively starting a twelve-hit combo before abruptly stopping herself. She won easily, even without the combo, letting out a relieved sigh.

The comments exploded. "That jump… was that a twelve-hit combo?"

"Yeah! As a King fan, I know that jump. It's the combo!"

"Ms. Nelly, were you going for it?"

Noelle knew this was coming. "I'm a King fan too. I've practiced it. It just… came naturally. But it's tough to land, as you know!" She felt a prickle of unease. She’d almost blown her cover.

A ten-minute break arrived. "Ms. Nelly, Starlight's calling. Answer?"

She clicked the link, landing in Xenia's livestream. Xenia, in a white dress, heavy filters softening her image, sat before her computer, feigning innocence. Tears welled in her red eyes. "Ms. Nelly, I don't understand why you broke the contract and went to Firestorm. Lucas discovered your talent, taught you so much… and you just left. It's hurtful."

Haters swarmed Xenia's stream.

Noelle smiled coldly. "First, I never promised Luminark. Second, I owe my success to myself."

Xenia sobbed. "Everyone knows an untrained person couldn't be as skilled as you. Even if you wanted to break the contract, you should have done it nicely. Why Firestorm?"

Annoyed, Noelle opened her in-game chat. "Here's my conversation with Luminark's leader. The truth is here!"

She shared her messages with Lucas. He’d been so pushy, she wasn't holding back. The screenshots spread like wildfire.

"That drama queen needs to open her eyes! Lucas was pestering Ms. Nelly. She never promised anything!"

"Jealous of her success and trying to steal it? Shameless!"

"Don't try to justify yourself with tears! The public sees through you!"