You've only been playing for half a year, and you've already reached the finals?

Chapter 244 How can we possibly lose this round?
"Although the result is regrettable, we have to face the fact that LNG was eliminated from the top 16."

Inside the LPL live stream room, Wang Duoduo was putting the finishing touches on the match:

"So, that brings us to Group B in the final round of the group stage! Let's wait and see how EDG performs tomorrow."

In the live broadcast, the five LNG members stood up, their faces looking extremely grim.

This defeat means that LNG's year of hard work has gone to waste, and all the praise they received from the audience has turned into endless abuse.

If they cannot achieve better results in next year's World Championship, this top 16 finish may stay with them for life.

Icon lowered his head and packed up his peripherals. Only then did endless regret surge into his heart, enveloping him from all sides. The immense pressure almost made him feel suffocated.

He knew, of course, that his poor performance had led to this outcome.

In this second round of the competition, he was almost solo-killed by all the other mid laners!
He debuted in S5, but didn't make it to the World Championship until S11. As Showmaker said, this may be his only chance in his life.

Will he still have such good teammates next year?
Or, after being separated from his teammates this time, is it possible for him to return to the top tier?
no one knows.

Ming Jing, of course, had no idea what Leng Shao was thinking; he had already looked down at the forum.

At this time, countless dissatisfied users on the forum began to vent their emotions.

[Is Feng Yiqi really like that? That's hilarious. Does he get weak in the knees whenever he faces the Korean team? One super team and many strong teams? I think it's one super team and three weaklings!]

[After the first round, Big B said he wouldn't lose a single game, which was kind of funny. Turns out he didn't win a single one, right?]

[You don't really think EDG is guaranteed to win, do you? RNG went 3-0 in the first round, but what happened? They almost didn't advance.]

[The comment above is really funny. RNG dragged every game into the late game, stubbornly winning 3-0. How can that compare to EDG's 3-0 victory?]

[Indeed, I've said it before: if EDG doesn't finish first in their group, I'll eat a ton of rice while doing a handstand!]

[Are you just trying to freeload again? You actually believe EDG in the World Championship? If you're really like that, you might as well believe RNG.]

[I believe RNG is the funniest team.]

[Just watching EDG's performance tomorrow! Go, little knights!]

At this time, while there were many pessimistic voices in the forum, there were also plenty of encouraging voices.

So what if LPL teams are eliminated? So what if all LCK teams advance?

As long as EDG is still around, the story is far from over!
This is LPL's ultimate weapon!
Maokai watched the LNG players leave the field, feeling a pang of regret, before turning to look at his teammates:

"It's our turn tomorrow. I hope everyone is prepared."

The EDG players looked at their coach and all nodded.

Regardless, these three days of intense competition brought good news to the EDG team.

That means the version changes are not significant.

Last year's World Championship saw constant changes in the meta and version, with even the strategies for the first and second rounds of the group stage being quite different. At that time, JDG even had disagreements about the strategies for the version.

But this year is alright, there are still the same few heroes, and the gameplay doesn't have a clear bias.

This means that EDG's recent efforts have been meaningful, and what they have been practicing can be used directly in the second round.

That's enough.

Looking at the scene before him, Viper couldn't help but rub his hands together in anticipation.

He is ready.

10 month 18 number.

On the final day of the group stage, the Group B matches finally began.

As a group that includes both EDG and T1, even before the match started, the various live streaming rooms were already packed with viewers.

All sorts of white, black, and mixed pieces gathered together, and the barrage of comments flew by, creating utter chaos.

It's hard to imagine how much of a commotion would occur if EDG were actually eliminated today.

Even if we get eliminated, just finishing second in our group is a day of celebration for the haters!

Of course, the JDG guys wouldn't miss this crucial match day, and they once again started streaming the game as promised.

Toothpaste glanced at the comments and frowned, saying, "Seriously, what are these idiots even talking about? Is it really that hard for EDG to qualify today?"

“Indeed,” Zoom said slowly. “A 3-0 start, they can easily win one game and be out of contention. EDG can’t possibly lose to DFM.”

The reason RNG almost failed to qualify after a 3-0 start was mainly because they lost to C9 in a very strange way.

If we had won this point, none of this would have happened.

"It's hard to say," Kanavi said. "It depends on Viper's performance. If he doesn't play well, T1 will be tough, and finishing first in the group isn't very secure."

Kanavi and Viper both came from GRF. Although they weren't particularly close, they knew each other, so Kanavi spoke more directly to Viper.

Viper's poor performance in the first round was obvious. If it weren't for Mingjing's incredible performance against T1, pulling five opponents with one R, the outcome would have been very different.

“Indeed.” Green Hair nodded. “Let’s wait and see. EDG has rested for so many days, they should be prepared.”

The first match has already begun, and it's the first big battle between T1 and DFM.

Both sides quickly completed the draft phase, and the match began.

As a wildcard team, DFM's strength is clearly insufficient.

Although they are all Korean imports, all three are fringe players in the LCK and cannot reach the top level in the LCK, let alone compete against the top teams in the LCK.

They made it to the group stage thanks to the draw for the qualifying rounds.

Because LNG and HLE, the two strongest teams in the qualifying round, were placed in the same group, the other group was extremely weak. In addition, the Korean players made great contributions, which allowed them to advance as the second-place team in the group.

However, after entering the group stage, they were placed in a "group of death" that included EDG, T1, and North America's number one seed 100T. It can only be said that luck always runs out.

In this group, let alone advancing, even winning a single game is a pipe dream for them.

In the first game, T1 launched an attack on all three lanes and pushed down DFM in 25 minutes to take a point.

Following that, players from EDG and 100T took to the stage one after another to begin the second battle.

The JDG players paid extra attention to this match and watched it carefully.

We can't afford to crash.

But after only seeing half of it, everyone felt relieved.

Steady.

The game had only been going on for five minutes when 100T's mid laner was forced to recall for the second time. This time, without TP, he lost a huge wave of minions, and the CS difference between the two sides had widened to twenty CS.

In the top lane, Flandre picked Graves and played exceptionally well. In fact, he not only played well, but his CS was even ahead!

In the bot lane, Viper still couldn't pick Luna, but his skill level is undeniable. He picked Miss Fortune and still played the same way, even gaining a greater laning advantage with Miss Fortune.

With advantages in all three lanes, they had a 1,000 gold lead in the laning phase, and could take the dragon and herald at will. There was absolutely no possibility of losing.

By the 15-minute mark, 100T's three towers had been destroyed, widening the economic gap to 4,000.

Twenty minutes in, Jayce's Prince initiated a perfect team fight, trapping four enemy players and helping Viper's Miss Fortune unleash her ultimate perfectly, resulting in a crushing 1-for-4 exchange and securing Baron Nashor. Twenty-three minutes later, 100T's base exploded, turning into countless fragments.

Seeing this, the JDG members felt a little relieved.

"Pure humiliation, I told you so." Toothpaste laughed, "EDG can't possibly fail to qualify, are you guys underestimating Mingjing too much?"

EDG and T1 are still strong teams, and it's highly unlikely they will lose to the other two.

After these two matches, the two teams won 4-0 and 3-1 respectively, widening the gap with the two teams behind them and securing their qualification spots in advance.

The key is still the match between EDG and T1.

If EDG wins, they'll advance as the top seed with a perfect record; if T1 wins, it'll be overtime, and they'll fight for first place.

In any case, EDG has a high margin for error.

T1 might even slip up, after all, 100T, as the North American champion team, still has considerable strength.

The match continued.

First, there was a clash between DFM and 100T, with 100T narrowly winning.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, DFM will be eliminated with a complete loss, as they have no rest and will immediately face EDG next.

In the last match between the two teams, DFM was completely shut out!
EDG's players quickly took to the stage to begin their second match against DFM.

After their previous shutout, DFM clearly learned their lesson and initiated a chaotic battle with EDG, attempting to find victory amidst the chaos.

But that's clearly wishful thinking.

As a team originating from the LPL, EDG doesn't employ a mindless, chaotic playstyle, but its players' ability to adapt and adjust in chaotic situations is absolutely top-notch.

DFM performed quite well this time—at least they got some kills.

However, the cost was that the game was played at an extremely fast pace, and within just fifteen minutes, DFM's high ground was destroyed by EDG.

At 18 minutes, EDG, with a 7,000 gold lead and two vanguards, began their final push.

At 19 minutes and 57 seconds, Vanguard smashed the DFM base with a pincer attack, then danced the victory dance.

With a sweeping victory in less than twenty minutes, EDG easily defeated DFM.

"Let's congratulate EDG on taking another point!"

In the commentary booth, Guan Daxiao shouted loudly, "Then the match has come to a crucial moment! EDG vs. T1! A battle for first place in the group between the two teams that have already qualified!"

The ultimate showdown in Group B has finally arrived!
The break was short, and soon both sides stepped onto the stage.

In the commentary booth, Guan Daxiao, Jide, and Rita immediately began their pre-match analysis, discussing the draft picks of the two teams and the possible direction of the match. The draft picks then quickly commenced!
"Okay, business plan begins!!"

Guan Daxiao immediately added: "Because T1 exercised their right to choose sides in the first round, according to the rules, the right to choose sides will be given to EDG in the second round! So in this match, EDG will be on the blue side! This is obviously good news for us!"

The screen shows that both sides have completed their first three bans.

On the blue side, EDG banned three champions: Ryze, Draven, and Xin Zhao.

There's not much to say about these three bans; they're all T1 heroes that have performed well.

On the other hand, T1's ban picks were not particularly noteworthy; they chose to ban Yuumi, Graves, and Aphelios.

Upon seeing T1's ban picks, several JDG players simultaneously frowned and began brainstorming.

"What does this mean?" Toothpaste said, "Not a single mid-lane champion is banned? Then Mingjing can just pick Twisted Fate."

"I guess they're going to make an exchange." Kanavi seemed thoughtful at the moment: "Trading Luna for cards isn't a bad deal."

“But if that happens,” Zoom frowned, “if EDG directly picks Lucian, wouldn’t T1 be doomed?”

If EDG picks Lucian, will T1 still be able to get Twisted Fate?
T1's draft strategy was originally very clear: to use the advantage of the red side's counter pick to give Faker the right to pick later and try to ensure the mid lane priority.

If Faker picks Twisted Fate first, then he'll have to use a champion like Twisted Fate that isn't very strong in lane, against Mingjing who picks him later.

Won't this lane break up?
Kanavi shook his head at this thought, "They probably figured out that Viper wouldn't play Luna."

If you carefully study EDG's match records and the players' ranked game records, you can clearly see that Viper doesn't know Luna.

The fact that the matches were never selected and the ranked practice was exposed by page after page.

If someone is truly confident, why would they train at such a high intensity?

T1 certainly thought so too.

They were convinced that EDG wouldn't play Luna, so they deliberately released both heroes to trade one for one.

Trade cards for Luna, then lock in a hero that's good at countering cards, and stabilize the mid and bottom lanes at the same time. That lineup is bound to be pretty good!

But at the same time, in EDG's voice channel.

The EDG players looked at the scene before them and all smiled.

Viper, in particular, couldn't help but burst into laughter three times!

He had been practicing Luna for so long, and he was afraid of attracting T1's attention and not being able to pick her today!
Unexpectedly, the other side did this: they just put it in their mouth!
"Wow!" Saint Gun was shocked. "We really have to choose now, Viper 3."

"Pick!" Viper's tone was incredibly firm and confident. "I'll carry this game!"

Without hesitation, Flandre immediately locked in Lucian for his teammate on the first floor!

This choice surprised everyone in the audience.

"Hey!" The JDG guys all sat up straight. "He can do it!"

On T1's side, the group fell into a long silence as they began to consider whether or not to take the cards.

This choice was obviously quite difficult. They locked in the jungler Lee Sin on the first floor at the last second, and then thought about it until the last second before finally taking Twisted Fate.

There's no other way, I still have to take it.

We've already given up Luna; if we add another card, the draft would be a huge waste.

Regardless, Twisted Fate is currently the most popular mid-lane champion, so there shouldn't be any problem getting him.

From now on, we can only choose to trust Faker.

On EDG's side, everyone's smiles widened as they watched T1 still manage to secure the card.

Luna got the pick, Mingjing is still the second choice.

How can we possibly lose this round?

"Mingjing, it's up to you." Maokai said, "Take whatever you want to play, and I can fill in whatever the team is missing later."

Mingjing immediately knew the answer when he saw that the opposing team had locked onto Lee Sin and Twisted Fate first.

A few seconds later, on the second floor of EDG, a weathered swordsman appeared and quickly locked onto the target.

Death is like the wind, always by my side!

Yasuo, locked on!
(End of this chapter)