Diamond no longer asked questions.
It answered them.
Nightwalker's matches stopped feeling like trials and started feeling like routines—clean openings, controlled mid-games, decisive endings. The ladder didn't resist him anymore. It made space.
Diamond II.Diamond I.
The numbers moved without ceremony.
World Chat barely mentioned him now.
Those who noticed already knew.Those who didn't, didn't matter.
At this height, players didn't talk about skill.
They talked about fit.
The promotion queue appeared late that night.
Master Tier Promotion Available.
Daniel didn't click it immediately.
He leaned back, eyes drifting from the screen to the darkened room around him. The ladder had carried him far—but it was no longer the most interesting thing in front of him.
A message arrived.
CrystalFeather:I talked to my coach today.
Daniel waited.
CrystalFeather:He says I'm improving.But not the way the team needs.
That line told Daniel more than a paragraph could have.
Nightwalker:And what do you need?
There was a long pause.
CrystalFeather:Space.Time.Room to make mistakes without being corrected mid-cast.
Daniel nodded slightly.
Nightwalker:That's not something a system gives you.
CrystalFeather:I know.
The next Diamond match loaded.
CrystalFeather appeared again on the opposing side.
This time, she didn't hold back.
She pushed harder. Rotated earlier. Took risks that would have been discouraged days ago.
She lost the lane once.
Adjusted.
Won it the next time.
Daniel saw it clearly now.
She wasn't reckless.
She was learning her edge.
The match ended cleanly.
VICTORY
Afterward, another message arrived.
CrystalFeather:If I leave…I won't have a safety net.
Daniel replied without hesitation.
Nightwalker:Safety nets don't build careers.They delay them.
Three dots blinked.
Then—
CrystalFeather:You're not just climbing, are you?
Daniel glanced at the promotion button again.
Nightwalker:No.
CrystalFeather:Then what are you doing?
He typed slowly.
Nightwalker:Preparing.
The dots vanished.
A minute passed.
Then—
CrystalFeather:Preparing for what?
Daniel answered with a single line.
Nightwalker:A team.
Silence followed.
Not uncertainty.
Consideration.
Daniel finally clicked the promotion queue.
Master was waiting.
But for the first time since he started climbing again, the ladder felt like a means—
Not an end.
And somewhere off the ranked screen, paths were beginning to converge.