LOL: What does "mid-lane hybrid expert" mean?

Li Yi hadn't expected the members of the Anti-Japanese Forum to be so proactive.

The next morning, highlights of Li Yi's match were already all over major websites.

This Demacia Cup has already garnered considerable attention due to its frequent upsets, and EDG is the most watched team in terms of popularity, so many viewers who only occasionally follow the LPL couldn't help but click in out of curiosity.

My first impression was, "Wow, so handsome!"

My second impression is that he must be just like Peanut last year, with a playing style and appearance that are both spirited and energetic!

But after watching the highlights, it was either a spectacular escape or a tower dive for last-hitting minions. The few highlights he had were when he sacrificed himself in team fights, which created a strange contrast with Li Yi's performance.

It wasn't until a careful viewer took a closer look that things became clear.

Isn't this the guy who's been promoting his "so-called 'easy way' of playing professional esports every day? Turns out the 'easy way' guy wasn't lying after all; he can even win by doing nothing in professional esports!

In a place unknown to Li Yi.

He's gaining popularity in a very strange way.

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The following day at the competition venue, the IG team members got off the bus and saw the EDG team members who were already having their official photos taken.

As today's opponents, IG, which also has two newcomers, is sizing up the group in front of them.

"I remember Gao Zhenning, you played in LSPL for several years, right? Do you remember this LeeE?" Rookie nudged the big, dark-skinned guy next to him who was spacing out.

Ning recalled several matches against EDG's second team during his time with YM, but he only vaguely remembered that LeeE seemed to have been crushed in lane by mid laner Knight, and he was a little unclear about the specifics of how EDG turned the tide.

There's nothing we can do; Brother Ning doesn't hold grudges.

Megan, from the bot lane, chimed in, "I watched LeeE's game replays, and his Galio played like a wall."

West also recalled the ranked games a few days ago: "I was matched with him in the first server. When he heard that I was a professional player, he said he would play Galio to protect me. He played really well."

Rookie didn't seem to care much: "If Galio is hard to deal with, just ban him. So far, no new player has been able to hold their own against me in lane."

  

Rookie originally meant to say that hitting LeeE was as easy as peeing, but considering that they were in public, he used polite language instead.

After the makeup and photoshoot is completed.

As the EDG team filed into the venue, Li Yi noticed the IG players standing nearby and greeted them familiarly.

"Huh? This is LeeE?"

As they got closer, the IG members could finally see Li Yi's appearance clearly.

"Wow, he's so handsome?"

West, at the back of the group, couldn't help but exclaim, "He looks even more handsome than Jackylove, and his head-to-body ratio is more harmonious (not implying that Jackylove has a big head)."

"With looks like that, as long as she doesn't play terribly, she should have a lot of support, right?"

Rookie, who has always been called "Little Fatty" by LPL viewers, was a little envious at this moment. Then he thought of Xiao Yu, the LPL female host he had always admired... Maybe he should lose some weight during the off-season?

Megan was now considering getting his teeth straightened, while Ning was still caught up in the conversation they had just had.

"Wait, does League of Legends have a champion called 'Wall'?"

"..."

The four teams that have advanced to the semifinals of the Demacia Cup are EDG, IG, RNG and IM. Three of the four most popular LPL teams have made it to the semifinals, which has raised the level of excitement compared to the quarterfinals.

Furthermore.

The most common complaint from LPL viewers is why these incredibly bad veterans don't give way to the newcomers.

In this match between IG and EDG, both sides fielded two newcomers. Viewers glanced at the unfamiliar yet familiar IDs and naturally clicked in with a "let's see what happens" attitude.

[Here it comes! I saw PDD on his stream saying there's a guy with a dark complexion who's really good at jungling. Is it Ning from IG?]

I only came to watch because Xiaozhi said in his livestream, "A kid came to the WE base, and his Riven is flying in the sky." Is that handsome guy in the middle TheShy?

[The one on the far left with the long face and big horse head is the real deal; the one you're talking about is EDG's rookie mid laner, LeeE.]

[LeeE? Isn't that the guy on a certain live streaming platform who's a mid-lane "hybrid expert" who teaches people how to easily win and climb the ranks?]

Yes, you can go watch the last BO5 match. The other four members of EDG were practically burning themselves out just to barely carry him...

Of course, although LeeE was seen as a complete freeloader by the audience, the IG coaching staff was clearly well-prepared.

IG's performance in the Spring Split was below expectations, so they dismissed Chris, the coach who only knew how to shut down the door, and replaced him with the experienced Korean coach Mafa.

The contestants take the stage.

Both sides entered the ban/pick phase.

After studying EDG's match recordings, Mafa, determined not to be stubborn, banned Galio in the first game.

The final lineup has been confirmed.

EDG (blue side) fielded Shen in the top lane, Jarvan IV in the jungle, Lissandra in the mid lane, and Kalista and Thresh in the bot lane.

The red team, IG, consists of Jayce in the top lane, Gragas in the jungle, LeBlanc in the mid lane, and Varus and Tahm Kench in the bottom lane.

Both sides entered Summoner's Rift.

"Change the cable!"

In today's commentary booth, commentator Guan Zeyuan's voice rang out: "EDG made a decision immediately after entering the Rift: Iboy and Meiko went to the top lane, while Mouse's Shen went to the bottom lane!"

Another female commentator, Su Xiaoyan, chimed in: "A very clever tactical arrangement."

"Jayce is most vulnerable to lane swaps. Even with TheShy's strong lane dominance, he can't possibly win against two opponents alone. Shen, on the other hand, has much better resilience than Jayce; even when pressured, he can still gain experience. EDG's lane swap completely wiped out TheShy's first three-level advantage with Jayce!"

But EDG's tactics are clearly not that simple.

This is from EDG's team voice chat.

Iboy controlled Kalista to only last-hit the first two waves of minions, while Meiko's Thresh positioned himself forward to push TheShy out of the experience zone.

"Jayce is missing. I don't know if he recalled or went to the jungle." Meiko, who was always pushing forward, noticed that Jayce was not under the tower and reported this in the voice chat.

"I'm helping the barrel get red."

While dealing with the first and second laning phases, Li Yi used his "screen switching" ability to observe the vision he had set up in the enemy jungle in advance, and keenly caught Jayce flashing by at the red buff.

Mingkai quickly reminded the duo, "You two control the minion wave, I'll take over next wave."

"Received!" ×2

In lane-swapping tactics, if the lane is pushed too fast, the siege minion may not be able to reach the tower; if the lane is pushed too slowly, the enemy jungler or mid laner will have a chance to come to the rescue.

EDG's bot lane duo skillfully pushed the minion wave slowly, ensuring that the cannon minion reached the turret at 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Mingkai, who had finished clearing the jungle, also positioned himself in the bush behind the turret.

"Is TheShy not going to retreat yet? Or does he think that not taking this wave of minions is no different from dying?"

Guan Zeyuan raised his voice a few decibels: "A level 1 Jayce has absolutely no way to deal with this kind of three-man tower dive, unless... a teleport comes to the rescue!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the TP beam lit up on the turret.

A teleport from mid laner Rookie!

Just as Guan Zeyuan was relieved that he hadn't given a bad prediction this time, he noticed that the TP beam that had been lit suddenly went out the next moment.

It got interrupted!

The instant the TP was confirmed to have disappeared, Meiko's Thresh's Q skill [Death Sentence] was already unleashed, forcing TheShy to use Flash.

Then, Mingkai, who was crouching behind the tower, used EQ to knock Jayce into the air. Kalista then used her passive [Martial Arts Stance] to get close. Jayce's fragile level 1 health was instantly reduced to almost nothing. 1A, 2A... and he pulled out his spear!

First Blood!

EDG-Iboy (Vengeance Spear) killed IG-TheShy (Future Guardian)!