N3O's fifth round of Alliance Conquest

As N3O geared up for their fifth round in the 18th season of Alliance Conquest, there was a growing sense of excitement in the air as N3O regained their spot in the top 16 after 3 consecutive victories, anticipating an intense match for the second time this season. Despite their early exit in the previous season, they had tasted victory in the tournament before, so they were feeling hopeful. Many were still dealing internally with the surprises from last season, but they thought that this time they would give it their all to make it be different. They were fueled by a strong desire to learn from their mistakes and emerge victorious. The season had its hurdles, starting with a loss to BDR in the first fight, but they quickly turned things around with impressive wins against the next 3 opponents, scoring over 100k points each time despite them being some incredible foes. Some credit was due to Ashun, a skilled racer who had been with N3O since the beginning of the last Alliance Conquest season. While he had achieved personal success in the past, he had yet to reach those heights with N3O. Seeing the strength of his teammates, he saw the chance to surpass his previous best performance in Alliance Conquest. Everyone in N3O was determined not to let one setback define their season, focusing on winning every match that was left, no matter how hard it was going to be. Ashun was particularly motivated, ready to give his all to ensure success for the team. It was time for him and N3O to once again demonstrate their prowess and strive for the top position.

In Alliance Conquest, two factions, Lannister and Targaryen, fight for control of Casterly Rock and other key buildings such as Ports, Outposts and Mines. This season has brought changes to the event as we knew it. Holding certain combinations of buildings would bring about better buffs for the whole alliance. Ashun's opponents find themselves on the Lannister side, a position earned through their ranking. The alliance ranked above earns the Lannister side, whilst the side with less points assumes the Targaryen side. As N3O aim for a convincing campaign that could show the redemption to come and to secure a spot in the top 16 in order to participate in Ultimate Conquest, they are fueled by motivation and determination, especially under the seasoned leadership of B3nni.

Ashun was eagerly anticipating the challenge of the incoming round, knowing that formidable alliances were lined up to face N3O. His role was crucial to N3O's strategy, which focused on racing and capturing every building as soon as it unlocked. This secured valuable initial points for the alliance, potentially leading to victory. His task involved swiftly switching buildings after capturing them, granting significant influence over the game's outcome if executed smoothly. Despite his excitement for the upcoming round, Ashun made a conscious effort to stay focused as he headed to the alliance hall to discover their opponents.

When he arrived at the Alliance Hall, he saw B3nni's expression that hinted at a sad turn of events towards their opponents for this round. N3O's opponent for the fifth round was going to be WTF, one of the strongest opponents one could face in the entire event strength-wise, an opponent that knew everything about N3O and likewise, N3O knew everything about them. There was one big disadvantage for N3O however, who hadn't completed their line-up yet for the event, as they were going to wait until the sixth round to do so. But since they have fought against them on numerous occasions, they were ready to use their knowledge to their advantage. Despite WTF's big name, this was pleasant news for Ashun, who considered this match as an opportunity to get experience both for N3O in tough matches, but also for his racing prowess. He wished to compete against the very best. His excitement was sky-rocketing, but he however did not want this issue to take away from his races to come, on which he had to fully focus on, to make sure he was not going to miss anything. The team overall felt a big loss of motivation with a hint of fear, at the sight of this match-up, which they believed was impossible to win for them. Ashun was readying himself to finally put a stop to his bad run of races and win some of the buildings he is heading for. He needed to get over his lack of form, as Ultimate Conquest was going to start soon, he was not thinking that they could lose, not even for a second.

With all arrangements complete, N3O has set out for the battleground, enveloped by the vibrant hues of nature. The lush greenery, accompanied by the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves, stands in stark contrast to the barrenness and desolation felt at the sight of this match-up.

As they walked further and further, N3O has now reached the battlefield. The sight of their enemy's forces was something that terrified the average member, despite Ashun's willingness to win this dispute. The numbers were equal, the strength didn't seem to be too different, but not many were willing to fight for glory. Some N3O members started thinking that maybe qualifying to Ultimate Conquest was in danger, as this would depict the alliance's second loss this season. Seeing the unsure faces, B3nni, who is always calculated in his decisions, and having gone through many tournaments, thus gathering an incredible amount of experience, decided to calm everyone down, and make the final call for tonight; N3O was going to fight just at the start and with races and swaps. The resources that everyone has will be focused towards the sixth round, the round that will decide the fate of qualifying to the Ultimate Conquest. This took the pressure off of everyone's shoulders, everyone's but Ashun's; who now had an even bigger problem, he had to win all of the races he could to bring as many points to the team as possible.

As the countdown began, Ashun felt the weight of expectation bearing down on him. With each stride, he pushed himself to the limit, racing towards victory. The adrenaline surged through his veins as he sprinted towards the Mother, the building he was assigned for and dearly desired, determined to claim it for N3O no matter the cost for him.

The race was on, each step fraught with tension as Ashun battled against the clock and his opponents. With lightning speed, he navigated the obstacles, his heart pounding with anticipation. But just as victory seemed within reach, Queen of Sin, the Duchess of WTF and an incredibly experienced fighter and racer swooped in, seizing the Mother before Ashun's eyes.

Seeing this unfold, for Ashun it seemed like the only logical outcome, she was more experienced than him. She was fighting on the biggest stage for years on end, something that Ashun only started doing recently, as he has a past with more casual alliances that could not achieve these great heights.

Only one building was reached by the N3O racers, the Lannister Outpost, via a fierce warrior, Ana a. The building didn't need to be swapped out, as per B3nni's secure orders, but due to miscommunication, Ana a disbanded her building, leaving it for WTF to capture, asserting domination on the battlefield.

The races for the ports did not go better for N3O despite their valiant efforts, the outcome was very sour for them. Both ports were lost, and so was Ashun's motivation. Now there was no chance for them to get any extra points if they had lost the next race as well but whilst Ashun was sulking, it was now time for Casterly Rock to unveil, however, seeing his lackluster form this season, Ashun, opted not to race for it, leaving it for his comrades to race and capture the building. Soon enough, the races started, with Queen of Sin capturing it, showcasing her experience and resilience under pressure. This match turned to be a total disaster for N3O, who have only managed to win a single race the entirety of the match. Seeing the overall outcome, Ashun had decided to make a drastic change for the next matches.

He went to B3nni, asking to have permission to assemble the racers' positions and use his theoretical skill, as his practical one seemed to lack in experience compared to everyone else. Ashun showed a very good response to the loss in B3nni's eyes, who was more than willing to reciprocate his enthusiasm, allowing him to do just that.

This match led them to N3O's 2nd defeat of the season, but they were still hopeful for a win in the next round in order to qualify for the Ultimate Conquest tournament. Their next match announced itself to be as dire as this one, but there, they were going to try their best, with a finally fully assembled team. Ashun hoped to get his form back once more before the tournament began, otherwise the future is looking grim for his races in general, but now with his newfound role, maybe he can help redeem himself in another way. Will he be able to do it?