LOL: Can’t I play other games professionally?

Chapter 518 Let's Prepare to Defend the World Championship Title

However, it's hard to say whether forming a team can have any significant effect. Perhaps the biggest effect is to at least give Uzi, the core player, some sense of participation.

It's hard to say whether this sense of participation should be negative or positive.

Lin Ruo only knew that Uzi's expression behind him wasn't very good.

As soon as he arrived in the mid lane to farm, EDG grouped up and launched a Rift Herald offensive.

Well, the two sides didn't actually fight, but we still had to go and check it out.

RNG originally wanted to find an opportunity, but in the end they found that it was good enough that Xin Zhao didn't take the initiative to engage them, so there was no way they could steal the dragon. They could only passively watch the Rift Herald die and everyone went back to their own base.

Then, Uzi, who returned to the mid lane, quickly realized that he had missed two waves of minions.

Yes, this is what's called a line swap; the fight didn't happen, and the line wasn't secured either.

"We need to do something. Either you guys focus on protecting me while I farm and jungle, or you find opportunities to get me kills." Uzi presented two possible viewpoints, hoping there wouldn't be a third.

That's exactly what happened. They went, but it was as if they didn't go at all; it was no different from standing guard.

No matter how well you do the superficial work, it won't change the fact that you're still going to lose money.

If things continue like this, then what is the point of Xia Lai Zhong Lu?
The correct answer is that it has no meaning.

So, in order not to let Xayah arrive in the mid lane early for nothing but to make no meaningful contribution, RNG decisively went to meet her in the next team fight.

It wasn't that they really wanted to fight, but the dragon spawned around the 18-minute mark and it was still a fire dragon, which forced RNG to grit their teeth and try to steal it if they could.

Otherwise, if both fire dragons were given to EDG, there's no need to elaborate on the subsequent events.

The final result was that mlxg miraculously flashed into the dragon pit and stole the fire dragon, successfully preserving the team's last hope.

They can still be saved!
mlxg, who was roaring in the voice chat, was completely unaware of this.

Lin Ruo, controlling Xin Zhao, had already charged into the group of the other four RNG players under Braum's cover, and then used a beautiful R-flash to wipe them all out.

The three-stage Q skill, which was deliberately left unused, decisively knocked Xayah into the air from the crowd.

Uzi was severely damaged and had to use his ultimate ability, Flying Feathers, before finally falling to Akali's Thunder God attack upon landing.

With Lin Ruo's help, Jin Gong easily took down Xayah.

At this point, it was too late for mlxg to use his ultimate skill. He had been too out of sync with the rest of RNG, which led to this outcome.

But this was to steal the dragon. Perhaps they should have taken precautions and retreated beforehand, even if it meant sacrificing their jungler.

However, he failed to retreat in time. Uzi had only been in the mid lane for less than 5 minutes when he experienced the damage from Xin Zhao and Akali.

"Is Zhao Xin even human?"

Looking at the completely black screen, Uzi was almost numb because he was killed so quickly that he had no chance to use Flash.

He couldn't believe what he had just seen. Zhao Xin had used his R-flash to take away a third of his health, and then used his Q to knock him up with no cooldown.

Uzi felt that he had reacted quickly enough to be able to use his ultimate ability.

However, this is obviously not something to brag about. In this team fight, EDG successfully achieved a 1-for-4 exchange. Before the Baron Nashor even respawned, RNG's members were already starting to spawn like jungle monsters.

How can I play? I can't play even a little bit.

"To be honest, I feel that for RNG, making it to the finals would have been a bigger negative than not making it."

In the commentary booth, Miller couldn't help but comment, saying that this final match had almost completely broken the mentality of everyone in RNG.

Just by looking at the images of RNG players in the bottom left corner, you can see that none of them are normal. They are either in a state of collapse and helplessness, or their faces are so dark that you don't know how dark they are.

Being crushed in one game is nothing, but being crushed in three games in a row, especially in different ways, is still painful even if you know you're no match for them.

It's possible not to feel bad, but that requires a better mindset than most people.

Clearly, the five players on RNG didn't have the right mindset.

Although losing to EDG has become a fixed historical pattern that allows them to remain calm most of the time, even the calmest mind will eventually be stirred up.

Seeing RNG fall silent for a full minute in their voice chat, Heart, wearing headphones in the audience, knew that his teammates had completely lost their temper.

Despite losing the final, he will now have to work as a psychological counselor.

The problem is, Heart thinks his Chinese is not standard at all, so he probably can't do the job.

[Waaah, RNG was so unlucky! They almost got wiped out in just over ten minutes. I'll never criticize them again.]

The most urgent task for RNG is to quickly arrange for a mental health professional to be available so that the players can receive timely psychological counseling.

[Lin Gou went too far. He even used a move like ER flash just to show off. He's not even human.]

I don't know if Lin Gou is human, but I do know he no longer treats the other person as human.

[RNG, you should just quit. Even as a hater, I can't bear to see you guys keep getting wrecked.]

...

At this point, the five RNG players actually wanted to click, but if they did, this match, which was destined to be remembered for generations, would be elevated to an even higher level.

They will clearly become the eternal backdrop for the LPL region.

Therefore, they cannot accept any orders, even if the economic gap widens to 1 or 2, they must hold on.

Therefore, the following scene unfolded: while Akali was roaming, Letme in the bottom lane was eager to seize the opportunity to attack the turret.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Xin arrived.

As the top laner, Aatrox was not only chased and run away by Xin Zhao, but was also mercilessly solo killed and sent back to the fountain.

Seeing that Zhao Xin was one level higher than him and had a gold lead of nearly 3000, Letme felt that his death was not unjust at all.

But that doesn't change the fact that his death was incredibly frustrating. As a top laner, he was solo killed by the jungler, who was none other than the strongest Aatrox in the current version. In the jungler's hands, he was like a baby.

While others use their ultimate to rush in and poke around randomly, he uses his ultimate to complain that he can't even run fast enough, and in the end, he still can't escape Zhao Xin's grasp at all.

That's it for this game.

The moment his hands finally started trembling again, Letme knew everything was back, and he was still the same boy he used to be.

...

"What kind of game is this? How can RNG make it to the LPL finals?"

In the GRF training room in South Korea.

In the first 20 minutes of the third game, Chovy felt like he was about to have a brain hemorrhage. RNG was clearly in complete disarray and didn't even realize they were playing a match.

"Is EDG too strong, or are the other LPL teams too weak?"

Chovy couldn't help but ask this very thought-provoking question.

Viper's answer was very rational: "I think both are true, but the main problem is that RNG's mentality collapsed."

Only Tazan, also a jungler, shook his head and stated his conclusion: "I think EDG is too strong."

The reason for this opinion is that, after these three games, Tazan was almost completely impressed by Lin Ruo's jungle gameplay and strategy.

As a fellow jungler, how could he not see what was going on?

That's it in a nutshell.

He believed that the other members of EDG were all very strong, but not strong enough to exceed his limits. However, Lin Ruo completely exceeded his limits.

What kind of jungler can maintain the pace of the game at full speed, and what kind of jungler can deliver a memorable solo kill against the top laner?

Throughout the entire game, not only did his strategy remain perfectly aligned, but he also did many things that even junglers wouldn't normally do.

Tazan could only sigh that playing support for EDG must be so wonderful. He could easily get through the laning phase, and then what should he do next? Of course, he could just follow the jungler.

You'll never suffer a loss, you'll always find something to do, and you'll be a rhythmic support.

How is this done?
You'd think they had GPS on their heads, which is why they could do whatever they wanted all the time.

"EDG is indeed very strong, but everyone should not put too much pressure on themselves."

Seeing this, Cxmax simply shut down the unimportant live stream; there was no need to watch any further to see the outcome of the match.

And just as he expected, today he didn't see anything he wanted to see, because RNG didn't perform at all.

It's obvious that watching it was a waste of time.

However, at least it allowed the team members to see just how strong EDG really is from the actual situation, which is not a bad thing for everyone.

GRF has disbanded, and the competition in the Nanjing Gymnasium is about to come to an end.

RNG couldn't hold on any longer; in other words, they simply didn't want to hold on anymore, because continuing to hold on would only torment themselves.

Therefore, RNG chose to initiate a team fight when EDG was taking Baron, and ended the game with a full-scale team fight.

They lost, but they used all the skills they were supposed to. The reason they lost wasn't due to poor skills, but because the gap in level and economy was already enormous.

The final match time was 23 minutes. Clocks around the world were still ticking away, but the game time had quietly stopped.

RNG's exposed crystal exploded under the relentless attacks of EDG, and the lights that had been shining brightly on the EDG players' bench after three rounds of calm suddenly illuminated the scene.

Accustomed to victory, the team embraced briefly, then waited for the coaches and players to come up from the locker room. They then put on their jackets and walked towards the RNG players' bench in the somewhat stuffy arena. In the commentary booth, Miller's tone remained as impassioned as ever:
"The match is over. Let's congratulate EDG for sweeping RNG 3-0 with an unstoppable force, once again winning the LPL Summer Split Championship in 2018 without any suspense. They are not only the league champions who have represented the LPL as the number one seed in the World Championship for three consecutive years, but they are also the LPL's well-deserved eight-time champions!"

"Yes, just like the EDG promotional video before the match, starting with the Spring and Summer double championships in 2014, and then to this year's third Spring and Summer double championships, EDG has created an unprecedented eight-consecutive-championship record."

The child standing to the side felt it was all too dreamlike. Their LPL had only been around for a few years, yet they had already produced an eight-time champion. The extent of the league's dominance was self-evident.

This is EDG.

No, this is Lin Ruo.

In particular, four of the so-called eight championships were won by Lin Ruo within two years of joining EDG, sweeping all before him.

Rather than praising EDG for being awesome, what Wawa really wants to say is that Lin Ruo is truly amazing.

Wherever you are, that's the core; wherever you are, that's the champion.

"Let's congratulate EDG once again!"

As the child finished speaking, the Nanjing Gymnasium erupted in cheers.

The cheers, which transcended the venue, had spread uncontrollably to the RNG players' bench, causing their faces to darken.

"Damn it, I never want to fight Lin Ruo again. He doesn't seem to be playing a game; he seems to be toying with us."

Letme complained, and the next second the EDG team walked in from outside. Seeing that the top laner's hand was shaking again, Lin Ruo just smiled and did not deliberately control him.

Let Xiaorang's hands shake if he wants; as long as he can ensure that his hands only shake when facing EDG, then it's not really a failure.

Walking past Letme, mlxg, whose mindset was completely disrupted by Lin Ruo, actually had the best mentality among RNG members, after all, he could remain calm even if he owed tens of millions in the future.

With this mindset, Lin Ruo wasn't worried at all about how heartbroken her good brother would be.

And then there's Xiao Hu, that old fox.

Lin Ruo patted the puppy's back, which was the only action he took. After all, he felt a tiny bit guilty that his idol's first league championship was going to be delayed again.

"Xiao Ming, you really didn't mess up this time."

When they reached the last spot, Lin Ruo gave him a small hug. He could see that his good friend was really frustrated to have lost the final again.

There's nothing we can do about it; if you keep losing, anyone would have the same expression.

After shaking hands, the group returned to the center of the stage, where they were greeted by a golden rain curtain and the joy and excitement of raising the championship trophy.

"EDG is the champion!"

Ren Dong, the host, took to the stage again, leading the audience to another climax, with cheers that seemed endless.

Then, when the FMVP was announced, the entire stadium entered another new climax.

The large screen in the center displays all the players' data from the past three games. Lin Ruo, as the rhythm engine, is most impressive not for his perfect KDA, but for his absolute 100% team fight participation rate.

Not just in one round, but in all three rounds, the participation rate has been an unprecedented 100%.

This only proves one thing: all the team fights in the three games so far have either been initiated by Lin Ruo or have revolved around Lin Ruo.

Ugh.

Lin Ruo also wanted to keep a low profile, but the reality wouldn't allow it.

During the championship interview, Ren Dong couldn't help but greet Lin Ruo, who won the FMVP, with a barrage of questions. As a professional host, he knew better than anyone what questions would generate the most buzz.

In today's world, the only team that can rival EDG in terms of popularity is the league champion that rose from the secondary league.

So Ren Dong naturally asked, "Is there any team that Lin Ruo would like to face in the World Championship, such as GRF from LCK?"

"GRF?"

Lin Ruo calmly shook his head: "Actually, you shouldn't ask me this question, because we, EDG, are not challengers in this year's World Championship. You know, as a dominant team, it doesn't matter which team we face. Only challengers have teams they most want to play against."

Ren Dong smiled upon hearing this, finding it quite domineering, but indeed it was true.

A ruler should not have any teams he wants to fight, because no team is worthy of his attention.

Conversely, only challengers have the desire to actively confront the ruler and prove themselves.

[Awesome! Lin Gengxin speaks with such domineering confidence. Honesty is far more sassy than pretentiousness. We are the rulers; others only want to challenge us, not the other way around.]

[Hmph, GRF, get your necks clean and prepare to die.]

[EDG, let's hope you win two consecutive championships! I've already forgotten the scene of you lifting the trophy at the Bird's Nest last year. I desperately need to see you lift the trophy in Incheon to make up for it.]

[Oh, and I forgot, if you just want to see EDG win the championship, just say so.]

At this moment, LPL netizens were no longer concerned with any trash talk; they just wanted to know what kind of sensation this interview would cause if it were circulated on Korean websites.

I'm afraid the petty-minded Koreans will cause a huge uproar.

However, before this, the European and American forums were already in an uproar, given that the LPL finals had once again set a new record for overseas viewership.

Aside from their usual praise for Lin Ruo, Western audiences mostly make fun of him, suggesting that the LPL league should be renamed the EDG league, given that he managed to win four league championships in two consecutive years.

Sorry, but even top-tier domestic teams like G2 from Europe and TSM from North America have never achieved this, so renaming it the EDG League makes perfect sense.

Otherwise, viewers can only think, "Is the LPL league championship hereditary? How come EDG wins every year?"

Is EDG going to be the champion again next spring and summer? That's ridiculous!

LPL viewers ignored it, simply joining in the banter while expressing their agreement, and even offering more advanced theories.

Instead of renaming it the EDG League, it would be better to rename it the Lin Ruo League.

Because when EDG was around, there were at least a few years when they couldn't win a championship, but when Lin Ruo was around...

Q: Which season did you not win the championship?
The answer is that they all won the championship, so it would be really unreasonable not to rename this league the Linruo League.

If EDG wins the World Championship again this year, LPL viewers even think that renaming the World Championship to the Lin Ruo World Championship would be perfectly acceptable.

The topic returned to the attitudes of Korean netizens, and LPL fans, who were eager to have some fun, realized that the situation was a little different.

The reality was somewhat the opposite. The interview spread across Korean websites in less than half an hour, but LCK viewers did not launch a major attack this time. Instead, they thought there was nothing wrong with the interview content.

Because EDG is indeed the most promising team to win the world championship, and is also the strongest team without exception, it is only right to be the dominant force.

Then the other teams can only be challengers, including their LCK team GRF. Korean netizens all hope that this rising star team they have high hopes for can defeat EDG in one fell swoop.

However, all of this will have to wait until the moment they actually face off at the World Championship. Before that, whatever the opponent says is right.

Even if Korean netizens are dissatisfied, they can only grit their teeth and endure it.

After all, this is how LPL used to be. Korean netizens have gotten used to it. Instead of criticizing Lin Ruo for speaking unethically, they should criticize the other LCK teams for being disappointing.

For example, KZ is referring to you.

After the LCK Summer Finals, GRF and KT advanced to the finals as the first and second seeds respectively. The next match will naturally be a contest between the third seeds.

Because KZ, who had survived to the second round of the gauntlet after winning the Spring Split, suffered a crushing 0-3 defeat and were quickly sent home by Gen.G, disbanding and rebuilding.

Not only did they lose the game, but they also got a barrage of insults and labels from Korean netizens, being labeled as the worst league champion in LCK, without a doubt.

Indeed, as the Spring Split champions, failing to even qualify for the World Championship is truly pathetic.

Even the entire KZ team was filled with self-doubt; they were just as incomprehensible as that MVP team that fell into the secondary league.

That's right, last year he was able to compete in the Intercontinental Cup as one of the top four teams in the LCK, but this year in the Spring Split, he was relegated to the second division as the last-place team and became the MVP.

The lineup remained unchanged, but suddenly their performance plummeted to an extreme level.

KZ is completely in line with this. As the Spring Split league champion, EDG, FW, and FNC, who participated in MSI with them, all won the Summer Split championship and advanced to the World Championship.

KZ, on the other hand, not only failed to win the Summer Split championship, but also failed to qualify for the World Championship as the second and third seeds, which speaks volumes about their poor performance.

So even though it's not the transfer window yet, every LCK viewer knows that KZ will definitely disband, otherwise why wait to be beaten again next year?
In contrast, Gen.G, who had a rough time in the summer split and even this year, was quite different. The old SSG, who were unremarkable in the spring and summer splits, dominated the gauntlet.

In the final round of the battle for the third seed, facing AFS, who had been pushed down by GRF's victory, Gen once again unleashed its potential and successfully defeated its opponent 3-2.

Gen.G has finally managed to make it into the World Championship again, making their rivals SKT and KZ drool with envy.

Thus, the three LCK teams representing the World Championship have been determined, with the newly crowned champion GRF leading the two veteran powerhouses KT and Gen.

Seeing this lineup, LCK fans didn't know whether to be happy or not, but after seeing the LPL teams, they knew that this year's World Championship held in South Korea would inevitably be a fierce battle.

Because IG successfully defeated RW, who came up to win the third seed, they are undoubtedly the three strongest teams in the LPL.

At this year's Rift Rivals, Gen.G lost to IG, and KT lost to RNG. All of this indicates that this year will definitely be the most difficult year for the LCK region.

At the same time that the LPL gauntlet tournament ended, the annual send-off ceremony was held. This time, the LPL officials went all out, describing the so-called send-off ceremony as a journey to defend the title.

Yes, LPL is going to defend their world championship title this year.

In other words, sorry, EDG is destined to defend their world championship title.

Once the news was released, no one could raise any objections. All the viewers who follow League of Legends esports knew one thing: this year's LPL, especially EDG, seems to be even stronger than last year.

Did Lin Ruo switch to jungle? That's a position that can better determine the outcome of the game.

(End of this chapter)