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

Chapter 269 I'll Bring You Back to Reality
After the countdown, it will be time for the opening ceremony of the finals.

There wasn't much to say about the opening ceremony, because the Laugardalshll Indoor Stadium is relatively small, with a small stage, and large-scale song and dance performances are not allowed.

It was less like the opening ceremony of the finals and more like a large-scale promotional video for the battle between two cities.

The story of the sisters Jinx and Vi was played on the big screen, while Imagine Dragons took the stage to perform "Enemy," the theme song for the Battle of the Two Cities.

At the competition venue, a sphere with a Hextech design could be clearly seen standing in the center of the stadium.

Ming Jing was standing at the backstage entrance, listening to the deafening sound coming from the huge speakers not far away.

He actually knew nothing about the lore of League of Legends, since he only started playing the game last year and immediately entered a high-level competitive scene, so he didn't have the time to learn about it.

But that didn't stop him from taking a look.

After all, the main character is his favorite Jinx.

Following "Enemy" is the theme song for this year's World Championship - "Burn It All Down".

Mingjing knew it was time to go on stage.

As the song progresses to the middle, the Hextech Sphere slowly opens, revealing the Summoner's Cup standing quietly in the center, basking in the spotlight.

As the last note faded, the song came to an end, and the European host then took to the stage.
"After 32 days of intense competition, the S11 World Championship has finally come to an end! Of the original 22 teams, only two have made it to the finals! And today, we will witness the birth of a brand new champion!"

The European presenter shouted in a drawn-out tone!

"Let's welcome both players to the stage!"

At this moment, spotlights shone on both sides of the stage.
"First up is LCK's number one seed, last year's runner-up, DWG KIA!"

The word "runner-up" is like rubbing salt into a wound.

But the DWG members had nothing to say and could only step onto the stage.

A loud cheer immediately erupted from the crowd.

After all, DK is a team that went undefeated all the way to the finals and has accumulated considerable popularity.

After the cheers subsided, the European host took a deep breath and then announced loudly, "Next, let's welcome the 2021 MSI champion, LPL's number one seed, Edward Gaming!"

"Top laner Flandre! Jungler Jiejie! Mid laner Phi!!! Bot laner Viper! Support Meiko!"

As the five members of EDG stepped onto the stage, the director, who was quite adept at capturing viewership, only gave the five members of EDG a few seconds of screen time before immediately giving Mingjing a close-up!
The already powerful cheers from the audience immediately rose to another level!
Riot Games is now truly regarding Mingjing as their future leader, sparing no effort in promoting him. Coupled with Mingjing's impressive track record, he has captured a large portion of the viewership for this year's World Championship.

Now, he is truly a figure known to everyone in the world.

The audience below the stage was extremely excited and immediately gave them a very enthusiastic cheer!
As the finals approached, the number of Asian faces in the audience noticeably increased, nearly making up half of the audience.

Sitting in the front row, Song Xuan saw the close-up shot and jumped up excitedly, clapping her light stick with joy.

Su's mother glanced at her excited daughter and then looked up at the large screen in front of her.

Of course she knew who her daughter had come for; after all, Song Xuan was a chatterbox, and there was no way she could hide anything.

However, she had never seen what Ming Jing looked like in person.

The handsome young man was waving and greeting the audience with a light laugh, shining brightly under the spotlight, like a child of the world.

Hmm, it looks really good.
Actually, all of EDG's players are good-looking, but Mingjing stands out even when he's sandwiched between Zhao Lijie and Park Do-hyun, two tall young men.

Also watching the game from the stands were players from both T1 and RNG teams.

Both teams entered the stadium through the official channels, and even sat together.

The camera panned across the room and showed the two teams that had fought tooth and nail in the quarterfinals sitting together watching the game. The two teams stood with their arms crossed, their eyes serious, and they didn't say a word, creating an eerie silence.

T1's support player Keria looked at Phi, who was the center of attention on stage, and was filled with envy. "When will I ever get to the finals?"

"I'm so envious," Oner said, scratching his head. "We should have this day someday, right, Sang-hyeok hyung?"

"It will happen." Faker's eyes remained fixed on the arena, but his tone was now full of determination. "I promise."

In fact, even for Faker, the finals are a very distant memory.

That was four years ago in S7. He slumped in his gaming chair, sobbing uncontrollably.

But Faker has always believed that this is definitely not his last time.

He will definitely come back one day.

They just need to become a little stronger.
At the match venue, the European commentator was still shouting:
"Please welcome both players to their seats. The match is about to begin!"

The rising dry ice spray and dazzling spotlights instantly brought the stage atmosphere to its peak. Amidst the cheers of the audience, both contestants took their seats, and the final competition officially began!

Mingjing sat down in the chair and quickly joined the game room. He then went to the third floor on the left as instructed, which was the mid-lane position for the blue team.

All the relevant settings were tested before the opening ceremony, so there wasn't much to prepare. The players from both sides joined the game room one after another, and after the referee confirmed it, the first game of the finals officially began!
The camera then focused on the commentary booth.

The commentary lineup for the finals was undoubtedly top-notch, and I remember the three-person team from Miller.

Maokai acted quickly, having given instructions early on, and immediately had Flandre ban Lee Sin.

EDG, on the blue side, faces no pressure in the draft phase. They can even ban the opponent's favorite heroes first and then wait and see.

On the other hand, DK didn't say anything either, prioritizing banning the cat.

Cat is the highest priority in this year's World Championship, basically being banned and bought, and it hasn't been released in the knockout stage yet.

No one expected that such a small pet would suddenly have such a high priority in this year's World Championship.

Not only are there cats, but also popular picks like Twisted Fate, Luna, and Graves, putting immense pressure on the red team's draft picks. So, picking red in this version is basically suicide.

Therefore, neither side seemed to have much to say during this business trip.

In the second round of bans, Maokai didn't think much and banned Rakan again, not giving the opponent a chance to roam.

On the other hand, DK sealed away Graves.

While Flandre's Graves may not be considered a carry, his hidden impact is immense. He not only has exceptional resilience but also a significant late-game presence. In DK's opinion, Flandre's Graves is a mainstay of EDG right now and must be banned.

"But that means they can only ban one of Lucian or Twisted Fate," Colonel Guan said, looking at the screen. "The pressure of this draft is immense!"

The bans on both sides clearly demonstrate the immense pressure they faced during the draft phase.

On one hand, they're banning heroes specifically targeting the players, and on the other hand, they're banning meta heroes throughout the game, and it still's not enough!
With their third ban, EDG still had some resources left, so they simply banned LeBlanc.

EDG could have first-picked LeBlanc, but judging from DK's draft strategy, it seems they're going to let the meta champions through. So, it's better to just ban LeBlanc to prevent DK from picking her.

On the other hand, with two popular heroes remaining, DK certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to ban one and then hand the other over to EDG.

Their choice was to ban Jarvan IV in the third pick, and then unlock all of Lucian's cards!

No matter which one EDG chooses, they can choose the other as a counterbalance.

Showmaker is all geared up and ready to face off against the card game.

Phi's Twisted Fate needs no introduction; after appearing once in the LPL Summer Finals, it has consistently been banned.

HLE rarely let their champions out in the quarterfinals, and they locked in Yasuo to counter him, only to be completely outmaneuvered and killed in a lane swap.

But this Yasuo game also gave all teams a strategy for countering Twisted Fate.

Showmaker was confident that his Yasuo could handle Phi's cards perfectly.

Knew it.

The EDG players exchanged glances, their faces full of smiles.

Those familiar with them know that this is definitely another underhanded trick they're going to use.

It's fortunate that the opposing DK players couldn't see the expressions on EDG's faces, otherwise they would have panicked.

"Let's grab it," Maokai said, arms crossed. "I feel like we already have it this time."

Without much hesitation, the guy on the first floor found Lucian and locked on him in a flash!
This choice of Lucian surprised countless viewers.

"Huh? Not choosing cards?" Colonel Guan scratched his head, a little confused. "Isn't that unnecessary? Showmaker's cards are very strong too!"

“Yeah.” Miller’s tone was also full of doubt. “Is there some reason behind Ghost’s Lucian pick? It doesn’t seem necessary to pick him like that, and what if he gets disqualified if he picks Lucian first?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than DK locked in their Twisted Fate and Nami combination, proving Miller's words prophetic. Nami is weak as a support in solo lane, mainly because she lacks reliable crowd control and her laning pressure is average.

However, with the yellow card as a safety net, Nami followed up with a stable bubble attack, which significantly increased her strength.

If you add a champion like Bomb or Jhin, the bot lane will be strong!

"Looking at it this way, this trade really isn't profitable!" Remember also noticed something was amiss. "Could EDG have something in mind?"

Of course, I have ideas.

At this moment, in the lower left corner of the camera, in the broadcast shot of the EDG players, Viper is laughing heartily.

Of course, EDG didn't rush to reveal their hand, but continued with their draft strategy, locking in Lulu and Ornn.

Without Nami, Lulu is Lucian's best partner.

As for Ornn, I don't quite understand him.

If Yasuo isn't picked as the third pick, he'll definitely be banned in the second round.

What exactly is EDG planning?
DK then locked in Jhin as their third pick, entering the second round of drafting.

In the second round of bans, DK also targeted the mid lane, banning both Lissandra and Yasuo, doing their best to protect Showmaker's Twisted Fate.

EDG, on the other hand, smiled and banned Talon and Xin Zhao, jungle champions that Canyon uses quite often.

"For the fourth pick, DK doesn't seem to have many jungler options left. Let's see if there's anything else they can come up with?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than DK's fourth move was to lock onto Kiana!
"Wow!" The three commentators in the LPL commentary booth exclaimed in surprise again, "They've got something new again!"

All three knew that both teams had reached the finals with perfect records and had never faced a desperate situation, so they must have prepared a lot of things to use.

Unexpectedly, DK flipped their cards right in the very first round.

"That's really tough for EDG," Miller said, crossing his arms and sensing a sense of crisis. "Yasuo's gone too, so how are they going to counter Twisted Fate? Almost all their jungle champions have been banned as well."

EDG quickly provided an answer.

The answer is actually right there in the riddle itself.

EDG made their fourth or fifth pick, locking in their choices swiftly, and each pick was completely unexpected.

The fourth move, Aphelios.

Fifth move, Ivern.

The lineup has been finalized!

"Huh? Aphelios... If Aphelios goes bot, then Lucian is mid? And paired with Ivern?" Upon thinking this, Guan Daxiao's eyes widened immediately. "That seems... plausible!"

"Yes, there's a reason!" Miller was quite excited at this moment. After understanding EDG's lineup, he even got goosebumps!

After Lucian's rework, although he wasn't nerfed much in solo lanes, he was significantly buffed in duo lanes. Pairing him with a support champion is a game-changer, so playing Lucian solo is no longer cost-effective.

Ivern is essentially a support jungler, making him an excellent match for Lucian!
As for the fourth pick, Luna, it was also an excellent choice. Luna and Lulu are the best combination, and they have no problem laning against Jhin and Nami, allowing them to easily develop into the late game.

If the game drags on to the late-game team fights, Ornn can tank in front while Ivern and Lulu protect Lucian and Aphelios, making them virtually unstoppable!
The combined damage output of the two marksmen is more than enough to ignore the debuff from melee-heavy teams.

Putting everything else aside, can you really not believe in Xiaofei's Lucian?
What can Kiana accomplish on her own?
EDG's perfect draft strategy fooled everyone, including the viewers!

On DK's side, after everyone understood EDG's lineup, their faces turned ashen.

They didn't expect EDG to have such a strong mid and jungle player.

Moreover, a meticulous drafting strategy was designed around this mid-jungle duo!

They should have thought of this sooner.

They should have realized this as early as when they saw that EDG didn't pick Yasuo as their third pick!
"Then what should we do?" Ghost asked.

"What can we do?" DK coach Kkoma shook his head helplessly. "We can only bite the bullet and go for it, right?"

After all, the draft phase has already reached its final move, and there are only about a hundred champions in League of Legends, so it's unrealistic to expect to turn the tide of the draft with a divine move.

The only option is to choose a champion that can counter Ornn and whose pick is helpful to the game.

After much deliberation, DK finally decided on Camille.

"Alright, the lineups for both sides are finalized!" After the players from both sides completed their hero swaps, Colonel Guan took a final look at the lineups of both sides.

Blue side EDG: Top lane Ornn, Jungle Ivern, Mid lane Lucian, Bot lane Aphelios and Lulu.

Red team DK: Top lane Camille, Jungle Qiyana, Mid lane Twisted Fate, Bot lane Jhin and Nami.

No wonder the guys on EDG's side were so smirking.

With this lineup, there's really no way to lose.

A clear smile appeared on Colonel Guan's face, and then he shouted:
"Although we are 7777 kilometers apart, I believe that this long distance cannot stop our love and support for EDG! Summoners, let's enjoy this exciting final together. I hope that the ten players from both teams can leave no regrets and give us a true showdown of the best!"

The two coaches shook hands in the center of the stage and left, marking the end of the draft phase and the start of the loading screen for the match.

While the game was loading, the director switched to a pre-recorded promotional video for the match.

The camera then pans to the skies above the Icelandic volcanoes.

Amidst a snow-covered mountain range, the Sundhnúkur volcano continues to spew forth deep red lava.

Lava flows down from around the mountain, forming black basalt that contrasts sharply with the bright white snow-capped mountains around it.

Just like the two teams today.

The DK players, dressed in white team uniforms, stood at the foot of the snow-capped mountain.

"For me, League of Legends was a turning point in my life. Before that, I had no goals in life, but now I am a person with dreams."

As Showmaker spoke, the scene flashed back to last year's World Championship, where JDG lifted the Summoner's Cup in glory.

"Losing the final was not a pleasant feeling. At that time, I felt that the silence around me was terrifying, all sounds had disappeared, and the world around me was beginning to collapse."

"It is precisely because of this past that I desperately want to win right now."

“I don’t think we are the weaker party; they are not invincible.”

"."

The camera then shifts to EDG's side.

The EDG team members, dressed in black team uniforms, stood on the black sand beach.

Behind them was a black sea, and in the distance, a black volcano.

Meiko spoke as the representative this time.

"EDG has experienced many lows, and this year is a year of starting anew."

The screen flickered, then cut to footage of EDG defeating GEN and advancing to the finals.

The voices of European and American commentators are also ringing out: "As the last hope of the LPL, EDG continues to move forward, and every step they take is breaking records in team history!"

Meiko followed up with, "I believe that in a good team, the members should have a tacit understanding, and that's exactly what we have."

"We are ready to win this game."

"."

The scene shifts, and the two teams are now inside the volcano, standing on opposite sides of a lava pool, both gazing at the Summoner's Cup suspended in the center of the pool.

Showmaker's gaze passed over the trophy and landed on Ming Jing across from him.

“Phi.” Showmaker’s round face was serious. “I will be the one to win this match.”

“Showmaker.” Ming Jing looked down at the camera, the high temperature of the lava distorting the light and giving his handsome face a rare hint of grimness.

"I'll bring you back to reality."

(End of this chapter)