LOL: Can’t I play other games professionally?

Chapter 475 Let's try beating up KZ first.
The afternoon of July 4th.

The four LPL teams arrived at a hotel near the Dalian Gymnasium at almost the same time.

Compared to LCK and LMS, the preparation time was indeed much longer, but it did not affect the positive attitude of the four teams at all.

Having experienced last year's Intercontinental Cup and World Championship, coupled with KZ's poor performance at MSI this year, the so-called fear of Korea has completely dissipated.

If there were still any fears, then seeing Lin Ruo would basically eliminate all of them.

With the god of resistance against Korea around, they can even crush Koreans in Go. What's there to be afraid of?
As soon as Xiaoming arrived at the hotel, he acted as RNG's social butterfly and communicated with Lin Ruo, preparing to learn the draft strategy of this version once and for all.

JK's eyes lit up when she saw Lin Ruo, and she kept calling him her idol.

Of course, Lin Ruo didn't forget his roots. He made sure to give his forever idol, the puppy, a big hug and said affectionately:
"Hey, you've gotten fat, but don't worry, this time I'll definitely help you defeat LCK and end your championship dream."

Lin Ruo also felt ashamed about this. Originally, Xiaogou's record of never winning a championship should have come to an end in this year's Spring Split, but who could blame him for this?

So much so that even now, the dog is still constantly criticized as an uncrowned ADC, yet he has no words to refute it.

no way.

Lin Ruo has an unshirkable responsibility to use this Intercontinental Cup to help Xiaogou escape the nightmare of being without a championship, as described by his haters, and become a true champion ADC.

As a team competition, its prestige might not be considered very high, but let's talk about whether it counts as a championship and whether it can break the nightmare of never winning a title.

If so, then there's no problem.

As usual, the four teams gathered together, chatting and laughing. After lunch, the most important thing to discuss was the version's ban/pick phase.

Although tomorrow's group stage opponents are based on the publicly announced rankings from the Spring Split, so there's no need for elaborate team formations, it's still very necessary to share the lineup strategies and match-up ideas.

So before evening, the five head coaches from the four teams gathered in the locker room.

As for why there were five, it's because Lin Ruo from EDG also participated as a representative.

A very familiar scene.

However, the head coaches of the other three teams are not the same three as last year.

Feng left RNG after the World Championship defeat, and was replaced by Heart, a coach who can even pick Ezreal as the core champion.

Lin Ruo had no choice but to accept it.

Another point is Kim Jeong-soo, the Korean coach that IG just acquired for the summer split. He has the ability, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to lead IG to such a transformation.

As for RW's coach, he's just an ordinary, unremarkable domestic coach.

As expected, Lin Ruo, who is fluent in both Chinese and Korean, became the one with the most say among the five head coaches.

Although he's not the head coach, everyone knows that Lin Ruo is EDG's biggest linchpin in terms of draft picks and bans over the past two years, and why they've maintained their absolute dominance even after Nofe left.

Given EDG's current performance, the other coaches have no reason not to listen to Lin Ruo.

What were their results?

That is, in the first three weeks of the Summer Split, they have been completely outmatched by EDG, led by Lin Ruo, in head-to-head battles.

RW fared the worst. Lin Ruo hadn't returned yet, and EDG, with only half of their main players, still managed to defeat them completely.

There's no reason not to listen.

Moreover, they had also watched the documentary of last year's LPL Intercontinental Cup, and Lin Ruo seemed to be among the head coaches discussing the draft and ban strategy.

On the contrary, Nofe wasn't there much; hmm, he seemed a bit lacking.

...

After spending more than an hour discussing the topic, everyone then threw themselves into the training matches within the competition area that evening, playing a few games against each other to get into form for tomorrow's match.

In the training room, which was neither too big nor too small, players and staff from the four teams gathered, all logging in to engage in one-on-one duels.

The problem is who to challenge.

If all teams are evenly matched and have a chance to fight, then it doesn't matter which of the four teams plays which. But unfortunately, there is a behemoth among them, EDG.

If a match can render them unable to take care of themselves, imagine how badly they would perform in a casual training match…

They're here to warm up and prepare for tomorrow's group stage, and you're going to beat me to a low score? That won't do, who's going to take responsibility if I lose confidence?

Considering the Spring Split rankings, and seeing that he was about to be pulled into a custom game by the EDG players next to him, Xiaohu quickly said matter-of-factly, "You IG and EDG should play. After all, you were the runners-up in the Spring Split. It's normal for the champions to play against the runners-up."

Upon hearing this, the IG members all looked distressed. Fortunately, Ning, quick-witted and quick-handed, coughed and said, "That won't do. We've already joined RW's custom room. There's no way we can just join and then leave. You guys can just play a couple of games with EDG, and then take a break."

RNG players still disagreed with this statement. "Playing two games and then resting? Are you sure you can really get a proper rest tonight?"
It was already hot enough, but after playing a couple of games, it got even hotter. I'm afraid my bed will be on fire tonight.

There's nothing we can do about it; we can't exactly field RW, the weakest team in the Spring Split, as the fourth-ranked team.

EDG can't even beat Lin Ruo, so if they go up there, they'll definitely be beaten and forced to run away.

The RW members, who were well aware of the situation, weren't worried at all. Doinb, on the contrary, asked with interest, "Where's Lin Shen? Why isn't he here?"

Ah Guang, a remnant from the previous season, chuckled and said, "Brother Lin must have gone to discuss draft picks and strategies with the head coaches."

"Ah, if he can go, why can't I?" Doinb instantly felt betrayed.

Is it possible that EDG's draft picks are inseparable from Lin Ruo's advice, and RW's draft picks are also inseparable from Doinb's advice?

At the time, few people knew, but years later, when War Horse, as head coach, uttered that classic quote, everyone knew.

"Who's chirping your Lin Shen?" Lin Ruo joked with everyone after returning, then sat down on the sofa by the window and slumped over.

Who said he was going to play practice matches? He's already done the coach's work today, so there's no way he'd spend another two or three hours playing practice matches.

After all, Abu only pays him one salary, and one salary means one's own way of living.

Haro should just play in the training matches.

Moreover, if he plays and actually defeats his own region's team, he would become the eternal sinner of the LPL.

I think I'll just lie down.

Open the mobile version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and play however you like. Recently, we still need him to continue to command tirelessly when attacking cities.

The results of the subsequent training matches were obvious. Without Lin Ruo, EDG's power was halved, and RNG, as the opposing team, no longer felt sore or aching. After two games, they easily tied the score at 1-1.

Afterwards, the opponents were switched to ensure that all four teams got to play each other in turn, and the training match, which was intended as a warm-up, finally came to an end.

...

The second day, July 5th, at 4 PM, the second Intercontinental Cup grandly opened at the Dalian Gymnasium, with the venue packed with LPL spectators.

Due to the numerous matches, the opening ceremony was very tightly packed, with the team entrance ceremony immediately following a dazzling five-minute light show.

"Fellow League of Legends Summoners, welcome to the 2018 Asian Games! This is Dalian, China. Now, let's welcome each team to the stage!"

With a familiar opening remark from Ren Dong, a popular LPL host, the four LPL teams—the defending champions and those playing on home turf—took the stage first.

The nearly 20,000 spectators erupted in cheers, igniting a vibrant atmosphere from the very beginning.

The last time this happened was at the World Championship held in China last year. The players from the four South Korean teams on the sidelines couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; the pressure of competing in China was always unprecedented.

There is no other reason.

They really have a home-field advantage.

In particular, KZ, who are the leading team, will be the first team to play against EDG in their opening match as the number one seed.

Are you under pressure? Yes, like I'm about to explode.

They were already badly beaten at MSI, and after returning to LCK, their form was no longer as dominant as in the Spring Split. Before they could recover, EDG's gun is about to be stuck in their heads again.

I feel terrible, like a mushroom.

"A smaller loss is a victory." The other three teams also knew what kind of situation KZ would face, and could only try their best to comfort them, saying that as long as they didn't get beaten into some kind of mess, they would consider it a success.

This year's LCK has completely lost its arrogance from last year, because based on their current strength, they are the real challengers.

"Next up, let's welcome the LCK teams: KZ, AFS, KT, and SKT!"

"And all LMS teams: FW, GRX, M17, MAD!"

Amidst the continuous applause, all the teams gathered in the center of the stage, and with the appearance of the Intercontinental Championship trophy, this highly anticipated Asian competition officially began.

The first match is the most anticipated one.

After stepping down from the stage, the EDG members made some preparations and then all returned to the stage to sit on the player's bench, facing off against the five members of KZ.

KZ was already sweating bullets; they couldn't win, they really couldn't win.

Before the draft even started, the venue, including the LPL official live stream, was already buzzing with excitement once again.

At this point, the audience was no longer talking about a clash of titans. After all, if other LCK teams like AFS and KT were playing, the match could still be considered a suspenseful one.

What is KZ? It's nothing.

Good grief, MSI lost to both LPL, Taiwan and Europe, and you're telling me it's strong?
After returning, they were utterly crushed by KT in the league, revealing their true colors without a doubt. The current KZ is a complete mess.

So the audience's expectations have long since changed.

[For a KZ team, why did Lin Gou come up here? Haro would have been enough.]

[I heard that Lin Gou is going to be benched after playing against an LCK team. How disgusting! Is he deliberately picking on the weak? Playing against FW would have been more respectable.]

[Lin Gou is lucky if he even gets to play one game, do you understand? Believe me, he won't play a single game, I'll just find a computer and stream CF live.]

If that's the case, I accept it, after all, my marksmanship isn't up to par yet.

[Don't argue, even a good start is good.]

[Whatever, Lin is going to start showing off anyway. It's just that every time he does it, he targets Xiao Hua (a popular online personality). Is this a sign of distorted humanity or moral decay? I don't know. So let's fight!]

No problem, good brothers should be bullied mercilessly.

The discussion was brief, and BP quickly launched the presentation on the large screen at the venue once everything was ready.

EDG, as the blue side, had a very clear first three bans: Mundo, Kindred, and Olaf.

The first move is to limit the strongest tank strategy in this version, and we absolutely cannot let Khan, who is not in good form, play tank and just get by.

The goal for the next two moves is even clearer: to slightly reduce Peanut's champion pool.

This makes it very easy for the little peanut to get lost.

The draft phase continued, and KZ could only respond to each move as it came, ensuring they wouldn't fall behind in terms of lineup.

Zoe, Taliyah Gagario.

To reiterate, we must limit EDG's early game tempo, and that hinges on the mid-lane position.

Since there are no junglers in this version who can absolutely dominate in the early game, limiting the mid lane means limiting Lin Ruo and preventing him from making crazy plays by relying on lane priority in the mid lane.

After the first three picks and bans were completed, the game quickly moved into the hero selection phase.

EDG didn't hesitate to lock in the meta favorite, Aatrox, for the first floor position.

Many people may not have experienced the true strength of the reworked Aatrox yet, but for EDG with Lin Ruo, they have to take it if they can let it go.

While others were still exploring the possibility of Aatrox in the top lane, Lin Ruo was already experimenting with flex picks for Aatrox.

You can play mid lane or jungle.

Faced with the choice of Sword Demon, KZ opted for the most conservative and prudent approach.

The Xayah-Luo combination.

The main feature is that it can be used for both offense and defense.

EDG, on the other hand, still advocates gaining an advantage in the early game, with coordination and invasion becoming the ultimate solutions.

You're picking a mid-lane champion? No problem, I still have the crucial jungle-support synergy.

The second and third floors feature a combination of blue steel shadows and cautious, second-locked locks, adhering to a 100% uncompromising strategy.

This strong combination made it very difficult for KZ to choose their top laner.

It was obvious that EDG picked Darius specifically to disrupt Khan's top and jungle, but even so, Khan was still forced to pick Darius, who has no mobility.

This is already the most suitable choice for this version.

If it were any other hero, let alone trying to catch them, they would probably be completely crushed online by the Sword Demon.

Darius at least has fighting power, which means they can pose a certain threat to EDG in the early game.

However, this didn't seem to be enough, so after the second round of bans, KZ pulled out an even crazier pick in the draft.

Lock down the bull's head directly on the fourth floor.

This surprised the commentators, the Haier Brothers, and all the audience members.

"Did KZ pick two supports?"

Don't forget, KZ locked down the Xayah and Rakan combo on the first and second floors.

Perhaps such a choice would be completely illogical in any other version, but in this version, it is easy to understand.

After all, this is the case everywhere in the Korean server nowadays, for example, the most popular build is Juggernaut plus Gem in the mid lane.

All of this stems from the poor survivability of the bot lane. Although this version has buffed many bot lane champions and the Stormrazor item, it obviously hasn't affected the outcome.

Because the Infinity Edge that every standard AD carry builds is still the same, the critical strike chance is not enough, and at the same time, the bot lane is still in a phase where Yasuo and a group of mages are fighting each other.

The most popular mage combo in the early Spring Split experienced a brief resurgence in the early Summer Split, and this trend has continued into today's Intercontinental Cup.

This is the final swan song.

(End of this chapter)