League: I really didn't tank!

Chapter 509 Busan Library

Before we knew it, it was December 10th.

Busan BEXCO, also known as Busan Convention and Exhibition Center.

The stands below the field were packed with thousands of spectators, all watching the opening match of the group stage.

The host team will be responsible for the opening match.

For the host country, winning the opening match is of course a must, but they can't appear as if they've never won before. So, it's usually the second seed that plays against the weaker opponent in the group, which makes for a more exciting match.

But the Koreans don't care about whether it looks good or not, they just want to win!

In the opening match, they sent out their number one seed, KT, to face G2, who had just been promoted from the play-in stage.

Their eating manners were very unsightly.

But what's most infuriating is that even with such an ugly way of doing things, the match still had many twists and turns, with both sides going back and forth for a long time.

In today's match, G2's top, mid, and jungle players performed exceptionally well. The combination of Wunder, Jankos, and Perkz is the strongest in Europe and would be highly competitive on a global scale.

In the early stages of the game, Peanut's Lee Sin missed a crucial close-range Q, putting KT at a disadvantage!

The two sides continued to fight back and forth, but overall G2 had the upper hand!

This scene surprised many viewers.

This G2 isn't as bad as everyone imagines.

Fortunately, KT is ultimately a Korean team, and their operational capabilities are far superior to those of European teams like G2.

By the 35-minute mark, KT had gradually turned the tide with more meticulous strategy, bringing the game to a stalemate.

In the final decisive team fight around the Elder Dragon, Peanut flanked and delivered a lightning-fast ward flash WR kick back Perkz's Syndra, redeeming himself for his early mistake!

KT instantly eliminated Perkz, and then won a great victory in this five-on-four team fight, and took the game in one fell swoop!

After winning the game, the KT players stood up and breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, we won.

This is their home opener. If they lose this game, they'll probably be assassinated by their die-hard fans that very night.

All I can say is, this is the World Championship.

In this top-level tournament rife with fierce competition, every team is walking a tightrope.

Even South Korea's top seed could slip up if they make a mistake.

After both players left the stage, and after a short interval, the two players from the second match took to the stage.

This time, the Taiwanese No. 1 seed Flash Wolves and the North American No. 1 seed TL will be playing.

On paper, the two sides are evenly matched in this battle between the top seeds, making the outcome somewhat uncertain.

However, Flash Wolves have the attribute of being the king of BO1. Apart from QG, they have a very high chance of winning against any team in BO1!

This "BO1 king" attribute allows them to reach the knockout stage in the World Championship every year, only to be eliminated in the first round of a BO5 series.

Ultimately, Flash Wolves still managed to win, crushing TL's core player Doublelift with their fast break and then easily taking the game!

The Flash Wolves players, having secured their first victory, stood up, all with smiles on their faces.

Group D, where Flash Wolves are located, has always been considered by outsiders to be the most balanced group in terms of strength.

The top seeds from North America and Taiwan, plus the third seeds from LCK and LPL—these four teams are indeed evenly matched.

Under these circumstances, winning every match is especially important.

Winning the first game now undoubtedly greatly increases their chances of advancing!

If we can win two games in the first round, that would be the final blow!

In the backstage lounge, Xiao Hu stood up and took out his peripherals from his bag.

It was their turn to take the stage.

Although this was Xiaohu's first World Championship match in his professional career, he looked normal, without any pressure, only excited and eager to try.

Their Group B situation is different from Group D. Although they have a strong opponent like SKT, they also have VIT and GRX as substitutes.

Even if they hit that one in ten thousand chance and get double-killed by SKT, their advancement is still inevitable.

As for their opponent in the first match, unfortunately, it was SKT.

If we can get past this hurdle and eliminate that one in ten thousand chance, then first place in the group will be ours for sure!

Lin Yuanhua sent me a picture; it was a selfie she took in the backstage dressing room.

In her selfie, she wears an antique-style cheongsam, showing off her beautiful figure.

[Go for it! If you win this round, I'll do an interview!]

Chen Dongqing laughed as he typed rapidly on his phone: "Just watch how I kill everyone! I'm definitely going to be a god this game!"

"Chen Dongqing, hurry up, it's time to go on stage!" Linko urged from the side.

Chen Dongqing put her phone back in her bag, then smiled and said, "It's here!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the SKT lounge.

Because they were about to face QG, the entire SKT rest area was filled with a tense atmosphere.

This match is also a crucial one for SKT.

If they win, they will have a chance to compete for first place in the group.

If we lose, we should honestly settle for second place in the group and start researching our opponents in the knockout stage.

Faker closed his eyes and took deep breaths to calm himself.

Every time Faker faces QG, he can't help but recall 2016, the first time the two teams played against each other.

As the former world's number one team, SKT has been in decline for far too long.

Although Faker usually keeps a low profile, he is actually more proud than anyone else and cannot accept losing more than anyone else.

QG has always been their only rival in the LCK region.

Once you get past QG, the future is bright!

We must win.

This time, they must win!

With this belief, Faker led his teammates onto the stage!

Offstage, countless Korean fans gave a tremendous boost, providing a powerful and enthusiastic cheer, hoping to empower SKT in this way.

When QG took the stage next, the cheers instantly dissipated. Only a very small number of QG supporters were speaking up in the entire venue, and their voices couldn't even cover the entire venue.

Seeing this obvious differential treatment, countless viewers in the live stream were filled with questions.

On stage, Chen Dongqing waved to his few supporters, his face calm.

He was used to this kind of situation.

Home advantage is something that exists in any sport, but South Korea takes it to an extreme.

Chen Dongqing really liked the atmosphere of the library.

This atmosphere proves that he really did hurt these Koreans quite a bit over the past two years.

Chen Dongqing didn't mind going a little harder.

Let these South Koreans be more silent.

In the LPL live broadcast room in China.

Today's hosts, Guan Zeyuan and Wang Duoduo, along with special guest 369, are ready.

"Alright, as we can see, both teams' players have taken their seats on the field for their final preparations!" Colonel Guan rubbed his hands together excitedly and shouted, "On one side is SKT, boasting the former greatest player of all time, and on the other is QG, possessing the current greatest player of all time! This match is the highlight of the day!"

It was already 7 PM Beijing time.

Now, both Europe and the United States have entered daytime.

The popularity of live broadcasts of the event around the world has begun to rise, and the barrage of comments has started to fly by, making predictions about the upcoming match.

Most viewers in Europe and America have a relatively neutral perspective, and they generally believe that QG will win.

What kind of trash is SKT? They think they can even mess with QG?

Almost got it!

The business trips (BP) between the two sides began quickly.

"In this match, SKT had the right to choose sides, and they proactively chose the blue side, indicating that they still want to build a more perfect lineup on the blue side!"

QG is positioned on the red side, which they can accept.

With the three reworked brothers being nerfed one after another, the priority of the blue side has been slightly reduced. QG is now in a state where they can play either red or blue, and can adjust their strategy according to their opponents.

As for the S8 version of SKT, their team characteristics are not very obvious.

Towards the end of the Summer Split, SKT even struggled for a period of time due to the issue of their starting top laner.

The problems with top laner Huni were so significant that they had to bring in substitute top laner Untara to give him a try.

However, the results were only so-so.

Untara's top lane build is basically just Ornn, Sion, and Gnar, which is practically a Korean version of A-Guang's style, earning him the nickname "Korean Pride".

This hero pool has a major problem in the current version.

With no other option, SKT had to bring Huni back and force a top-mid-jungle duo.

Although SKT eventually made it to the finals and secured the second seed after Huni's return, their journey to the finals was extremely difficult, and they were utterly crushed 3-0 in the finals, leaving fans sighing and feeling that this SKT team was truly on the verge of collapse.

In this match, SKT's strategy was quite clear.

Since we're facing QG and Ilex, we shouldn't let top laners like Huni be released.

It's hard to imagine how many Huni would give away against Ilex.

This time, they brought Untara back up and locked him in Ornn, letting him dominate the top lane.

"Ornn, huh?" Chen Dongqing grinned as he looked at SKT's choice. "This guy might not be able to hold his own, right?"

Chen Dongqing had no intention of giving SKT any face.

This is not only QG's first match, but also LPL's first match in S8, so of course they have to win spectacularly.

Chen Dongqing glanced at the remaining heroes in the top lane.

Champions like Irelia, Aatrox, Camille, and Fiora, who are good against Ornn, are either picked or banned.

Picking a vampire or a long-range top laner is fine, but since the team doesn't lack damage output right now, it's better to add a front-line tank.

Chen Dongqing glanced at it and immediately had his answer: "Give me Olaf, I'll take a shot!"

Olaf, lock on to QG on the fifth floor in a lightning-fast move!

The lineups for both sides are finalized!

Blue side SKT: Top lane Ornn, Jungle Kindred, Mid lane Irelia, Bot lane Ashe and Tahm Kench.

Red team QG: Top lane Olaf, Jungle Xin Zhao, Mid lane Syndra, Bot lane Kai'Sa and Alistar.

The thousands of spectators in the audience gasped in surprise at the same time.

Ilex's hero picks are always so unexpected, yet so perfectly logical.

Olaf, with his strong ability to stand and fight and his ultimate "Ragnarok", can easily take down tanks like Ornn who are full of crowd control.

Most of the South Korean audience members couldn't help but start to worry.

Can this road hold up?

Clearly, it couldn't withstand even a little bit of that.

Chen Dongqing didn't stay in the jungle for long this time; he crouched in the bushes on the top lane ahead of time.

He started with a Doran's Blade and a potion, and chose a sweeper as his trinket, all to maximize his lane dominance!

Chen Dongqing squatted in the grass at the front, watching the soldiers hand over the reins in the middle.

The minions' health was steadily decreasing, but Ornn on the opposing side had yet to appear.

Chen Dongqing remained calm. He decisively left the bush and took two steps toward the opposite tower.

Seeing that Ornn was nowhere to be seen, Chen Dongqing made a decisive move and headed straight for the river!

If it's not under the tower, and not in the grass, then it can only be in the grass by the river!

Chen Dongqing understands very well how to cope with pressure, and also how to counteract pressure.

While the soldier was still alive, Chen Dongqing walked to the riverbank bushes. As soon as he entered the bushes, he saw Ornn's figure!

Untara had planned to hide in the grass for a while, waiting for the right moment to go out and take a sniff to gain experience, but she was arrested on the spot.

That's good now.

Olaf, wielding two axes, blocked his path. He now had to either suffer heavy damage to force an experience gain, or turn around and run away.

Adhering to the principle that Coach Kkoma told him when he went on stage, "It's better to do nothing than to make a mistake," Untar chose to turn around and run away.

But after all that, he was a little embarrassed.

How can he log on?

Olaf was standing at the edge of the experience zone. Although he couldn't last-hit minions, he still got all the experience he was supposed to get.

But since he was standing outside the experience zone, not only could he not get the experience from the first three soldiers, but now even how to log in had become a critical issue!

Running back to your tower through your own jungle? That would only amplify the losses!

Force your way through?

That's even more of a conduit.

Let's take a detour.

Untara gritted his teeth and had no choice but to force his way into his own jungle, slowly making his way to the lane.

On their detour, Untara also encountered his teammate, Little Black, who was fighting the Swamp Frog in the upper half of the map.

When Xiao Hei saw his teammate Ornn inexplicably walk past him, he habitually pinged a question mark.

The second wave of minions is about to spawn, and the teammates are still in the jungle. It's reasonable for the jungler to ping a question mark.

But this simple little yellow question mark almost broke Untara's fragile heart, making him so angry that his hands and feet turned ice cold and his whole body trembled in the middle of summer.

Hey, what the hell are you asking me?!

Didn't you see how freakish Olaf is? He won't let me log in!

That's Ilex, are you expecting me to beat him?

Almost got it!

Untara, slightly disoriented, went back to his lane, intending to log in and gain experience, but Olaf acted quickly, teleporting over first and blocking him from the experience zone once again.

The second wave of minions had already spawned, and Olaf crouched back in the bush, eliminating the minions' aggro.

Untara placed a ward in the bush, but Olaf immediately activated his scanner and removed it.

After clearing the wards, Olaf turned around, landed two more minions to level up to level two, and then pressed forward again!

Untara's mental state collapsed even further.

No wonder countless Korean top laners say that Ilex is a monster, a demon.

Now it seems there was absolutely nothing wrong with it!

But it's alright.

Fortunately, he's been steady enough, and his health is currently holding up fairly well.

Even if the opponent is incredibly powerful, they definitely can't kill him.

Untara then recalled another sentence Kkoma had told him before the match: "In this laning phase, you'll be considered a success if you don't die."

It has been successful.

Two minutes have passed quietly.

River crab refresh.

For Kindred, the Rift Scuttler is a crucial jungle monster.

Because when the passive stacks are at zero, the mark will be permanently applied to the river crab.

The first wave of monsters spawns randomly in the upper and lower river areas, so it's a bit of a matter of luck.

Fortunately, Blank started in the top half of the map, and the river crab happened to spawn there as well.

Blank was overjoyed and headed straight for the upper river!

QG is focusing on the top half of the map this game, while the opposing Zhao Xin will definitely start from the bottom half and farm upwards.

This crab, this mark, the other side can't compete with it!

Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned.

Xin Zhao couldn't come, as he was too far away, but Syndra and Olaf did.

Blank managed to take down half of the river crab, but then both the mid and top lanes received MISS signals, and the opposing mid and top lanes immediately surrounded them from both sides!

This scene caused Blank to frown for a moment.

He really didn't want to release the marked crab.

Blank gritted his teeth and decided to take advantage of the situation.

This was crucial for Kindred's damage output; he couldn't accept having his opening mark reversed like that!

Xiao Hei unleashed a QW combo, releasing his domain while simultaneously unleashing [Dance of Arrows] to boost attack speed, rapidly unleashing a barrage of firepower upon the river crab!

Just as the river crab was about to enter the execution range, Xiaohu's Syndra finally arrived.

Syndra immediately used her Psychic Power to forcibly pull the river crab out of Kindred's mouth and then ran away!

Xiaohu pulled the river crab far away, then used his W ability to smash it through the wall into his own jungle.

The river crab immediately disengaged from the battle, and its health rapidly increased!

This wave is crucial.

First of all, Smite can now restore health, and Kindred can level up to level 3 after defeating the Rift Scuttler.

This move pulled the river crab away, significantly reducing Kindred's health.

Blank was immediately anxious. He saw that Faker had also followed, so he immediately used his Q to roll over and try to help Faker kill Syndra.

You're a level 2 Syndra, and you've already learned W?

What kind of fighting ability do you have?

But to everyone's surprise, Xiaohu was not intimidated at all. He walked towards Kindred, creating distance between himself and Irelia, and then used his basic attack on Kindred!

Behind them, Chen Dongqing's Olaf moved swiftly and had already surrounded Kindred!

Chen Dongqing followed up with a [Reverse Flow Throw] that landed on Kindred, who had just finished his dash. Relying on the slow effect, he triggered the Inspiration talent [Movement Speed] and took big strides to catch up!

Xiaohu didn't wait any longer. Taking advantage of the slowdown, he immediately used AQ to proc Electrocute, reducing Kindred's health to less than half!

Blank's heart suddenly raced.

He suddenly understood what QG's top laner and jungler's purpose was.

These two people aren't here to disgust him, they're here to kill him!

But if he only realizes this now, can he still escape?

Olaf moved swiftly and caught up to Kindred. He unleashed a burst of damage with an A-E combo, then stepped forward, picked up his axe, and followed up with an A-Q combo to slow Kindred down continuously!

With such a significant speed reduction, Kindred's Dance of Arrows seemed incredibly slow, making it impossible to create any distance!

At this moment, Faker's Irelia also rushed up. The level 2 Irelia started using her E skill to stun Xiaohu.

But Xiaohu was determined to kill, and he wanted to help Chen Dongqing get the kill on Kindred. He decisively used Flash to dodge [Double Blades] and closed the distance between himself and Kindred, continuously contributing his basic attack damage.

For Syndra, who only learned QW, basic attacks are Xiaohu's last ripple.

Fortunately, Chen Dongqing's Olaf was incredibly fierce in combat. Relying on [Movement Speed], he chased after Kindred and hacked away, eventually getting Conqueror and then using Q to send the axe flying towards Kindred's face!

Blank had very little health left and dared not take the skill. He quickly used Q to roll towards Syndra, dodging the flying axe while simultaneously dealing basic attacks to Syndra!

Faker, whose E skill missed, quickly used Q [Blade Impact] to rush to Xiaohu's Syndra's side, and together with Blank, reduced Xiaohu's health!

Xiaohu didn't retreat either, and landed another basic attack on Kindred!

Chen Dongqing wasn't in a hurry to help Xiaohu. He first moved to pick up the axe, and then threw another Q at Kindred!

Xiao Hei quickly dodged with another Flash!

Xiao Hei's strategy was still clear. He used two dashes to dodge Olaf's two Qs, wasting a lot of Chen Dongqing's time!

But Chen Dongqing reacted quickly. He saw Kindred use Flash, and almost the next instant, he immediately followed up with Flash, slashing at Kindred and maintaining the Conqueror state at the limit!

After using Conqueror, Chen Dongqing slowly turned his head, picked up the axe next to him, and then threw another [Reverse Throw] at Kindred!

At the same time, Xiaohu, who was low on health, also used an A followed by a Q to attack Kindred, successfully bringing Kindred to low health!

The next instant, Olaf's flying axe hurtled towards his face!

This time, Kindred had no way to avoid it, and her health bar was completely depleted!

"First blood!"

With the first blood secured, Chen Dongqing didn't slack off at all. He quickly picked up the axe and then turned around and walked towards Faker's Irelia!

Faker is chasing after Xiaohu and beating him up.

Little Tiger's health was almost depleted; one more hit and he was doomed.

But he wasn't anxious at all; he even managed to auto-attack Irelia before he died.

I helped Brother Tree get the kill, so my death was worth it!

The next second, Syndra was taken down by Irelia in one strike.

But at the same time, Olaf had already thrown another [Reverse Throw]!

Olaf at level two has a little over 300 mana, while his Q at level one costs 50 mana. Olaf can cast six Qs, and this is the last one.

After using Q, Olaf's mana was depleted, and he no longer had the ability to sustain a chase.

But Chen Dongqing still wants to pursue her.

Using the slow effect of his Q skill, Olaf, wielding his axe, forcefully chased after Irelia, using an auto-attack followed by an E to deal true damage. With the attack damage bonus and true damage conversion effect of Conqueror, he reduced Irelia's health by a large margin in a single exchange!

Faker didn't dare to fight Olaf head-on; he could only learn from Kevin Garnett, fighting and retreating, making a run for it.

But by then, he was clearly unable to run anymore.

Because the hot pot has already arrived.

The two-level Zhao Xin, wielding their spears, had already surrounded Faker's retreat path.

Xiangguo had been heading towards the upper river channel the moment the fight started, and he arrived just in time.

In fact, Untara's Ornn had also arrived, right behind Olaf, waving his little hammer at Olaf.

However, somewhat embarrassingly, because he missed out on too much experience at the start of the game, his Ornn is still only level 1.

A level 1 Ornn, plus a level 2 Irelia without passive stacks, is completely unable to compete with Olaf and Xin Zhao.

Upon seeing this, Faker quickly assessed the situation and immediately knew he had already sent it.

Zhao Xin still has Flash available. Even if I Flash over the wall, I will still be killed by Zhao Xin with Flash.

He could only wait to die.

Faker stopped running and instead directed Untara to sacrifice himself to lure the enemy as far away from his teammates as possible.

Seeing Faker's actions, Xiangguo knew what was going on. He first used Hail of Blades to knock Faker into the air and severely damage him, then held onto his E to prevent Faker from using Flash to escape, and said, "You get the kill!"

Chen Dongqing didn't hold back either, chasing after Faker and severing his head with two axe blows!

"Double kill!"

"In less than three minutes, Olaf's score has reached 2-0!" In the commentary booth, Wang Duoduo shouted excitedly, "Brother Shu's Olaf is going to be invincible!"

SKT's voice channel was completely silent at this moment.

Faker didn't want to dwell on whose fault it was.

We shouldn't have attacked that time!

If this fight breaks out, everyone involved is at fault.

All I can say is that when playing against QG, you always find yourself unconsciously falling into their rhythm!

Team B, with their top and mid laners, went to the river to gank the jungler as soon as they reached level two. How could you refuse?

This time, it feels like we've drifted further away.

Untara, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, showing no signs of distress.

This has nothing to do with me.

I didn't send Olaf!

Compared to SKT's silence, LPL was much more excited.

The fallen little tigers chattered excitedly, praising Brother Tree for his excellent performance.

Chen Dongqing chuckled and said that this had nothing to do with him; it was Xiaohu who sold well.

The two men's mutual flattery displeased Xiangguo, who shouted, "What about me? Wasn't my support crucial?"

"The key point!" Chen Dongqing immediately nodded and smiled, "You're awesome too!"

After this round of mutual flattery, everyone was satisfied, and everyone had a smile on their face, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

The atmosphere in the LPL live stream chat was similar to that in the QG voice chat channel, both filled with joy!

[Good, good, good, as expected of you, Little Black!]

[It's just a B mark, just let it go. I don't even know what you and Olaf have to fight!]

[With two heads, I can't even imagine how brutal he'll become next.]

[It's alright, Faker got a kill this time too, he has an advantage in mid lane.]

All I can say is, these are not the same thing. Tree Bro's stomping of newbies is way better than Faker's.

【really】

It can only be said that the audience understands Chen Dongqing.

With such a smooth game handed to Chen Dongqing, the five opponents were practically sitting ducks.

Just slaughter them!

After killing the enemy, Chen Dongqing was at full health. He didn't even need to return to base. He went back to the top lane, killed a few remaining minions, pushed the minion wave to the tower, and then leisurely returned to base to buy a small wooden hammer.

Because Chen Dongqing couldn't buy shoes due to his talent, the movement speed attribute of this little wooden hammer was key to his pursuit.

In 6 minutes, Chen Dongqing pushed the minion wave into the tower.

Standing beneath the tower at this moment is a level 5 Ornn at full health.

It can only be said that Untara is indeed stable, and Chen Dongqing just couldn't find any opportunity to make a change.

Fortunately, it's not a big problem.

If you can't trade damage, then call in reinforcements to dive the tower!

A few minutes ago, Ornn standing under the tower at full health was quite troublesome; it was indeed difficult to dive him.

But by this point, Olaf was level six and Xiangguo's Xin Zhao had his items, so overcoming a level five Ornn was no challenge at all!

The minion wave pushed into the tower, and Xiangguo covered the rear, immediately initiating the attack!

Xiangguo uses his E skill to initiate and tank the tower, then quickly uses Conqueror to knock the enemy away.

Chen Dongqing chased after Ornn and slashed wildly. Then, he seized the opportunity when Olaf used his E skill to activate his ultimate and become immune to crowd control. He then unleashed all his damage on Olaf!

Just then, Blank's level 4 Kindred suddenly appeared behind him and started shooting arrows at Xiangguo!

The situation instantly became tense!

However, QG's top and jungle players remained completely calm in the face of this situation, as Kindred's counter-gank was already within their calculations.

The reason they still made a move was because they felt that Kindred's counter-gank wouldn't be effective.

He's just a level 4 Kindred, let's climb together!

Xiangguo had no intention of leaving. He tanked the tower to the very end, helping Chen Dongqing kill Ornn before being shot down by the tower!

After killing the enemy, Chen Dongqing, who hadn't tanked the tower, didn't hesitate at all. He rushed out of the tower and then threw a Q at Kindred's face!

In front of the level 6 Conqueror Olaf, this level 4 Kindred was as fragile as paper, and her health dropped to less than half in a single encounter!

Blank stepped into the tower, hoping to rely on the tower for protection.

But the tower, which had been recharged, had lost much damage. Chen Dongqing picked up his axe and charged in again, taking down Kindred in two hits and leaving the tower with half health!

"QG ilex is almost going berserk!"

Six minutes later, Olaf led 4-0.

In the audience, the vast majority remained silent in the face of this situation.

They no longer know how SKT can win.

The entire Busan Convention Center felt like a giant library, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

I posted it as soon as I finished writing it, and I'll correct any typos later~ Please bear with me, brothers~

(End of this chapter)