Reader Squeaker:
Lin Feng had lost his original account, the one that he used to get all the way to the Season 1 World Championships. It was locked out, and he didn’t feel ready to play on that account again. He had made a completely new account, a fresh one, on the Ionia server. Right around the ti he started making comntary videos with Su Xue on the Korean server.
Ever since he made that account though, he’d been playing a lot of gas every single day. It started out with gas he played for Su Xue’s stream and with her in training. Then he started playing gas with his friends in the NetCow Cafe. And he’d put a lot of hours in during practice for the Shanghai 16 School Tournant. On top of that, he also played a ton of gas by himself in solo queue. Especially after he saw how good Rake was in the Season 5 World Championships.
Between all of these things that happened recently, Lin Feng had played so many gas in ranked queue on the Ionia server that his new account had reached Challenger! And Tian Tian sitting next to him was KG RoundyRound! They were two of the best players in the ga about to wreak havoc on so unsuspecting players in duo queue!
There were millions and millions of people playing League of Legends every day in China. Most of them were stuck in Bronze, Silver or Gold; sotis called elo-hell. A term that bad players used as an excuse to explain why they couldn’t climb the ladder. But there were only 200 Challengers on each server, a hard cap put in place by Riot Gas. Of those 200 Challengers, many played on professional teams and never went to an internet cafe. On the rare occasion they did, everyone at the cybercafe would crowd around them to ask for autographs or advice on league or burning personal questions. And beg them to play their main champion, the one they rose to prominence with.
Lin Feng created a lobby and sent Tian Tian an invite, then entered the queue. There weren’t many players at a matchmaking rank this high, so it took a couple of minutes to find a ga. Lin Feng looked over at Tian Tian and asked, “What roles do we want to play… Hmm… OH! I KNOW! How about you go Top and I’ll Jungle!?”
“Sure!” Tian Tian agreed. I’m just happy to play with you again. It’s been years since we last played a ga together… Years! You could’ve said you wanted to go ad-carry, and I would have supported you! He smiled as old mories surfaced. But Top-Jungle is better. Just like the old days. No one could beat us when we played Top-Jungle. That was so much fun!
The queue popped. Lin Feng and Tian Tian clicked the “Ready!” button and entered Champion Select. Then both of them, like trained professionals, typed a quick ssage and slamd down on the ENTER key.
MapleInShrub:「Jgl!」KG RoundyRound:「TOp pls!」IllusoryFigLeaf: 「t」IllusoryFigLeaf:「God Roundy!?!??」Protector:「Holy shit! havent seen you in ranked in forever!!」Zabuza445:「omg!!! Heyyyyyyy! pls add as a friend after this ga!」
The three random players on the team were all incredibly friendly towards Tian Tian. He was the puffy, friendly face in the Chinese League of Legends scene that everyone loved. Even his opponents cheered for him when he made a good play! There was just sothing about him that made it impossible to dislike him. So when the three random players saw one of their favourite players in the ga in Champion Select, they briefly forgot that they were Challengers themselves. They sward over Tian Tian like teenage girls eting their idol. Top lane was his. Jungle was for his friend. And they’d do everything in their might to make this ga his ga!
KG RoundyRound:「Let’s all just have fun!」
Lin Feng looked over at Tian Tian, who was smiling like a happy child, and grinned. They all love you, Fatty! Just look at the chat! You achieved so much after I left. Then he shook his head and turned his attention to the long list of Champions. Now, what to play, what to play… He scrolled through the alphabetical list. Amumu? Nah, don’t feel like it. Maybe Nidalee? Could be fun. Hmm… He continued looking until he got to the r. Rengar. Yeah, let’s play him! I haven’t played him in a while. When was the last ti? Must’ve been all the way back against that Rose strear. Wonder if I made her quit after that… He started grinning as he recalled how he’d stood up for Su Xue and helped catapult her stream that night more than a month ago.
It was Tian Tian’s turn to pick a Champion. He glanced through the champion list and clicked on the image of Riven. He didn’t lock her in yet, but his teammates could see that he had her highlighted.
Zabuza445: 「RIVEN!!!! Yes yes!1!! Play rivennn!!!」IllusoryFigLeaf: 「his riven is the best!!! Did you guys see his riven at worlds? My god that was amazing~~~」Zabuza445: 「IKR!!!! I bet that one ga was enough for him to beco a KING!!!!!」Protector: 「i read sowhere that the new list isnt updated yet coz riot is gunna make the list」Zabuza445: 「I READ THAT TOOO!!!! We just gotta wait a few more weeks. AND THEN. AND THEN! GOD ROUNDY IS GONNA BE CROWNED KING!!!!! WE”RE PLAYING WITH THE NEWEST KING GUYS!!!!」IllusoryFigLeaf: 「so deserved~~~」KG RoundyRound:「Uhh, thanks. But there’s many good players. I don’t think I’m that good..」Zabuza445: 「DON”T BE SHY! YOU DESERVE IT!」Protector: 「yeah, your heca and riven were crazy good. Ive been tryin for a 5man ultie… i dunno how you did that」
Tian Tian felt his face heat up. He never knew how to react to complints, not four years ago and not now. He just felt incredibly awkward when he beca the center of attention. The last few weeks, he hadn’t even dared to go on social dia. Everyone was lauding him. They were calling him the best Riven in the world. The best Hecarim in the world. And they were discussing which player he was going to replace on the Seven Kings list. His go-to tactic in these situations was to look away and pretend his nose was bleeding.
Tian Tian looked away from the chat, squinting his eyes far enough so that he couldn’t see it anymore, and glanced at which Champions were being locked in. It was Lin Feng’s turn and he quickly locked in Rengar. Tian Tian frowned and turned to Lin Feng. “You’re going Rengar?”
Lin Feng chuckled and said, “Yeah! I wanna have so fun too!”
He always ca with the most random champions… Tian Tian grinned and nodded. “Ok! Let’s carry this ga together then!” Like we always did.
Blue Team vs. Red TeamTop lane: Tryndare versus RivenJungle: Lee Sin versus RengarMid lane: Syndra versus ZiggsAD-carry: Lucian versus JinxSupport: Nami versus Alistar
✹
《Welco to Summoner's Rift!》
[All] SpeedDemon (Lucian):「This is a challenge to SliceSpike! Let your wallet do the talking!」[All] LyricleRifle (Lee Sin):「Good luck & have fun everyone!!!」[All] Moody Steer (Syndra):「sup roundy! Long ti no see, dude. How bout you go easy on this ga? I really don’t want to get my ass pounded like last ti. That shit hurt for weeks! Haha!」[All] KG RoundyRound (Riven):「Haha! What are you talking about, Moody? You played really well that ga, it just wasn’t enough」
The 10 players had just spawned on the Rift, but the all chat was already blowing up. Lin Feng grinned as he read the ssages. He pointed at the Lucian’s ssage on Tian Tian’s screen and said, “Read that ssage! What’s he even talking about? I love how every ga always has that one guy who has to say sothing absolutely random!” Then he caught up to the exchange between Moody Steer and Tian Tian. Hmm, I know that na… Oh! Isn’t he the Midlaner for that LPL team… Ah crap, why can’t I think of their na? He pointed at the ssage and asked, “Isn’t that the one from that LPL team?”
Tian Tian nodded and replied, “Yeah. He’s a really nice guy. Their team has a lot of potential, I think.”
Lin Feng smiled as he looked at the happy expression on his friend’s face. Fatty really has been doing great! Then he turned his attention to the ga. Minions had spawned and there were only a couple more seconds until the Jungle Camps would spawn. His Rengar was sitting next to the Gromp Camp, which was located in the Red Team’s bot side jungle. Waiting, Lin Feng panned his cara to the bot lane. Their Botlaners aren’t in lane, so they’re probably helping Lee Sin kill the Krugs. Then they go to the bot lane and Lee Sin goes for his Red Buff Camp. This should be fun!
The Jungle Camps spawned. Lin Feng’s Rengar attacked the Gromp, and killed it with the help of his Botlaners. Then he ran past his Blue Buff Camp and into the river. Past the Dragon pit and into Blue Team’s bot side jungle. Through the tall grass and around the backside of the Red Buff Camp. Then he stopped in the brush adjacent to the Red Brambleback.
The Blue Team’s Lee Sin was indeed fighting the Red Brambleback. Lin Feng’s Rengar waited, prowling in the brush. Lee Sin’s health bar dropped below half. And then down to a third. Now! Savagery! Lin Feng’s Rengar pounced on Lee Sin and brutally stabbed him!
Lee Sin didn’t try to fight. He flashed away! And then he ran! But no one could escape from Rengar in the jungle. Unseen Predator, Rengar’s passive skill, allowed him to leap at enemy champions every ti he entered a brush or stealth. Lin Feng’s Rengar jumped after Lee Sin, then entered a brush before pouncing at his target again.
《First Blood!》
[All] LyricleRifle (Lee Sin):「Damn, I didn’t see that coming. Well played.」
One of the big differences between higher and lower elo gas was the ntality of players. Most players who reached the higher ranks had learned that raging in chat only impaired their gaplay. From there it was a quick slope to losing the ga. It was best to stay calm. To accept the screw up and to focus on the next play. But lower ranked players usually didn’t understand this logic. When they made a bad decision, they started searching for increasingly convoluted explanations as to why this wasn’t their mistake. Why their teammates were the real reason that they lost the play. And then the ga.
Tian Tian laughed and said to Lin Feng, “That was a really nice invade!”
“Thanks!” Lin Feng replied. Then he looked over at Tian Tian’s screen and suggested, “You should kill that Tryndare too! I’ll have your back!”
Tian Tian scratched the back of his head and finally mumbled, “Ok, I’ll try. But this Trynd is pretty good. I’m not sure I can kill him already.”
“It’s not just you. It’s us! I’m coming top for a gank!” Lin Feng explained, grinning.
Lin Feng recalled back to base to spend the gold for first blood and instructed Tian Tian to start pushing in the wave towards Blue team’s outer tower. He then had his Rengar walk into his top side jungle to clear the Red Buff Camp, after which he walked up to the top lane. Tian Tian had pushed the wave far enough, allowing him to walk into lane unseen. He snuck into the first brush along the top side of the lane. Then the second. And he finally stopped in the third. Fatty is pushing pretty hard right now. Lee Sin has to be coming for a gank soon. This is going to be fun! He grinned and said to Tian Tian, “Set up the bait!”
“Got it!” Tian Tian said. He had his Riven get a little bit too aggressive by walking past his minions to attack the Tryndare underneath his own outer tower.
The bait worked flawlessly. Lee Sin appeared from the lane and hopped towards the Tryndare with Safeguard. Then the Tryndare sliced through the Riven, his blade spinning around and around.
Tian Tian’s Riven dashed away with Valor, opening his back to the Tryndare. Mocking Shout! The Tryndare bellowed out a deafening roar, slowing down the Riven! Then the Lee Sin fired off a Sonic Wave. But Tian Tian had seen this combination coming from a mile away. He was already doging the Lee Sin’s attack before it even ca. Then he slashed out with Broken Wings, jumping into the brush Lin Feng’s Rengar was waiting in.
The Lee Sin player hesitated. His danger senses tingled. Sothing’s off. This is God Roundy’s Riven. He pinged the Tryndare to retreat, but his warnings fell on deaf ears. Tryndare charged head first into the brush, ready to finish off the Riven!
Lin Feng’s fingers glided over his keyboard. Savagery! His Rengar slashed down on Tryndare with his daggers. Bola Strike! A bola wrapped around Tryndare’s legs and slowed him down. All the while, Tian Tian did what Riven was best at. Firing of a Ki Burst and then hacking away with her blade until there was nothing left of her victim’s health!
《An enemy has been slain!》
The Lee Sin player shook his head and grumbled a quiet complain, his hand hovering over the enter key. Do I say sothing? I shouldn’t, but… Dammit. He finally pressed down and wrote a ssage in his team’s chat.
LyricalRifle (Lee Sin):「Dude, I told you to back… 」Bloodsucker (Tryndare):「Fuck off. Jungle better, 0/1 Trashlee!」
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