Legacy of the Stars

The morning light streamed through the hotel room window, but it brought no comfort. Liu Cheng sat hunched over his laptop, his face illuminated by the faint glow of the screen. His hands hovered over the keyboard, sifting through lines of code and match logs. Sleep had been a distant memory since Phantom's latest message.

The knock on the door startled him. Before he could respond, Lin Mei poked her head inside, a steaming cup of coffee in hand. "Still at it?" she asked, setting the cup beside him.

Liu Cheng nodded without looking up. "I'm close. There's a pattern in Phantom's interference. It's not just random sabotage—they're leaving breadcrumbs."

"Breadcrumbs?" Lin Mei raised an eyebrow, pulling up a chair beside him.

"Yeah," Liu Cheng said, pointing to a cluster of highlighted data. "In every match Phantom tampers with, there are small, consistent anomalies. They're subtle, but they all point to one thing—a backdoor in the tournament's mainframe."

Lin Mei's expression darkened. "If that's true, they're not just targeting teams. They're in the entire system."

---

Team Tensions

By midday, the entire Glory International team gathered in their strategy room. Liu Cheng stood at the front, projecting his findings onto the central screen.

"So, let me get this straight," Zhang Wei said, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed. "You think Phantom has access to the tournament's core systems, and we're all just puppets in their little game?"

"That's exactly what I think," Liu Cheng replied, his voice firm.

"And what's your grand plan, genius?" Zhang Wei's tone was biting. "Hack the system yourself? Confront Phantom in a digital duel?"

"Enough, Zhang Wei," Lin Mei interjected. "Liu's doing what he can. Do you have a better idea?"

Zhang Wei scoffed but said nothing.

Liu Cheng took a deep breath. "We don't have the resources to go head-to-head with Phantom, not yet. But if we can find out why they're doing this, we might have a chance to stop them. For now, we focus on the next match—and be ready for anything."

---

The Arena

The 19th round of the tournament took place in a new virtual arena—a massive underwater facility with interconnected tunnels and shimmering glass domes offering views of the simulated ocean depths. Schools of digital fish swam overhead, their movements eerily lifelike.

"This place is a maze," Jiang Yan muttered, studying the map.

"That's the point," Liu Cheng replied. "It's designed to disorient players. Perfect for Phantom's games."

As the match began, the team spread out cautiously, navigating the twisting tunnels. Visibility was limited, and the soft hum of water pressure added an unsettling atmosphere.

"Lin Mei, status?" Liu Cheng's voice crackled through the comms.

"Northwest quadrant is clear," she replied. "No sign of the enemy yet."

"Don't trust the silence," Zhang Wei said. "It's always the calm before the storm."

Moments later, alarms blared throughout the arena, and the tunnels began to shift. Walls moved, creating new pathways while sealing off others.

"Great," Zhang Wei grumbled. "A living maze. Just what we needed."

"It's Phantom," Liu Cheng said, his tone grim. "Stick to the plan. Jiang Yan, hold the central dome. Lin Mei, keep scouting. Zhang Wei, take the high tunnels. I'll handle the lower levels."

---

The Ambush

The first attack came without warning. Lin Mei's voice cut through the comms. "Contact! Two enemies on my six!"

"On my way!" Liu Cheng replied, redirecting through the twisting corridors.

As he reached Lin Mei's position, he found her cornered by two opponents—sleek, agile avatars with glowing visors. Without hesitation, Liu Cheng launched a barrage of EMP grenades, stunning the enemies long enough for Lin Mei to escape.

"Thanks," she panted, regrouping with him.

"No time for thanks," Liu Cheng replied. "We need to move."

Elsewhere, Zhang Wei found himself in a heated duel with the enemy team's sniper. Utilizing the shifting walls to his advantage, he dodged shot after shot, finally landing a critical blow.

"Sniper down," he reported. "But this place is a nightmare. I can't tell where I'm going anymore."

"Hold your position," Liu Cheng ordered. "We'll regroup."

---

Phantom's Move

Midway through the match, the arena's systems began to glitch. Water levels in the tunnels started to rise, flooding certain pathways. The shimmering ocean outside darkened, and strange shapes moved in the depths.

"This isn't normal," Jiang Yan said, his voice tinged with panic. "The system's going haywire!"

"Stay calm!" Liu Cheng commanded. "It's Phantom again. They're trying to throw us off."

But the glitches weren't just cosmetic. Enemy avatars began to move in unnatural ways—phasing through walls and attacking with abilities outside the game's mechanics.

"They're cheating," Lin Mei said, her voice filled with frustration.

"No," Liu Cheng replied. "They're escalating. This is a message."

---

Turning the Tide

Despite the chaos, Liu Cheng's strategic mind began to piece together a countermeasure. He noticed patterns in the enemy's movements—Phantom's interference followed a set rhythm.

"Jiang Yan, redirect to the eastern tunnel. Lin Mei, cut through the flooded section. Zhang Wei, provide cover fire from above. Trust me on this."

The team moved with precision, executing Liu Cheng's plan flawlessly. Using coordinated strikes and clever positioning, they turned Phantom's chaos against the opposing team.

As the final seconds ticked down, Glory International secured another victory. The arena stabilized, the water receded, and the enemy team's avatars flickered before disappearing.

---

The Aftermath

Back in the locker room, the team sat in silence, their victory overshadowed by the strange events.

"This is getting worse," Jiang Yan said. "Phantom's not just playing games anymore. They're testing the limits of the entire system."

Liu Cheng nodded, his face grim. "And they're sending us a message: they're in control."

Zhang Wei leaned forward, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "So what's the next move?"

Liu Cheng's eyes hardened. "We find Phantom. And we stop them."

The chapter ends with Liu Cheng receiving an encrypted message on his laptop. The sender? Phantom.

"You survived this time, Strategist. Let's see how long you last."