Chapter 147: Who’s The Civil War Phantom God?
When the scene of EDG destroying SKT’s base crystal was broadcast live back to China, discussion threads on Tieba and Weibo surged!
【 2:0! Is it really going to be 3:0? Am I dreaming? 】
【 EDG is awesome! Unreal is awesome! Let’s go EDG! 】
【 It’s been five years, do you know how I’ve spent these five years? Every World Championship, we were beaten by LCK… To see such a scene in the Mid-Season Invitational, I really didn’t expect this. 】
【 Who says our LPL only imitates? We can innovate too! We can also beat SKT on the finals stage! 】
Even the fans of teams that usually held animosity towards EDG, such as RNG, WE, and IG, could not hide their excitement at this moment, and joined the carnival belonging to the entire LPL region.
A veteran esports forum moderator, who is also a die-hard RNG fan, posted on the forum.
【 Honestly, I’ve often trashed EDG, but after watching these two games today, I’ve gone from hater to neutral! As long as you can crush SKT, you’re my temporary dad! Go for it! 3:0! 】
This post instantly received tens of thousands of likes and replies.
【 I second that! Today, we are all EDG fans! 】
【 LPL united against the outside! Piglets, you are allowed to taunt today! 】
【 Praise them when they win, flame them when they lose, today we must praise them to the extreme! 】
This unprecedented atmosphere of unity stemmed from a long-suppressed desire for victory, the extreme difficulty of facing SKT, and the yearning for the future.
The reason is that the 2017 World Championship was held in China!
From S2 until now, the Chinese region has been chasing that Summoner’s Trophy, symbolizing the highest glory, for a full five years.
We’ve experienced OMG’s Dark Forces, the Royal Club’s two defeats in the finals, and also LGD and EDG’s repeated regrettable losses at the World Championship.
Every time hope was ignited, it was extinguished by the Korean teams, especially the insurmountable mountain that is SKT.
SKT has won three World Championship titles!
And today, in the MSI finals, EDG has consecutively defeated SKT in two games with such a dominant and overwhelming posture!
This is not just a victory for EDG as a team, but it has also broken SKT’s golden streak!
“If… If EDG can win the MSI championship again this year, then does it mean our LPL truly has a chance to win the S-series championship we’ve always dreamed of, right here at home?”
Countless players asked the same question in their hearts, followed by uncontrollable excitement and anticipation.
The title of the official live stream room had already been changed to “Aiming for Rio, Awakening in China! EDG Holds Three Match Points!”
On the commentary desk, Miller’s voice was tinged with emotion: “Brothers, do you see this? This is our LPL team! They can play with secret tech, or they can go head-to-head with you! EDG’s performance today has given all of us a shot in the arm!”
Wa Wa also put away his usual playful demeanor: “Yes, no matter the final outcome, EDG has proven today that SKT is not invincible, and LPL also possesses world-class teams and players!”
This wave of excitement, sweeping from Rio de Janeiro to every corner of China, was not just praise for EDG, but also a reshaping of confidence for the entire LPL region.
EDG’s two exhilarating victories ignited the flames in the hearts of all Chinese esports enthusiasts.
Now, only the final step remains to lift that heavy championship trophy.
All eyes were on the upcoming third game, anticipating a historic moment… Even though EDG already had a Mid-Season Invitational championship trophy, the roster that year was completely different from the current one; the core players then were Deft and Pawn, while the current core is Unreal, so the meaning of this championship is also different.
…
When the news of EDG leading 2:0 reached Korea, the entire LCK region exploded, forming a stark contrast with the LPL region.
On Korea’s largest esports forums, FOMOS and Inven, there was an influx of anger and doubt.
【 What the hell! What is SKT doing?! What are they playing at? 】
【 Being 2:0 by an LPL team? Am I seeing things wrong? It should be SKT 2:0, right? 】
【 Wake up, SKT, didn’t you sleep yesterday? Why is your state so bad today? This is the MSI finals! 】
The immense sense of loss made it difficult for many Korean viewers to accept.
In their perception, SKT was the king of League of Legends, the builder of the three-time championship dynasty.
And EDG, although a strong team in the LPL, had never performed well on the world stage, especially against LCK teams.
Last year’s World Championship, EDG was completely destroyed by Peanut, and even lost to an wildcard team in the Group Stage.
【 In terms of lineup, isn’t every position on SKT stronger than EDG’s? Top laner Huni has strong laning ability, jungler Peanut is the overlord of the jungle, mid laner Faker is a god, and bot lane Bang and Wolf are the world’s best bot lane duo, how could it end up like this? 】
【 This isn’t a matter of strength at all, it’s an attitude problem! SKT is too arrogant! They think they can just play casually after winning a few championships. 】
Amidst disappointment and anger, there were calls for shifting blame, and the finger began to point towards the core player, Faker.
【 Is this the so-called Great Demon King? Getting solo-killed by a new LPL mid laner, and dive-killed under the turret! Truly a laughable situation. 】
【 Faker is old, his mechanics are declining, he should have retired long ago! Dreaming of a three-peat, how is that possible? 】
【 He can’t even match Unreal in lane, he was treated like a pig in the first game, and solo-killed again in the second game. The mid lane gap is huge! 】
【 1507, 1507! 】
【 Setting the record for the shortest Mid-Season Invitational match, is this the three-time champion SKT? 】
【 They should have been playing calmly and leisurely, but now they’re rushing and scrambling! 】
【 Samsung fans, calm down. No matter how bad it gets, they can still beat you, Samsung. 】
【 They’ve only lost two games, believe in Sanghyeok! They will definitely come back from 0:2. 】
【 SKT has always been a team that creates miracles! 】
【 Comeback from 0:2! We can do it! 】
Some overseas students mingling in the live stream chat were truly enjoying themselves at this moment.
In the end, they were able to see for the first time while watching the live stream in Korea that people started arguing because they were facing an LPL team…
On the Korean LCK commentary desk, the commentators’ tone had lost its usual composure and confidence…
“Alas, the situation is very grim,” said CT. “EDG is extremely well-prepared today, even bringing out the Master Yi and Taric combo. And their mid laner, Unreal, is in astonishingly hot form. SKT must adjust immediately, both in terms of drafting and tactical execution. They cannot afford any more mistakes.”
“That’s right, they’re standing on the edge of a cliff now… But, remember they are SKT! They possess the world’s most extensive BO5 experience and the most tenacious willpower. We just need to believe they can find their form and pull off a comeback from 0:2 miracle!” Roaring Emperor was also a bit nervous at this moment, but he was still cheering them on, after all, as an LCK commentator, he had to cheer them on.
From the officials to the fans, the Korean esports circle felt a genuine sense of crisis for the first time in this MSI finals.
The unshakable kings, SKT, the dominant LCK league, were now being pushed to the brink by EDG from the LPL.
They had only dominated League of Legends for a few years; to lose their dominance so early was simply unacceptable!
“Alright, audience friends, welcome back! I believe you have all been waiting for a long time. The third game of the 2017 MSI Mid-Season Invitational finals is now officially starting!” Wa Wa’s voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. “EDG already holds three match points, just one step away from the championship trophy…”
“Yes, in this game, EDG is on the Red Side, and SKT is on the Blue Side,” Su Xiao Yan continued. “Let’s see what adjustments and mind games both sides will employ at this critical juncture!”
The draft officially began!
SKT, on the Blue Side, used their first ban slot on Master Yi in the first round of bans!
“Master Yi… still Master Yi! SKT’s consecutive bans in two games express their highest respect for Unreal’s champion or this strategy!” Wa Wa said with a smile.
“It can’t be helped. The slaughter at fifteen minutes in the first game left too deep an impression. SKT would never dare to take this risk again,” Miller analyzed.
EDG’s response was also very clear: their first ban continued to be Peanut’s Lee Sin.
“Lee Sin wasn’t let through either! EDG’s strategy for this BO5 is very clear: don’t let Peanut get his signature champion that he played so well in the LCK finals! Don’t let him dictate the rhythm…” Su Xiao Yan said.
SKT’s subsequent two bans were for Zet’s Ashe and Ivern, who played a crucial role for Clearlove in the previous game.
Ardent Censer was picked up a bit too early, and with the advantage in the mid lane, the snowballing was very fast.
They couldn’t deal with it directly, so they just banned it…
As for the bot lane, it was originally the breakthrough point, so they still needed to kick the crippled leg.
Directly banning Ashe, Zet’s most proficient champion.
However, when the camera panned to Zet, his expression didn’t change much, as if he was unaffected.
EDG, in turn, banned the currently strong Zac and Graves.
SKT, on the Blue Side, unhesitatingly locked in Galio in the first pick!
“Galio, SKT first pick! This champion is currently a Tier 1 pick in the meta, whether for top or mid lane flexibility, or its strong support and team fight capabilities! SKT doesn’t want to give this pick to EDG anymore.”
“Yes, and Galio is very strong when combined with certain engage systems. EDG’s decision to ban Graves might also be considering that Graves’ burst combined with Galio’s ultimate for engagement would be incredibly tanky and deal massive damage, making it difficult to handle,” Miller analyzed.
So, it was not surprising that SKT picked Galio.
Their first two picks were Lucian and Braum!
“Lucian and Braum!!” Wa Wa’s voice was filled with surprise. “This bot lane duo… is so aggressive! Is EDG planning to go head-to-head with SKT in the bot lane?”
“This choice is indeed very bold! You know, Bang’s Caitlyn got a lane kill last game. Are Zet and Meiko coming in with some fire this game? Is EDG still choosing to trust the bot lane?” Su Xiao Yan’s tone also carried uncertainty.
The camera focused on the SKT player booth. Bang’s eyebrows twitched slightly upon seeing this combination.
He felt he had proven the difference in the bot lane last game, and they dared to bring out such an early-game aggressive combination?
“We have to show them something!” Bang said in voice chat.
Thus, SKT’s second and third picks were Karma and Ezreal.
“Ezreal and Karma, SKT’s response is very classic! Ezreal’s mobility and Karma’s speed boost and shield can kite and counter aggressive poke combinations like Lucian and Braum very well. SKT’s bot lane still maintains extremely strong pressure!”
“Shen… Shen is still a champion that suits EDG well. Picking him up is fine.”
In the second round of bans, both sides strategically banned champions that might appear.
SKT banned Clearlove’s Rek’Sai and Sejuani, while EDG banned Jarvan IV, who could engage with Galio, and Rengar.
Peanut might still pick Rengar, as the mid lane hasn’t been picked yet, so a Rengar and Orianna combo is not out of the question.
When EDG locked in Zilean in the fourth pick, the entire Rio Olympic Stadium first fell into silence, and then erupted in a tsunami of gasps and discussions!
“Zilean… Zilean?! Mid lane Zilean! My god! EDG is picking mid lane Zilean for Unreal in the match point game of the finals?” Wa Wa was shocked.
“This… this is too crazy, what kind of strategy is this? I didn’t expect it at all…” Miller’s voice was also full of disbelief. “Zilean, this champion, has almost never appeared in the mid lane in the current meta! What does it mean.”
Zilean gained a turret-executing effect on his W ability in patch 6.21.
It also appeared in professional matches for a period, but it was later confirmed to be not very effective.
It hasn’t been seen since.
The entire official live stream chat was instantly flooded with question marks!
【 ??????? 】
【 Holy crap! Zilean? 】
【 EDG is researching again! 】
【 What is this? I don’t understand! 】
【 Is Unreal’s champion pool a bottomless pit? But what’s the point of mid lane Zilean? 】
The camera immediately panned to the SKT player booth.
Kkoma’s brow furrowed instantly, and he quickly communicated with his teammates at an extremely rapid pace.
It felt a bit like the first game…
The moment they picked Master Yi in the first game, the entire team panicked.
However, their team composition was already taking shape.
They had to build around this Galio.
Under immense pressure, they finally locked in Vi and Ahri!
Their team composition was also complete.
With Vi’s top-tier lock-on ability, combined with Ahri and Galio’s engagement, no matter what the opponent brought, they could easily take them down.
Just as SKT thought they had seen through EDG’s Zilean pushing strategy and confidently picked the Vi and Ahri engage combination to counter it,
EDG’s fifth pick locked in a champion that would render SKT’s engage ineffective, arguably the strongest support in terms of protection!
Tahm Kench!
“Tahm Kench!!! My god! EDG’s last pick is Tahm Kench!” Wa Wa exclaimed. “Then… the support is Tahm Kench! What about Braum? Wait… my brain is a bit scrambled!”
“I get it!” Miller reacted extremely quickly, analyzing at a rapid pace. “It’s Lucian mid lane! The jungler is Braum… Braum was also used as a jungler in the beginning, his jungle clear speed is very slow, but it’s fine with the lineup. So the bot lane is Zilean and Tahm Kench. Since they can’t win lane, we’ll play safe with Zilean and Tahm Kench, and in the mid to late game team fights… just poke or throw an ultimate.”
“Can Braum jungle contend with Vi in the jungle? And with this lineup, they’ve given up on Ardent Censer. EDG played Ardent Censer the most smoothly in the Mid-Season Invitational…”
Su Xiao Yan said with much doubt.
“Let’s trust them for now. EDG wouldn’t play randomly in a deciding game like this, they must have a plan.”
When the final lineup was revealed, the entire venue erupted in uproar!
Blue Side SKT: Top Lane Galio, Jungle Vi, Mid Lane Ahri, Bot Lane Duo of Ezreal and Karma.
Red Side EDG: Top Lane Shen, Jungle Braum, Mid Lane Lucian, Bot Lane Duo of Zilean and Tahm Kench.
“Double Smite!? Clearlove jungling Braum! Unreal mid lane Lucian with Smite! Zet’s Zilean is going bot lane! This… this isn’t just a simple lane swap, it’s a completely new system we’ve never seen before!”
“Double Smite! EDG is bringing out a Double Smite system in the finals match point game! Lucian with Smite in mid lane means he’ll not only farm lanes but also jungle camps…” Su Xiao Yan, having analyzed the first game with Master Yi jungle, quickly figured out EDG’s strategy and thoughts for this game.
“But can Lucian really jungle?” Miller asked.
The last time he saw Lucian jungle was three years ago when Royal Club picked him, and that game was a devastating loss.
However, no one could answer this question; they would have to wait until the game was over to find out.
The live stream chat erupted like a volcano at this moment.
【 Holy crap!!!! Double Smite!!! 】
【 I’m stunned! EDG is going to the heavens! How do they have so many tactical systems? 】
【 Lucian jungle? No, mid lane Lucian with Smite? How do you play that? But Unreal’s Lucian proficiency is insane, letting him take all the gold makes him a Big Brother, right? 】
【 Research! Ultimate research! SKT is dazed! EDG has so many strategies. 】
【 This is the true ultimate secret tech! This is even more outrageous than the Master Yi and Taric combo! I don’t think it can achieve that level of dominating power. 】
【 Since EDG has chosen this lineup and system, let’s believe, believe they can do it! 】
At the SKT player booth, everyone’s expression became grim.
They were caught off guard by this strategy in the first game.
Unexpectedly, EDG still has…
They banned Ivern, and EDG can still build a strategy around mid lane Lucian?
Mid lane Smite Lucian with jungle Braum is completely beyond their comprehension!
However, even if it’s beyond their understanding, they have no choice but to tough it out now.
Coach Kkoma looked at Kuaisu Xing’s unconcealed smile and felt the veins in his forehead throbbing.
Does this guy really think he can defeat SKT time and again with these unorthodox tactics?
He suppressed the urge to rush over and punch him, simply shook hands firmly, turned, and strode towards the backstage area.
However, this time, his back was even heavier than the previous two times.
“Alright, coaches’ handshake is over, and the game is officially loading into Summoner’s Rift. EDG holds three match points, SKT is fighting with their backs against the wall. This third game’s opening is crucial!”
EDG already had two jungle knives in their equipment slots.
“Two jungle knives!”
The director also focused the camera on this scene.
The audience on-site also started whispering and discussing amongst themselves.
SKT’s lineup made it impossible to invade, while EDG focused on defense.
They adopted a serpentine formation, transitioning into the jungle clearing phase.
Lucian started his red buff with the help of Shen, while Braum started his blue buff with assistance from the bot lane duo.
The bot lane duo helped for a very long time. Braum cleared blue quickly and immediately headed towards mid lane!
All the audience members who watched the first match felt a sense of familiarity and excitement!
“Here they come! But this time it’s not Taric, it’s Braum! What are Clearlove and Unreal planning?”
Lucian, having cleared his red buff, also reached level 2 and quickly returned to lane.
He began clearing the minion wave, while Braum watched from the side. Without an early game item, he didn’t prioritize last hitting. It was clear to everyone that the mid lane economy would still go to Lucian.
This meant another incredibly strong Lucian would emerge in the early game!
Everyone couldn’t help but wonder in their hearts, would this strategy actually work?
However, Faker was under immense pressure at this moment.
A level 2 Lucian with red buff and a level 2 Braum, with their combined control and damage, were enough to kill any hero in the early game.
He didn’t dare stay in the experience zone and was forced back under his turret.
“Faker has been driven off! He can’t even get experience! EDG’s mid and jungle’s opening design has once again achieved a surprising effect!” Wa Wa exclaimed excitedly.
Li Fan had no intention of freezing the lane; instead, he quickly used his skills and auto attacks to push the minion wave into the turret.
Then, he made a move that astonished everyone: he, along with Braum, dived straight into SKT’s top side jungle!
Vi started red buff in the bottom jungle, and Peanut couldn’t invade because EDG had already taken both buffs.
If he chose to invade, he would be too deep and might even get himself killed.
Therefore, he chose to continue farming towards the top lane.
Preparing to farm the wolves…
Faker saw this and realized he had two options. The first was to help Vi defend the jungle, but the enemy had already pushed the minion wave under the turret. If he went to support, he would lose a large wave of minions.
If he had to concede lane to support from the start, there would be no point in playing this match.
Faker could only let Peanut bear it alone; there was truly nothing he could do.
Peanut understood this as well, so he planned to farm the wolves directly. After farming the wolves, he would go to EDG’s bottom jungle to see if he could steal something.
Peanut’s idea was not wrong, but he underestimated EDG’s determination to invade. Furthermore, Clearlove directly observed the map’s wards, and upon reaching the blue buff location and not seeing Peanut, he had already determined Vi’s position.
Calling Clearlove “Radar Brother” was not wrong…
But Clearlove was at his peak!
As expected, Vi was caught at the wolves.
Upon seeing Vi, Li Fan immediately used his Q skill, ‘Holy Shot,’ piercing through the wolves and Vi’s body. Simultaneously, two auto attacks with his passive dealt rapid damage.
Clearlove was even more decisive, landing a precise Q skill, ‘Winter’s Bite,’ on Vi, applying his passive and a slow!
“They’re fighting! Lucian’s damage is very high! Vi is under Braum’s passive! He’s already used his Q skill, he won’t be able to escape!”
Peanut’s health dropped drastically. He knew he absolutely couldn’t be stunned, or he would surely die.
He decisively used Flash to cross the wall, escaping towards the high ground…
“Flash! Peanut flashed and escaped! Then Unreal took the wolves with Smite… and he’s still chasing! Braum flashed over the wall and applied another stack of his passive.” Miller’s voice was filled with disbelief.
At this moment, Lucian directly slid over the wall, and together with Braum, easily stunned Vi.
Honestly, Peanut was a bit bewildered at this point.
Normally, if you can’t win a jungle fight, you flash and escape, but now the enemy flashed and stuck to him, and with the second person following up with damage, he had no way to retaliate.
In the end, Vi was killed in his own jungle.
“Killed! Peanut gave up First Blood! Three minutes into the game, EDG’s mid and jungle invasion has once again achieved perfect success! Unreal’s Lucian got the kill and also stole SKT’s wolves! This start…” Miller’s voice was even more excited than before.
This was the third match… winning the third match meant winning the championship.
【Holy shit! Clearlove is farming Vi in the jungle from the start? He got revenge on Peanut. 】
【Peanut is stunned, he couldn’t escape even with Flash. 】
【The cooperation between Braum and Lucian is indeed suffocating. 】
【So familiar! Lucian feels unstoppable soon. 】
After getting the assist for First Blood, Clearlove’s nervous mood finally relaxed a little, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curl up slightly.
This strategy was proposed by Li Fan in the preparation room.
It’s essentially a variation of the Master Yi and Taric system, but Lucian’s solo jungle clear efficiency is far inferior to Master Yi with Taric’s buffs, so Braum must bring Smite, and the core idea is no longer simple farming, but to stifle the enemy jungler’s rhythm through the extreme early-game strength of the mid and jungle!
Therefore, Braum also needed to reach level 2, clear the mid lane minions, and then invade the jungle.
Now, the first step was a perfect success!
The audience at the venue erupted in passionate cheers and whistles; they loved this kind of imaginative and aggressive playstyle.
“My… mine…” Peanut said remorsefully in voice chat, his expression grim.
Losing jungle buffs and giving up First Blood plus Flash at the start, his Vi was already half-crushed in the early game.
Faker’s Ahri watched helplessly from mid lane as his jungler died, but he was pinned under his turret by the minion wave and couldn’t help, feeling incredibly frustrated.
“This isn’t your fault, I couldn’t come help you…”
EDG’s mid and jungle duo became bandits, starting to steal all of SKT’s jungle camps in the top half.
Blue buff, Gromp, all were taken!
Then they swaggered back to lane.
Peanut currently had nowhere to farm. He knew EDG had jungle camps in both halves, but he didn’t dare go.
If he dared to go, it would be a net of heavenly grace waiting to encircle him.
Without Flash, it would be suicide.
Thus, his level was stuck at three…
Wandering left and right, he finally waited in the bottom jungle for the jungle camps to respawn.
For the next few minutes, the game completely entered EDG’s rhythm.
Peanut, without Flash, had two more jungle camps stolen consecutively, and the respawning camps further widened his level and economy gap.
Unreal’s Lucian madly plundered neutral resources, taking both his own F6 and the river crabs into his possession.
Vi was level 3 at three minutes, and at six minutes, he was still level 3…
Braum only picked up scraps, plus the experience from mid lane minions, and had already reached level 5.
As for the bot lane duo, they were level four and a half at this point!
“Vi is completely crushed, still level 3 at six minutes! And Unreal’s Lucian… 76 CS at six minutes! He’s already 36 CS ahead of Faker’s Ahri! The economic difference is up to one thousand and one!” Miller said, looking at the data panel. “This isn’t just a lead, this is blatant crushing!”
【76 CS in six minutes? How many jungle camps did he clear? 】
【Faker only has 40 CS, this feels pretty bad. 】
【Isn’t this Lucian going to be world-ending when he comes out later? 】
However, EDG’s assault was far from over.
Their target was the newly respawned red buff!
“They’re going for the red buff! EDG doesn’t want to give SKT any breathing room!” Wa Wa said with a slightly urgent tone, watching the minimap.
Peanut had just arrived at the red buff location and hadn’t even started attacking when the Lucian and Braum, who made his scalp tingle, reappeared as if from nowhere!
“Again?!” Peanut was almost collapsing.
He knew he was no match and could only retreat immediately, frantically pinging for help on the map.
“Defend it, we can’t lose this red buff!” Faker shouted in voice chat.
If they lost this red buff, their jungle would be completely lost, and the chain reaction would affect the entire map.
He immediately controlled his Ahri to abandon the mid lane minions and rush towards the jungle.
Bang and Wolf in the bot lane also began moving towards the jungle.
“SKT is going to contest! They don’t want to endure any longer! This is a 4v4 jungle team fight!”
A small team fight broke out directly in SKT’s red jungle!
But the ideal was full of beauty, while reality was harsh.
EDG had a Lucian with an explosive lead, while SKT had an almost useless Vi and an Ahri who was pinned under her turret and hadn’t even updated her items.
Li Fan’s Lucian was like a true battlefield core, using his E skill to flexibly adjust his position and kite, while his Q skill and two auto attacks with his passive dealt pain to anyone they hit!
And Clearlove’s Braum stood at the forefront, holding his shield to absorb damage, while simultaneously landing a Q skill to apply his passive to Vi…
Which instantly stunned him.
“Vi is stunned again! He’s too squishy, he can’t take it!” Wa Wa exclaimed.
Peanut’s Vi was melted almost instantly by Lucian and the long-range bombs from the Zilean behind him!
“Vi is down again! He seems to have been black-screened since the start of the game,” Miller shouted.
【Peanut’s situation is unbearable… 】
【Peanut: Referee, they’re targeting me! 】
After killing Vi, EDG’s formation pressed forward.
Faker’s Ahri had initially tried to flank to the backline with Vi to limit Zilean, but Tahm Kench acted as the most loyal guard, always staying by Zet’s side, leaving him no opportunity.
Instead, he took a lot of damage and quickly used his two ultimate casts to disengage.
And on the front line, having lost their only frontline and key crowd control, SKT was falling apart!
Lucian’s damage was unstoppable!
Wolf’s Karma tried to provide a speed boost and shield to retreat, but was caught by Lucian’s slide, and a combo of skills combined with Braum’s passive took him down directly!
“Karma is dead too!!” Su Xiao Yan added excitedly.
“EZ wants to run! Holy Shot is aimed right at him! Where do you think you can run…”
The bullets of Holy Shot fiercely swept across the young blonde’s body.
He used both Flash and his E skill.
Only then did he escape…
“No… pizza! This is completely pizza!” CT Brother started shouting loudly while looking at the big screen, transforming into the roaring emperor at this moment.
“2 for 0… SKT’s decision-making is a bit problematic. They were too hasty. There’s no way you can make up for things in the jungle like this,” the roaring emperor said.
“From now on, they really must defend and not give any more opportunities…”
However, the subsequent match had already lost all suspense.
Unreal’s Lucian returned to base and directly bought a Warrior jungle item along with a BF Sword, his damage increasing exponentially.
He then proceeded to take Rift Herald and used it to push down the mid lane tower.
After destroying the mid lane tower, EDG didn’t rush to push further; instead, they entered a suffocating macro rhythm.
They utilized their vision advantage to relentlessly plunder SKT’s dwindling jungle resources, while allowing Unreal’s Lucian to continue farming without pressure.
The game time reached 13 minutes.
“Unreal’s CS… at thirteen minutes, two hundred and three CS!” Miller said, looking at the data panel. “This is an astronomical number! His items… Warrior jungle item plus Essence Reaver! Two items! Is this really a Lucian at thirteen minutes?”
【Holy shit! Two items at thirteen minutes? 】
【Won’t this Lucian one-shot Ahri with a single shot? 】
【What else can SKT do, just surrender. 】
SKT’s players, in their desperate situation, were still unwilling to concede defeat so easily.
They seized an opportunity when EDG’s Lucian and Braum were invading and tried to quickly dive two for five to instantly kill Lucian!
“Five for two, SKT is making a last-ditch effort! Their target is directly Lucian and Braum.” Wa Wa exclaimed, sounding very pressured.
The situation instantly became critical, and Lucian and Braum seemed to be in great danger.
On screen, Peanut’s Vi flashed out from the shadows, his ultimate, ‘Shockwave,’ locking onto Li Fan’s Lucian!
Almost simultaneously, Huni’s Galio ultimate, a circular area centered on Vi, descended!
Faker’s Ahri, Bang’s EZ, and Wolf’s Karma also flanked from the sides, all their skills ready to be unleashed!
“It’s over, he’s locked on! Galio is coming down! Lucian is in grave danger this play!” Miller’s heart was in his throat.
Facing the encirclement by SKT’s five members, EDG’s mid and jungle duo remained exceptionally calm.
“Watch me!” Clearlove roared in voice chat, controlling Braum to raise his shield, ‘Unbreakable,’ in front of Lucian, and forcefully tanking an entire combo of skills from Bang’s EZ and Wolf’s Karma’s RQ…
But Vi’s ultimate control and Galio’s landing knock-up were unstoppable!
Lucian was slammed into the air, and Galio’s ultimate landed!
Ahri’s follow-up damage came in…
Lucian’s health dropped drastically at a visible rate, instantly falling below half health!
“Lucian’s health is critically low! He might fall! SKT has seized this opportunity extremely well!” CT Brother shouted excitedly from the LCK commentary desk. “There’s a chance! SKT has a chance to instantly kill this most fed target!”
However, just as everyone believed Lucian was doomed, after the crowd control ended, Clearlove’s Braum cast his ultimate, ‘Glacial Fissure,’ towards the densest area of SKT’s formation!
Boom!
A massive ice path instantly spread out, knocking up both Ahri on the flank and Karma, who was trying to follow up with damage!
This knock-up bought Lucian crucial time to deal damage!
“Braum’s ultimate! Beautiful!!” Su Xiao Yan exclaimed loudly despite her nervousness.
Almost the moment he landed and recovered from the knock-up, Li Fan’s Lucian, instead of retreating, made a move that stunned everyone: he actively slid forward!
He wasn’t running; he was counter-attacking!
“He slid forward! Unreal is fighting back! My god!”
The moment he landed from his slide, his passive two auto attacks targeted Ahri!
Simultaneously, his W skill marked Ahri, triggering a speed boost!
Even more unbelievably, Lucian’s dangerously low health bar visibly recovered a small amount the instant his auto attack landed!
However, by then, no one could even notice that, because everyone’s attention was on Lucian’s subsequent damage.
With two items, he instantly brought the ultimate-casting Ahri to near death!
Coupled with the follow-up damage, he executed a “one second, eight shots.”
Lucian’s bullets, triggered by his passive, combined with the critical hits from his Essence Reaver, instantly killed Ahri!
After killing Ahri, Lucian’s gun instantly turned towards Bang’s EZ!
The extremely rapid two auto attacks, combined with the damage from his Warrior jungle item and Essence Reaver, followed.
Bang’s Ezreal, before even finishing the cooldown on his second E skill, was critically damaged and forced to Flash away to retreat…
Although others were constantly dealing damage to Lucian, he seemed like an unkillable war god, his health not decreasing but increasing!
Li Fan unleashed a Holy Shot, firing it at the Ezreal who had Flashed away.
Wolf perfectly displayed the most crucial aspect of a Support: protecting the ADC.
He stood in front of all the bullets and was mowed down…
Double kill!
“Karma is down too! Lucian is still outputting damage! His health… his health is regenerating! He can’t die!”
What followed was a complete slaughter, the remaining players had no damage at all.
Huni’s Galio still tried to tank with his tank items, but in front of the Lucian who had two core items and Ardent Censer, his tankiness was like paper!
Lucian’s damage poured onto Galio’s massive body, and his health plummeted!
“Triple Kill!”
The system’s impassioned Triple Kill notification sounded! Galio’s enormous body crashed to the ground!
As for Vi… she couldn’t escape death either!
This ultimate five-for-two dive ended up taking down four SKT members!
“Quadra Kill! Unreal got a Quadra Kill! He single-handedly dealt world-destroying damage in a desperate situation!
SKT’s five-for-two… turned into four kills for the enemy!” Wa Wa yelled with all his might.
The audience at the Rio stadium erupted with a roar that threatened to shake the stadium’s roof!
“Why is Lucian’s health increasing the more he fights?”
“I wanted to say earlier that Clearlove built Ardent Censer, but he was just caught in a five-for-two… but how could Clearlove trigger Ardent Censer?”
Ardent Censer requires providing Heal or Shield to teammates.
However, Braum cannot provide Heal or Shield.
At this moment, the director directly opened Clearlove’s runes.
It could be seen that in the Resolve tree, he had taken Font of Life!
Su Xiao Yan immediately understood: “Font of Life!! This new minor rune that was just added in the Mid-Season Invitational patch! Its effect is that when you apply a movement-impairing effect to an enemy hero, they are marked for 4 seconds, and allied heroes who attack the marked enemy will gain healing over 2 seconds… So that’s how it is!”
Braum’s Q skill and ultimate can both cause a slow effect.
Under these circumstances, triggering the healing from Font of Life could provide the Ardent Censer’s buff!
“Genius! This is true game understanding! Everyone thought Ardent Censer could only be built by enchanters like Janna, Lulu, and Karma!
But Clearlove utilized a newly added minor rune to make a tanky support like Braum perfectly adapt to the Ardent Censer system. Every time he Qs an enemy, he’s applying the Ardent Censer buff to Unreal’s Lucian!”
【Holy shit!!! I get it! 】
【Wow, this game understanding is ahead of the world! 】
【I was wondering why Lucian’s attack speed was so fast, turns out there’s an Ardent Censer buff, no wonder SKT’s five members couldn’t take him down! 】
【Is EDG’s coaching staff from outer space? They figured this out? 】
The entire official live stream room was flooded with “???” and “!!!”
Everyone was completely convinced by EDG’s understanding of the game, which was beyond the current meta!
A Braum indirectly providing Ardent Censer effects through runes created an ultimate output environment for Big Brother Lucian!
The match, at this moment, was completely over.
The remaining time had turned into garbage time.
EDG easily took Baron Nashor at twenty minutes.
Bathed in Dragon’s blood, they began to push continuously.
“EDG is about to break three lanes! SKT can’t stop them at all!!”
At 23 minutes and 11 seconds, with the explosion of the bot lane high ground inhibitor, all three of SKT’s high ground inhibitors were destroyed.
Following that, endless waves of minions surged towards SKT’s base turrets.
“All three lanes broken! SKT has no chance of turning the tide! Every second is an agony for them now!”
The massive economic gap, the absolute equipment advantage, coupled with the pressure from three lanes of super minions, made SKT’s defense a mere formality in front of EDG.
SKT couldn’t even deal with the minion waves…
At exactly 24 minutes, EDG launched their final assault.
They didn’t even need to deliberately look for opportunities to engage; simply by the pressure of the super minions, they easily destroyed two inhibitor turrets.
Without the protection of the inhibitor turrets, SKT’s Nexus was completely exposed to the EDG members.
In their desperation, SKT attempted a final gamble, but their formation was already in pieces.
Huni’s Galio managed a reluctant Taunt on two opponents but was instantly melted by Lucian’s damage.
Faker’s Ahri weaved through the minion waves with difficulty, attempting to make a play, but the immense gap still led to him being taken down by Lucian.
“Galio is down! Ahri is down too! SKT’s defeat is like a collapsing mountain! This is a slaughter!”
“ACE!”
The system notification for an Ace marked the final punctuation for SKT’s BO5 finals.
“SKT is gone! EDG is going to win! EDG is going to win! No one can stop them from pushing the base!” Wa Wa’s voice was choked with tears.
At this moment, at the LPL commentary desk, Miller, Wa Wa, and Su Xiao Yan were already shouting wildly.
“Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Attack the base! Take it down!”
The screams at the Rio Olympic Stadium reached their peak.
Major live streaming platforms across the country were frantically displaying congratulations to EDG!
Under the gaze of countless eyes, SKT’s Nexus health bar rapidly depleted.
Boom!
With a loud explosion, SKT’s Nexus detonated, scattering fragments everywhere!
“We won!!!!!” Miller and Wa Wa jumped up from their commentary seats simultaneously, shouting at the top of their lungs, “We are the Champions!!! 3:0! They did it! They zeroed SKT in the finals!”
LCK commentary desk.
CT and Roaring Emperor looked at the exploding Nexus on the screen.
Finally, CT said with a dry voice, struggling to speak: “It… it’s over. SKT, with a score of 0-3, has unfortunately lost the grand finals of this MSI… Congratulations to EDG.”
“GG!”
SKT player seats.
Faker stared blankly at his gray screen. His expression was unreadable, but his slightly trembling hands revealed his inner turmoil. He subconsciously reached for his water cup and brought it to his lips.
“Gulp gulp gulp~~”
【We are the Champions! 】
【3:0! I’ll brag about this my whole life! 】
【Who says LPL can’t beat LCK? EDG is awesome! 】
【From today on, I’m a ten-year EDG fan! 】
【The hope for domestic Mid Laners, Clearlove, your dream has come true! 】
【Who says he’s a Civil War Phantom God? Who says he’s a Civil War Phantom God? Speak up! Haters! Speak up! EDG swept SKT! I’ll see who dares to call him a Civil War Phantom God! 】
