Adolescent Adam - Volume 2, Chapter 4 - Tactics x Strategy

The most vulnerable time in a tennis game is when you are leading; even if there is a match point, the game is still possible.

Football is round, tennis is also round.

- Description from novelbuddy

Wrongly imprisoned for a crime she did not commit, Ye Qiao was freed from the iron gates that locked her away for seven years with nowhere to go, no one to see, and nothing to move on to following the passing of her husband, who she had never appreciated. The man was part of the Special Forces and had been killed during a mission.

The most popular game worldwide is Ancient Arena Online, a high-octane PvP fantasy game where teams fight for supremacy in mythical arenas. Millions of fans watch livestreams, bet on matches, and follow their favorite players like celebrities. The game’s competitive scene is so fierce that professional teams are treated like esports royalty.At the heart of it all is Kai Ashford, one of the top players and captain of the pro team Phoenix Edge. With lightning-fast reflexes and strategic brilliance, Kai leads his team to countless victories. But success breeds jealousy. Sabotaged by a teammate he thought was loyal, Kai is not only kicked off his team, but also humiliated in front of millions of fans. With his reputation shattered and confidence at rock bottom, Kai retreats from the public eye.However, Kai's competitive spirit is not easily extinguished. He stumbles upon a group of amateur players—a ragtag bunch who show raw potential but lack the finesse needed to win at the highest levels. Their quirky personalities clash with his no-nonsense attitude, but something about their passion reminds him of why he started gaming in the first place. Deciding to put his past behind him, Kai agrees to train them into a professional team.Along the way, Kai builds unexpected connections with his new teammates, including romantic entanglements with a fiery mage, an eccentric hacker, and a mysterious assassin player, all while juggling his personal feelings and growing attraction for multiple women. As his new team rises through the ranks, they gain attention from fans and sponsors, putting them back on the radar of the professional scene.But Kai’s past doesn’t stay buried for long. His former teammates—now rivals—plot to sabotage him once again, while jealous contenders within the gaming world aim to tear him down. However, Kai's return to the spotlight will be on his terms this time. With a darker, more calculating approach, he plans to not only dominate the game but also to get sweet revenge on those who betrayed him.

“Finally,” he thought, stepping through the spatial membrane, into the vast and dangerous `Primordial Dimension` where life and death are infinitely close to each other.Dying unexpectedly, Shane found himself in the body of a newborn baby, within a strange, foreign world.The foreign world, inhabited all kinds of terrifying beasts which escaped from the Primordial Dimensions in order to create havoc on it.Even though humanity was on the brink of extinction, the Primordial Dimensions provided an unimaginable opportunity to reach higher realms, while imminently threatening them with the possibility to be conquered by foreign races.But who would have thought that the destructive and cruel Primordial Dimension where monstrous existences emerged from, would one day become humanity´s ray of hope?Becoming stronger and wielding elements by absorbing mana was not a dream anymore, only to notice, that everything was not as simple, as they initially thought...Follow Shane Suro on his journey through the vast Primordial Dimensions where he learns about freedom, friendship, cruelty, loyalty, and betrayal.