LOL: Reborn in Season 3, Taming Lee Sang-hyeok

034 LG's primary task is to survive for 3 minutes.

There is only one day of rest between the two NLB sessions.

Before we knew it, it was January 13th, around noon.

The team is changing into their team uniforms in the training room, preparing for their first live match in their professional careers.

"But..." Kim Hyuk-kyu looked at the team uniform in front of him, somewhat puzzled, "Ji-hsing hyung, is this uniform for real?"

Since we're going to be competing offline, a proper team uniform is a must.

Li Zhixing had made preparations in advance, and had someone design two sets of team uniforms for spring and summer well in advance.

As someone who traveled back in time, Li Zhixing had too many excellent team uniform design examples in his mind, and he knew that the most important thing about uniforms was simplicity and uniqueness.

Therefore, he directly adopted the style of a regular black and white patchwork baseball jersey, with the RISE team name and mountain-shaped team logo printed on the back, which looked quite capable.

(See image below)

If that's all there is to it, then this jersey is certainly excellent.

However... in addition to that, the cuffs and chest area of ​​the team uniform are also covered with GG logos for Li Zhixing's social media channel and online store.

Li Zhixing was also worried that these guys wouldn't be able to see clearly from a distance, so he printed the online store's name in huge print!

"Put them on, Hyukyu."

Li Zhixing chuckled softly from the side, "This is for the sake of the club's livelihood; I have no other choice."

Before the club could generate revenue through sponsorships after winning the championship, it relied on Li Zhixing's online store to make a living.

Now is a rare opportunity to promote and give back, so of course we can't miss it.

He not only printed "GG" all over the team jerseys, but also pre-made a large number of ad-free, clean version jerseys, just waiting for the team to achieve good results so they could sell them off in a big way.

The traffic and sales efficiency of the OGN arena are much greater than that of a small self-media channel!

Several teammates thought it made sense, so they stopped objecting, put on their team uniforms and cotton-padded jackets, and headed straight for the competition venue.

NLB offline matches and OGN share the same venue, located on the ninth floor of IPark Mall in Yongsan District.

As for the mode of transportation... the subway, of course.

We should still save where we should and spend where we should.

Taking a taxi in Gangnam District is incredibly expensive, and with Ma Yingdong and six others, they would need to take two taxis, which would be a further blow to the already strapped club.

Several teenagers, carrying the mice and keyboards provided by the club in backpacks and filled with anticipation, plunged into the bustling subway station in Gangnam District.

Fortunately, Gangnam District is located in the city center, so it's quick to get anywhere by subway.

Just half an hour later, the group arrived at the ninth floor of the mall.

Even in 2013, the OGN arena was by no means small, with a capacity of roughly 300 people.

The entrance to the venue was bustling with people, crowded with spectators ready to enter.

These spectators obviously had no idea that one of the teams competing today, a member of RISE who was among the top ten in the entire server last season, was right next to them.

Kim Hyuk-kyu looked around in the crowd and sure enough, he spotted his parents. He ran over and greeted them.

Lee Sang-hyeok also found his grandmother in the crowd.

Today's match may determine the future of the boy, and as parents, they certainly won't miss it.

Li Qiming has returned to his "flying man" mode and didn't come today.

Li Zhixing didn't care about this. He waited until his two younger brothers finished exchanging pleasantries with their parents before leading a few teammates to verify their identities and enter the venue's backstage area.

Today's matches are quite packed, with four best-of-three series to be played simultaneously in one day, so the backstage area is currently crowded with participating players, bustling with activity.

Li Zhixing took off his down jacket and took out his keyboard. Looking around, he could even see many familiar faces, such as Kkoma and the members of his SKT second team.

If we're talking about the most watched team in this NLB tournament, it's definitely SKT's second team.

After all, as a long-established esports powerhouse, they have a considerable amount of support, not to mention that their team is also a force to be reckoned with in OGN, ranking alongside KT as one of the two giants.

It's worth mentioning that KT emerged victorious in this year's OGN league, securing first place in the regular season with a higher score.

However, in the NLB secondary league, SKT's second team proved superior, eliminating KT's second team.

Li Zhixing's mind was also racing with thoughts.

He certainly remembered the match against MVP the day before yesterday, when it was Kukuma who leaked their draft picks.

Although it didn't cause them any trouble, he had no reason to forget such ill-intentioned behavior.

Kkoma turned around at that moment and saw the members of RISE, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Although he had long anticipated that MVP wouldn't be able to stop RISE, seeing these five young men walk right up to him still left him with a sense of melancholy.

These boys who slipped through his fingers have now become a formidable force that cannot be ignored.

Just then, I heard a notification from a staff member.

"RISE and LG-IM are ready to take the stage!"

Fortunately, RISE's match was scheduled as the first one today, so everyone didn't have to wait too long.

"Let's go."

Li Zhixing picked up his mouse and keyboard, led his team through the door, up the stairs, and onto the stage.

He hasn't played a live match in a long time.

After all, he had already retired in his previous life because he had won too much, and in this life he had been lying low for nearly a year.

Moreover, the arena in this era was far less sophisticated and high-end than in the previous life; it was just a simple platform with two rows of computers on it.

But as long as there are still audience members and spotlights overhead, it remains the familiar stage for Li Zhixing.

At this moment, the audience below the stage was bustling with activity, filled with countless discussions, and even flashes of light could be seen.

In the current league landscape, RISE is undoubtedly a highly watched entity.

Neo is a top teacher, the only player in the world with 3,000 points in Season 2, and still a high school student.

Mapo 3C, both from the same high school.

And the glorious achievement of defeating the MVP of a top team in the NLB online tournament.

All of this adds a touch of mystery to the team.

But now, Neo is finally in the spotlight, and everyone's eyes are drawn to him, and they are all shocked.

This is the legendary Mapo 3C, who came from the same school and left the fourth place 200 points behind?

They're incredibly young.

But what's with the "GG" on those team jerseys...?

Standing under the spotlight, Kim Hyuk-kyu looked at the sea of ​​heads below and couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

"Wow, so many people..."

The audience was packed with over 300 seats, and many people were even there as fans, holding up their light sticks.

Judging from the content, they are all supporters of the opponent.

Although their opponent is the fourth-to-last team in OGN, they are still from a top-tier league.

With massive exposure, as long as you have a unique style that people can remember, you will naturally attract countless supporters.

The opposing team, which focuses on the top lane, is one of the teams whose playstyle is popular.

Kim Hyuk-kyu looked around and found his parents in the crowd.

The parents noticed their son's gaze and were waving his arms.

Kim Hyuk-kyu became even more nervous...

Looper and Mata looked down at the audience and felt a little intimidated.

Although both players have extensive trial experience, this is their first time actually playing in a match...

This is the OGN match venue!

Li Zhixing glanced at the audience, but he didn't seem to notice anything.

He's a six-time champion, and he's even played in Olympic venues with tens of thousands of people. He's heard tens of thousands of people shouting his ID together.

These few hundred people are really nothing.

He instinctively bowed to the audience to show his respect. His four teammates were slightly taken aback, but followed suit before turning around and sitting down in their seats.

As soon as Li Zhixing put on his headphones, he heard Kim Hyuk-kyu's voice: "I'm so nervous, Zhixing-hyung!"

Li Zhixing said helplessly, "You're so pathetic, He Kui."

"If you're really nervous, just zoom in on your computer screen to completely block out the audience. Once the game starts, you'll naturally feel less nervous."

"Okay, bro!" Kim Hyuk-kyu immediately did as he was told, pulling the computer screen up to his face.

As Li Zhixing spoke, he glanced sideways at the mid-laner beside him and chuckled, "Sang-hyeok doesn't seem nervous?"

Lee Sang-hyeok remained calm and composed: "Of course, I'm very excited, Ji-hyung."

Li Zhixing nodded, becoming increasingly satisfied with the young man before him.

Although Sang-hyeok is a bit too concerned about his image and likes to be stubborn, there's really nothing wrong with what he said.

Some people are born for the big stage. The more they are in the spotlight, the more excited they become, and their skills naturally improve.

And the boy in front of us is just like that.

All four contestants on RISE are absolute geniuses.

Of the four, Lee Sang-hyeok is the most outstanding. He is a champion born for the competition. Even compared to Lee Ji-hyung's three-time champion teammates in his previous life, his talent is no less than that of Lee Sang-hyeok.

"Then get ready, BP is about to begin."

Compared to the last match against MVP, this draft was much easier.

In the previous match against MVP, Kkoma leaked the draft picks to MVP, which caused Li Zhixing some trouble.

But this time it was completely the opposite.

As a professional team in OGN, LG-IM has a lot of videos for Li Zhixing to refer to.

In contrast, the opposing team knew almost nothing about RISE and could only glean sporadic information from ranked matches.

Through two days of video analysis, Li Zhixing clearly understood that the LG-IM team was a team centered around two solo lanes, mid and top.

Mid laner Kuro is a rare roaming and support-oriented mid laner, and together with top laner Smeb's carry ability, this team is able to barely keep up in OGN.

In contrast, the bottom lane duo is less capable, performing only moderately and rarely breaking through the opponent's defense.

This type of team is clearly Li Zhixing's favorite.

Looper has an outstanding ability to withstand pressure. He is not afraid even when facing SKT's first team, let alone the current OGN bottom-tier team.

Their offensive capabilities in the lower half of the map are unparalleled, allowing them to exploit the opponent's weakness in the lower half of the map!

"Ban Rumble, Jax, and Kennen. We can't give the enemy top laner a chance to shine."

Li Zhixing said, "Banning three top laners is my last bit of help for the top lane. This game, Hengshuo will have to work a little harder and try his best to hold the top lane."

As they were talking, the opposing team also finished selecting their bans, choosing to ban Lee Sin, Zed, and Caitlyn.

The opposing team's ban picks seemed rather haphazard, clearly based on the ranked hero pools of Mapo's three carries, banning the heroes that each of them used most frequently in their respective positions.

Looper smiled slightly when he saw that the other side hadn't banned Alchemist: "No problem, leave it to me, bro."

As long as he gets the alchemy, no matter how powerful the enemy top laner is, he can hold his own against them forever!

The alchemy shop on the first floor is now locked in!

Next, the heroes will be swapped.

The opposing team quickly picked a top and mid lane combination of Fiora and Sion.

It has to be said that Li Zhixing's mid-lane AP Sion build is exactly what Kuro wanted. His roaming playstyle needs such a solid and easy-to-use roaming mid-laner!

Lee Sang-hyeok saw Sion and, without hesitation, immediately locked in Fizz for the mid lane.

Sion is a tough and durable champion with fast wave clear and strong crowd control. He's also a formidable fighter, and almost no mage can match him.

With his E ability, the fishman can dodge stuns, and his W is excellent against melee opponents, making him barely able to put up a fight.

But once the Murloc is picked, it basically confirms that the game will be extremely bloody.

After thinking for a moment, Li Zhixing decided to focus on the spider and raise the level of gore even higher.

This selection immediately sparked a buzz of discussion and debate from the audience.

The mid-jungle duo of Fishman and Spider is too arrogant!

The opposing team was clearly stunned by this move, and after pondering for a long time, they finally chose the EZ and Lulu combo.

This move was exactly what Li Zhixing had expected. He was prepared and locked onto Tristana and Thresh, continuing his attack.

The opposing team locked in Jarvan IV as their last pick, and the team composition was now finalized.

Blue side RISE: Top lane Alchemist, Jungle Elise, Mid lane Fizz, Bot lane Tristana and Thresh.

Red team LG-IM: Top lane Fiora, Jungle Jarvan IV, Mid lane Sion, Bot lane Ezreal and Lulu.

In the commentary booth, a burly man was speaking in a loud voice, rambling on about the two teams' lineups.

Anyone who watches OGN matches will be impressed by the commentator named Jeon Yong-jun.

"Judging from the lineups, LG is clearly superior," Jeon Yong-jun remarked. "RISE's lineup is just too chaotic, isn't it?"

Beside him, his commentator partner Kim Dong-jun nodded in agreement: "Yeah, this is practically a lineup you'd only see in ranked matches... If this drags on to the late game, they're guaranteed to lose, right?"

As commentators for OGN, the two had watched many LG-IM matches and naturally had a certain fondness for the team, which inevitably led to some bias in their comments.

After these words stirred up the discussion, the comments in the live stream also became somewhat biased.

I laughed as soon as they made this draft; does R1SE even deserve to win with this lineup?

[If you don't crush the opponent in ten minutes, you'll just explode yourself?]

With three AP champions in the top, mid, and jungle, once Fiora gets her magic resistance, she'll be able to take on five opponents at once, right?

Is it possible that LG-IM won't even survive to the later stages?

[Do you think that's possible? Even if LG is bad, they're still an OGN team. How could they possibly be crushed in the early game by just any random team?]

[They keep raving about Neo being the godfather of LOL, and this is the lineup they picked? It's hilarious. Looks like LG is going back to OGN.]

Even the viewers in the live stream, as well as the other contestants backstage, were puzzled by RISE's lineup, believing that there were definitely better options.

Amidst the clamor of discussion, only the members of SKT's second team and their leader, Kkoma, remained calm.

Both SKT's first and second teams have been thoroughly defeated by Lee Ji-hyeong.

This team, now composed of members from the former first and second teams, has great respect for Li Zhixing from the entire team.

Kkoma crossed his arms, refusing to offer any comment...

He genuinely felt that LG wouldn't survive to the later stages of the game.

LG's primary objective is to survive the initial three minutes of tower diving.