Believe me, I really am a professional League of Legends player.

Chapter 143 Losing to Europe and America? They've lost all shame! (10,000-word update)
With the group stage concluded, the four teams advancing to the knockout stage have been finalized.

SKT secured first place, G2 ranked second, EDG secured third place with a victory in their final match, and Flash Wolves finished fourth.

During the post-match interview session following the fifth day of the competition, the focus undoubtedly fell on Li Fan, EDG's savior.

When the host, Yu Shuang, asked him with a smile what his plans were for the next five days of the off-season, Li Fan took the microphone and spoke in a relaxed tone.

"Well... first of all, we definitely need to train hard and prepare for the upcoming elimination rounds. However," he changed the subject, revealing a somewhat embarrassed smile, "if possible, I do have a little idea... the last exchange with BD's CF division was very pleasant, but we didn't spend enough time last time, and many core issues weren't discussed. I still hope we can continue to talk, as I don't want to miss such a good opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shuang was stunned.

Hey bro, don't mess with me!

Why would you say something like that during an interview?

One can already imagine how big the reaction will be after those words are spoken.

After all, she participated in a Street Fighter tournament before the group stage even started, and it caused a huge uproar...

At this point, many people will surely come out and tell Li Fan to train hard and not cause any trouble. Wouldn't it be better to just win these matches steadily?
Because this sounds more like a provocation!

However, EDG probably won't dare to bench Unreal again, because the group stage proved that Scout is indeed not up to par.

No wonder he couldn't make it in the LCK; his skill level is truly terrible.

However, what Yu Shuang didn't expect was...

Surprisingly, this kind of situation hasn't occurred domestically.

On the contrary, there was overwhelming support.

[Hahaha, as expected of you, Brother Fan! You really use every trick in the book to sabotage the haters.]

I'd also like to know the skill level of Brazilian CrossFire players. Are they as good as elementary school students in China?

[Even in Victory Square, Fan Ge was getting utterly crushed by elementary school kids. It seems these professional players like BD won't be able to beat him; they'll probably get crushed in return.]

[Fan Laoliu is confirmed! Is he planning to go to Brazil to play CrossFire? If he goes pro, that would be interesting.]

[While others are playing ranked games during their break, Fan Shen is playing CrossFire during his break – no problem!]

[Support! Work-life balance is important! As long as the creators are happy!]

Li Fan's fans all expressed their support.

They were already used to and happy to see their exceptionally talented idol, and playing League of Legends was, in their eyes, a real waste of time.

What league's professional player? Or "All-Round King" would sound better.

His formidable strength and the success of leading his team to victory are the foundation of his confidence in being so capricious.

In esports, winning is everything, isn't it?

Scout trains hard every day, and then what? He loses right from the start, and his reputation is now extremely bad.

Now, who says he's training hard and has a bright future? Aren't they all criticizing him?

Of course, there are always some discordant voices trying to emerge.

[Haha, you're getting cocky after just one win? Instead of focusing on training, you want to play other games?]

[Isn't EDG's management going to do anything about this? This is incredibly unprofessional!]

But it was quickly suppressed.

[Stop yelling, haters! Who carried EDG into the knockout stage?]

[If you're so good at this, why don't you play? If you can keep winning like this, you can take EDG's starting position!]

[To reiterate, who brought EDG into the team? Who was called upon in a time of crisis? It was Unreal! Even if he wanted to go play football now, we would support him!]

[They earned their rest time through their own hard work; how they want to arrange it is none of your business.]

With overwhelming public support, Li Fan holds an irreplaceable position within the EDG team and in the hearts of its fans.

He earned absolute trust and a voice through his personal abilities.

Li Fan is a man of his word...

The exchange and learning during the interview was not a joke during the main interview practice session. I haven't even told the coach that I went to the BD base with Diego that night.

After all, it doesn't matter whether you report to management or not.

In the end, everything can be recovered anyway...

That's right, you can withdraw your agreement, no problem.

However, this visit to the BD Club was not for entertainment or interaction, but rather for a more purposeful in-depth exchange on core shooting skills and tactics.

"I have to say, we really benefited a lot," a BD team coach who was present remarked in a later interview with Diego.

For BD players, Li Fan brings a completely different game mindset and on-the-spot reaction mode.

His extraordinary composure and bold predictions in the endgame have shocked BD's pro players several times, as if they were facing not a MOBA player, but a veteran who has been immersed in FPS for many years.

His precision in sniping was so high that BD's sniper vianna1 repeatedly praised it as top-level professional skill.

"Unreal's approach is unique. Some of its choices and on-the-spot decisions have broken some of our established patterns and given us new inspiration."

He's an absolute genius, in any field, but I think he's more suited to FPS games; he's the true king." This is how Danimal, BD's ace player, commented.

Diego then wrote down what Li Fan said when he left the BD Club.

"For Unreal, the gains from this exchange were equally significant. The high-intensity FPS combat greatly improved his instant reaction ability, concentration, and ability to maintain a calm mindset under high pressure."

These qualities, in Unreal's view, can play a similarly crucial role in key team fights in League of Legends... perhaps that's why he's become EDG's clutch player.

"We also hope that Unreal can perform well in the upcoming Mid-Season Invitational and achieve a satisfactory result."

Domestic esports media and independent media outlets are closely monitoring any reports from Brazil regarding Li Fan, because this is not just a simple matter of dissemination; it involves real money.

After all, no one can keep working for love forever.

The articles they previously reposted about Li Fan's street sparring in CrossFire and his participation in Street Fighter competitions had already sparked huge discussions and generated a lot of traffic in China, making the self-media outlets that reposted them first very wealthy.

They certainly wouldn't miss this exclusive report about Li Fan's visit to the BD club and the high praise he received from professional players; if they missed it, they wouldn't be the first to get the news.

Within hours of Diego's article being published, numerous domestic esports portals and influential social media figures quickly translated and reposted it, each with an eye-catching headline.

Shocking! EDG's savior Unreal receives high praise from Brazilian CF powerhouse: He's a genius of FPS!

BD Ace Player: Unreal Engine is Better for FPS, He's the True King

Unrela Exclusive Reveal: Behind the Powerful Clutch Performance Lies the CF Training Method?

These reports quickly spread across various forums and social media platforms, sparking a new round of heated discussions.

Many people who saw the report this time were initially surprised, but then had other thoughts.

"So Unreal Engine is only able to perform so well because of the support it receives from other games!"

"Playing League of Legends is really just a side job. I can maintain my form by training through other games. My real job is still the competitions I participate in."

"If he had practiced League of Legends, he might not have achieved the same results?"

As ideas changed, the discussion naturally changed as well.

[I think I get it now. He used CrossFire to hone his reflexes and split-second decision-making, then brought that skill to League of Legends and delivered a devastating blow!]

No wonder his positioning and skill usage in team fights were so outrageous; this is the dodging and aiming of an FPS player!

Holy crap, what you're saying really makes more and more sense! The more I think about it, the more it seems to be true.

[Traditional mages practice last-hitting, Unreal Engine practices aiming – this approach is brilliant!]

[I suggest other mid-laners stop just playing ranked games and practice CrossFire (CF). They might really take off next season.]

[Case solved. He wasn't neglecting his duties; he was undergoing higher-level training... From now on, he can just participate in game competitions and provide support; it will only make Unreal's reaction even stronger.]

This interpretation rationalizes all of Li Fan's unproductive behavior.

He is no longer the willful and reckless genius, but has become a pioneer with unique and advanced training concepts.

His actual results proved the effectiveness of his method, to the point that many people began to doubt whether traditional, repetitive ranked games were the only way to improve esports skills.

As Unreal's cross-platform training method gained increasing traction in the Chinese esports scene, some media outlets and fans even began to touting it as a revolutionary approach to esports training in the new era.

Inside the training room of Snake Esports Club, Flandre had just finished a ranked game and was casually scrolling through his phone when he saw a deluge of reports about Li Fan and his CF training.

Watching those editors and fans solemnly analyze the theory of transferring FPS reaction speed to MOBA, and even urging professional players to learn this training method.

He couldn't help but scoff and said to his teammates, "Seriously? People actually believe this? You guys should go learn it. You'll all be silent once you start learning, and the faster you learn, the faster you'll die!"

"CF training methods... My performance has dropped a lot lately. I've been playing a lot of ranked games, but something just doesn't feel right..."

In Saint Gun's opinion, Li Fan's dominance on the field, his almost abnormal reactions and operations, could never be developed by simply playing a few rounds of CF.

"I'd rather believe he secretly created a new account at night, practiced like crazy until his fingers cramped, and then acted like I was a pro at other games during the day. Don't you think I'm right?"

After listening to Flandre's words, Zita forced a smile.

That makes a lot of sense...

But I feel like I'm the idiot. I've studied and practiced other games, but League of Legends hasn't improved me at all. I still lose. It's so frustrating.

"Holy Gun Bro is right, he must have been secretly practicing extra!"

Amidst this debate and heated discussion about cross-disciplinary training methods, the knockout stage of the Mid-Season Invitational arrived as scheduled.

EDG's opponent in the semifinals is G2, who have performed exceptionally well in this Mid-Season Invitational. After all, no one expected them to finish second in their group before the tournament.

This has greatly excited the European region, who wonder if a miracle might happen at this year's Mid-Season Invitational.

This led most people to anticipate a fierce battle before the match.

Although EDG narrowly advanced thanks to Li Fan's performance, G2's strong overall teamwork and innovative tactical approach in the group stage were impressive.

In this situation, it's indeed a bit difficult to say.

The strength of bo5 is far superior to that of bo1.

Even if you win, it will be very troublesome if your opponent adjusts in subsequent matches.

Therefore, many people expect this match to go the full distance.

This year, the LPL's performance seems to be about the same as that of the European teams.

However, the course of the match surprised all the predictors.

Because the entire competition was completely predictable!

With their full squad intact and led by Li Fan, EDG continued their strong performance from the first two days of the group stage.

They seemed to transform into a precise machine, operating flawlessly and firmly controlling the game's rhythm from the laning phase onwards.

This is a slap in the face to those who made the predictions, as if they're saying, "How could LPL possibly lose to Europe and America?!" Isn't that just shameless?
In the first game, Li Fan chose Syndra.

Syndra's extreme dominance during the laning phase made Ap's Ryze suffer terribly. Every Dark Orb he cast was like a precision-guided attack, and his constant back-and-forth movement was a joke. He took all the damage and was forced to return to base to recover due to the pressure.

This resulted in a significant gap in the mid lane matchup.

At level six, he seized the opportunity to secure a solo kill!

Ah P scratched his head, the smile on his face gradually disappearing, and his mentality seemed to have changed slightly.

In the mid-game team fights, Li Fan's Syndra truly embodied the Grim Reaper, precisely targeting G2's key carries with each burst of energy. His impact was incredibly satisfying, easily helping EDG secure the first game.

In the second game, G2 tried to target Li Fan in the draft phase by banning Syndra.

In the current Mid-Season Invitational patch, drafting is actually quite difficult.

After all, there are so many monsters in the jungle...

Sejuani and Zach are both top-tier players now.

Adding Galio to the mix makes this version the most difficult for coaches to draft.

Fast Star doesn't need to consider these issues at all, because asking questions is the most comfortable way to go!
Li Fan pulled out a small cannon with his backhand.

To properly utilize the Incense Burner Cannon, you definitely need to practice...

The mid-lane Tristana's rapid tower pushing and extremely strong single-target burst damage were fully utilized in this game.

Li Fan used the small cannon to repeatedly kill his opponent and provide support for the kills. With the help of the Ardent Censer provided by Lulu, he completely disrupted G2's formation.

The pace of the game was breathtaking; G2 couldn't even mount a decent counterattack before their high ground was lost.

The second game was just 19 minutes in when they were swept away.

After losing two games in a row, the G2 players looked bewildered and anxious, especially Perkz... This man, known as the patriarch of the European optimistic family, was truly unable to be optimistic at this moment.

To be honest, being completely crushed and utterly defeated like that would be unbearable for anyone.

In the third game, Li Fan picked Talon, a champion he had performed exceptionally well with in the playoffs, based on the team composition.

Talon faces considerable pressure in the early game, but Perkz clearly can't apply that kind of pressure.

The roaming ability of the mid-lane Talon became G2's nightmare in this game.

Li Fanqing disappeared from sight as soon as he finished his lane, putting immense pressure on G2's top and bottom lanes.

Every time Talon appeared, it was accompanied by the screams of G2 players and a black and white screen.

G2's jungle became EDG's backyard, their vision was completely suppressed and their rhythm collapsed.

The factory manager was ecstatic!
The three games took a total of only one hour and twenty-four minutes!
EDG swept G2 3-0 with a clean sweep, advancing strongly into the finals!

The chat in the official domestic live stream room exploded after the first match, and now it's so dense that it's hard to see anything.

Holy crap! Unreal Engine is godlike! They won way too easily!

One hour and twenty-four minutes? A single ranked game sometimes takes longer than that! My bladder is about to burst!

[A complete stomp! Is this the fully-formed EDG? They really have a chance at the Mid-Season Invitational now!]

[Brother Fan! You're truly my Superman! That Syndra's ball, that Tristana's jump, that Talon's blade... this is the skill of the best domestic mid laner.]

[Ah P was stunned after being beaten, hahaha, the camera focused on him and he was completely dumbfounded.]

[Ah P tweeted that today was a tough battle, but where's the tough battle? Where's the promised five-game stretch? Is that all?]

On the English commentary stage after the match, the commentators were full of amazement.

"Unreal! He completely destroyed G2. The last time I saw a player in such good form in an international tournament was Faker! Is the LPL finally going to produce its own top-tier mid laner?"

"Is this the result of his CF training method? His reaction speed, his assassination instincts... it's too exaggerated."

"EDG has proven to everyone that when they have an unstoppable Unreal, they are the biggest favorite to win this Mid-Season Invitational!"

"I really like Unreal now. Whether it's his laning phase or his participation in various other games after the match, he has truly shown me the unique qualities of a genius..."

"I believe they will bring us a real surprise in the final!"

As Li Fan followed the staff to the interview area, cheers immediately erupted from the audience.

Not only Chinese students and local Chinese, but also a growing number of Brazilian viewers and even esports enthusiasts from other countries have begun to be drawn to Li Fan, this special player.

"Unreal! Awesome!"

"Fan Shen! Look here!"

Interspersed among them were many simple support signs written in English or Portuguese.

【The Real King of MSI】

【CF> LOL? UNREAL = YES!】

A Brazilian guy wearing a G2 jersey excitedly told the people around him, "I was originally a G2 supporter, but Unreal played so well!"

"He reminds me of Brazilian football, that imaginative and unpredictable style of play, it's so captivating! I'm a fan now!"

His thoughts represent the views of many new international fans.

Li Fan's ability to dabble across multiple gaming genres, combined with his overwhelming performance on the field, has created an extremely unique and charismatic personal brand.

In the entire League of Legends community, only Li Fan could do that; no one else could, not even the current three-time world champion Faker… The host smiled and handed the microphone to Li Fan: “Welcome, Unreal! You’ve once again defeated G2 with a very impressive 3-0 victory. How do you feel now?”

"It felt pretty good. My teammates were all in great form today and executed their strategy perfectly, which is why we were able to beat G2, a strong team. So even though I had thought about it, I didn't expect it to be this easy."

“We saw that you used three different champions in the three games today: Syndra, Tristana, and Talon, and you all achieved very dominant results. This is the first time you have used Tristana on the field. Did you practice using her specifically?”

Li Fan thought for a moment: "Actually, there wasn't any special training. It mainly depended on what hero the coach wanted me to use to counter the opponent's lineup. He asked me if I could use Tristana. I felt that Tristana wasn't that difficult... so I agreed to the hero selection. As it turns out, his tactical arrangement was not wrong. I trust the coach's decision!"

"The coach's tactical arrangements? Then he is indeed a coach who has done a great deal of research on League of Legends!" the host said with a smile.

Quick Star thought about it for a moment and realized that wasn't the case. Wasn't it you who wanted to play the Little Cannon hero?

You said that Tristana can quickly push lanes and, combined with the Ardent Censer item... she's invincible in team fights and can win easily.

Then he laughed again the next second, "As expected, this is a good player that I chose."

I just love showing the coach in the frame.

That's right, my tactical research is perfect.

Next, we can catch SKT off guard and make them mistakenly believe that it was due to our own tactical arrangements.

That's right, that's how you should use smoke bombs.

“We know that you went to BD’s CF division for exchanges during the off-season, and today your reaction and operation, especially the roaming and assassination in the Talon game, made the commentators exclaim that it was like a headshot kill in an FPS game.”

Many fans are currently discussing your cross-training method. Do you personally feel that playing CrossFire (CF) has helped your League of Legends performance?

When Li Fan heard this question, he couldn't help but laugh. He had made up all the things he said before... Could it be that a professional player would actually believe this and do it?

Zizhi suddenly sneezed, glanced at the air conditioner, and saw it was set to 26. Could it be that setting it too low caused him to catch a cold?

……

Li Fan said, "Hmm... I think anything that can train your instantaneous reaction, concentration, and calmness might be helpful."

CrossFire (CF) is one of them. Actually, this game is quite fun; it allows me to relax while maintaining a high level of competitive intensity. But ultimately… it's a personal way to relax, not really training. I don't know about other people's experiences, so I wouldn't recommend actually learning it.

The meaning is already very clear.

This is more of a personalized way to adjust and relax.

Li Fan kept saying, "Let's have some fun and relax with the game..."

However, to his fans who have already deified him, this sounds more like a humble statement.

After all, he never trains and has no ranked League of Legends record, yet he can deliver such an incredible performance in a match, which makes everyone believe it...

Unreal Engine is awesome! This method works perfectly for me. I can play League of Legends one day and PUBG the next and still climb the ranks like crazy!

Did you hear that? Brother Fan himself admitted it! Any game that improves reaction time and concentration is fine—the cross-game training method is awesome!

He phrased it very tactfully, but it worked!

Other mid laners should take note! Stop spending all your time grinding ranked games! Take time to relax too.

"So, next up is the final match, where the opponent will be the winner between SKT and Flash Wolves. Who do you hope will win?"

Upon hearing this question, Li Fan barely hesitated. He picked up the microphone, looked calmly at the camera, and spoke very seriously, word by word:

"I don't particularly hope anyone wins."

"Because it doesn't matter to us at EDG who our opponent is."

Li Fan's tone was flat, revealing no emotional fluctuation.

"We came here from China to participate in this Mid-Season Invitational, and our initial goal, from the very beginning, has always been the same..."

He paused briefly, and his voice rose slightly.

"That's winning the championship!"

"So, no matter who our opponent is in the finals, whether it's SKT or Flash Wolves, we will defeat them and lift the Mid-Season Invitational championship trophy!"

Without flowery language, it is the purest declaration of a goal, yet it is more impactful than any passionate shout!

"boom--!"

The audience at the scene, especially after witnessing this overwhelming semi-final, were instantly ignited by these words!
The deafening cheers and screams almost lifted the roof off the stadium!

"Unreal! Unreal! Unreal!"

"EDG! EDG! EDG!"

Many Brazilian viewers waved their arms excitedly. They may not fully understand how much weight this sentence carries in the LPL, but they could feel the powerful aura and unwavering belief in victory emanating from the player—one of the most captivating aspects of competitive sports.

That's so cool! That's so handsome!
The chat in the official domestic live stream went completely wild the moment Li Fan said "win the championship".

[Insane! Absolutely insane! But I fucking love it!]

There's only one goal! To win the championship, you hear me? Don't be modest about performing better in the finals in international competitions like this.

[No matter who his opponent is, he'll beat him! I'm so excited! If only Fan-ge had been there last year, he would have had a chance, and they wouldn't have been eliminated in the quarterfinals.]

[This is Fan Ge's confidence; that's how capable people speak—it exudes confidence.]

[EDG, charge! Bring that damn championship back!]

[From today onwards, I'm a ten-year Unreal Engine fan!]

Even in the EDG lounge backstage, coach KuaiXing and his teammates were somewhat affected by watching Li Fan's image on the screen, and they were all quite excited.

"This kid... he's absolutely right! That's exactly how it should be! Not only must he be strong in terms of ability, but he also needs to be good with words."

Meiko smiled and shook her head: "It seems he really isn't under any pressure at all."

Only Abu and Scout remained silent on the side.

Both of them suffered a major blow.

Abu never expected that his manager would be fired like this.

There was no chance to hold back at all, after all, he was one of the founding members of the team.

They actually assigned me to Honor of Kings...

Scout is also feeling very unwell, slumped in his seat, questioning the meaning of life.

I just don't understand why I keep losing when I'm on the field.

Li Fan went on a crazy winning streak as soon as he entered the game?

Could it be that I'm really inferior to Li Fan? How could that be?
Are there any strong mid laners in the LPL?
As Li Fan's number one fan, Yu Luo had already prepared the materials.

He started editing the video the moment EDG defeated G2 3-0.

As Yu Luo skillfully operated the equipment, he excitedly set up a high-energy background music to Li Fan's key solo kills, precise skills, roaming support, and highlight plays in team fights across the three matches.

Finally, he quoted Li Fan's interview statement: "No matter who our opponent is, we will defeat them and lift the championship trophy!"

This clip serves as the ending of the video.

After watching the video again, I was very satisfied...

He even racked his brains for a video title: "[Unreal's Path to Godhood] Speedrun G2! Declaring MSI Championship Winner!"

Almost the instant the video passed the review, the number of views began to skyrocket.

Ten thousand, fifty thousand, one hundred thousand...

The refresh rate of the bullet comments and comment section is even more outrageous.

[Front row! Fan Shen is awesome!]

[That's it! Only you could edit videos like this that give me goosebumps! It's so incredibly exciting!]

I watched that final interview ten times! He was so handsome; I wish my future boyfriend was that handsome.

[Our only goal is the championship! Tears well up in my eyes, we LPL have waited too long… Let's start this year with the Mid-Season Invitational championship.]

You're really fast! Even the donkeys in the production team aren't as efficient as you!

[You've already liked, commented, and subscribed three times! This high-quality video deserves to be popular!]

Did the person upstairs really give a triple like? I don't believe it!

Inside SKT's temporary training room, the tactical whiteboard was covered with symbols.

Kkoma was holding a marker, pointing at the match clips that were playing on the projection screen.

The screen was playing videos of EDG's group stage and the recently concluded semifinals, especially the explosive damage output and incredible lifesteal of Lucian and Tristana when they had their shields up, making them virtually unkillable in team fights.

"The key point is still this." Kkoma clicked on the Ardent Censer, a red-glowing item in the equipment slots of heroes like Daisy and Lulu, with his mouse!
“EDG’s understanding of this item is different from ours, and even from all other teams in the world.” Kkoma’s voice was solemn. “They don’t just occasionally pick it as a regular support item; they treat it as a core item and develop it into a system!”

"Ever since Unreal debuted, all the way into the knockout stage, they've used it very skillfully..."

"We can even make our support build Ardent Censer as their first item, which is quite exaggerated for us."

After the Incense Burner was buffed, they studied it and concluded that the benefit wasn't worth it. Only mid-lane mages could build it first, and supports would definitely not build it first.

In this situation... it's impossible for them to sacrifice a mid-lane carry.

So I never really paid attention to this piece of equipment.

But it wasn't until EDG's performance in the group stage that they began to pay attention and start to study them.

This study suggests that these approaches are indeed feasible and don't seem to have any major problems.

EDG has this trick up their sleeve... As long as they get Ardent Censer, it's like giving their ADC an extra item.

The late game is crucial, no! Even in the early game, a scaling AD carry can still have some fighting power.

"The problem we are facing now is still time. It is too risky for the mid laner to practice AD ​​champions like Tristana and reach the level of Unreal's ability to drive the pace of the game. It also does not fit our overall style. Therefore, our strategy is still to build around the bot lane."

kkoam turned to Bang and Wolf: "We must immediately begin high-intensity practice on how to integrate into and counter EDG's Ardent Censer system within the framework we are familiar with."

"Whether we choose a stronger laning combination to suppress the opponent and delay the time it takes for the Ardent Censer to be completed, or we also use a similar system to counter it, we need a lot of practice and refinement."

"I understand, Coach, we'll get into the swing of things as soon as possible," Wolf nodded and said.

Bang didn't pay that much attention. The things EDG researched were actually quite simple: just build Ardent Censer and deal damage yourself.

It's not difficult to practice...

Furthermore, if EDG's strength lies only in its mid lane, Faker can handle it easily.

In all his years as a professional player, he's never seen a mid laner stronger than Faker.

I don't think Li Fan, as a newcomer, can make any changes to this team.

The last time we won was purely because Syndra stole it; that girl is so cunning.

He let himself get controlled, which led to the loss of the game. During this period, there have been a lot of people in China criticizing him, saying that he could have had a perfect winning streak.

But these fans didn't think about it. They had already lost one game, and since they didn't have a perfect record, losing one more game wouldn't really matter.

What's the difference between 9-bar-1 and 8-bar-2?
Aren't they all first in their groups?
Since the group winner advances to the finals, the opponents will be the same and nothing will change.

However, all of SKT's fans are Faker's fans, so if they can't understand, there's nothing that can be done.

But we'll get our revenge in the finals!
The match between SKT and Flash Wolves officially began the next day.

Compared to EDG's crushing victory over G2, although SKT also won 3-0 in this match, the process was completely different.

SKT continues to demonstrate their breathtaking operational capabilities.

Through vision control, resource exchange, and precise team fight maneuvering, they gradually pushed Flash Wolves into a desperate situation.

In the first two games, SKT didn't bring anything new, but easily won the game with their most familiar Korean-style strategy.

However, in the third game, SKT began their experimentation, clearly feeling that they needed to experience the intensity of the tactics before using it.
They picked Lulu as support, and Wolf went straight for Ardent Censer as his first item.

This item build immediately attracted the attention of the commentators and viewers.

After all, they've seen EDG's Ardent Censer build many times.

"Oh? SKT also brought out the Incense Burner? Is this everyone's new interpretation?" the commentator said in surprise.

However, the actual results in the game were in stark contrast to EDG's smooth and fluid performance.

SKT's incense burner system appears somewhat awkward and disjointed.

The pace of mid-jungle synergy also seemed to slow down due to the need to take care of the new bot lane system, and the team's offensive rhythm was noticeably slowed down.

The match was once deadlocked due to SKT's own chaotic rhythm, which even allowed Flash Wolves to seize the opportunity to turn the tide and recover some of their disadvantage.

However, just when the situation was getting tense, Faker stepped up.

Using the clockwork mechanism, the player skillfully turned the tide of battle in several crucial small-scale team fights with precise puppet control and ultimate abilities.

One perfect triple gank in the mid-lane river, another coordinated with teammates to instantly kill the enemy's key carry in the jungle, completely shattering Flash Wolves' hopes of a comeback.

Despite the less-than-perfect attempt at the Ardent Censer strategy, Faker's exceptional individual skill allowed them to secure a hard-fought victory in the third game, eliminating Flash Wolves with a total score of 3-0 and advancing to the finals.

After the match, Faker gave an interview as a representative of the team.

The host naturally asked about their final opponent, EDG, and their highly anticipated rising star mid laner, Unreal.

Faker's expression didn't change much; he simply adjusted his glasses and said, "EDG is a very strong team. They've found their own unique playstyle in this patch and executed it very well. Unreal is also a very talented and skilled opponent, but I'll still win the finals..."

Finally, looking at the camera, he said, "I hope that in the finals, both of our teams can deliver a wonderful performance for audiences around the world."

As a three-time champion, he had a large number of fans who came to the scene to support him.

As soon as Faker finished the interview, screams erupted from the audience.

Faker bowed very politely to the audience...

With SKT securing the final spot in the finals, the ultimate showdown of this year's MSI is here: EDG vs SKT!

Overnight, posts flooded major esports forums and social media platforms around the world.

The League of Legends subreddit on Reddit.

[Official] MSI 2017 Finals: SKT T1 vs EDG
The number of replies to this post is so high that the first comment appears in a flash.

[It's finally here! Faker vs. that incredible rookie mid laner, I can't wait to see if Unreal is really that amazing in the finals.]

To be honest, I've never been so excited for a League of Legends match, mainly because EDG and Unreal brought so many surprises.

[A reckless brute versus a master strategist; a genius all-rounder versus a formidable villain—this script will be played out to the very end!]

[A rational analysis suggests that SKT's experience and reliance on past tournaments remain overwhelming; EDG would consider it a success if they could win even one game.]

[What's with the people upstairs? Look at EDG's sweep of G2! Unreal Engine was born for big tournaments!]

Give me a break, G2 is such a trash team...

Does that mean TSM is even worse?

Domestic online forums such as Baidu Tieba, Hupu, and Weibo are experiencing unprecedented popularity.

[Finals countdown! Let's have a rational discussion about EDG's chances of winning.]

How would you evaluate Faker's post-match interview comments about Unreal Engine?

These posts have generated a huge number of discussion threads, with experts from all walks of life analyzing draft picks, comparing player performances, and discussing the strengths and weaknesses of different tactics...

However, unlike the atmosphere in the past when LPL teams entered the finals of international competitions, where they had to win and would be criticized if they didn't, this time it was different.

This time, because of Li Fan's presence, the public opinion was unusually... lenient.

Stop analyzing, aren't you tired? As long as Brother Fan is happy!

[What's the prediction? 3-0 or 2-3, as long as Fan Ge plays happily and comes up with something new after the match, I'll support him! Even if there are haters, I'll fight back!]

What's there to worry about? Trust in Brother Fan's hero pool!

[Who are you? We, the fans of the virtual god, don't have such rules! If we win, we celebrate together; if we lose? We'll watch Brother Fan play CF (Crossfire), maybe the next match will be even more exciting!]

It was in this unique atmosphere of Zen and joy that the final battle of the 2017 Mid-Season Invitational took place as scheduled at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!

(End of this chapter)