As Josh cautiously pushed open the door labeled St Joseph, he was met with a sight that defied his expectations. Instead of the traditional exam room he had originally imagined, he found himself stepping into a bustling gaming PC cafe. The room hummed with activity as people sat engrossed in their games, their eyes fixed on high-performance monitors.
Several rows of gaming PCs lined the ‘cafe’, bathed in vibrant LED lights from above that cast an RGB glow. The walls of the room had posters of larger-than-life League of Legends champions in dynamic poses with their names in bold on the lower third. The air was filled with the rhythmic clicking of keyboards, punctuated by bursts of excitement and cheers from the gamers.
In the corner nearest to him on his left, a worker dressed in a vibrant gaming-themed uniform sat behind a desk, serving as the receptionist for the cafe. A wall of vending machines stood nearby, offering a variety of snacks and energy drinks.
Josh blinked in disbelief, hesitating slightly and questioning his surroundings. He turned his head to glance back into the corridor, half-expecting to see a portal or some sort of magical transition. But there was nothing unusual—it was the same corridor he was in just a few moments ago.
A mix of surprise and excitement hit Josh and the realization sank in that this gaming cafe was the designated exam room. It seemed that this exam was going to be completely different from any test he’s taken in the past.
As he made his way toward the reception desk, his mind was rushing thinking about where to start and how to tackle the exam. With each step, Josh left behind any lingering doubts about the consequences of his tardiness. He knew that this exam would be a unique experience and was perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance for him to enter one of the most prestigious gaming institutions in the world and he didn’t intend to let it go to waste. As Josh approached the desk, a violent yell of frustration caught him off guard causing him to jump. In the row of PCs closest to him, a disappointed gamer stood up and looked downwards to his side.
“What kind of stupid play was that?!” The gamer’s nostrils flared as he puffed his chest to make himself look more intimidating. The RGB lights shifted from a mellow blue to a light green. Josh compared his appearance to that of an angry Hulk - albeit much skinnier and wearing the latest in headphone technology. “It’s because of you we lost that game and if I fail this exam, it’s a thousand percent. Your. Fault!”
Josh couldn’t see the person being yelled at and didn’t attempt to get a good look at their face for fear of being yelled at next. He always hated toxic players like that. After years of playing games, he found that the people who took their losses out on their teammates like that were usually the ones making the bad plays. Even worse, because they’re too busy looking outwardly at everyone else’s mistakes, they fail to see their own. He knew that people stuck in this mindset tend to struggle with their progression in the game and find that their growth stagnates and finally plateaus.
Breaking away from the conflict, Josh focused on the reception desk and caught the worker scribbling something on a notepad before raising his head and looking at him. The worker had short black hair, with neat bangs that rested just above his eyes. He wore casual street clothes under a dark apron with the King’s eSports Academy logo emblazoned neatly on the center and a name badge pinned on his left chest labeled “Mike”. The logo was the first time that he’d seen any reference to the fact that this entire space was an examination room and Josh began to fight the temptation to pinch himself just in case he had fallen asleep in the actual exam.
“Welcome back to the cafe Josh, it’s great to see you again!” Mike greeted him with a wide smile and a pat on the shoulder.
‘Welcome back? I’ve never met you before’, Josh thought, as his head tilted slightly in puzzlement. After a pause that was slightly too long for his comfort, Mike broke the silence.
“There’s an available PC at the back for you to use, number twenty-three,” he said, his smile and aura still exuding the same welcoming warmth as earlier. “You have until ten thirty, and do let me know if you have any questions in the meantime,” he gestured to the furthest line of PCs in the right corner.
“How do I pass?” Josh cheekily queried, hoping to get any sort of clue for the exam.
“What do you mean?” He feigned ignorance, his smile giving off a completely different feel. “This is a gaming cafe—you’ve come here to play right?”
Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to get any information from him, Josh decided to play along. “I-i see”, Josh stuttered. “Sorry for the confusion and I’ll let you know if I need any help,” he said, already turning toward the PCs.
Walking toward his designated computer, he glanced over to see the gamer from before, his face in a scowl and his anger only accentuated by the RGB lights from above, giving him a shade of blood red. A large majority of the PCs were occupied, with multiple groups of people playing in parties. ‘How many of these people are actual examinees?’ Josh thought to himself, quickly scanning the room. On one side, a group of three players was celebrating their latest victory with fist bumps and high-fives all-round. To the other side, a gamer was slurping up his pot noodles whilst his eyes were glued on the screen. Walking by, Josh got a glance at his screen - he was watching an anime. As if by miraculous timing, a mature scene appeared at that exact moment. The gamer quickly opened a new tab and looked around erratically to see if anyone else was privy to the show he was watching but saw no eyes on him or his monitor. Josh walked away quickly like he’d just witnessed a crime.
Approaching his PC, he saw that two people were already sitting on either side of his seat. Sitting down, he saw that the person to his right had black wavy locks in a curtain fringe with crimson highlights that blended subtly like red paint on a black canvas. His face was serious, but his eyes looked determined, scanning the screen with an intense focus. With each swift movement of his fingers on the keyboard, and precious mouse movements, it was evident that he was a seasoned player, effortlessly maneuvering through the game as if it were second nature to him. Josh glanced at the screen and saw that the game just ended, transitioning to the scoreboard screen and client. As his eyes landed on the player's rank that popped up on the right, his surprise grew. The words "Grandmaster" glimmered in bold letters, illuminating the screen with a prestigious glow with the amount of LP he had in total just below - 532.
Since the unification of the region-based gaming servers 8 years ago, the LP system had changed for those in the highest ranks. A minimum of 500 LP onwards would put you in contention for Grandmaster, whilst 1000 LP would allow you to battle for the Challenger rank. Josh couldn’t help but feel admiration and a hint of envy as he realized the caliber and talent of the player that was sitting right beside him for this exam.
Josh looked to his left, wondering if the other person seated beside him possessed a similar rank. The worry that he could be the lowest rank in the cafe began to set in but he couldn’t help but feel curious. He observed the male gamer with long hair reaching just below the shoulders. His eyes were fixated on the game screen and a certain air of confidence exuded from him. Immediately this perception of him was broken, as the individual winced and brought both palms to his face.
“5 games in a row!” He cried under his breath, as the word “Defeat” painted his monitor. The screen transitioned to the scoreboard and revealed his rank, Silver 3. A pang of disappointment followed by relief hit Josh. He wasn’t the lowest rank in the cafe, and this also definitely meant that the person to his left wasn’t an examinee like him since there was a Diamond 2 requirement to even be able to take the exam.
Josh settled into his seat, and couldn't help but ogle at the cutting-edge gaming setup laid out in front of him. It was all the latest peripherals, each with its own sleek futuristic design. The Razer keyboard, with its customizable RGB lighting and mini LCD had only just been released 2 weeks prior. The Logitech mouse, equipped with precision sensors, was 5 iterations newer than his current one at home. The Sony headset, resting on a dark metal stand, had the latest in noise-canceling technology and was more expensive than the mouse and keyboard combined. The monitor dominated the rest of the setup, with its high-resolution display, and showing the King’s eSports Academy logo printed on the screen. It quickly reminded Josh that he was still in the middle of an exam and not at an actual PC Cafe.
Finally, Josh's attention was drawn to a device placed on the right side of the desk. Known as "the Portal," this sleek card reader had a distinctive curved design with the LoL logo engraved on it (League of Legends). However, it was more than just a stylish addition; it served a vital purpose in the LoL gaming world. Introduced eight years ago alongside the unified servers of LoL, the Portal read each player’s unique account cards, aimed at reducing the prevalence of Smurf accounts to better new players’ gaming experience. Players had to purchase their cards for a certain price which would also give them a complementary portal to be able to log into their accounts. Though Riot received major backlash at the time, it did manage to reduce the amount of Smurf accounts.
Josh reached into his pocket and pulled out his account card. The slightly worn card displayed his account name, "Animo," elegantly printed across the top, and just below it, the date he first delved into the game. As he examined the card, his gaze shifted to the right third, where a miniature screen displayed his current rank. It showed the Diamond logo, and in bold letters, it showed "Diamond 2," a testament to years of hard work. This was the highest rank he’d ever gotten and he knew that this was just the beginning. He carefully slid the card into the curved slot of the portal, just like he’d done so many times before. The LCD screen was still visible, and as if coming to life, the words “LOGIN CONFIRMED” appeared briefly before showing the text, “In Lobby”. As if on queue, the client popped up on the monitor, showing the newest skin releases on the home page.
Just before Josh could get into the queue for a game, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to his left.
“Duo with me!” The person seated on his left was facing him, eyes twinkling with excitement and their body leaning towards him. Josh knew what rank this individual was, and because of the big difference in their ranks, knew that they wouldn’t be able to play in a ranked game together. “My name’s Mark,” he said, raising his hand for a handshake.
Josh gave him a slight smile and took his hand. “My name’s Josh,” he said, giving a firm handshake. “I’m not sure if we can play ranked–”
“We don’t need to play ranked!” He interrupted Josh excitedly. “Let’s play some normals. I really want to learn how to play Azir mid lane.” Josh had always been an agreeable person, and it was partly because of this that he struggled to play in the Jungle role. In his first hundred games, he would constantly apologize to his laners, taking the blame for everything. He would apologize for not managing their wave, not ganking enough, not farming enough, not taking every objective, and the list would continue.
“Sure, let’s play a game or two”, Josh agreed reluctantly.
After adding Mark’s account, “Rezzurex”, they jumped into queue for a game. Josh glanced at the time - 8:54AM. Anxiety and panic flooded over his entire body instantly. He had a little over an hour and a half left of his allotted time, and to make matters worse, he ended up agreeing to play duo queue with a random person he just met in this ‘cafe’ who is struggling in Silver rank. Josh closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ‘It could be worse’, he tried to think positively. He looked over towards his duo queue partner and saw his right knee bouncing in excitement, and a smile creeping on his face. ‘Or not’. Though he thought this, Josh actually enjoyed playing with others rather than playing alone. He found the presence of a teammate he could vocally communicate with comforting and was a welcome change from the constant grind of playing solo-queue alone.
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“Match found”, the game client signaled over Josh’s headphones as a matching element popped up prompting him to either accept or decline the game. He quickly accepted and the client shifted seamlessly from the home page to champion selection showing an array of champion portraits - half of which Josh has never even played before.
For the ban phase, his team selected the champions: Khazix, Darius, Morgana, Yasuo, and Yone. The enemy team on the other hand decided to ban: Hecarim, Master Yi, Caitlyn, Aphelios and Yasuo. Unlike competitive and eSports play, champions could be banned by both teams by chance. Mark was up first to pick, Josh also knew that this meant that our team was the ‘blue side’. He instantly locked in Azir.
“We got this game in the bag”, Mark said confidently, his voice peaking the mic and hurting Josh’s ears.
“For sure”, Josh said feigning confidence but not wanting to deter Mark’s attitude. Josh subtly opened the communication app, Discord, to lower Mark’s volume to less than half of the original sound. The enemy team then chose their next two champions, Brand and Samira. Josh knew that this Samira would most likely be ADC and that the Brand should be in the support role. His uncertainty of the role was because in the past week, the mid laner for a professional team in Korea, Chowmaker, had been spamming the champion, causing havoc in the Challenger rank. It was more than likely that those in lower elos would try Brand in the mid lane with the hopes of emulating Chowmaker’s success but fail to do so.
It was now Josh’s turn to pick his champion, but he already knew exactly who to play. He clicked on Ekko and locked him in. This was the first champion he dedicated himself to learning and was confident in carrying the game with if needed. The draft ended;
Blue side team:
* Top - Garen
* Jungle - Ekko (Josh)
* Mid - Azir (Mark)
* Bot - Ezreal
* Support - Xerath
Red side team:
* Top - Teemo
* Jungle - Udyr
* Mid - Ahri
* Bot - Samira
* Support - Lulu
Josh took a deep breath as he loaded into the game. For the brief time he had before the game started, he devised his approach and how to maximize the strengths of his champion, Ekko. From the very start, he managed to showcase his skill and mastery of Ekko, making precise movements and landing devastating blows on his opponents. The laning phase was flawless for the team, with Josh managing to gank the bot lane twice and the mid lane three times, securing a strong early game advantage.
“Finally, a jungler that actually ganks my lane!” Mark celebrated.
As the game progressed, Josh's presence on the battlefield grew more formidable. He outplayed his opponents in skirmishes through superior mechanics and led his team to secure the first three drakes, leaving them one more away from the Dragon Soul. The blue side team flourished under his guidance, and victory seemed like it would be inevitable.
In the mid-game, a pivotal fight broke out in the bot-side river. The blue side team engaged the enemy with calculated precision led by Josh. His Ekko dashed into the fray, landing a stun with his Parallel Convergence ability, locking down multiple enemies, including the ADC, Samira. With their carries momentarily disabled, Josh's teammates looked to dive in with a synchronized assault.
Mark, playing as Azir, positioned himself expertly, ready to unleash a game-changing ultimate ability that would push the enemy team into disarray. The moment arrived, and Mark, with a flash of brilliance, attempted to execute the Shurima Shuffle, an intricate maneuver that could turn the tide of the fight.
Mark dashed in and flashed forwards toward the enemy team. But he fell short. He was left stranded in the middle of the enemy team. His ultimate ability, the Emperor's Divide, missed its mark on any of the enemy champions. To make matters worse, he had created a temporary barrier that separated the blue-side team from their intended targets. It was a critical misstep and changed the whole fight.
The enemy team seized the opportunity, quickly reorganizing their formation and counterattacking. The blue side team, momentarily disoriented by Mark's failed play, found themselves on the backfoot. The enemy ADC, Samira, recovered from the stun and unleashed a flurry of devastating slashes, ranking quickly to S with her passive and decimating the remaining blue side members with Inferno Trigger, her ultimate ability.
Despite Josh's efforts to salvage the situation, the enemy team capitalized on the sudden shift in momentum of the game. They took the Baron Nashor and began overwhelming the blue side team, securing an advantageous position in the game. Their inhibitors fell one by one until finally they couldn’t hold out against the red-team’s poke combined with the super minion waves.
“Defeat”, the game confirmed. They had lost. It was a bitter pill to swallow, leaving Josh disappointed and confused. He briefly thought that if it wasn’t for Mark's failure they could’ve perhaps won the game and closed it out quickly. He quickly shook this feeling. He knew that players can easily make mistakes like that one and that he shouldn’t hold it against him. Everyone can have on off game, off day, or even an off week - Josh included.
“Maaaan! What a close game. We had that in the bag”, Mark said, both hands palming his face.
“Don’t worry about it”, Josh patted his shoulder, attempting to comfort him. “We played well and I’m sure we’ll do better in the next one.”
Mark's face lit up with excitement. "You're absolutely right! Let's hop back into the queue! We've got the next one!" His infectious enthusiasm mirrored their pre-game optimism. However, once again, Josh had found himself agreeing to another match. While he enjoyed playing with Mark, the weight of the situation dawned on him once again. This was an exam, and the fear of losing all the games during the assessment loomed over him like a dark cloud. With only an hour left, he’d only be able to play two full games. If he was lucky, it would be three.
But Josh quickly reminded himself that succumbing to these negative thoughts would only make things worse and maybe even hinder his performance. He learned this lesson the hard way when he first started playing LoL and it usually resulted in him having a sea of red “Defeat” banners in his match history. He needed to maintain a positive mindset, focusing on his own game. Each match was still an opportunity to showcase his skills and demonstrate his understanding of the game to whoever the examiners were. He couldn't afford to dwell on potential losses or what-ifs. He knew he’d regret it afterward. Instead, he vowed to give the next game his all. With renewed resolve, Josh swallowed his worries and dove into the Summoner’s Rift once again.
As the loading screen faded away, Josh found himself back in the Summoner's Rift alongside Mark, ready to face their new opponents. Josh and Mark had both decided to stick with their previous champions, Azir and Ekko. The game started off with promise as they secured early kills and gained an early advantage. Mark's plays were crisp, his timing impeccable, and it seemed like this time, they were destined for victory.
But fate had a different plan in store. As the game progressed, the enemy top and bot lane, mounted a ferocious comeback, solo-killing their opponents. Josh fought back, trying to counter any plays made on one side of the map with his own, but it wasn't enough to turn the tide. The enemy team capitalized on every mistake, catching them off-guard and punishing their missteps. Mark, who had shown such promise in the early game, suddenly kept faltering in major team fights. Finally, during a fight for the Baron, a critical flash-ultimate combo from Mark that could have turned the fight in their favor ended in failure, leaving both Josh and Mark stunned.
The opposing team didn’t let the chance go to waste, pushing their advantage and systematically dismantling the blue side's defenses. Despite their best efforts, Josh and Mark couldn't stop the onslaught. The nexus crumbled, and the defeat screen appeared before them once more.
Disappointment washed over Josh again as he stared at the screen, contemplating what went wrong. The loss stung badly, not only because of the defeat itself but also because he knew he only had time for one last game.
He looked at the time - 10:06AM. With less than 30 minutes remaining in the exam, Josh found himself thinking about whether to risk playing one final game with Mark or to play alone. The logical choice would be to play a solo queue game alone and focus on maximizing his remaining moments. But if he lost that solo queue game alone, he knew he would feel distraught. However, a thought lingered in his mind: "Losing with someone you know is better than losing alone."
Turning his body to Mark, he spoke with conviction, "Hey, Mark. We've got one more shot at this. Let's give it everything we've got. I believe we can win."
Mark grinned, his eyes filled with determination. "You're right, Josh. Let's win this game.”
As the loading screen flickered to life, Josh felt a renewed surge of energy. Entering the rift, communication flowed effortlessly between Mark and Josh, their synergy evident from the very first engagement. They had gotten first blood and two kills on the enemy Mid and Jungler.
"Mark, let's play safe early on and capitalize on our power spikes," Josh suggested.
Mark nodded in agreement. "Got it. We'll focus on objectives and team fights!"
Their coordinated efforts bore fruit as they secured every objective, outmaneuvered their opponents, and fought as a cohesive unit. The game unfolded in their favor, each decision reaffirming their growing dominance.
As they approached the final showdown in the enemy base, victory within reach, Josh's heart pounded with anticipation. The nexus stood vulnerable, the enemy ADC thirty seconds away from respawning, and they took the opportunity to deliver the decisive blow.
With a final team fight, they emerged triumphant. “Victory”.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Josh turned to Mark, a wide smile spreading across his face. "We did it, Mark!”
Mark clapped him on the shoulder, his eyes focused on him intently. “No, thank you, Josh. It was a lot of fun playing with you, and perhaps I’d like to do it again in the future." Mark’s flamboyant enthusiasm was gone and replaced with a cool and composed demeanor. His smile reflected a sense of maturity. He felt like he was seeing a completely different side of the person he had played with for the past few hours, one that he hadn’t seen before.
Before Josh could dwell on the thought any longer, a sudden realization struck him. He glanced at the time - it was now 10:37 AM. Panic welled up within him as he turned around and locked eyes with Mike, the receptionist, standing just a few steps away.
"Mike!" Josh exclaimed, his voice tinged with concern. "It's past the exam time! I’m so sorry. Will I also be penalized for this?"
Mike's calm demeanor from before remained unchanged as he approached Josh with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Josh. Sometimes, time slips away when we're in a close game. The exam has indeed ended, but we allowed you to finish your game since you were already in the midst of it. If you could follow me, please."
Josh was relieved and had a sense of gratitude for Mike's understanding. He followed Mike as he escorted him out of the gaming room, wondering if perhaps he was the examiner all along. With a final glance back at the gaming room, Josh couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation, wondering if he had managed to pass the exam.
"Josh, the academy will be in touch with you regarding the results of the exam within the next 24 hours," Mike assured him with a smile, his voice professional and encouraging. “For now, explore the city, get some rest and thanks for your time.”
As the door closed with a satisfying thunk, sealing off the examination room from his view, Josh was left standing at what felt like a crossroads between an uncertain future.
~o~
Acronyms and terms to know:
LoL (League of Legends)
Duo - to play together as two.