Chapter 157: Void Walk Stuns The Crowd, Ammunition Unleashed Determines The Universe
Just as the internet was abuzz with news of Douyu announcing a fighting tournament with a high prize pool.
Inside the LPL arena at Shanghai Grand Plaza, the EDG team’s bus had arrived on site… the players entered the venue and proceeded to the backstage lounge.
The atmosphere in the backstage lounge was slightly relaxed, lacking the tension of an upcoming match.
Kuaisu Xing and the EDG players were watching the first match of the day between Snake and NB on the large screen on the wall.
“Sofm’s Elise today has such a good rhythm,” Clearlove said while watching Sofm’s near-perfect jungle control and gank timing on screen, “When he’s not messing around, he’s truly a top jungler. 100,000 Volts has been suppressed to the point of being silent this game.”
Just as Clearlove said, the first game was completely in Snake’s, or rather Sofm’s, rhythm.
His signature Elise revitalized the entire map in the early to mid-game, helping the team continuously build an advantage, ultimately giving NB little opportunity and taking the first game relatively easily.
“NB is in trouble. Their bot lane seems to be in average form today,” Meiko interjected.
However, the charm of esports lies in its unpredictability.
After watching the first game’s complete dominance, it seemed hopeless, but the second game completely turned around.
NB’s mid laner, Coco, stepped up when everyone thought there was no hope, delivering a stunning performance with Corki.
With precise bomb entries, he almost single-handedly tore apart Snake’s formation, leading NB to win one game back with an godlike score.
“This Coco… his Corki has something to him,” Li Fan nodded slightly, acknowledging his performance this game.
“I just wonder what Wu Zhuang Tai is thinking in the backstage lounge.”
“Uh, he’s been suspended for so long, he probably isn’t here, right?”
“That’s true…”
NB directly pursued their momentum in the third game, showcasing even stronger team cooperation. They seized upon Snake’s eagerness to regain their footing, employing more stable operations and team fight execution.
In today’s environment of matches averaging forty minutes, they concluded the game easily in just thirty-one minutes.
The camera focused on Snake’s top laner, Flandre, the genius young player, the “acrobatic top laner,” could only smile wryly and shake his head in resignation.
His performance today wasn’t great either, and the team as a whole, losing after being up one game, also exposed quite a few issues.
“NB adjusted very quickly,” Kuaisu Xing mused, stroking his chin, “Their mid-jungle rhythm picked up in the last two games. This is also a reminder for us, no matter who the opponent is, we cannot let our guard down.”
As the live audience applauded NB’s victory, the broadcast signal entered a brief rest and commercial break.
The atmosphere in EDG’s backstage lounge subsequently became more serious.
Next, it was their turn to take the stage.
The opponent is OMG… their fourth-place finish in the Spring Split means their strength should not be underestimated.
“Everyone get ready, warm up your wrists and get a feel for it. Don’t sit down and then say your hands are stiff,” Kuaisu Xing clapped his hands, drawing the players’ attention, “We are very familiar with OMG. Their top, mid, and jungle have strong impact, and their bot lane is quite stable. Let’s play according to our established tactics. Our overall strength is superior, so taking the match shouldn’t be a major problem.”
Kuaisu Xing quickly drew key points on the whiteboard, emphasizing vision and resource control during the laning phase.
Li Fan sat quietly in his seat, eyes closed, meditating, simulating various potential scenarios of laning against Icon in his mind.
Clearlove leaned closer to Li Fan and chuckled, “How is it? Fan Ge, feeling any pressure against Icon? He’s been in great form recently, and OMG really has a chance to contend for a spot in the World Championship this year.”
Hearing Clearlove’s voice, Li Fan opened his eyes and smiled, replying, “What pressure could I possibly feel? It doesn’t exist. I’m just thinking about what would be the most aesthetically pleasing way to win.”
“Hoo!” Clearlove chuckled and playfully hit his shoulder, “I love that confident attitude of yours! Let’s go, it’s time for us to get on stage!”
Staff members came to inform the EDG players to prepare to enter the stage.
Li Fan stood up, adjusted his jersey, took a deep breath, and followed his teammates, walking towards the stage…
On the large screen in the venue, the information for the next match’s opposing teams had already been displayed.
EDG vs OMG
In the live stream room, as the screen switched from commercials back to the commentary desk, the viewers who had been impatiently waiting were met with a sudden explosion of bullet comments upon seeing the familiar faces of Wang Duoduo and Remember Zhou Shuyi.
After all, not everyone could watch such a prolonged period of “chickens pecking at each other.”
【Here they come! Finally! I’ve been waiting forever!】
【The first three games put me to sleep. It was either a stomp or a comeback. I’ve finally reached the main course. Will OMG cause EDG some minor trouble today?】
【How could they? The two teams aren’t even on the same level. Even with ten people, OMG wouldn’t be able to beat EDG.】
【You’re being overly critical there, but this match is probably not going to be a surprise.】
【Unreal! My god! I can finally see you on Summoner’s Rift again! I’ve watched too much PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and was genuinely afraid you’d disappear.】
【Icon! OMG, charge! Crush EDG!】
【Sima Laozei, unleash a pentakill!】
【The last match was a fight between amateurs; this is a clash of titans!】
【Director, be smart, give more camera time to mid lane! I want to see Icon and Fan Ge have a royal rumble!】
On the commentary desk, Ji De, Wang Duoduo, and Zhou Shuyi were ready.
Ji De spoke first: “Welcome back, everyone, to the live broadcast. We are about to bring you the match between EDG and OMG, the focal point of today’s games. I believe everyone has been waiting for a long time.”
“We are all very familiar with these two teams. Not only are they veteran powerhouses in the LPL, but they were also instrumental in bringing the championship trophy back to our LPL region at the recent Intercontinental Series!”
After this statement, the audience erupted in excited cheers.
The Intercontinental Series was a great catharsis for them, as they had never defeated the LCK in so many years, and this year they had won.
They successfully ascended to the Apex of Asia!
Wang Duoduo continued from Ji De’s words: “Indeed, the shared battles of the Intercontinental Series are still fresh in our minds. Now, returning to the league, they have become opponents who must face each other in battle.”
“This undoubtedly adds many unique viewing angles to this match, especially the mid laners of both teams. Icon’s performance in the Intercontinental Series was commendable, and he’s in hot form. As for EDG’s Unreal, he is the stabilizing force of our LPL, always stepping up in crucial moments. The clash between these two is sure to be a fierce one…”
Zhou Shuyi added with a smile: “Exactly, and I especially want to mention that Unreal just won the championship in the Huya Bounty Tournament for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and returned to the League of Legends stage without missing a beat.”
“Many might worry about his form and energy, but I actually believe that this cross-project success is precisely a testament to his unparalleled gaming talent and adjustment ability. I am confident he will deliver a brilliant performance today.”
“Shuyi’s point is very valid. Based on pre-match data and support rates, everyone indeed favors EDG, who has superior overall strength and stability. After all, EDG is currently leading the Points Standings with a six-game winning streak, while OMG, despite achieving a good fourth-place finish in the Spring Split, is slightly less stable in the Summer Split compared to EDG.”
“However, OMG is by no means a weak opponent. Their top, mid, and jungle, especially the mid-jungle synergy between Icon and World6, have very strong impact. If EDG is not careful and OMG finds an opening to gain momentum, the match could become a close one.”
“So, the key lies in the mid lane duel! Whether Icon can withstand Unreal’s pressure, or even open up the game in mid lane, will be crucial for OMG to create opportunities.”
“Of course, I’m also very much looking forward to Sima Laozei’s performance in the bot lane!”
Zhou Shuyi’s tone became a bit cuter as she said this.
This indeed led many in the live stream room to comment admiringly.
“We hope both teams can perform at their best and deliver a high-quality match for all viewers. Alright, the players are ready, let’s proceed to the Pick/Ban phase of this match!”
【The commentators are very objective, EDG’s strength is indeed superior.】
【Fan Ge’s form is no joke, is it? They can’t even distinguish between the big and small kings. If OMG can take even one game, they will have the capability to go to the World Championship.】
【Icon, go! It’s time to prove yourself!】
【Don’t jinx my EDG, I’m very nervous.】
【OMG, give it your all and win at least one game!】
【It’s starting, it’s starting! Let’s get the Pick/Ban going!】
The live broadcast then switched to the Pick/Ban interface, accompanied by exhilarating background music!
In this match, OMG is on the Blue Side, and EDG is on the Red Side.
OMG’s first three Ban picks were decisive, with no hesitation: Corki, Syndra, Karma.
Ji De immediately interpreted: “OMG’s Ban intention is very clear, it’s targeting Unreal’s champion pool! Two mid lane bans, and both are champions that Unreal is very proficient with and can exert strong suppression in the current version. This is the highest respect shown to our LPL star player!”
Wang Duoduo: “That’s right, Corki and Syndra. One is a choice that Unreal shined with in the Summer Split, and the other is a symbol of his laning dominance. OMG clearly doesn’t want to be at a significant disadvantage in the mid lane during the laning phase.”
EDG’s response, however, was more geared towards the overall team strategy. They banned: Kalista, Janna, Zac.
Wang Duoduo continued his analysis: “EDG’s bans are very deliberate. As the Ardent Censer version becomes more thoroughly understood by major teams and players, Kalista’s strategic importance has been elevated infinitely!”
“Because her ultimate skill can perfectly protect a Support with an Ardent Censer, allowing the Censer’s buff to last longer in team fights.”
Ji De agreed: “Yes, this version is less about bursting down the carry and more about the Support. Whichever team’s Support with Ardent Censer can survive longer will have a significantly higher chance of winning team fights.”
“EDG banning the strong bot lane duo of Kalista and Janna, and simultaneously banning the currently highest win rate jungler, Zac, are all aimed at disrupting OMG’s potential tactical system.”
OMG’s first pick.
Without any hesitation, OMG locked in Rakan with their first pick!
“First pick Rakan! A very intelligent choice. In the Ardent Censer version, Rakan not only can build an Ardent Censer to provide protection but also his strong engage and crowd control abilities make him a top-tier Support with extremely high priority!”
After the Mid-Season Invitational, the Xayah-Rakan combination truly changed the landscape of League of Legends matches.
“Exactly, OMG’s pick not only secured a version-dominant hero… but also restricted EDG’s selection. By taking Rakan, EDG is forced to pick Xayah.”
After all, the Xayah-Rakan combo cannot be given to OMG. The bot lane can attack and defend, exerting too much pressure.
EDG is indeed under considerable pressure at this moment.
Being on the Red Side, they have the Counter pick, but they also face the risk of the opponent continuously securing version-dominant heroes.
Coach Kuaisu Xing quickly communicated with the players from behind them.
“If they take Rakan, picking Xayah is fine, but should we prioritize mid? Kassadin is still available,” Clearlove suggested.
Li Fan looked at the opponent’s picks: “Kassadin is an option… but if we do that, we’ll need to hold our ground in the early game and drag it out to the late game.”
Thus, EDG quickly locked in Xayah and Kassadin with their first two picks!
“Kassadin!” Wang Duoduo’s tone rose, “EDG directly revealed Kassadin with their second pick! Kassadin piloted by Unreal! This choice, in the current meta that leans towards late-game team fights, is indeed a very bold and intimidating choice…”
Ji De: “Yes, the average game length is leaning towards late-game now, giving scaling mid laners more breathing room. And Kassadin is one of the top late-game carries!
“Kassadin reaches level 16, and the enemy base explodes automatically,” while exaggerated, it’s enough to illustrate the terrifying dominance of this champion once his items are complete!
Wang Duoduo: “OMG must seriously consider how to deal with this Kassadin. If they cannot exert enough pressure on Kassadin in the early game and allow him to farm safely to two items or even later, OMG will have a very difficult time.”
【Kassadin! Fan Ge’s Kassadin!】
【Base explodes automatically at level 16!】
【OMG must focus on ganking mid lane relentlessly in the early game!】
【World6, it’s up to you!】
【But picking Kassadin this early is truly confident!】
OMG’s third and fourth picks, after a brief discussion, were Sejuani and Kog’Maw!
Zhou Shuyi analyzed: “OMG’s counter is here. World6 has picked Sejuani, who has extreme early-game tempo, precisely to put pressure on Kassadin in the mid lane!”
“Kog’Maw paired with Rakan, while not as extreme as Lulu’s protection, is still a classic late-game insurance combo. OMG is showing their cards: Sejuani drives the tempo in the early game, and Kog’Maw takes over in the mid to late game!”
EDG locked in Lulu with their third pick.
Entering the second round of BP.
EDG’s strategy was clear: they continued to target Icon’s champion pool, banning both Vladimir and Viktor, which also possess very strong late-game carry potential.
Although Li Fan truly didn’t fear these two champions, their combat power would be significant if they scaled into the late game.
Coach Kuaisu Xing took this into consideration and chose to focus on the mid lane.
Ji De nodded and said: “EDG’s two Ban picks are very smart, continuing to restrict late-game scaling champions that Icon might use. It will be difficult for OMG to pick a hero in mid lane that can contend with Kassadin, forcing them to gain an advantage in the early game.”
OMG, on the other hand, focused on banning top lane champions, banning Galio and Shen… these are very solid front-liners. Moreover, Xayah has very strong self-preservation abilities, so having these two heroes would make the late game much harder to deal with.
It was EDG’s fourth pick.
“Let’s pick our jungler first, and leave the top lane for the Counter pick,” Coach Kuaisu Xing said.
They directly locked in Jarvan IV with their fourth pick.
“Jarvan IV! Clearlove has brought out his highly proficient Jarvan IV jungle pick! This is a very good choice. Jarvan IV has strong early-game ganking ability, mid-game engage potential, and tempo-setting capabilities. He can compensate for Kassadin’s early-game weakness and provide solid initiation for the team.”
OMG needed to select their top and mid laners with their fourth and fifth picks.
There was clearly a heated discussion within OMG’s team voice chat.
Finally, they locked in Nautilus with their fourth pick.
“Nautilus… Sunset has picked Nautilus for top lane. This is a very solid front-liner and control point. In team fights, he can effectively restrict Kassadin’s engagement and provide a better output environment for Kog’Maw.”
Of course, this is just theory; no one knows how it will actually play out.
After all, Nautilus has been used to restrict Kassadin before, with both wins and losses…
It was Aj who, with this very play, secured a ticket to the World Championship from WE last year.
Although they were eliminated in the group stage, reaching the top 16 was certainly better than staying home.
The market value of these players significantly increased after participating in that World Championship.
Following that, OMG’s fifth pick locked in Taliyah just before the countdown ended.
It’s evident that the options for the mid lane were indeed limited.
They ultimately decided to focus on mid-jungle tempo, with Kog’Maw to carry in the late game.
Sima Laozei certainly has the skill for that.
It’s normal for OMG to bet on their bot lane.
“Taliyah, Icon has chosen Taliyah to counter Kassadin… This is a champion that heavily relies on early-game roaming and tempo! OMG’s intention is clear: to utilize Taliyah’s fast wave clear and map-wide support capabilities, cooperating with Sejuani’s mid-jungle, to break open EDG’s defense in the early to mid-game.”
After all, Kassadin has no answer to Taliyah’s wave clear.
However, since they picked Kassadin, as long as he can ensure his development, it’s more useful than anything else.
Only EDG’s final counter pick remains unselected.
All eyes are on EDG’s fifth pick. What hero will Mouse bring out to counter Nautilus?
At EDG’s player seats, Coach Kuaisu Xing and Mouse were in quick discussion.
They ultimately decided against Cho’Gath. Cho’Gath’s strength in this version lies in its ability to stack many times, providing both tankiness and considerable damage.
This game, they chose Trundle instead…
It leans towards letting him find an advantage in the top lane and split push in the mid to late game.
“Trundle!” Wang Duoduo’s voice rose, “EDG’s final pick is Trundle to Counter Nautilus! This is a very clever choice! Trundle can ‘eat’ a bite of Nautilus, ensuring his tankiness even without building full defensive items.”
“In team fights, he can greatly restrict Kog’Maw’s output position!”
Ji De: “Yes, EDG’s pick is excellent! Trundle is not afraid of Nautilus in lane, has stronger split-pushing potential in the mid to late game, and his threat to OMG’s backline and weakening of their frontline in team fights perfectly addresses the pain points of OMG’s composition!”
“Both sides’ lineups are now finalized. OMG has a composition combining early-game tempo with a ‘four protect one’ late-game strategy, while EDG has a standard defensive-counterattack and mid-to-late game power lineup!”
Due to the Ardent Censer, lineup choices have become very convoluted.
Everything is directed towards the Ardent Censer.
If you don’t have it, you definitely can’t compete, which makes it impossible to play.
Thus, the lineups for both sides are confirmed.
Blue Side OMG: Top Nautilus, Jungle Sejuani, Mid Taliyah, Bot Lane duo of Kog’Maw and Rakan.
Red Side EDG: Top Trundle, Jungle Jarvan IV, Mid Kassadin, Bot Lane duo of Xayah and Lulu.
With the thunderous cheers and support from the fans, both coaches came to the center of the stage to shake hands, and the game officially entered Summoner’s Rift!
After purchasing their items, both teams quickly rushed out of the Spring.
They lined up in a single-file formation along the river, dancing and cautiously observing the entrances to each other’s jungles.
Afraid of being bursted down by the opponents… if the Support gets a kill early on, it will be tough.
If the Ardent Censer is built in ten minutes, all map resources will be taken.
Therefore, no kills occurred in the Level 1 team fight, and both sides had a stable start.
The Director’s camera immediately focused on the Mid Lane.
Icon’s Taliyah, as soon as she was online, displayed extreme dominance, constantly using the long-range of her Q skill Stone Shower to poke at Kassadin’s health and attempting to push the minion wave under the tower.
However, Li Fan’s Kassadin showed the composure of a top-tier player.
His movement was exceptionally tricky, consecutively dodging two of Taliyah’s difficult Q skills. Even when occasionally grazed by the edge of a stone, he immediately used a Corrupting Potion to heal and utilized the magic shield provided by his Q skill Void Sphere to mitigate some damage, while also trading.
This is the small advantage Kassadin has against mage heroes.
We don’t need to worry too much about trading, it’s just that pushing the wave is definitely not possible.
Of course, picking Kassadin first… also means they were confident that OMG would not pick an AD assassin Mid Laner.
Because this version does not favor those picks.
And they are not overpowered yet; if they were, even Li Fan wouldn’t dare to do this.
After all, seventeen armor… this doesn’t look like the build of an AP assassin, does it?
“Unreal’s Kassadin fundamentals are too solid!” Ji De exclaimed, “Under such immense laning pressure, his last hits haven’t fallen behind, and his health is remarkably healthy!”
“This is the resilience of a top player; he knows when to retreat and when he can go forward to last hit with Q. He’s trading at the minimal cost for gold.”
Some people just don’t like to lose at all. They come forward and get beaten by the opponent for no reason. If their health is lowered, not only can they not get the current wave, but they might not even get the next one.
That leads to a worsening disadvantage, and then it worsens even more…
Laning is like this; when you’re at a disadvantage, you must make sacrifices.
It’s impossible for you to pick a late-game hero when you’re at a disadvantage and let them farm without pressure early on. If that happens, it only means the opponent is a noob.
Icon is clearly not…
Naturally, he kept applying pressure on Li Fan.
The match time smoothly passed five minutes, and no kills had occurred on the field yet.
But while the situation seemed calm, there was actually an undercurrent of tension.
The junglers of both teams, Clearlove’s Jarvan IV and World6’s Sejuani, after clearing their respective jungle camps, moved towards the Mid Lane at almost the same time.
“Both junglers are in position! Something might happen mid this wave!” Wang Duoduo keenly observed the minimap, sensing that a major clash was highly likely.
The vision in the river bush had just disappeared.
Icon’s Taliyah seized the moment when Kassadin stepped forward to last hit a cannon minion with Q, and suddenly attacked!
Her W skill Unstoppable Force landed precisely at Kassadin’s feet!
Almost simultaneously as Taliyah raised her hand, Sejuani, riding her boar, charged out!
Her Q skill Arctic Assault directly targeted Kassadin, who was about to be knocked up by Unstoppable Force!
At the critical moment!
A golden light flashed!
Li Fan’s Kassadin, at the limit, used Flash!
But this Flash was cast forward!
It not only dodged the fatal Unstoppable Force crowd control but also created distance from Sejuani’s charge!
“Flash forward!” Ji De shouted.
Almost as soon as Kassadin’s Flash landed, on the other side, Clearlove’s Jarvan IV E-Q comboed out from the river bush to the side…
Icon’s attention was completely drawn to Kassadin, who had suddenly appeared right in front of him.
He never expected the opponent to counter-attack so fiercely while being ganked!
In the instant he was stunned, Li Fan’s Kassadin struck!
Q skill Void Sphere, followed by an Auto Attack that fell swiftly, then his W skill Energy Pulse and another Auto Attack.
qawae!
A set of attacks that were simple yet lightning-fast, combined with Thunder activation, all the damage was instantly unleashed on Taliyah!
Bang!
Taliyah, who was originally at nearly full health, saw her health bar drastically deplete as if by magic!
Over four hundred health points vanished in an instant!
Even more critically, Taliyah was mercilessly knocked into the air by Jarvan IV!
“Clearlove EQ knocked them up!!!” Wang Duoduo’s commentary was filled with passion, as no one expected so many changes to happen in just a few seconds.
During the knock-up, Jarvan IV landed a heavy strike with his lance, empowered by the passive Martial Cadence’s bonus damage!
Thunder was triggered again…
Taliyah was left with critically low health.
Even with a subsequent Flash, Jarvan IV followed up with Flash and an Auto Attack, directly securing the kill on Taliyah.
“First Blood!”
The impassioned system announcement of First Blood echoed throughout Summoner’s Rift!
“They’re dead! Clearlove followed with Flash and landed the final Auto Attack to secure First Blood! EDG’s Mid-Jungle coordination was perfect. Unreal’s forward Flash was very confident, flashing forward almost without hesitation! So decisive!”
The bullet comments in the Live Stream Room were scrolling wildly.
【WTF!!! Flashed forward! 】
【They dared to flash like that? And they won?! 】
【Brother Fan is amazing! Clearlove is amazing! 】
【This counter-gank and counter-attack was textbook! 】
【Icon is stunned, this Kassadin isn’t playing by the book! 】
【OMG is done for! The Mid-Jungle rhythm is broken! 】
And on OMG’s side, World6’s Sejuani could only watch helplessly as their low-health Mid Laner was instantly killed right in front of her.
She could only turn her boar’s head and retreat shamefully back into her own jungle.
Acting like an utterly useless husband.
But there was truly nothing she could do.
If Taliyah were still alive, with subsequent damage, she could have tried to kill Kassadin. Who knew the opponent had this play in mind.
Flash was used for a dash to engage and deal damage, coordinating with Jarvan IV’s combo to instantly kill the target.
So there was nothing that could be done…
The opponents calculated this extremely well.
It was as if they knew she would come to gank Mid Lane.
However, to deal with Kassadin, they could only do so before Level 6. After Level 6, with his Ultimate Skill, it would be very difficult to gank.
If they hadn’t come, they wouldn’t have had such a good opportunity.
In OMG’s team voice, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy, but they hadn’t lost their fighting spirit, as they had known from the start that this match would be very difficult, and the current situation was normal.
“My bad, my bad, I didn’t expect him to dare to flash forward,” Icon took a deep breath and took the blame, his tone filled with regret. “It’s okay, we’ll stabilize Mid-Jungle, the Bot Lane can carry. I’ll find an opportunity to help after I hit Level 6.”
World6 also immediately said, “Yeah, my rhythm is a bit broken. I’ll clear my camps, then look for an opportunity to gank Top or Bot.”
He actually didn’t really want to go Bot. He couldn’t understand why they were centering around Sima Laozei; he wasn’t some top-tier AD, just farming normally and playing normally.
Sima Laozei concisely uttered a single word: “Okay.”
World6 thought she had hidden it well, but in reality, everyone in the team was a veteran of palace intrigue. How could they not know what she was thinking?
However, the results were still good… so no conflict arose.
And on EDG’s side, the team voice had become very relaxed.
“Nice! Brother Fan! Awesome! Brother Kai, awesome!” Meiko praised with a smile.
Clearlove was also very excited. Successfully counter-ganking and securing the crucial First Blood made his early game rhythm very smooth.
“They’re anxious and want to do something before my Level 6. You came at the right time.”
Although this kill wasn’t given to Kassadin, its significance was immense.
It provided 150 gold for the First Blood assist, and more importantly, it disrupted Taliyah’s pressure rhythm, allowing Li Fan to farm more safely and recall.
After recalling, Li Fan directly purchased Catalyst of the Elements.
The health and mana provided by this item, along with the passive that regenerates health and mana upon leveling up, greatly enhanced Kassadin’s sustain in lane.
When Kassadin returned to lane with Catalyst of the Elements, Icon felt the pressure significantly increase.
The health he could previously poke at freely was now too difficult to dent, and Kassadin’s last hitting was exceptionally stable, even starting to occasionally trade back with his Q skill.
The lane control in Mid Lane was, without realizing it, beginning to shift towards EDG.
“Clearlove’s First Blood was too crucial. With Catalyst of the Elements out, Taliyah will have a hard time pressuring Kassadin anymore! OMG’s worst fears are coming true!”
Utilizing the vision and mobility advantage brought by Mid Lane control, Clearlove began to actively invade OMG’s top-side jungle and firmly controlled map resources.
At the ten-minute mark of the match, the Rift Herald was quickly secured by EDG’s Mid, Jungle, and Support trio.
“EDG is going to use this Rift Herald. OMG has no lane control mid or bot, so it’s hard for them to contest. They can only give it up…”
After obtaining the Eye of the Herald, Clearlove didn’t hesitate and immediately went to Mid Lane!
“Clearlove is directly releasing the Rift Herald in Mid Lane. They want to empower Unreal’s Kassadin and forcefully take down the Mid Lane Tower 1!”
The enormous Rift Herald charged forward, and OMG’s Mid Lane Tower 1, already in a poor state, instantly plummeted in health!
Icon’s Taliyah attempted to clear the minion wave and defend the tower, but under the threat of Kassadin and the Rift Herald, he dared not push too far forward.
“Boom!”
At eleven minutes into the match, OMG’s Mid Lane Tower 1 was demolished!
“OMG’s Mid Lane Tower 1 fell so quickly! EDG’s tempo has truly picked up!” Wang Duoduo exclaimed. “The early loss of the Mid Lane Tower 1 is extremely fatal for OMG. Their jungle vision will be severely compressed, and Taliyah’s roaming space will also be greatly restricted!”
【It’s over, OMG is cracking. 】
【Mid Lane Tower 1 is down, jungle is lost, what’s left to play? 】
【Brother Fan’s Kassadin is going to take off! 】
【EDG’s operations are still fierce! 】
【From this aspect, no LPL team can compare to them. They were already good at operations, and with Unreal, they are like a tiger with wings. 】
Just as the commentators and audience predicted, with the loss of the Mid Lane Tower 1 as a strategic pivot point, OMG’s vision control became extremely difficult.
EDG used their vision advantage to continuously plunder jungle resources, squeezing OMG’s farming space.
Although OMG also attempted to find opportunities through methods like a four-man dive bot lane, EDG’s defense was watertight, and they could achieve resource trades without losing anything through Kassadin’s rapid support.
As the match progressed, EDG’s advantage steadily grew with their solid operations.
With the team’s resources tilted towards him, Li Fan’s Kassadin’s farm was nearly perfect, with Rod of Ages, Archangel’s Staff, Zhonya’s Hourglass… core items were gradually completed.
When Kassadin reached Level 16 and maxed out his Level 3 Ultimate Skill Void Walk, cheers erupted throughout the stadium.
A Level 16 Kassadin…
The advantage was arguably very significant.
At thirty-three minutes into the match, both teams engaged in a decisive battle around Baron Nashor.
OMG, fighting with their backs against the wall, with Nautilus and Rakan attempting to engage EDG’s backline.
However, Li Fan’s Kassadin, utilizing his Ultimate Skill’s high mobility, dodged key crowd control and instantly cut into OMG’s backline!
“Unreal is in! His target is Kog’Maw! Oh my god! This damage!” Ji De’s voice was hoarse with excitement.
Kassadin landed an R skill on Kog’Maw’s face, followed by QE, combined with Lich Bane’s spellblade effect. Sima Laozei’s Kog’Maw’s health instantly vanished before he could even use Flash!
“Kog’Maw is dead! OMG has lost their damage core! Kassadin is still dealing damage! He’s like a war god!” Wang Duoduo shouted passionately.
After killing Kog’Maw, Kassadin, utilizing his off-cooldown Ultimate Skill and Zhonya’s Hourglass, moved through OMG’s formation as if in enemy territory!
“Double Kill!”
“Triple Kill!”
The impassioned system announcements sounded one after another!
Kassadin secured a Triple Kill! OMG’s formation instantly collapsed!
“ACE!”
Team Wipe!
“One push! We can end this!” Clearlove commanded loudly in EDG’s team voice.
The surviving EDG members, with the minion wave, advanced directly and easily destroyed OMG’s Nexus!
“Victory!”
A massive victory emblem appeared on the screen at EDG’s player booth!
“It’s over! Congratulations to EDG, who, at thirty-three minutes, successfully secured the victory in the first game thanks to Unreal’s Kassadin’s perfect Triple Kill sweep!” Ji De announced loudly.
“Congratulations to EDG! They take the first game 1-0. Unreal showed us what a late-game Kassadin looks like. Although OMG put in a lot of effort early on, EDG turned the tide with a brilliant Mid-Jungle counter-play, then used their strongest operations to snowball their lead, ultimately giving OMG no chance!” Wang Duoduo summarized.
Zhou Shuyi: “Yes, Player Unreal once again proved to us his champion pool and top-tier carry ability. His hands are still hot, and we look forward to both teams bringing a more exciting duel in the second game!”
On EDG’s player side, everyone relaxed, took off their headphones, high-fived each other, and walked towards the backstage lounge.
All OMG players had solemn expressions as they also left the player seats…
After a brief rest, both teams’ players took the stage again.
OMG’s players’ expressions were even more serious than after the first game ended, while EDG appeared composed.
“Welcome back, the second game of the match between EDG and OMG is about to begin. EDG is currently leading 1-0, holding the match point.”
“Yes, after the contest in the previous game, OMG needs to seriously consider how to deal with EDG’s powerful Mid-Jungle synergy and late-game operations,” Wang Duoduo said.
“Let’s see what adjustments both teams will make in the second game’s BP!”
BP began, and OMG once again chose the Blue Side.
This time, OMG’s Bans clearly changed.
They still banned Kassadin, who Li Fan played exceptionally well in the last game, and the popular Syndra of the current patch, but their third Ban was unexpectedly Trundle.
It was clear they were wary of Mouse’s Trundle counter to Nautilus from the previous game.
EDG continued with their previous strategy, banning Kalista and Janna, and their third Ban remained Zac.
OMG’s first pick was still Rakan, maintaining their resolve to maintain Bot Lane pressure.
Seeing this, EDG reacted quickly, picking Xayah and Sejuani in their first two picks, dismantling the Xayah-Rakan combination and also securing a strong map-control jungler for Clearlove.
“The BP for both teams is the same this game, but the difference is that they picked Sejuani in the second pick.”
OMG’s second and third picks, after a moment of hesitation, chose Excavator and Kog’Maw, still sticking to their core system of four protecting one.
It was EDG’s third pick.
Corki locked in!
“Corki, Unreal picked Corki in the second game! This is also one of his signature heroes, maintaining a 100% win rate in the regular season,” Ji De said.
【 Fan Ge has a way with Corki! 】
【 This game is another late-game hypercarry. EDG is truly confident. 】
Entering the second round of bans and picks, after some Game Theory between both sides targeting the top and support, the lineups were finally determined:
Blue Side OMG: Top Jarvan IV, Jungler Excavator, Mid Laner Orianna, Bot Lane duo Kog’Maw and Rakan.
Red Side EDG: Top Shen, Jungler Sejuani, Mid Laner Corki, Bot Lane duo Xayah and Lulu.
“OMG has adjusted their top and jungle this game, opting for the Jarvan IV and Excavator combination with stronger early-game impact. Their mid laner has also switched to Orianna, who has solid late-game capabilities. EDG, on the other hand, has Shen and Sejuani as a dual front line, complemented by Corki and Xayah as the dual carries. Their lineup is very solid, with guarantees for both early and late game.”
The match begins!
Perhaps learning from the previous game, OMG played more proactively in the early stages.
World6’s Excavator frequently pressured the bot lane, and in the seventh minute of the game, successfully ganked and killed Meiko’s Lulu, with Sima Laozei’s Kog’Maw securing First Blood.
“OMG has finally opened up the bot lane! They need this kind of Rhythm to slow down EDG’s Operations!” Ji De said.
However, EDG’s response remained calm and steady.
Clearlove seized the opportunity when the opposing jungler showed himself, securing the first Rift Herald and continuously applying pressure in the mid and top lanes.
Li Fan’s Corki, relying on his superior Laning Ability, firmly held mid lane priority, making Icon’s Orianna difficult to move.
The game entered the mid-game, with both sides engaging in a lengthy tug-of-war over vision and Resources.
OMG attempted to find opportunities by initiating fights with Jarvan IV and Rakan, but EDG’s vision control and formation maintenance were excellent, thwarting OMG’s assaults multiple times.
The turning point came in the twenty-second minute of the game, when a team fight erupted over the second dragon, Infernal Drake.
OMG took the dragon pit first and began to take the dragon. However, Li Fan’s Corki, with a Hextech Rocketbelt, entered the fight directly, greatly expanding the game’s Advantage.
“Unreal! He entered with the Hextech Rocketbelt! This position is perfect!”
Corki transformed into a trail of fire, charging directly into the center of OMG’s formation!
The burning zone from the empowered W instantly split the battlefield, completely separating OMG’s front and back lines!
“Corki is in! OMG’s formation is scattered! Xayah is outputting without pressure from the back…” Wang Duoduo’s speaking speed instantly increased.
The scattered OMG formation instantly collapsed.
The front-line Jarvan IV and Excavator could not timely retreat to protect the back line, leaving Icon’s Orianna and Sima Laozei’s Kog’Maw exposed to EDG’s firepower!
After Li Fan’s Corki landed, his combo skills, combined with the damage from a Sheen, instantly left Orianna heavily damaged. She was then CC’d by Xayah’s hook which pulled back her feathers, and finished off by a Corki missile!
“Orianna is down, Kog’Maw has a very difficult output environment! OMG is about to collapse.”
In the end, EDG achieved a 1-for-4 trade in this team fight. They didn’t even need to contest the dragon and immediately transitioned to Baron Nashor.
“After winning the team fight, EDG secured Baron Nashor! The situation has instantly become clear! OMG is in trouble…”
With the Baron Buff, EDG began their signature split-pushing and pushing strategy.
Corki’s poke ability was showcased to its fullest at this time, putting immense Wave Clear pressure on OMG.
With Corki fully geared, every missile could pose a significant threat to OMG’s back line.
Under EDG’s stable Operations and powerful Minion Wave pressure, OMG’s outer turrets were taken down one by one, and the Economic Gap rapidly widened.
The game time reached thirty-one minutes. With an Economic advantage of over ten thousand, EDG secured a second Baron Nashor and then pushed through the mid lane.
On the high ground, Li Fan’s Corki used Flash to dodge Rakan’s charm and knock-up, then proceeded to output frantically under his teammates’ protection!
“Corki’s output position is too good, no one on OMG can touch him. Kog’Maw’s Health is not healing fast enough, the damage is too high… They can’t defend anymore!” Wang Duoduo commented passionately.
Under Corki’s relentless bombardment and Xayah’s stable output, OMG’s defense line crumbled.
“ACE!”
Another team wipe!
The EDG members easily destroyed OMG’s Base Crystal!
“Victory!”
“It’s over! Congratulations to EDG, who defeated OMG 2-0 in consecutive games, securing their seventh consecutive victory!” Ji De announced loudly.
Wang Duoduo took a deep breath and recited sonorously: “Void Walk astounds the four directions, barrage of ammunition decides the universe! Looking back at today’s two games, player Unreal first tore through the battlefield with Kassadin’s Void Walk, and then dominated team fights with Corki. Whether it was steady resilience in the early game or explosive output in the mid and late game, he perfectly demonstrated to us what it means to be the Mid Laner’s Core, the team’s backbone!”
“Good!”
“Awesome!”
“Wang Duoduo is awesome! Fan Ge is awesome!”
The audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers and applause.
The Live Stream Room’s Bullet Comments were also flooded with 【 Great poem! 】, 【 So fitting! 】, 【 Wang Duoduo has substance! 】.
Ji De chuckled and replied: “Wow, such an exciting match has inspired Teacher Duoduo’s poetic mood, but the description is very fitting! Unreal was EDG’s most stable carry point today; no matter how OMG targeted him, he always found a way to take over the game.”
Zhou Shuyi also praised: “Yes, returning from the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Arena with accolades and seamlessly transitioning to the League of Legends Arena, while continuing to perform at such a high level, Unreal’s personal ability and State adjustment are truly… truly… truly…”
Seeing Zhou Shuyi struggling to find a word, Ji De quickly interjected to help her out: “Breathtaking!”
“Yes, breathtaking!”
