novelODS Chapter 254, Round 2
Chapter 254, Round 2
Chapter 254, Round Two
The air in Dalongkeng seemed to freeze at that moment.
Three thousand HP! Two thousand five hundred HP!
"The factory manager has made a move! He's going for the dragon pit with a double EQ charge! He's going to steal it!" Miller's voice suddenly ripped out, filled with a do-or-die determination.
On the big screen, the Demacian prince, clad in golden armor, transformed into a shooting star, planted the military flag, and the dragon crashed down! The factory manager's target was extremely clear; he didn't even look at anyone from SKT, his eyes were only on that purple Baron Nashor.
However, SKT's discipline was on full display at this moment.
Just as the prince was about to land, Peanut's Lee Sin moved. Without the slightest hesitation, Lee Sin used his W, "Golden Bell," to touch the control ward at the edge of the Baron pit, narrowly missing the prince in mid-air.
"One warehouse!"
Dragon's Tail Swing!
Peanut didn't even use Flash. Instead, he used the ward jump to dash and, in the very last frame while the Prince's EQ combo was still in mid-air, delivered a precise kick to the Prince's lower back!
"Bang!"
The factory manager's Prince was like a kite with a broken string, kicked out of the dragon pit and crashed heavily onto the EDG team who had just arrived at the river pass, knocking away Meiko's Alistar and Ray's Urgot!
"My God! Peanut's kick! He kicked Clearlove back! Baron's health is still 1500! SKT has stopped!"
"They're not fighting anymore, they're going to kill people!" the doll cried out in despair.
Yes, SKT didn't gamble on the 50% chance of getting Smite. The moment Clearlove was kicked away, Faker's Ryze activated Ghost, his body wreathed in blue arcane runes, charging into EDG's formation like a lightning mage.
EW combo, rune ban!
Ryze precisely pinpointed iBoy, who was positioned at the very front!
"Protect Kai'Sa! Protect Kai'Sa!" Meiko shouted frantically in the voice chat. As soon as Alistar landed, he immediately activated his ultimate, "Unwavering Will," in an attempt to knock Ryze away.
But at that moment, a golden crescent-shaped beam of light roared out from the shadows of the Great Dragon Pit!
Precise bullet comments!
Xiao Yan's Ezreal unleashed a full-damage ultimate from inside the Baron pit, through the thick walls! The golden energy wave not only severely damaged the stunned Kai'Sa, but also affected LeBlanc and Urgot behind her.
Immediately afterwards, a golden light flashed.
Arcane Leap!
Xiao Yan used his E skill to fly over the wall of the Dragon Pit and landed on the flank of EDG's formation. His position was extremely tricky, just outside the attack range of the EDG players, yet still within his own attack range.
Basic attack, Q skill, basic attack!
With the damage from Manamune and Iceborn Gauntlet's passive, the damage dealt to the squishy Kai'Sa was practically true damage. iBoy didn't even have time to use his ultimate, "Hunter's Instinct," before EZ's precise Mystic Shot wiped out his last bit of health.
"iBoy is down! Xiao Yan's damage is too high! EDG's formation has completely collapsed!" Guan Zeyuan closed his eyes in pain.
Without their ADC, EDG's team fights have become completely predictable.
TheShy's Aatrox activated his ultimate, charging into the enemy team like a tiger among sheep, each swing of his greatsword taking away a significant portion of EDG's health. Faker's Ryze unleashed a barrage of spells amidst the chaos, while WoIf's Morgana provided precise Black Shields and crowd control from the sidelines.
Xiao Yan, on the other hand, was like an elegant grim reaper, hovering on the edge of the battlefield. His mouse clicks were incredibly fast; Ezreal constantly darted, maneuvered, and dealt damage across the battlefield. Every Q skill cast was accompanied by a significant drop in the health of an EDG player.
"Double Kill!"
Triple Kill!
'
"QuadraKill!"
"6
As the system's cold female voice echoed across Summoner's Rift, the entire venue fell into a deathly silence.
On the big screen, only the factory manager's Jarvan IV was left struggling to escape back to his own jungle. His health was down to a sliver, while behind him, Ezreal was leisurely chasing after him, using the Iceborn Gauntlet's slow effect as a stepping stone.
"A pentakill? Is Xiao Yan going to get a pentakill?!" Miller's voice trembled.
Xiao Yan watched the prince fleeing in panic on the screen, his eyes remaining calm as still water. He didn't rush to use his skills, but calmly calculated the prince's movement and skill cooldowns.
Just as the prince was about to step into the jungle bushes, Xiao Yan pressed the Q key.
"Swoosh" 6
The secret shot sliced through the air, accurately predicting the prince's movement after he entered the bushes.
"Bang!"
PentaKill!
""
"ACE!"
The crimson words "Team Wipe" appeared in the center of the screen, stinging the eyes of all LPL viewers.
"Pentakill—Xiao Yan secured a pentakill in the 25th minute." Wawa slumped in the commentary booth, his voice filled with helplessness. "In this team fight, SKT achieved a perfect 0-for-5 exchange. They don't even need to fight for Baron anymore; the mid-lane minions have already reached the high ground. SKT is going to push for the win."
The game lasted 25 minutes and 40 seconds.
With super minions, the five members of SKT crushed EDG's mid-lane inhibitor tower and crystal like bulldozers, and then headed straight for the two inhibitor towers.
Kai'Sa, who has the fastest respawn time, still has a full ten seconds left.
"Let's congratulate SKT on securing a crushing victory in the first game." Guan Zeyuan sighed, looking at the collapsing EDG base crystal. "In this match, SKT showed us what true Korean suffocation looks like. From laning to macro play to team fights, EDG found almost no weaknesses. Especially Xiao Yan in the bottom lane, his Ezreal—truly in a class of its own."
As the soundproof glass of the competition room was lowered, the cheers of SKT fans inside the arena surged like a tsunami.
Xiao Yan took off his headphones and casually smoothed his short, golden hair. His face didn't show much elation at winning the match; it was as if he had simply accomplished something insignificant. He stood up, took a sip of water, and then followed his teammates backstage.
In stark contrast to the relaxed and carefree atmosphere on the SKT side, the EDG match room was deathly silent.
The factory manager buried his face in his hands, deeply engrossed in the keyboard, and remained seated for a long time. iBoy stared at the grayed-out settlement screen, his hands still trembling slightly. Meiko patted iBoy's shoulder, sighed, and said nothing.
[A brief break in the lounge]
EDG's backstage lounge.
The atmosphere was oppressive, almost suffocating. Coach Nofe stood in front of the tactics board, his brow furrowed, the marker in his hand cracking loudly. Abu stood in the corner, his face ashen.
"I don't need to elaborate on where the problem was in the first game, do I?" Nofe took a deep breath, breaking the silence. "We were too passive! From the draft phase, we fell into SKT's trap. We thought picking Kai'Sa and Alistar would give us a safe lane, but what happened? We were completely pressured by Xiao Yan's Ezreal and couldn't even leave the tower!"
iBoy bit his lip, his eyes reddening slightly: "I'm sorry, it's my fault. I made too many positioning mistakes and got hit so badly by his Q. His skills—it's like he's using a lock-on cheat, I just can't dodge them."
"This isn't just your problem, Hu Xianzhao." The factory manager looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "It's because the opposing team's pressure is too strong. Xiao Yan and WoIf's bot lane duo is putting far more pressure on us than we anticipated. And Peanut..."
Their vision was so tightly controlled that I couldn't find an opportunity to grab them.
"Next game, we must change our strategy." Abu stepped forward, his voice low but firm. "We can't play a macro-game with them anymore. We can't compete with the current SKT in that regard. We need to play chaotic skirmishes! We need to pick compositions that can set the pace early and stir things up! In the bot lane, we can't pick a farming carry anymore; we need a strong combination and go head-to-head with them!"
Nofe nodded and quickly wrote down the names of several heroes on the strategy board: "Lucian, Braum, Draven, Kalista—Next game, we're on the blue side, so we need to take the initiative in the draft. Mingkai, you have a heavy responsibility next game; you must set the pace in the early game and not let Xiao Yan have it so easy!"
"I know." The factory manager took a deep breath, his fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes. "Next game, I'll let him know that this is LPL's home ground."
Meanwhile, in the SKT lounge.
Unlike the somber atmosphere at EDG, the rest room at SKT was filled with a relaxed and cheerful ambiance.
Coach Kkoma smiled and handed water to the team members, patting Xiao Yan on the shoulder: "Well done, Xiao Yan. That pentakill, the timing was perfect."
Xiao Yan took the water glass and replied calmly, "They gave us the chance. That prince shouldn't have shown such poor emotional intelligence."
"In the next game, EDG will definitely target the bot lane relentlessly." Faker pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and calmly analyzed, "They're on the blue side, so they'll most likely pick a strong bot lane duo or make plays in the jungle."
"Targeting me?" Xiao Yan's lips curled into a barely perceptible sneer, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Then let them come. Coach, next game, give me some interesting champions. I'm getting a little bored with Ezreal."
Seeing Xiao Yan's confident gaze, Kkoma's smile deepened: "Oh? What do you want to play?"
Xiao Yan put down his water glass and stared directly at the tactics board: "Since they want to fight, then give them the ultimate violence."
[The second game begins]
"Welcome back to the semifinals of the 2018 League of Legends World Championship! We're about to bring you the second game of the EDG vs. SKT match!" Wawa's voice regained its passion, trying to stir up the emotions of the audience.
"In the last game, SKT displayed terrifying dominance. But we believe that after a short adjustment, EDG will definitely bring us a different tactical reserve!" Miller continued.
"That's right, EDG is on the blue side this game, with the right to ban and pick first. Let's see how the two sides strategize in the draft phase!" Guan Zeyuan stared at the screen.
On the big screen, the BP interface officially loaded.
EDG's first three bans were extremely decisive: Ezreal, Morgana, and Aatrox.
"EDG directly banned Xiao Yan's perfect performance with Ezreal in the last game, as well as WoIf's Morgana! They also banned TheShy's Aatrox! These three bans are highly targeted, aiming to disable SKT's winning strategy from the last game!" Wawa shouted in the commentary.
SKT's bans seemed to go smoothly: Rakan, Kai'Sa, and Urgot.
"SKT has banned Rakan, who has a strong engage potential, as well as iBoy's signature Kai'Sa. It seems SKT doesn't want the bot lane to have an easy time either."
It's EDG's turn to pick first.
Without any hesitation, EDG immediately locked in Lucian, the Purifier, on the first floor!
"Lucian! EDG first-picked Lucian! They're going to go for the early game! iBoy has picked his most aggressive champion!" The LPL fans in the stadium erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
SKT locked down Olaf and Zoe on the first and second floors.
"Peanut's Olaf, Faker's Zoe. SKT's mid and jungle are incredibly strong! Their early game fighting ability is extremely powerful!" Miller analyzed.
EDG immediately locked in Braum and Sejuani on the second and third floors.
"Lucian and Braum! EDG has the strongest fighting combination in the bot lane! And Clearlove's Sejuani provides stable control! EDG's intention is very clear: to gank the bot lane and crush Xiao Yan!" Guan Zeyuan excitedly slammed his fist on the table.
Now, the pressure has reached the third floor of SKT.
Everyone was glued to the screen, eager to see which champion Xiao Yan would choose to counter the lane-dominant Lucian and Braum combo. Caitlyn? Or Varus?
SKT's third-floor icon flashed wildly, finally settling on a hero wielding two axes with an arrogant smile.
Welcome to the Dray League!
Honorable Executioner Draven!
Locked!
"boom"
The entire venue erupted in cheers! Both LPL and LCK fans gasped in disbelief at that moment.
"Draven?! Xiao Yan locked in Draven?!" The doll's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Faced with Lucian and Braum, he actually dared to pick Draven?! What confidence, or rather—what arrogance!"
"That's too arrogant! Xiao Yan's choice of hero is basically telling iBoy: You want to fight? I'll fight you! And I'll use the most violent hero to cut you down!" Miller's voice became sharp with excitement.
Guan Zeyuan took a deep breath: "And look closely, SKT has locked in Thresh on the fourth floor! WoIf's signature Thresh! Draven and Thresh against Lucian and Braum! This bot lane is absolutely going to be a clash of titans, a fight to the death!"
Ultimately, the lineups for both sides were finalized.
Blue side EDG:
Top Laner Ray: Ornn Jungler Clearlove: Sejuani Mid Laner Scout: Syndra ADC iBoy: Lucian Support Meiko: Braum Red Side SKT:
Top Laner TheShy: Jayce; Jungler Peanut: Olaf; Mid Laner Faker: Zoe; ADC Xiao Yan: Draven; Support Wolf: Thresh. "This lineup—SKT is completely leaving themselves no way out!" Miller gasped, looking at the final lineup on the big screen. "Jayce, Olaf, Zoe, Draven. SKT has a purely early-mid game fighting lineup, with absolutely no late-game protection! If they can't establish a huge advantage in the first twenty minutes, once it drags into the late game, and EDG's Ornn and Sejuani are fully powered up, SKT simply won't be able to take them down!"
"This is SKT's current style, or rather, this is the change Xiao Yan brought about." Wawa's expression was serious. "They want to use extreme individual skill and lane dominance to completely crush you in the early game. In this match, the first ten minutes of the bot lane laning phase will determine the outcome of the entire game!"
Amidst the deafening cheers of the audience, Summoner's Rift descended.
At 1 minute and 30 seconds into the game, all troops are mobilized.
Xiao Yan's Draven, wielding two spinning axes, headed towards the bottom lane alongside WoIf's Thresh. His starting items were extremely aggressive: a Doran's Blade and a Health Potion.
"Xiao Yan is taking Conqueror this game, and his summoner spells are Flash and Cleanse. Cleanse is essential against Braum and Sejuani's crowd control." Guan Zeyuan kept a close eye on the bottom lane.
The lanes converge.
iBoy's Lucian and Meiko's Braum were playing very aggressively, crossing the minion wave at level one to try and pressure Draven's position. Braum held up a security door, and Lucian raised his hand and used his Q skill "Piercing Light" to pass through the minions and head straight for Draven.