Two -- those were the number of times Blacklist's dynamic duo Johnmar "OhMyV33nus" Villaluna and Danerie James "Wise" Del Rosario got so close, yet so far with getting the missing piece to their Mobile Legends: Bang Bang careers.

• MSC 2023: ECHO, Blacklist seek missing piece to ML trifecta

But ahead of MSC 2023, the two were calm, composed, resigned, as they faced ABS-CBN News ahead of MSC 2023 in Phnom Penh.

In their decorated seven-season career, all they needed to get was the MSC title, which they lost to back in 2021. But the duo, looking back at their list of achievements, believed that not having this will not define their careers.

“Para sa’kin yun nga, tulad ng sabi nila, there was never a kulang. Kahit hindi namin makuha ang MSC title, okay lang din sakin kasi okay lang naman ang career namin. Kaya okay na rin kaming hindi namin siya nakuha,” Wise said in an exclusive, sit-down interview with ABS-CBN News.

OhMyV33nus added: “Same ako kay Wise. Lalaban kami ng MSC hindi para makuha ang championships kung 'di ang goal namin is para manalo and ayun nga sabi ni Wise, satisfied kami sa naabot namin ang career namin. Kung papalarin kami na manalo kami, ayon.”

Blacklist International, nonetheless, focused on building mental fortitude heading into MSC, with two different players fielded in for the squad in place of their world championship core Salic “Hadji” Imam and Kiel “Oheb” Soriano who took season-long breaks.

"Siguro yung ano, aside sa in-game adjustments na kailangan namin i-improve, yung outside that siguro. Yung mental. Kasi isa sa mga sobrang nakakadurog ng utak [yung] matalo ng ganung way sa grand finals. So isa na yun sa mga pine-prepare namin. Personally, doon ako nagfo-focus din ngayon," OhMyV33nus said.

Fast forward to the MSC tournament, they seemed unstoppable as the country’s last hope, after world champs ECHO succumbed to Onic Esports. After all, the Philippines is the most dominant country in ML:BB.

In the Grand Finals, they were even seen as comforting Howard “Owl” Gonzales, who looked shell-shocked after absorbing death after death against the Indonesian squad.

They composed themselves, before facing the press after the loss.

“Dati [against] Execration 4-1 kami. Malay natin sa susunod, 4-2. Tapos 4-3,” Wise said.

And OhMyV33nus added in jest: “4-4”

With the title remaining elusive, seven seasons into their professional career, Wise told ABS-CBN News that he and OhMyV33nus have to deliberate their options after the MSC campaign.

"Ang daming nagtatanong kung ano ang gagawin namin,” he shared.

• MSC 2023: Title quest remains elusive for Blacklist, as Onic Esports captures title

"Pero wala. Mahirap kasi mag-decide na mataas ang emotion mo eh. And kakatapos pa lang ng MSC. So gusto lang muna namin umuwi, magpahinga, mag-isip kung ano ang gagawin.”

The duo, after securing the M3 World Championships, took a season-long rest in MPL Season 9, and participated in the 2022 Southeast Asian Games. They returned in MPL Season 10, and got the local championship, but faltered in the M4 World Championships when they lost to ECHO.

• MSC 2023: Kairi, Onic Esports eliminate ECHO in shock 0-3 sweep

The same year, the duo were inducted into the league's inaugural "Hall of Legends" -- the league's iteration of a hall of fame.