[https://images-ng.pixai.art/images/orig/9c609370-dd4e-4dc3-98f8-e6f7cda77c58]

Sitting in a large lobby with comfortable sofa chairs, I surveyed the room. The back and white theme of the Nexus gaming colors the whole room like an extravagant, yet modest modern canvas. The mood of its staff occupants was melancholic though. After what happened in our last match, it is to be expected. It was so silent that you'd rarely hear anyone utter a single word except for the sound of a TV in the waiting lobby room playing the interview of an all too familiar Japanese beauty. The same player who wiped the floor with us earlier in our match.

"I will win, I cannot see her dodging my slashes even if she was still in her prime three years ago".

I snorted at that ridiculous statement. She might be talented, but she never faced a different kind of talent like Yuusha. Though I might be biased since I was once her teammate...... And also, probably a little bitter cause she ended our last chance of qualifying for the AC tournament.

"Bob, Mr. Royce will see you now." The receptionist politely caught my attention.

"Ohh, right," I replied.

I stood up immediately, extra careful to not let the team manager wait even by a single second. I walked ahead into an opaque glass door that hid the manager from onlookers outside of his office. I braced myself for the worst as I entered. Inside, I saw a neat-looking room with luxurious paintings and ornamental flowers. Relaxing and pleasing to the eye is what I would define it. However, the current owner of the office is anything but relaxed.

[https://images-ng.pixai.art/images/orig/476675a0-8574-4a3f-b947-17a841cd07f4]

"You know why I called you here, don't you," The team manager asked intimidatingly.

Our team manager has always been the serious type, he has brushed-up shiny hair and a no-nonsense look always plastered on his stoic face. He is clean-shaven and neatly dressed in a luxurious suit that is probably a whole month's worth of my salary.

"Is it to invite me for a drink later so we can drink our problems away?" I made a joke to lighten the mood.

He ignored it completely. Looks like he's pretty pissed that it didn't even have any effect. Let's not push our luck then.

"That was your last chance to qualify at the AC and you blew it! This is the 1st time our organization cannot even attend the tournament. Do you know how humiliating it is for me, a newly appointed team manager!?" He raised his voice, further hammering his resentment.

"Yeah, sorry bout that, I'll take the blame, I underestimated their ace. I tried to finish it faster by doing a headshot but it backfired." I apologized to calm him down.

"At least you know when to take responsibility," he said sardonically.

"Let me be blunt, you will be getting kicked out of the team after the contract expires," he continued.

"I... I understand" I said bitterly.

"The only thing you're good at right now is publicity. You can't even qualify for the Andartha Cup. I should've listened to the higher-ups when they warned me that you guys cannot match the current competitive scene," he admonished.

My pride as a veteran pro CoA player took a big hit in that, but there's nothing I could say as a comeback since the results of our matches say otherwise. I just took it all with grit and a clenched fist.

"The higher-ups are planning to recruit new young players and rebuild the entire roster from scratch. I'm telling you this now for you to prepare for it when the time comes that your contract expires. You should be grateful," he said condescendingly.

"Yes sir....."

After a while of dumping all his frustrations onto me, the 'meeting' with the team manager ended.

I exited the Nexus gaming building. I don't have any destination in mind. I just walked aimlessly for a while until my feet dragged me into the usual bar I go to when I want time to think by myself.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

As I entered the bar, the smell of ale and wine instantly permeated my nose. The ambiance of this bar suits my taste perfectly with its slow music and relaxing decors. It is charmingly old-fashioned and also doesn't have that many customers being out of the way of the main city streets. You could even call it 'hidden' as others might say. I've been a regular here ever since I became a member of team Nexus Gaming cause it's relatively close to the building, just a few meters away, and also serves some of the best alcohol I have ever tasted. Considering I'm sort of a heavy drinker, that is a pretty high standard.

I entered the bar and took a seat at the long bar table counter. The bartender Jonas, whom I'm very familiar with given the number of times I've been here gave me an acknowledging nod. He was currently mixing drinks for another customer with astonishingly exaggerated movements, which made it quite entertaining to look at. After serving him the drink, a Long Island Ice tea if I'm not mistaken, he took my orders.

"The usual," I said before he gave me a shot glass along with the standard bottle of rum I always order when I want to wallow in regrets.

I spent a couple of minutes in peace, thinking about the events of today and what the future entails when suddenly a familiar voice spoke from behind me.

“I knew you'd be here, you always go into this pub whenever we have a bad match" a familiar gruff voice came from someone who sat beside me without warning.

[https://images-ng.pixai.art/images/orig/ddba0b25-c14f-41af-b6cd-c8fdf2646bd4]

Gustav Fernandez, aka Vanguard 'the Wall'. We have been teammates for more than a year. I'm sometimes quite jealous of him since he has a moniker. People just call me the strategist of the team, or something like that, nothing concrete by the CoA community. Can't blame them though, I don't have any skills that stood out, except for my strategies and tactics, which unfortunately didn't do any help to our most recent series of matches.

"Here to blame me for the loss too?" I replied without looking.

"You know the fault lies in the whole team on why we lost back then, not just on you, right?" after pondering for a second, he continued. "Though you are the one who suggested our battle plan, so it probably is mostly your fault." He said jokingly.

"Not helping," I said irritably.

He sat next to me and ordered the same bottle of rum as mine. He was tall, muscular, and well-built with a clean-shaven head and scary-looking face. If I hadn't known him for a long time, I would've been a little bit intimidated by someone like him sitting close to me.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm getting replaced too you know," he said gruffly.

"So, you know about the news?"

"Yeah... The management wants to build a new team from scratch. Now that our contracts are about to expire, nothing is going to stop that from happening. I'll probably find another team eventually though. There are always many teams who change their roster after the AC tournament concludes. And if it doesn't go the way I want, I could always easily join any tier 2 pro team with my experience.

"Well good for you".

"Not planning to join me this time in team hunting?" he asked a little surprised.

"Probably not," I said curtly.

"That's surprising. What do you plan to do?"

I looked up at the lights of the bar, it was dim, with a good ambiance. The main reason why I love to drink at this place. It is quite relaxing.

"I'm not sure myself, probably retire? I'm getting too old for this shit," I replied tiredly.

"What! Why? I thought your dream was to win a second AC before you retire?" He replied a bit shocked.

"We didn't even qualify for it this year. I'm already 27 and my skills are already rusting because of my age and diminishing drive to improve myself. I can't wait another year just to play in the tournament.” I reasoned.

“So what? You plan on quitting CoA just like that?" He said with a hint of aggravation.

"...I'm not quite sure myself." I pondered as I shook my shot glass.

After a short while, I continued.

“When I first started CoA, it was the best thing that happened to me. I worked hard, and I was motivated in playing to improve, I also found close friends online while playing and formed a team. We eventually won the AC with that same team. After that though, it's always full of pressure. Pressure at being a title holder, as 'THE' very first AC champion, is unsurmountable. The pressure of always being the captain of my team is also getting too hard for me to handle. You need to work extra hard in keeping your team together and prepare battle strategies with the coach against your opponent. You also always take the blame whenever your team loses or plays badly. Frankly, I'm getting tired... but you already know how hard it is since you were also a captain back then before we teamed up.”

“Yeah, if it weren't for your team, we would've been the first AC champion. I still resent you for that you know.”

“If you want to resent someone, resent that girl who destroyed you guys at the finals.”

"Argghh, don't remind me. It was fucking humiliating getting soloed back then by a single-player 3v1, especially in a finals match. I had nightmares from that match for weeks. That girl is a different kind of monster." He shivered.

"I get what you mean. I know it all too well playing as her teammate... though her drive to win during that first AC tournament was entirely on a whole new level."

“Yeah, I noticed that too, as if her life depended on getting the cup. Never seen a player that determined to win before. It's such a shame she just quit though. I've always wanted a revenge match with her.”

"...A shame indeed."

That girl has been always secretive even when in-game. She always uses a voice changer and sometimes even ignores us like she's an entirely different person. When the tournament ended, she didn't even go online a single time in CoA and also never responded to our in-game PMs. Something must have happened after that tournament. I hope she's doing fine wherever she is now.

We transition into a comfortable silence for a while, slowly taking our shots. Until he suddenly piped up a question.

"Do you really plan on quitting CoA?" he asked genuinely.

I pondered for a moment. Thinking about what to do from now on.

"Probably, I mean, what use is there for someone as untalented as me? We both know CoA is different from most of the other strategic e-sports. Skills are what matters in CoA. Cheap things like strategies won't win against pure raw skills. There are monsters out there that defy logic and completely ignore tactical advantages. You know, I'm not as good as those monsters."

"I completely disagree, I won't let anyone talk shit to my rival like that, even if it is you doing the shit talk."

"Heh, thanks man, that means a lot..." I smiled at that.

Another silence, a lot shorter this time before Fernandez suggested something.

"I think that it's a waste for you to leave the pro scene completely though. Why not try becoming a coach or somethin' so you could put that big head of yours to use?"

His suggestion hit me like a truck.

Realization begins to dawn on me. If winning my second AC tournament as a player is impossible, why not use my strategies and leadership to build a team that can win it for me? Why not use all my experience and knowledge in the game to train players full of potential to become monsters in the game?

My heart pumped fast and loud like a bass drum. This feeling, it has been so long since I last experienced it. I barely remember it from when I first built the team Paragon from scratch. A dream. A vision. A desire to create the strongest team that will shake the world of CoA.

“You know, you do say good things sometimes.” I grinned.