They didn't rush the decision.
That alone surprised Zhou.
Ten days until registration, a completed roster, momentum finally building—and yet Daniel didn't immediately throw names onto the table like slogans.
"Names stick," Daniel said. "They shouldn't be loud. They should last."
WildZone leaned back in his chair. "As long as it's not something edgy."
CrystalFeather smiled faintly. "Or embarrassing."
Ironwall didn't comment. He rarely did when things mattered.
Blackstone simply said, "Say it once. If it feels right, it is."
They wrote options on the whiteboard.
Most were crossed out within seconds.
Too aggressive.Too nostalgic.Too obviously chasing attention.
Zhou watched them argue, amused. "You'd think you were naming a child."
"In a way, we are," WildZone muttered.
Daniel hadn't written anything yet.
He waited.
Finally, CrystalFeather spoke.
"What about Apex?"
WildZone frowned. "Sounds… generic."
Daniel shook his head. "Not Apex."
He stood, took the marker, and wrote one word.
Epoch
The room quieted.
"Epoch," Daniel repeated. "Not a peak. A shift."
Blackstone nodded slowly. "A period defined by change."
Ironwall said, "It doesn't brag."
WildZone stared at the word, then grinned. "And it doesn't apologize."
Zhou scratched his chin. "Epoch Gaming," he said aloud. "That works."
Daniel capped the marker.
"Then that's it."
The registration form felt heavier than it should have.
Zhou filled it out carefully, reading each line twice.
Team Name: EpochRegion: City League – EastCaptain: Nightwalker
When he clicked Submit, the page refreshed.
Registration Complete.
No fireworks.
Just confirmation.
That night, Daniel queued one Master game alone.
Not to climb.
To listen.
World Chat had already picked up the change.
"Epoch? That Nightwalker team?""Registered already?""Fast.""Who's on it?"
Someone else typed:
"Funny name."
Daniel closed the channel.
Epoch didn't need approval.
The message arrived an hour later.
Not in-game.
Not from Zhou.
From an account Daniel hadn't seen since the day he left the league.
Dawn_PR:Congratulations on forming a new team.
Daniel stared at the screen.
The words were polite.
Too polite.
Dawn_PR:We're happy to see former players still passionate about competition.Wishing you success in City League.
Daniel didn't reply.
He didn't need to.
Ironwall noticed the pause. "That them?"
"Yes," Daniel said.
WildZone scoffed. "That's fake nice."
CrystalFeather looked uneasy. "Why now?"
Daniel closed the client.
"Because we stopped being invisible," he said.
Later, as they shut down the studio, Zhou lingered.
"You knew this would happen," he said.
Daniel nodded. "I counted on it."
Zhou studied him. "And if they move?"
"Then they admit we matter."
Zhou smiled slowly. "You really are planning to go all the way back."
Daniel looked at the Epoch logo pinned temporarily to the wall.
"No," he said. "This time, we're going further."
Outside, the city air felt colder.
The season was changing.
The City League clock was ticking.
And for the first time since Daniel had walked into that internet café months ago, the road ahead had a name.
Epoch.