Chapter 625 - 621: Sign Him First, Ask Questions Later

Watching Ethan Sterling walk onto the stage, Owen Lawson clenched his fists. Having witnessed Ethan’s skill firsthand, he knew the substitute was definitely stronger than him.

After getting on stage, Ethan Sterling walked straight to the Lorcain University Team and stopped beside the captain, Gideon Kent.

A staff member came forward to confirm Ethan Sterling’s identity and brief him on the match guidelines.

Once everything was settled, Ethan Sterling sat down in Owen Lawson’s seat.

The announcer’s voice rang out right after. "Lorcain University has completed their player substitution, with substitute Ethan Sterling taking the stage. According to the league’s records, this is the first time Lorcain University has ever sent in a substitute—and in a critical tiebreaker, no less. We have no idea what this new player is capable of, so let’s see what he’s got."

Hearing this, some members of the audience laughed out loud.

"With a team as bad as Lorcain University, even their main players are trash. What’s there to expect from a sub?"

"Tell me about it. The best they’ve ever done is the semi-finals, right? They got insanely lucky and drew weak teams two rounds in a row. I don’t get what a big sponsor like Wa-Cha-Cha sees in them."

"They’re barely holding their own against SNU today, and isn’t SNU one of the weakest teams in the league?"

"Hahahaha, it’ll be a great show if Lorcain U gets knocked out by SNU in the first round."

Meanwhile, in a VIP box, a young man in a hat was stunned for a moment upon hearing Ethan Sterling’s name.

"Ethan Sterling?"

"You know him, Coach Chad Hector?" the person beside him asked, turning his head.

Chad Hector squinted, deep in thought. The name sounded incredibly familiar, but for a moment, he couldn’t quite place it.

It wasn’t until the big screen cut to a wide shot of Ethan Sterling that Chad Hector abruptly stood up. "Huh? It’s him?"

"Who?"

Chad Hector pulled out his phone and scrolled for a while before finally finding Ethan Sterling’s WhatsApp. His profile picture was of himself. Seeing it, Chad Hector couldn’t help but grin. "It really is him. So the kid ended up at Lorcain U!"

As he spoke, he handed his phone to the team director beside him. "Mr. Coleman, this Ethan Sterling is a promising talent I discovered during last year’s National Pro League Autumn Split in Veridia. He was on an amateur team that went on an incredible winning streak to qualify for the main tournament. And even though they were knocked out in the first round, they were up against the Solara MT Team! That’s a professional team that made it to Worlds, and this kid almost caused a massive upset. He nearly turned the game around all by himself!"

"That team must have been incredible, then!" Mr. Coleman said, surprised.

But Chad Hector just smiled and shook his head. "The team was decent, sure, but it was mostly because of this Ethan Sterling. His individual skill is just exceptional. I bet in a tournament like this, he could single-handedly carry a team of Lorcain U’s level all the way to the finals."

"He’s that good?"

"I was really high on him, so I went and got his WhatsApp right then and there. He was about to take his college entrance exams, so he didn’t plan on continuing to compete. I never thought I’d see him here today in the Collegiate League." Coach Chad Hector took a sip of his coffee and continued, "Weren’t we here to scout for new talent anyway? Just you wait and see."

Hearing Chad Hector’s incredible claims, Mr. Coleman’s curiosity was piqued.

’But Ethan Sterling is coming on as a substitute. If he’s really that amazing, why isn’t he a starter?’

Therefore, Mr. Coleman had his reservations about Coach Chad Hector’s words. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe him, just that he didn’t believe him completely. Seeing is believing, after all.

After sitting down, Ethan Sterling tapped the keyboard and clicked the mouse, trying to use the next minute or two to get a feel for the equipment.

His teammates all looked at him, a little nervous. Gideon Kent hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Ethan Sterling, I know we may have had our issues in the past, but today..."

"Don’t worry," Ethan Sterling interrupted Gideon Kent, his expression serious and determined. "Since you put me in, I’m going to take this seriously. I’ll do my best for Lorcain U."

Seeing that he wasn’t just saying what they wanted to hear, his teammates relaxed a little.

"Are you okay with the Shooter Position?" Gideon Kent asked.

Ethan Sterling smiled. "It’s not like I have a choice, do I? I’m filling the Shooter Position, and that can’t be changed."

It was a tournament rule: a substitute had to play the same position as the player they replaced. Team roles were submitted before the match, and players had to stick to their assigned roles; they couldn’t just switch at will.

"My best position is Jungler, but my Shooter isn’t bad. The other team doesn’t know my hero pool, so we can lock in our Shooter pick last."

Gideon Kent nodded. As team captain, he was dead serious once he was on the stage. He wanted to win, too.

The other members wanted to win just as badly.

And for Ethan Sterling, as long as everyone was united in their goal to win, things became very simple.

The main screen cycled through the broadcasts of three different matches. When the camera cut to the Lorcain University Team’s game, the announcer exclaimed in shock, "What’s going on in the match between Lorcain University and Strovan Normal University? We’re seeing their Shooter, Ethan Sterling, has somehow racked up 7 kills in less than six minutes from the start!"

"The total kill score is 4 to 7, which means every single one of Lorcain University’s kills belongs to Ethan Sterling!"

As the announcer spoke, the broadcast director immediately cut to a replay of Ethan Sterling’s spectacular recent kills!

The live audience watched the replay and instantly erupted into a deafening, tsunami-like roar of cheers.

"Holy shit, Ethan Sterling is insane!" Brandon Marshall, overcome with excitement, snatched the Lorcain University team flag from Riley Kent’s hands. He stood up in the stands, waving it furiously. "Lorcain U will win! Ethan Sterling is a god!"

"Well, Mr. Coleman?" Coach Chad Hector gave him a knowing look. "Was I wrong?"

"He’s definitely got the goods. He dodged several of the enemy’s crowd control abilities in a single team fight using just his movement. That reaction speed is absolutely pro-level," Mr. Coleman praised.

Coach Chad Hector smiled smugly. "And that’s not even the half of it. He’s filling in as Shooter today, but his best role is actually Jungler. His gank tempo is perfect. You’ll see, if you get the chance."

"Forget ’later.’ If we wait, other teams are going to have their eyes on him. You’ve met him and talked to him before, so maybe you have an in. Go talk to him right after this."

Seeing that Mr. Coleman was sold, Coach Chad Hector nodded. Then it dawned on him, and he asked, "But our first and second teams, as well as our academy team, are all at full capacity. Do we even have a spot for him?"

"Sign him first and we’ll figure that out later. You really want to let a prospect like this get snatched up by another team?"

Chad Hector smiled knowingly. ’Classic businessman’s logic,’ he thought. ’Get your hands on the asset first, no matter what. Don’t let it fall into a competitor’s hands.’

As for whether he’d actually be used, that was another matter entirely.

After all, plenty of substitute players warmed the bench every year. Among them were many talented prospects like Ethan Sterling who simply never got their chance to shine.

Ethan Sterling played the final push with incredible ferocity, and the shouts for the Lorcain University Team came one after another.

"Nice, Ethan Sterling! Beautifully played!"

"You go, I’ll shield you!"

"Get the kill! Keep going!"

The match ended with Ethan Sterling securing a Penta Kill, acing the enemy team!