Just as Lara inspired him, Andrew changed the course of the third challenge by not only demonstrating how easy it was to hit the targets using the right angle of fall and the right force.
This infuriated the previous contestants who had only hit one point or none at all, because after Andrew's explanation all three contestants managed to hit at least one target and two of them managed to hit more than one, eliminating both Heitor and Max.
So Heitor approached the organizers backstage, frustration evident on his face, and began trying to reason with them, his hands gesticulating fervently as he explained his dissatisfaction with the challenge and his elimination.
"You don't understand! The challenge wasn't fair! I should have another chance!" Heitor protested, his voice filled with indignation.
One of the organizers, a woman with a calm expression, looked at Heitor with a thoughtful gaze. "Heitor, all the competitors had the same number of chances and arrows."
"But competitor Andrew..."
"Andrew not only demonstrated skill, but also shared knowledge with everyone. Competition is about overcoming challenges and adapting. You could have chosen to go whenever you wanted, you could have waited Andrew's turn and anyone else, you could even have been last."
Heitor grumbled, but understanding began to creep into his expression. He glanced at the part of the arena where the second-round finalists were arguing among themselves, forming an unexpected camaraderie after Andrew's lessons.
"If you really want to improve, maybe it's time to focus on your own skills and learn from experiences." Added Heitor's department coordinator, who was from the Alabama campus, a man with a quiet voice and ordinary looks.
Heitor let out a sigh of frustration, his tense shoulders slowly giving way. The feelings of helplessness and tension were massive. He glanced around the arena once more, seeing the final competitors perfecting their techniques with Andrew's guidance. It was clear that everyone was committed to learning, and growing, to bettering themselves.
"I understand what you're saying," admitted Heitor, bowing his head. "I got carried away by my ego. I saw the way Andrew was excelling and it made me feel small. Instead of learning from him, I let my frustration blind me."
The organizers exchanged glances with the coordinator, who stepped forward, spreading his arms.
"It's an important step to recognize that." said the man, offering an encouraging smile. "Competition is more than just physical skill, it's also about self-discovery and personal growth... You still have the opportunity to learn and improve. It's not the end of the world if you don't win this time. Use it as an experience to become a better competitor in the future."
Heitor let out a deep sigh, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked at the organizers with a more serene countenance and nodded in appreciation.
"Thank you for understanding. I'll focus on improving and learning from my mistakes," he said sincerely with a new glint of determination in his eyes as he hugged the coordinator.
At the same time, near the back of the arena, Andrew was surrounded by the other finalists, all of them excited for the grand final the following day. As he chatted with Lara and Sofia, a dark-haired, bright-eyed boy, who seemed to be in complete awe of Andrew, accompanied them, because he was the last finalist to qualify, with two hits.
"So, how did you manage to hit that third target in that impossible position?" the boy asked, looking at Andrew with wide eyes.
Andrew smiled. "Well, it wasn't an easy task, but it all comes down to understanding the physics of arrow movement and constant practice. You see, the key is..."
While Andrew explained the technical details to the young man, Emma watched with a gentle smile from a little further away. She exchanged a meaningful glance with Lara, who realized she was watching. They both knew how important not only the competition itself was, but also the ability to inspire and help other competitors to grow, and Emma saw Lara doing this for Andrew.
Lara intervened with a touch of playfulness. "Believe me, kid, Andrew is a real master at finding solutions. He's helped me improve my aim more than I care to admit."
And so the small group continued to share stories, laughs and tips, forming an unexpected bond of friendship until the gym was empty to make it easier to leave without causing crowds or confusion. Obviously, it was already evening in Los Angeles and, although it wasn't summer, it was very hot.
The waning moon shone in the sky, casting a silvery light over the arena and the group of seniors.
While the heat of the night enveloped Los Angeles, the whole atmosphere of the NIST tournament was about to change, because, on an internet forum, the crazy theory that Kaizen and Klaus Park were the same person finally gained a more decisive coefficient than the similarity between their wide smiles.
In an open post, a newly created account exposed the entire link between the Kaizen nickname and Klaus Park in a large PDF full of old reports from seven years ago, from a time before Hónghé Holdings emerged as a major company and before the internet even became a webnet with the advance of satellites connecting any part of the world.
[Post title: Klaus Park and Kaizen are the same people, and I have proof!
Content:
Many may not remember, after all so much has happened in this world over the years that for many it would be almost impossible to recall even the names of their classmates from a few years ago, however, eight years ago, one nickname in particular got around a lot, mainly through short videos that highlighted how impressive a young man, a boy, called Klaus Park was.
At the time, Klaus Park was only between thirteen and fourteen years old, but, to your surprise, he was already a gaming phenomenon, definitely not as famous as he is today, but he was still known. Klaus Park played professionally in a game called Myth 2, an evolved version of the classic MOBA from the 90s, which even surpassed the success of its predecessor.
Klaus was young, but he was already destroying professionals in ranked queues, so it wasn't long before he caught the attention of many organizations and professional players. Everyone who watched this child knew that he had tremendous potential, his mind was different, he reasoned in a different way than usual, more focused, without waste, without distractions. It was absurd. And yet no professional organization tried to hire him. He was just a kid and the minimum age accepted by most international leagues was sixteen, there was no reason to have him on the team.
Nevertheless, an organization new to the Myth 2 scene decided to sign him as a gamble. Having him would attract visibility, because many wanted to see him play, to see how he would do in a professional game. What's more, the team brought in professional players from other teams who didn't stand out so much, so they couldn't accuse him of not trying.
Do you know what the end of all this was? In less than six months, thanks to Klaus' organizational skills, evaluation and talent, the organization's Myth2 team won the national championship and qualified for the game's world championship at the end of the year six months ahead of schedule.
Klaus Park was the team's standout player and, probably for this reason, the company that owned the rights to Myth2 at the time gave in to pressure and lowered the age limit for international events to thirteen.
In the end, that same team was undisputed world champions that year, beating a team that was the current two-time consecutive champion, the team of a star.
Seeing that child hoisting the trophy, everyone thought they were seeing a phenomenon in front of their eyes, someone of incomparable talent and, for much of the following year, those expectations came true. The team led by Klaus Park won the national tournament and qualified for the World Cup to represent America. Then, when everything seemed to indicate that Klaus Park would become a two-time world champion at just fourteen years old, with the team qualifying for the final undefeated, Klaus abandoned his team just before going on stage.
Apparently, Klaus received news that his family had suffered a serious accident on the way to the arena and so he couldn't play. His team lost that final because they played with their coach, who had much less skill than the young and talented Klaus.
In the end, Klaus Park retired from Myth2 and gave up everything he had achieved, fame, money, glory and even his own talent, and for many years he remained like that, anonymous, living his life who knows how, until the name Kaizen appeared again in Rise Online.
Below I'm providing news, videos of Klaus, Klaus' moves, interviews with the owner of the team Klaus was part of, and many other proofs of what I'm talking about.
It wasn't easy to find all this to prove to myself that I wasn't going crazy, but I managed to access the old internet through an old computer and a network cable that a friend of mine had lost in the attic.
Anyway, I hope I don't cause Klaus Park any trouble, and if he asks I'll delete the post].
However, even with the user who posted all this being so apparently cooperative, the damage was already done in life, and during the early hours of the morning all this only got more and more prominent, to the point of piercing any bubble.
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