Lin Yan took off his headphones expressionlessly and glanced at his post-match stats.
Due to being targeted frequently, he was forced to synthesize Zhongya's Hourglass. With the addition of the Boots of Clarity, even though his survivability was high, his damage output was very low.
Not only was his damage output not as high as Jack's, but he was also overtaken by Mongoose. He was only on par with Jin Gong's Uncle Sheep, Aoun.
Jack couldn't help but laugh when he saw this. "Hahaha, Brother Ran, I didn't expect you to have such a day.
"Why is your damage output so low when you're playing Zooey?"
Lin Yan, who was already holding back his anger, couldn't hold it in anymore. He grabbed the back of Jack's neck and took full advantage of the height difference between them.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Shiba Inu admitted defeat.
Lin Yan didn't say anything else. He let go of Jack, picked up his paper cup and walked backstage.
Before he left, he turned around and glared at the FNC player on the other side of the stage. He tried to make a vicious face to scare his opponent.
Unfortunately, FNC's exit path was the opposite of YM's. Lin Yan could only stare at the slightly hunched back of Caps.
Just by looking at his body, he could feel his opponent's despair.
After a whole round of frantically trying to catch the opponent's mid laner, not only did he get nothing, he even lost himself. Anyone would have a mental breakdown.
Lin Ran let out a cold laugh as he draped MSI's Conquest over his body with one hand.
The golden dragon wrapped around the LPL logo was projected onto the big screen of the Zenith Stadium by the camera. Once again, YM's fans cheered!
The three LPL commentators were still commenting on the match.
"Brother Ran is a real monster." Ze Yuan was convinced. "How can he not die after being caught like that?!"
Zhuo Ding didn't seem surprised. "This is Brother Ran's basic playstyle. It looks exaggerated because his opponent is FNC."
He had studied under Lin Yan for half a year. Even though Knight had still been at YMA at the time, he had been able to easily obtain first-person footage of Lin Yan.
In addition, when Zhuo Ding had nothing to do, he would go upstairs to ask his elder brother for advice. He would stand behind Lin Yan like a lackey. Today's outrageous actions were often seen.
To him, this was nothing unusual.
At this moment, the director announced the MVP of the game.
In the photo, Lin Yan was wearing YM's black and red uniform. His right hand was outstretched, palm facing downwards, and his face was cold and emotionless.
Most of the people watching the live broadcast didn't feel anything, but the live audience in the Zenith Stadium had a completely different feeling.
Lin Yan's photo on the big screen was magnified countless times. In order to let everyone in the stands see the match, the screen was hung at a relatively high position.
The audience in the front row looked up, and a suffocating feeling washed over them. The claw-like right hand looked like it was about to come crashing down.
The despair and helplessness that had disappeared after the game came back. The FNC fans' hearts were dead. They slumped in their seats, and the arrogance they had at the beginning of the game had long disappeared.
How could they win?
However, Ze Yuan's focus wasn't on Lin Yan's photo. He was more focused on the data.
"5 kills, 0 deaths, 10 assists, 15 KDA, 20.2% damage ratio, 87.5% participation rate..." He saw the last data and was stunned. "What is this?"
Remember to read out the data for him. "33.4% damage ratio. This is the first of the ten people in the game!"
"How is this Zooey!" Ze Yuan said in an exaggerated tone. "His damage tolerance is higher than the front row!"
[Zooey the Tank is really fierce.]
[Is this what happens when you get caught?
FNC is helping Brother Ran with his stats. They are so kind!]
[Zooey's damage tolerance is higher than Orne's. This is ridiculous.]
[It's a pity that he couldn't kill three more. Otherwise, he would be a god.]
[What a pity.]
The bullet screen kept mocking him during the break. Lin Yan, who had returned to the team's lounge, was still thinking about the last game.
"What should I use in the next game?" Lin Yan wanted revenge. He wanted to teach FNC a lesson.
Otherwise, they would really think he was a pushover.
Red Mi was also a professional player, so he could understand Lin Yan's feelings. Being targeted by the whole team again and again, he was naturally angry.
"We have the right to choose the side in the next game. How about the red side and we give you a counter position?" he suggested.
Lin Yan hesitated when he heard the coach's words. "Taking the initiative to choose the red side... won't it affect the team?"
"It's okay," Red Mi comforted him. "Anyway, we have to ban Ezreal whether we're on the red side or the blue side. In fact, the difference isn't that big."
Jack was very dissatisfied when he heard the translation. "Why are you talking about me again?
Dude, EZ is very strong now, okay? "
After Red Mi's customized special training, Shiba Inu's proficiency in Yellow Hair had increased rapidly. He now wanted to use Ezreal to wash away the stereotype that everyone had of him.
Red Mi ignored Jack. Instead, he walked behind Lin Yan and attentively put his palm on his shoulder to help him relax. His movements were very skillful. It was obvious that he had practiced it before.
"Don't worry about other things. The next stage is all yours," Red Mi encouraged.
In his opinion, Lin Yan had made a considerable sacrifice for the team in the semifinals.
Dragon King, who was chosen for the first game, was basically Mongoose's hatchet man. He was responsible for rushing to the battlefield to provide damage and crowd control. In the last team battle, he even sacrificed himself to attract firepower, allowing Phyllostachys Pubescens to get a pentakill.
Zooey, who was chosen for the second game, was suppressed by Little Pao and was repeatedly attacked by FNC. He had no choice but to be the first to play Zooey. He had to run the whole time to save his life. This freed Jack in the bottom lane and Xiaosu in the jungle. The two of them could take over the game as they were in the middle of development.
Red Mi would feel guilty if he had to use the blue side to let the mid laner be countered in the third game.
No one bullied him like that.
Although it was said that the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. You still had to let him take a breather to vent. Otherwise, he would really become a tool.
"Listen to Red Mi. Let's use the counter position to destroy the opponent!"
Mongoose agreed with his coach. He had had a lot of fun with Nanqiang and Qian Jue in the last two games. He planned to sacrifice a game for the mid laner and play around Lin Yan.
"That's right. Let's show the opponent what it means to be the world's best mid laner." Liu Qingsong said with an international bow.
Lin Yan listened to everyone's words. He pondered for two seconds before speaking.
"Okay."
…
When YM went on stage again, there was no booing. Instead, the audience burst into thunderous applause.
There were YM supporters among them, but most of them were Europeans wearing FNC's uniform.
If losing the first game could stir up their passion, then Lin Yan's undying Zooey in the last game was like a bucket of cold water pouring down on them. FNC's fans felt like they had fallen into an ice cave.
After losing two games in a row, they could only force themselves to recognize the huge gap between the two teams. If they wanted to advance to the finals, FNC needed to win three games in a row.
Was that realistic?
It was very blue.
FNC was very strong, but they were not strong enough to threaten YM.
The defeated Europeans were no longer stingy with their applause. They welcomed this mysterious team from the East.
Lin Yan placed the paper cup with the MSI logo between the keyboard and the monitor. Then, he took off his Conquest jacket and draped it over the back of the gaming chair.
His actions were done meticulously under the cheers of the audience. However, Lin Yan's cold expression did not soften at all.
It was too late.
What were you doing earlier?
Caps was dead for sure. Even Jesus couldn't save him!
As soon as Lin Yan sat down, he saw FNC's team members and coach walk in from the other side of the entrance. He immediately turned his head and used the Death Glare.
Caps was still talking to Youngbuck. His expression was quite relaxed. It was the complete opposite of the depressed look he had when he left the stage.
He was just about to put the paper cup of iced coffee on the table when he looked up and saw Lin Yan's merciless glare.
Caps panicked. The painful memories that had sunk deep into his heart resurfaced.
Every time he recalled, he would use Little Cannon's [Destructive Shot] to save Lin Ran.
It was too scary.
He involuntarily took a step back and bumped into his own jungler.
Even though Broxah held the paper cup tightly, some of the iced coffee spilled out.
The tall Broxah was a head taller than Cap. The cup he was holding was almost touching Cap's head. As a result, the iced water dripped down the back of Cap's collar.
The iced coffee dripped down the back of Caps' neck. Caps shivered from the cold. His eyes widened and the wrinkles on his forehead appeared again.
Caps' head was about the same size as Broxah's. His head covered the entire process of him touching Broxah's paper cup. Lin Yan had no idea what had happened.
Lin Yan was satisfied with his opponent's shivering reaction. He felt like he had made a name for himself.
"Are you okay?" the referee asked Caps in a low voice.
"I'm fine."
He took a piece of tissue and wiped his face. When he saw that Lin Yan was no longer staring at him, he was relieved.
…
"Welcome back to the live broadcast of the MSI semifinals. YM has three match points!"
Zeyuan's voice grew louder when he saw that his team had the advantage. "FNC has been forced into a corner. If they lose one more game, they'll have to bid farewell to this season's championship!"
Remember to continue the conversation. "Also, they kept chasing after Ran Bro in the last round. In the end, not only did they end up with nothing, but they even died in the process of chasing after him. It will definitely affect FNC's mentality..."
The caster switched the camera and the audience saw FNC's seats.
Hawai-sang, who looked like a melancholy prince, was laughing loudly. Bwipo, who was sitting at the edge of the stage, was laughing so hard that his face was red.
Other than Caps, the other four FNC players and their coach were all laughing.
[I heard that FNC's mentality has been affected?]
[This group of people is really optimistic.]
[They had a bitter face when they left the stage. Why are they laughing now?]
[They have no shame at all. They can still laugh when they're down 0-2. If I were a European audience, I'd jump up and smash their skulls with a hammer.]
[Let me tell you the story of S6 Ah Guang's famous emoji.]
[Why aren't they laughing?
Are you going to call them Sima Face again?]
The comments were still discussing this. Remember realized that he had been slapped in the face. His ears turned red and he quickly changed the topic. "Now it's time to see what other trump cards FNC has up their sleeves. If they continue to use their usual lineup, it'll be impossible for them to beat YM!"
The midlaner in the last game was already an unusual choice but he was still no match for YM. Remember had something to rely on.
The European commentator, Deficio, thought the same. After watching FNC lose two games in a row, he and the audience did not have high hopes for FNC to win.
But what he thought was one thing, and what he said was another.
Deficio was, after all, a commentator facing the millions of viewers in Europe. He had to be firm in his stance.
"Fnatic, you're facing the world's strongest team, League of Legends. Even though the road ahead is tough, please don't give up!" His voice was choked with emotion. "Fnatic, the pride of Europe, my pride!"
Amidst the deafening cheers of the Zenith Stadium, the BP image appeared on the big screen!
"YM used their priority pick to get the red team," Ze Yuan analyzed loudly. "This is probably to guard against FNC's possible tricks!"
After all, the red team had a counter position. As long as they could see the opponent's lineup in advance, they would have a chance to counterattack.
Ze Yuan's analysis was based on this point.
However, he did not expect the red team's plan to be so simple. They wanted to give Lin Yan a chance to pick a hero and beat Caps.
"FNC gave Law the first ban position, while YM chose to ban Azreal!"
The second position, Youngbuck blocked Zooey.
As soon as the ban position was announced, Remember laughed. "FNC looks like they're afraid of Brother Ran's meat tank Zooey!"
Zhuo Ding also joked. "After all, not all Zooey can play at Brother Ran's level. The escape skills he showed in the last game …"
He stopped there and didn't say anything else.
However, Ze Yuan added with a smile, "Does he have some of the essence of Collier's hot dance?"
"No, I don't. Don't talk nonsense!"
Knight denied it three times in a row. He regretted what he said. Active players were always very cautious when evaluating their peers. Even if they encountered reporters who had been chasing after them, they would just say nice things.
After all, they were all in the same line of work. There was no need to fight to the death. It was good for everyone. Besides, no one could guarantee that last year's opponents would not become teammates this season.
Ze Yuan said this subconsciously. Seeing Zhuo Ding's reaction, he realized that it was inappropriate and quickly changed the topic.
"YM blocked Raven Swain in the second position, and FNC sent Policewoman to the last position!"
He glanced at FNC's ban position and felt that something was wrong. "FNC doesn't plan to block Qing Gang Yin?"
Zhuo Ding said, "This should be a fight. Now it depends on whether YM wants FNC to get it or not."
Red Rice was still discussing with his team members. "If I release Qing Gang Yin, we can take Troll and Kesha …"
Before he finished speaking, he rejected the proposal. "Forget it. It's still a bit risky."
The main reason was that Qing Gang Yin's fighting power was too strong in small-scale team battles. In the middle and late game, he was a perfect hero except for the fact that his value was reduced.
Once he developed, it would be difficult to deal with him.
"YM banned Camille, and FNC's blue team decided to grab Troll!"
The selection stage of the two sides was very fast. Ze Yuan did not have time to analyze it and could only say, "YM got Kesha and Ryze!"
In the second and third position, FNC got Chiwil and Tam.
"Ah, this …" Zhuo Ding was stunned for a moment. "Rekkles chose Chiwil for three consecutive games!
Does he have some kind of obsession with this hero? "
"Chiwil is too functional, and his power is relatively late in the current ADCs. He basically needs to drain blue, cannon, and endless. He's not as good as ADCs like Verus, Big Mouth, and Kesha." Knight was still explaining to the audience.
"To be fair, Chiwil is a relatively chaotic archer in this version of the professional game. Compared to other heroes, his carry ability is not outstanding." Zhuo Ding said honestly.
Remember to respond twice and focus on the next two sides. "YM got the jungler Scorpion in the third hand. Compared to Zach, whose E [Rubber Slingshot] might be broken by Troll's pillar, Crystal Vanguard is really good."
In the second round, YM banned Karma and Shen, while FNC sent Crocodile and Captain to the ban position.
"YM chose to support Morgana first. I have to say, Liu Qingsong's performance today was very exciting. Morgana's waves of Q and ultimates created a lot of opportunities for the team!"
Ze Yuan's evaluation of Liu Qingsong was quite high. Today, when faced with Hai Sang, who was often ill, he tore open his wounds like a defensive tower.
"FNC's last two choices …"
The FNC players under the camera were overjoyed, as if someone had told a joke.
Caps also showed a satisfied smile, looking very healed.
"Wine Barrel?!"
Ou Cheng didn't know how to choose a hero that appeared in the hero box for Ze Yuan. Wine Barrel was a hero that could be used but wasn't strong. Most teams also used Gulagas as a jungler. "Could it be the top laner Troll?"
He could only make this guess.
However, right after that, FNC revealed a hero that made the audience go wild!
"Yasso?!" Ze Yuan sucked in a breath of cold air.
[Happy now?]
[E Never Forward!]
[This is too much. I didn't expect to fall behind 0-2 and play Happy Wind Man.]
[Brother Ran will smash Caps' head.]
"Is this Caps' trump card?"
Remember was also stunned. Yasso was not in Remember's expectations. He thought it would be some kind of swing choice.
But after seeing FNC's ban in the second round, Red Rice guessed that it was Yasso. It was mainly because the opponent banned Crocodile, a warrior hero that was very good against Happy Wind Man.
"Wine Barrel and Troll are both sent flying …" Red Rice glanced at the opposing team's lineup. "What hero do you plan to use?"
Since he had taken down Reitz, the mage, Lin Yan now had a variety of heroes to choose from. Either AD or AP would do. The lineup was not lacking in damage output.
Lin Yan glanced at the list.
He looked for counters differently from the others.
The other players chose characters that were easy to deal with from the regular pool of heroes in their positions, but Lin Yan took a different approach.
He did not stick to the positions. Instead, he looked for a hero that was suitable to play Yasso among the hundred or so heroes. Then, he thought about whether it was suitable to play as a mid laner. This way, the range of choices was much wider.
He finally decided on a hero.
"Are you sure?" Red Rice raised his eyebrows and asked again.
"Pick one. It won't be a problem." Lin Yan was full of confidence.
Red Rice did not interfere anymore.
Since it was agreed before the game that the stage would be given to Lin Yan, he was responsible for adjusting the lineup so that the heroes chosen by the team would have a certain degree of coordination. There would also be suitable support points in the early, middle, and late game.
The rest would be left to the team members.
A black shadow that could not be distinguished at all appeared. Only its cold eyes and the terrifyingly sharp blades on both sides of its body emitted a cold light!
Just a glance at it was enough to make one cower in fear!
"Succubus!" Ze Yuan blurted out. "Brother Ran is going to use Succubus to face Caps!"
He was surprised. "Succubus as a mid laner. I don't remember many people using this hero as a mid laner!"
"But it does restrain Yasuo. W [Dark Shelter] can block Windman's Q, and it has a certain clear-line ability." Zhuo Ding clicked his tongue. "And it looks like poor Caps didn't expect Ran Bro to use this hero."
Caps opened his mouth slightly and was completely stunned.
He knew that Lin Yan's Crocodile was very fierce and had asked the coach to ban it in advance. But who would have thought that Lin Yan would pull out Succubus!
From the screams of the audience, it was clear that this was not a normal mid laner choice!
Ze Yuan also received the data from the backstage caster and immediately said loudly, "The last time Succubus played solo was in the 2014 LCSEU Summer Tournament. MYM's mid laner used it to face SK's mid laner Kassadin!"
"That was four years ago. Did they win that game?" The curious Zhuo Ding asked.
"… They lost. Succubus's final score was 0/61," Ze Yuan told the truth.
The other two commentators were speechless. Even the audience was a little worried after hearing Ze Yuan's description of Succubus's mid laner.
Was this Succubus really going to work?
In terms of skill mechanics, Succubus did counter Yasso.
However, it was not only the strength of the hero that needed to be considered in lane matchups. The minions were also a key factor.
But now that the dust had settled, even if they shouted themselves hoarse, the YM on the stage would not change their choice.
"FNC finally moved Troll to the jungler and the top laner was Wine Barrel Gulagaz!"
Blue FNC: Top Laner Wine Barrel, Jungler Troll, Mid Laner Yasso, Bottom Laner Chiwil + Tam.
Red YM: Top Laner Ryze, Jungler Scorpion, Mid Laner Succubus, Bottom Laner Kesha + Morgana.
Zhuo Ding looked at FNC's lineup and analyzed, "FNC's intention is quite obvious. They want to play the mid laner while the bottom laner duo and the other three are basically separated. Tam will only be able to participate in the battle after he reaches level 6."
After he finished talking about FNC, he looked at the five heroes of YM. "YM's side is a classic breakout. Succubus + Kesha. As long as they use Morgana's Black Shield to rush in, they'll be fine."
"The key to victory in this game is still the mid laner. FNC invested a lot of resources on Yasso, including using Wine Barrel and Troll, two heroes with knockback. If Caps doesn't succeed in developing, then their lineup will be lacking in damage output."
Remember nodded and added, "Bwipo Wine Barrel can't be a full tank in this game. He has to make a certain amount of strong magic equipment. Otherwise, the whole team won't have any AP damage …"
In the player's seats, Youngbuck reminded his team members before he took off his headphones. "You guys should focus on the mid laner this game. Succubus doesn't have any anti-gank abilities. Broxah, the early game depends on you."
"No problem."
Ever since Broxah found out that he was going to face Scorpion, he was abnormally relaxed. Scorpion Lele was no match for Troll at all. He was destined to have the upper hand in the early game.
Caps looked at his choice of Yasso and was still laughing foolishly.
To him, there was nothing more relaxing than Yasso.
After losing the last game, FNC's competition training department knew that the game was over. The team basically didn't have the ability to let two players catch up to three players.
The optimistic Europeans immediately got to work. They planned to give Caps, who had been mentally tortured in the previous two games, a set of emperor level treatment. They chose a few heroes that could send them flying and let Little Red Hat have fun with Yasso.
This was also the reason why FNC could still laugh in this game.
Their desire to win had been wiped out by Lin Yan's Undying Zooey in the previous game.
However, the live European audience didn't know what kind of change in mentality had happened to the team they supported. A few fanatical FNC fans were wearing team uniforms. Even their cheeks were painted with FNC's logo. They held hands and shouted in unison, "Let's go FNATIC!"
Their actions attracted even more spectators to join in. Soon, the sound of cheering converged into a torrent, reverberating throughout the stadium!
Along with the lively cheers that almost overturned the dome, the Summoner's Canyon descended!
Lin Yan bought Doran's Sword and Potions and ran to the mid lane. In this game, his main line was Precision's Fatal Rhythm. His secondary lines were Bleeding Gum and Ultimate Hunter.
The Summoner's skill was Flash Teleport.
He focused on the runes and skills of Caps. His main line was the recently popular Conqueror. His secondary line was also Red Dominator. It was probably a double absorption rune.
As for the Summoner's skills, Caps had Flash and Purify. It was obvious that they were used to neutralize Incubus E's Wordless Fear.
On the commentary platform, Ze Yuan was still sharing the interesting news he had just learned.
"Before the game started, G2 posted another tweet …" He was overjoyed. He was eager to share this information with the others.
Remember glanced at him and knew what his partner was thinking. He even took the opportunity to play along. "What did they post?"
"They @ fnatic Club. The caption was' If you want to stall for more time, you can try to get Wine Barrel to exploit a bug. Maybe you can replicate the miracle of a best-of-five 4-0 '."
Remember's mouth was wide open. Even his eyes were narrowed into slits. Zhuo Ding, who did not want to cause trouble, was still trying his best to hold back his laughter. However, he had not received professional training after all. In the end, he still laughed out loud. His thin and weak shoulders were shaking.
Three years ago, in the S5 quarterfinals held in Europe, FNC versus EDG. Other than opening the dark era of the LPL division and the famous "nimensidingle", many spectators also jokingly called it the first 4-0 spectacle of a BO5.
At that time, the economy was still balanced in the middle of the game. However, FNC had the late game duo of Captain and Tsar. On the other hand, EDG had a lineup that focused on pushing the tempo of the early game.
Logically speaking, EDG should have had an advantage in the early game. Otherwise, it would not have been easy for them to win.
The balance in the middle of the game was already considered a small disadvantage for EDG.
Moreover, as time passed, the disadvantage would only increase.
At the crucial moment, Wine Barrel's hero had a bug and was forced to have a rematch.
In the end, EDG could not escape the fate of being swept out of the game. In the rematch, many viewers thought that FNC was going to win. That was why the joke of a best-of-five 4-0 came out.
Now, FNC, who had once won 4-0, was standing on the edge of the cliff. They had switched positions with the LPL back then.
[LPL: If our roles were reversed, I would show you what cruelty is!]
[So cool. Now we can ride on the heads of the European and American players.]
[G2 is really good at putting on a show. I'm convinced.]
[Can they really do that?]
[Ze Yuan, what the f * ck are you talking about?
I'm going to delete your Weibo tonight!]
[Weibo Guide Xiang Xiang QAQ, don't mess with the wrong person!]
Although he was good at making jokes, in the eyes of many LPL viewers, Ze Yuan had gone a little overboard.
Ze Yuan himself had also received a warning from the backstage director. He had no choice but to temporarily shut up and avoid the limelight.