League: I really didn't tank!

Chapter 388 Please, let's get to the top four!

"Random race?" Upon hearing Chen Dongqing's words, the staff member in charge of registration adjusted his glasses and said, "Are you sure?"

"I'm very sure." Chen Dongqing nodded with a smile.

The staff didn't ask any further questions and simply registered the information.

Chen Dongqing was the last to arrive. After he finished registering, the sixteen players for this year's WCS were finalized.

Two days later, the group stage will begin its life-or-death battle for the top 16.

Only players who advance from the group stage are considered to have officially participated in BlizzCon and qualified for the WCS playoffs.

The night passed quickly, and the next day, the day before the competition began, Blizzard and NetEase officially released the information of the participating players in the WCS group stage on their official Weibo accounts.

(Brothers, remember to turn on the new illustration mode on Qidian.com. Then there will be an illustration at the top. Because it's difficult to express the complete information of this table in words, and writing it all out would be considered filler, I simply made a table and inserted it in the middle of the article for better clarity.)

The moment the contestant's information was released, it immediately sparked heated discussions among players.

It must be said that in this information sheet, one contestant's information stands out from the crowd, quite abruptly.

The eighth-ranked player in the non-Korean region standings: ilex.

Nationality: China, Ethnicity: Random, Points: 3000, Notes: Shanghai Station Champion

The champion of the Shanghai station starts with 3,000 points.

In other words, this person only participated in one competition in Shanghai and did not participate in any other competitions.

But he managed to qualify for WCS just by participating in this one competition.

Do you think this makes sense?

And the most eye-catching thing is that ilex displays "random" in the race column.

what?

Random? Are you kidding me? Don't you intend to win?

This information immediately sparked heated discussions among gamers worldwide.

The reaction from players on domestic forums was particularly enthusiastic.

At this time, discussions about this topic were extremely heated on major gaming forums such as StarCraft II and NGA.

【Isilex going to use random numbers? Are they crazy?】

It's obvious that this guy (B) only went there for sightseeing and had no intention of winning at all.

I can understand not aiming for the championship, given China's generally weak StarCraft skills, but choosing a random race just shows a poor attitude.

Forget it, there's nothing to criticize. Just getting into this competition is already an honor for us.

[Sigh, but I'm speechless. I really think Brother Shu has a chance to win the championship.]

[Haha, don't be silly, you don't really think Ilex can win, do you?]

Indeed, he's the greatest player of all time in League of Legends, his accolades are already overflowing, who needs your WCS championship? Is the value of the title the same thing?

Countless players have been discussing this, but it all boils down to one argument: Ilex has already brought glory to the country by participating in this competition. As for the rest, let's just take it one step at a time. Making it to the top four would be a success.

I have to say, that's already quite optimistic.

This is the gap in player expectations.

LPL viewers expect their teams to win championships, so anyone who says "reaching the semi-finals is a success" will be criticized for life.

But in StarCraft, the top four are practically born with a glorious past! Hurry up and get in, please!

Given this situation, surprisingly, Chen Dongqing's "willful behavior" of choosing a random race did not draw much criticism; instead, it was met with unanimous understanding!

Of course, a small number of viewers still hold a sliver of hope for this.

Tree Bro has already created many miracles, what if he can really win the championship using randomness?

Trust Brother Tree!

But this belief was quickly shattered.

Shortly after the announcement, many people reported seeing Chen Dongqing and Lin Yuanhua at Disneyland in Anaheim.

This young couple seemed to be genuinely there for a vacation, spending the entire afternoon exploring all the attractions. Along the way, they encountered many fans, and Chen Dongqing happily posed for photos with them, showing a very easygoing attitude.

After leaving Disneyland, Chen Dongqing and Lin Yuanhua had a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant, and then went to Huntington Beach.

This is a world-renowned surfing spot with a long coastline and a relatively safe coastal environment, allowing you to surf safely without fear of drowning.

Of course, with the weather in November now, Los Angeles is entering autumn, and no one is surfing anymore, but that doesn't stop locals from coming to this beach for a stroll.

Chen Dongqing encountered some fans here, and after happily taking photos with them, he strolled along the beach at dusk with his girlfriend.

Lin Yuanhua said helplessly, "You have a competition tomorrow, aren't you going to practice more today? This is too lax!"

"There's no need. Didn't we already play against Serral this morning?" Chen Dongqing said with a light laugh. "StarCraft is a pretty easy game. I didn't feel any pressure playing it."

"StarCraft is easy?!" Lin Yuanhua said irritably. "Everyone says it's the hardest game!"

Chen Dongqing chuckled, "That's different."

Why is StarCraft considered the most difficult game? The reason is simple: it's a pure 1v1 match. If you're skilled, you win; if you're not, you lose. It's that simple and straightforward.

Unfortunately, personal ability is Chen Dongqing's forte.

In League of Legends matches, besides individual skill, you also have to consider your teammates' feelings to some extent.

In QG's matches, they have never lost because Chen Dongqing collapsed; it's mostly because other lanes collapsed.

If the S-series were changed to a SOLO tournament, Chen Dongqing could win a hundred championships in a row and keep playing until the game is over!

For Chen Dongqing, the difficulties of interstellar travel were child's play.

That's why he switched to a random race.

Only this race can maximize his individual abilities.

"Whatever you say, if you say it's easy, then it's easy." Lin Yuanhua took her boyfriend's arm and laughed, "If it's that easy, then winning the championship shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"Don't worry," Chen Dongqing said confidently. "I'm very confident I can win this championship!"

Time quickly came to February 11th.

Chen Dongqing, who has a strong ability to sleep, has already adjusted his schedule. He got up at 10 a.m. sharp, had a breakfast of bread and milk with his girlfriend, and then went into the training room to start training.

Considering the competition is about to start this afternoon, I should still practice a bit.

As for the training match opponent, it was someone else; he was paired with American legend Neeb, a two-time tour champion and the top-ranked non-Korean player.

Unfortunately, Koreans make up half of the slots in StarCraft competitions, and that's only after Blizzard has limited the field; otherwise, there would probably be even more Koreans.

The most distinctive characteristic of Koreans is their emphasis on sticking together and forming groups.

At this crucial moment in the competition for the championship, they don't play any practice matches with foreign players.

That makes sense, though. The StarCraft competition has been around for years, and the Koreans have won the championship for just as many years. Do they need to train with outsiders?

Unfortunately, this forced Chen Dongqing to only invite non-Korean players.

However, it must be said that Chen Dongqing has extensive experience in Korean server ranked matches, and he has played against these Korean players.

After playing against Serral and Neeb, he could tell that these top non-Korean players were no weaker than their Korean counterparts.

The two played until 1 p.m., close to the start of the match.

Before leaving, Chen Dongqing saw a message Neeb sent in the custom room:

Hey bro, let's cheer each other on in today's game! Let's give those damn Koreans a surprise!

The WCS group stage format has always been based on a "GSL vs WORLD" format.

Each group consists of two Koreans and two non-Koreans.

In the first round of the competition, Korean players will face off against non-Korean players one-on-one to determine the winners and losers.

Then the winners play against each other, and the losers play against each other. Two wins make you advance to the knockout stage, and two losses eliminate you. It's that simple.

Therefore, Neeb and Chen Dongqing will both have their own South Korean opponents today.

Chen Dongqing looked at the messages in the chat and replied with a smile, "Absolutely! We'll definitely win today!"

Before long, Chen Dongqing packed up his mouse and keyboard and headed towards the Anaheim Conference Center.

Halfway through the race, Chen Dongqing carefully reviewed the group assignments and the race schedule.

WCS 2017 Year-End Finals Group Stage Round of 16 Grouping:

Group A: STATS, soO, Snute, ilex

Group B: Dark, Nerchio, Rogue, Neeb

Group C: TY, Kelazhur, herO, Elazer

Group D: INnoVation, SpeCial, GuMiho, Serral

Chen Dongqing was the last in Group A.

The knockout stage will be held over three days, all in best-of-three (BO3) format. The first day will determine the winners and losers of Groups A and B. The second day will determine the winners of Groups C and D.

Then, on the third day, the final allocation will be determined.

To put it simply, if Chen Dongqing is strong enough, he can easily advance with two wins if he wins one game on the first day and another on the third day.

If we fall into the loser's bracket due to our weaknesses, we'll have to play one more game.

If they are even weaker and lose in the loser's bracket, then they can only be relegated.

It is a classic double-elimination format, which is not complicated to understand.

Chen Dongqing then looked at his opponent for the day—Stats.

Coach Park specifically told him yesterday that this guy is a tough nut to crack.

As one of the three champions of this year's GSL, he has 12875 points, making him the top-ranked Korean player!

It's no exaggeration to say that this person has the best performance among all StarCraft players this year, and is definitely a top contender for the championship.

Chen Dongqing encountered such an opponent on the very first day; it can only be described as bad luck.

Coach Park said from the side, "It's okay, don't be stressed. If we lose, we'll just work hard in the loser's bracket. It's not too difficult for us to advance."

Chen Dongqing waved his hand and laughed, "What pressure could I possibly feel? Just watch my performance. It's just a lowly script, I've been through a lot before!"

There have always been some strange and unusual nicknames in the StarCraft community.

Calling someone "Lu Bu" is already considered normal; what's even stranger are the various "original" titles.

The word "本" comes from "本座," which in the StarCraft I era was the title given to players who dominated for a sufficiently long period of time in the Korean StarCraft league.

However, by the time StarCraft II was released, the title had taken on a comedic connotation.

For example, Chen Dongqing's opponent today, Stats, is called "Baben".

The reason he got this nickname is quite simple: he has a long, narrow face with an extremely long chin.

Since it's their first match in Group A, Chen Dongqing and Ba Ben will be in charge of the opening match of the group stage.

After undergoing the examination, Chen Dongqing did not rest for long before following the host's guidance and coming onto the stage.

Chen Dongqing glanced at Baben standing opposite him.

Hmm. Her chin is really long.

Baben is very sensitive to other people's gazes, and he immediately sensed that Ilex was staring at his chin.

Baben snorted coldly and then sat back down in his seat.

Haha, little Ilex, don't you know any manners at all?

I heard you beat a Korean team in League of Legends recently? You don't actually think StarCraft and League of Legends are the same, do you?

Even if you're the greatest player of all time in League of Legends, you'll have to behave yourself in StarCraft!

This game will teach you respect!

Meanwhile, Chen Dongqing remained completely calm, sitting on the computer on the other side of the stage, adjusting the peripheral sensitivity, and then entering the competition server.

As the players took their seats, StarCraft players all over the world were itching to see the match begin.

They really wanted to see how far Ilex, who had chosen a random race, could go.

This is the StarCraft Old Boys live stream room at this moment.

Although it was already late at night, Huang Xudong and Sun Yifeng, these two middle-aged men, did not go to sleep. Instead, they stayed up late to watch today's game.

At this point, the map for the first game has been displayed: Amethyst Guardian.

"Go for it, Ilex!" Xu Dong Lao Xian's tone was filled with hope. "Although the chances of winning are slim, I hope I can show everyone my strength!"

At this moment, a wave of doubt arose in the live chat.

【Is this some kind of poisonous milk?】

Ilex is safe.

[Useful milk powder is not advisable]

Even if Master Xu Dong were to exert his full power, it wouldn't be enough, mainly because Ilex's randomness was too unpredictable.

Indeed, it wouldn't matter if it were any other player, but Baben has been in such good form lately, it's really hard to say what will happen.

A location in Seoul, South Korea.

Having returned from Jeju Island, Faker is now on vacation. As the absolute core of SKT, he certainly doesn't need to consider contract renewal.

With nothing to do and just about to go to sleep, Faker suddenly remembered something. He opened Twitch and found the StarCraft tournament live stream.

The first game between ilex and Stats has begun, as shown on screen.

From a god's-eye view, it can be seen that Ilex was very lucky in this game, as he was randomly assigned to his preferred race, Human.

Faker became interested and turned the live stream to full screen to watch the match.

He was also eager to know how far Ilex could go in the StarCraft finals.

At this point, both sides have entered a busy phase of early game construction, and this round is relatively uneventful for both sides.

Like Serral and Neeb before him, Stats clearly lacked experience in dealing with skilled random opponents. Faced with a completely dark map and such a scarcity of information, he thought for a moment, then chose to start defensively and then abandoned scouting to gather information.

Chen Dongqing's human race was actually at a disadvantage in the fight against the gods; almost all of his few defeats were at the hands of the gods.

But now that he has the advantage in information, everything has begun to reverse.

Do you think the opponent can guess he's a human? Even if they could, could you know what tactics he's using?

The map for this match is Amethyst Guardian, which has a complex and intricate layout, with many paths requiring the destruction of rocks to clear.

But there's one tactic we can completely ignore: airdrops!

Chen Dongqing was certain that the opponent wouldn't attack, so he didn't even bother with any defensive work.

When facing a Terran player with two ships, the general strategy is to push forward with Stalkers, which can usually wipe out the Terran player who has opened a gas mine and is only producing Marines.

This time, Stats was completely unprepared, but by the time he discovered that the Terran had two ships of soldiers, it was too late.

This time, the two ships didn't even bother to deploy to the third base; instead, they crossed the map and flew directly to the Protoss's main base!

Fourteen brothers, cigars dangling from their lips and machine guns in hand, landed, injected themselves with stimulants, and immediately went into killing mode!

Stats' expression changed drastically, and APM spiked to its limit, prompting them to send troops to counterattack!

But Chen Dongqing's operation was superb. He controlled the fourteen spearmen as if they were his own arms. Whenever there were soldiers with low health, he would put them on the ship to become invincible, heal them, and then disembark them. He made the fourteen soldiers do the work of twenty-eight!

Stats' face grew darker and darker. He tried his best, but it was all in vain!

At this point, you can witness a spectacular sight: Chen Dongqing's spearmen are not dying one after another, but their health is slowly decreasing in sync.

Before the Marines' health dropped to zero, the Protoss's fighting force had been completely wiped out!

With just one airdrop, Chen Dongqing wiped out all the Protoss units!

Faced with such a huge and exaggerated disadvantage, Stats knew there was no hope of turning the tide. Just five minutes ago, he was full of confidence, but he typed "GG" in the chat and chose to surrender.

1-0!

(End of this chapter)