Liu Lei, or rather, "Ye Yu" as he was known to everyone in the world of League of Legends, shut down his computer screen, which was still frantically refreshing with forum congratulatory posts and overflowing game friend requests. In the room, only the faint glow of the monitor's backlight remained, illuminating his slightly pale but unusually calm face.
He didn't shout in ecstasy as the outside world imagined, nor did he immediately bask in the countless praises. He simply leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and let his thoughts drift back a few months to that equally ordinary night.
At that time, he had just finished a day of monotonous programmer work, feeling physically and mentally exhausted. Accidentally, in a corner of a technical forum he often visited, he saw a discussion about League of Legends, accompanied by a link to Xiao Dao's famous "It's So Good" video. Out of professional curiosity for "new things," he clicked on it.
In the video, the streamer's journey from initial disdain to later obsession, that ultimate Garen counter-kill, and his hoarse recommendation at the end, inexplicably touched him. It was a long-lost spark of "challenge" and "fun."
"Free, 5v5, fair competition..." he murmured to himself, and casually downloaded the game.
His first entry into Summoner's Rift left him bewildered. The awkwardness of mouse-click movement, the difficulty of timing last hits, the precision required for skill shots... all were unlike any game he had encountered before. He chose a champion that looked agile and graceful—"Master Yi, the Wuju Bladesman"—and then, in a bot game, was easily sent back to the fountain by the computer AI for overextending.
Clumsy, yet fun.
The feeling of needing precise calculations, instant judgments, and coordination with unfamiliar teammates was like a light shining into his disciplined yet somewhat dull life. He was no longer Liu Lei, who only dealt with cold code, but "Ye Yu," who sought out weaknesses and created opportunities in the Rift.
He became engrossed. Almost all his time after work was dedicated to Summoners Rift. He was no longer satisfied with simple victories; he began to study every champion's abilities, calculate damage, watch first-person replays of high-level players, and analyze minion waves, jungle camp spawn times, and map resource control. His programmer's mindset gave him a huge advantage in data analysis, while his deep-seated obsession with "perfection" and "optimal solutions" drove him to constantly refine his gameplay.
He started by practicing Master Yi, then moved on to trying "Zed, the Master of Shadows." That assassin, who could manipulate shadows, burst instantly and take the enemy general's head from amidst a thousand troops, instantly struck his soul. He loved the feeling of walking on a knife's edge, transforming complex calculations into a fatal blow. His Zed gradually gained renown in normal games, and people began to call him a "god."
Then, ranked play arrived.
When the "Sturdy Iron" insignia appeared next to the ID "Ye Yu," he wasn't discouraged in the slightest; instead, he felt an unprecedented excitement. This was no longer aimless entertainment; it was a climb with clear benchmarks. He viewed this climb as a systematic test of his abilities.
In his placement matches, he won all ten games, directly placing into "Glorious Gold." But this was just the beginning. From Gold to Platinum, he encountered a bottleneck. The chaos of team coordination and the internal friction caused by role conflicts made him irritable at times. But he quickly adjusted his mindset and began to consciously lead, guiding his teammates with clear pings and concise text. He discovered that when five strangers could briefly unite for a common goal, the power they unleashed was astonishing.
From Platinum to diamond, it was a dual test of skill and awareness. He met more equally matched opponents and witnessed a wider variety of tactical systems. His champion pool was forced to widen; no longer relying solely on Zed, he began to practice team-oriented mages like "Orianna, the Lady of Clockwork," and junglers like Lee Sin, who could dictate the pace of the entire game. Every high-elo game was like a spiritual tempering.
When he finally reached the "Radiant diamond" tier, he saw that broader sky, and he also saw that seemingly unattainable peak—challenger. The diamond tier was already considered god-like by ordinary players, but he knew that from here to the true pinnacle, there was still the most difficult and loneliest path.
The "Grandmaster" tier was a grinder for high-level players. Every single person here was a monster of both talent and effort. There could be no more minute errors in lane; gank timings had to be precise to the second, and every Ultimate Ability cast in a team fight could decide victory or defeat. He lost many games, some due to his own mistakes, others due to uncontrollable teammate factors. Frustration, like a cold mist, often enveloped him.
On countless late nights, he sat alone in front of his computer, watching his deducted League Points after a loss, replaying his actions, and contemplating if there could have been better choices. Fatigue, self-doubt, external criticism (he occasionally encountered flamers)... all of this required immense mental fortitude to process.
But he did not give up. That deep-seated desire to "reach the top," that persistence in proving his strength, sustained him. He detached his emotions, treating each match as a "problem" to be solved, and victory was the only "optimal solution."
Finally, on that night destined to be etched in history, playing Orianna, in an epic nearly 50-minute marathon game, he seized the moment the enemy ADC overextended, pulling off a perfect Ultimate Ability, [Command: Shockwave], catching three enemies, and with his teammates, dealt devastating damage in the team fight, securing the victory.
As the image of the enemy Nexus exploding froze, as the end-game screen popped up, he watched his League Points fluctuate, finally breaking past that critical threshold, and his tier icon transformed from Master to that gold-bordered, dazzling "challenger" insignia... In that moment, everything was silent.
There was no ecstatic shout as he had imagined; a tremendous sense of accomplishment, like a warm tide, instantly washed away all the previous fatigue and pressure. A profound sense of peace and satisfaction enveloped him. He had done it. He had conquered this peak that countless others looked up to.
Then, the official congratulatory announcement spread like wildfire, instantly igniting the entire internet.
His phone began to vibrate wildly with congratulations from friends, exclamations from teammates he used to play with who had long given up, and even messages from some unfamiliar numbers. Forums, tiebas, QQ groups... almost every corner related to League of Legends was discussing his name.
He felt a little dazed. He was just an ordinary person who liked to play games, yet at this moment, he seemed to have become the center of the world.
Immediately after, the appearance of the "Guardian Ryze" limited edition skin made him feel a heavy sense of honor, a recognition from the official source. When he saw his own ID and date briefly appear in the skin's recall animation, an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart. This was not only a personal commendation for him but also a tribute to all players who strived to climb.
The officials contacted him, sending gifts and a share of the skin sales. He politely thanked them, but what mattered more to him was the unique commemorative significance.
He logged onto the forum and posted a short message:
"Thank you all for your support and congratulations. Reaching Challenger is just the beginning; the challenges of the Rift are endless. I hope to spar with more high-level players and improve together in the future. — Ye Yu"
His tone was calm, just like his mood when he reached the top.
The clamor would eventually subside. Liu Lei, or "Ye Yu," knew that the title of "China's First Challenger" was both a crown of glory and a heavy chain. From now on, he would be the target of everyone's study and challenge; every one of his games would be scrutinized under a magnifying glass.
But he was not afraid.
He looked out at the pre-dawn light; a new day had begun. He flexed his somewhat stiff fingers and clicked open the League of Legends client again. The climbing journey had reached a temporary stop, but ahead, a broader world awaited him, and all players like him, eager to write their own legends in Summoners Rift.
Below the throne, the crowds surged. But on the throne, "Ye Yu" knew he couldn't stay for too long.