The bracket was updated, and ApeX’s next opponent was revealed: unRestricted eSports. They were no ordinary team. Known for their aggressive and mechanically gifted players, unRestricted had dominated amateur circuits before making their debut at the Worlds Qualifier.

  Their lineup included Pobelter, Lapaka, NyJacky, DontMashMe, and Doublelift. Both bot laners were considered some of the most mechanically talented players in North America, and they often swapped between ADC and support roles to keep opponents guessing. Their solo laners Pobelter and NyJacky were top level players too.

  Titan could feel his heart race. This was their moment to prove they belonged among the best. Winning against unRestricted would mark ApeX as a serious contender for Worlds.

  The team gathered in their Discord call, the atmosphere tense but focused.

  “Alright,” Titan began, sharing his screen with draft data. “unRestricted’s strength lies in their bot lane. Doublelift and DontMashMe are ridiculously good. We need to contain them.”

  “Double ADC swapping between roles?” Hai asked. “We banning out their comfort picks?”

  Titan nodded. “Yes, we’ll ban Ezreal and Ashe. They lean heavily on those for comfort. That’ll force them onto their less practiced champs.”

  “And their jungler?” Nior typed. “Anything notable?”

  “They usually play Jarvan IV and Amumu. Both are engage-heavy, so we’ll need disengage options. Nior, you’ll likely be on Janna again.”

  BladeSong cracked his knuckles. “Sounds like a plan. I just need to survive the lane and scale. Easy.”

  Titan smirked. “Don’t underestimate them. They play aggressively, so no overstepping. Play safe, wait for the late game, and we’ll take this.”

  Game 1:

  The first draft saw unRestricted target BladeSong with bans on Sivir, Leona, and Tristana forcing Nior onto Janna and BladeSong onto Miss Fortune. Titan locked in Morgana mid, Hai took Xin Zhao, and Balls picked Malphite top. unRestricted countered with Jarvan IV, Twisted Fate, and Caitlyn and Sion bot lane.

  From the start, unRestricted’s aggression was relentless. Their jungler’s Jarvan IV ganked bot at 5 minutes, catching Nior out with a Flag and Drag combo. DontMashMe’s Caitlyn followed up with a Headshot, securing first blood.

  “They’re controlling bot,” Nior typed. “Need vision.”

  Hai tried to counter, but unRestricted’s map control made it impossible. By 15 minutes, NyJacky Twisted Fate had roamed to every lane, helping secure kills and setting a suffocating pace.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  At 25 minutes, unRestricted forced a Baron fight. Despite Balls landing a clutch Unstoppable Force, Twisted Fate cleaned up with Wild Cards, and DontMashMe kited expertly to secure an ace.

  “GG,” BladeSong muttered as unRestricted closed out the game decisively.

  Defeat.

  Game 2:

  The second draft was a shift in strategy. ApeX banned Twisted Fate, forcing unRestricted into less dynamic picks. Titan picked Zilean mid, Hai returned to Xin Zhao, and Nior stayed on Janna. BladeSong opted for Tristana, while Balls picked Gangplank for his scaling and zone control.

  The enemy selected the same champions except for a LeBlanc in mid lane replacing the Twisted Fate. This led to a similar situation as in game 1, except this time Apex had even more effective disengage.

  The game started slowly, with both teams playing cautiously. At 12 minutes, Hai made a decisive play, invading Jarvan’s jungle and forcing a smite fight at red buff. Balls supported from afar, catching the enemy mid-jungle with a Cannon Barrage. The fight ended with a two-for-zero in ApeX’s favor.

  “That’s the momentum we needed,” Titan said.

  By 20 minutes, ApeX had built a slight lead, thanks to Hai’s objective control and Titan’s Chronoshift, which saved BladeSong during a critical skirmish. At 30 minutes, ApeX forced a Baron fight, baiting unRestricted into a choke point. Balls’s barrels and Titan’s Time Bombs decimated their backline, allowing BladeSong to clean up with a quadra kill.

  “Let’s end this,” Titan called. ApeX pushed down mid, dismantling unRestricted’s base to even the series.

  Victory.

  Game 3:

  The final draft was tense. unRestricted banned Tristana, Janna, and Gangplank. In response Apex opted to engage rather than disengage. BladeSong locked in his signature Sivir. Titan took Morgana, Nior locked in Leona, and Hai picked Nunu. Balls Malphite, their most reliable engage option.

  unRestricted countered with Ezreal, Karma, Annie, Jarvan IV, and Renekton, opting for a poke-heavy, burst comp. The stakes couldn’t have been higher.

  The early game was a deadlock, with both teams trading kills and objectives. At 18 minutes, unRestricted tried to force a fight at dragon. Balls landed a massive Unstoppable Force, catching Annie and Karma. Titan followed up with Soul Shackles, for an extended root. Finally, BladeSong mopped up with a double kill.

  “Nice setup!” BladeSong shouted. “Let’s keep this momentum.”

  ApeX took control, methodically pushing lanes and securing vision. By 30 minutes, they were in position to take Baron. unRestricted attempted to contest, but Nior’s Solar Flare stunned two, and Hai’s Absolute Zero zoned out their backline. BladeSong secured another triple kill, and ApeX claimed the Baron.

  With the buff, ApeX marched into unRestricted’s base. A final fight erupted at the Nexus turrets. Balls’s engage and Titan’s peeling kept BladeSong alive, allowing him to shred through unRestricted’s defenses.

  The Nexus exploded, and the victory screen appeared.

  Victory.

  The team erupted in cheers as the post-game lobby appeared.

  “Let’s go!” BladeSong shouted. “Top 4, baby!”

  Hai leaned back, exhaling. “We earned that one. They’re no joke.”

  Nior typed: “Good progress.”

  Titan smiled, his voice calm but proud. “One step closer to Worlds.”

  As the team logged off, Titan opened his Status screen. A notification blinked at the top:

  Quest Complete:

  Top Dog

  - Reward: 500 Template Points.

  Titan spent the points immediately. He had already climbed in overall rating from 61 to 62 after his recent matches and practice. The system template pushed his overall rating to 63 (+1).

  He closed the screen, determination blazing in his chest. ApeX had reached the top 4, but the real battle lay ahead. TSM would likely be their next opponent, and the climb to Worlds was far from over.