LOL: What is a concept player?

Chapter 388 No Mercy? Bloodshed!
[Hahaha, what are you saying, Chu Shen? I've been living in Bengbu, and this is truly the most wonderful feeling I've ever had.]

[I'm already laughing so hard, I'm all ready to cheer for you, so please bring back the third championship for LPL, okay!]

[This is hilarious! Chu Shen, is your talent endless? You can still drive my Void Champion at a time like this?]

[I'm 19, about to win three world championships, and you, Brother Zaozi, what team are you in?]

Under Chu Ran's Weibo posts, countless comments appeared one after another, with many fans and enthusiasts leaving their joyful laughter.

GSL was furious, and people started leaving comments in the comment section. However, it was no longer their time. Their explosive comments were quickly drowned out by the vast crowd, and some people were even forced to delete their accounts due to the backlash.

At this moment, inside the RNG club, Uzi had gone into a frenzy, frantically slamming the table in front of him.

The feel is awful!

He truly hates Chu Ran now. If it weren't for Chu Ran, he would still be the respected world's number one ADC, and he could use Xiaohu's leg as a boxing ring.

As a result, he has become like this. Seeing Chu Ran and netizens' words, he has no choice but to be impotently furious and curse in his heart.

"SKT, charge! Come back from 2-3 down and beat that bastard to a pulp!"

Uzi roared in the live stream, completely letting his guard down. GSL, who were huddled together in his chat, quickly chimed in and started cheering for SKT.

They would rather see Faker win four championships than see Chu Ran win a third. Some even went so far as to leave a message on the official League of Legends esports website, threatening to permanently quit the game if Chu Ran wins a third championship.

Even worse!
If someone like Ran Chu gets three championships, I think there's no point in continuing professional LOL competitions. The LPL could just be disbanded. I can't even imagine it. If someone who has absolutely no respect for esports veterans becomes a three-time champion and rides on Uzi's head, I'll feel incredibly annoyed.

I'm putting this out there: if Ranchu gets three championships, both I and Xiaogou will permanently retire from professional racing! I won't watch the matches anymore; he'll just retire!

These words quickly garnered numerous replies from netizens.

Holy crap?! Double happiness?!

【No, have you covered the benefits? What about the drawbacks?】

[Haha, I think this isn't GSL anymore, this is a total bot!]

[Chu Shen, stop pretending, I know it's you. Talk to me from your main account.]

During the break between matches, the forums and live streams were buzzing with excitement, and there was so much fun to be had. However, Han Xiaozi and Ke were not interested in these things. They were just cheering for SKT and hoping that, under Faker's leadership, they could create a miracle by coming back from 0-2 down to win 3-2 in the World Championship finals!
In the SKT backstage lounge, their head coach explained the tactical arrangements for the third game, looking intently at Faker and the team, and declared firmly, "Are you ready? Who are we?!"

"SKT!"

"Yes! We are the invincible dynasty SKT! If we haven't come back from 0-2 down to win 3-2 in the previous World Championship finals, then let us create that again! Let's go, carrying the expectations of all our fans and viewers!"

As these words fell, Faker and the others all looked fierce. The dejected spirit of losing two games in a row had vanished, and the last breath in their hearts had been awakened.

If we win this round, we can stay alive!
If they lose, will anyone besides Faker still have the will to compete in the future?

At the same time, backstage at IG, Chu Ran and the others stopped smiling, tidied themselves up a bit, and strode towards the competition stage.

When the two reappeared on stage, the continuous cheers immediately formed a huge sound wave.

"Alright, welcome back to the audience both at the venue and in the live stream. This is the 2019 League of Legends World Championship match venue. The score is currently 2-0! Our LPL team IG has taken the lead with two match points. If they win this game, they will bring another championship trophy back to the LPL!"

"And Chu Shen and Meiko will create another miracle in the history of League of Legends professional play, namely, the simultaneous birth of two double champions! Chu Shen will even achieve the feat of winning three Grand Slams in just three years since his debut!"

"Yes, I think we don't need to say much. Let's just hand the stage to the players. In this game, SKT still didn't choose to switch sides and remained on the blue side."

After Miller finished speaking, Wang Duoduo quickly chimed in, "There's no other way. SKT already doesn't have enough bans. If they choose the red side, their bans will be even tighter. Come on, let's take a look at the draft picks for this decisive game!"

In an instant, the camera switched to the ban/pick screens of both sides, as well as close-ups of each person's facial expressions. The IG players were clearly much more relaxed, with smiles on their faces.

On the contrary, the SKT players all looked tense, and upon closer inspection, one could see glistening beads of sweat on their foreheads. This made many Korean fans feel even more apprehensive, as if something was blocking their throats, making it hard to breathe.

Amidst the intense anticipation, the business plan (BP) process for both sides has begun.

SKT seemed hesitant in their first three bans. They had too many champions to ban. First, they needed to ban TheShy's Vladimir, and then ChuRan's Camille. Otherwise, if they let these two pick the champions that carried them in the last game, they might as well give up this game.

Especially Chu Ran's Camille, who slayed the MVP in the last game, and Faker is not planning to play Galio in this game, so they are afraid that IG will bring out the Galio-Camille combination.

As for the last position, there are more options to consider, such as the Captain, Qiyana, and Nautilus, which are overpowered heroes in this version. Meiko performed exceptionally well and can also be flexible.

However, SKT ultimately chose Qiyana, since Chu Ran and Rooike's Qiyana were both incredibly impressive, with many highlight moments, while Faker doesn't play Qiyana.

It's not that they can't play, but their skill level isn't high enough. As for Clid, he's even worse. He can play Lee Sin and Jarvan IV so badly that he's practically sleepwalking. Letting him play Qiyana is like having one less person on their team.

SKT's third ban is complete.

Vampire, Camille, Qiyana.

IG, on the other hand, was much more relaxed. Pantheon was banned, followed by Xayah and Nautilus.

"Oh, so IG banned their bot lane duo that performed well in the last game." Miller was a little surprised, but quickly said, "IG doesn't want SKT to pick an AD carry who can protect themselves and a support who can engage, so they went straight in. What will SKT pick first?"

"Hey, do you guys think they'll pick Ezreal?"

Miller asked Guan Zeyuan and Wang Duoduo, and before they could answer, his judgment was instantly confirmed.

As expected, SKT immediately locked in EZ as their first pick.

In the current version, Ezreal has been reworked. His W ability is no longer limited to dealing AP damage to champions; instead, it can now also damage towers. However, many players are not used to the current Ezreal model.

However, EZ is like Gangplank in this version, extremely strong when paired with Kleptomancy. If you're lucky, the enemy AD might only have one item while EZ already has two.

EZ is a very strong champion in the early and mid-game, with sufficient self-protection ability, and it is also Teddy's specialty, so it is natural to consider picking him first.

Seeing SKT lock in Ezreal as their first pick, IG didn't hesitate to pick Gangplank first. "My god, here it comes, TheShy's Gangplank! They're going to teach Khan a lesson!" Guan Zeyuan exclaimed. "Or maybe it's a top/mid flex pick, Rooike can play Gangplank too, he picked Ashe as his second pick. It looks like the bot lane is going for a utility role this game, leaving the damage output to the three brothers!"

Upon seeing IG's two choices, the scene and the live stream immediately became noisy.

In their view, IG has already won half the battle by making this choice. Jackeylove playing a support role and occasionally dealing damage is very much in line with IG's current playstyle.

If too much of the output burden is placed on him, he might die suddenly, making the game unstable.

In an instant, Faker and his teammates frowned, mainly because this Gangplank had left them somewhat puzzled. Although Gangplank was not allowed to go mid in this version, no one said he couldn't go mid either.

In particular, there is a guy named Chu Ran in IG who really likes to take unconventional approaches. I can't even remember how many times he has taken unconventional approaches.

"It's probably top lane; mid lane is less likely," Mata added.

Just then, Faker quietly spoke up, "Get me LeBlanc."

The next second, when LeBlanc was locked on by SKT's second floor, all the major regions were in an uproar. Countless Koreans were incredibly excited, and the LCK commentators were shouting themselves hoarse.

"LeBlanc! Faker's LeBlanc is here! Faker finally stopped using Galio this game, SKT has already secured victory!"

It's important to know that Faker's LeBlanc win rate is extremely high, referring to his career win rate. If he hadn't lost a few games, his LeBlanc win rate would likely have been 100%.

"Wow! SKT isn't hiding anymore. If they keep hiding, all they'll get is a plane ticket. But wait! My god, SKT's jungler!" Wang Duoduo exclaimed.

Under the watchful eyes of countless people, SKT's mid and jungle players have emerged, with Clid using an unexpected champion.

Nivea!
Clid's lips curled up. He had seen Chu Ran use this hero when they were playing against DWG. Although the hero was a bit weak, it was excellent at initiating team fights, so he naturally learned a few tricks from it.

You want to invade my jungle? Well, I'll invade your team fight in return.

I'm a lock-on hero. Right now, IG has two carries, one is Gangplank and the other is Ashe, neither of whom have any mobility skills. I don't know how he's going to survive.

"It's locked! This is really unexpected. I thought only Chu Shen would bring out this hero in this World Championship!" Miller was somewhat shocked.

At that moment, in IG's team voice chat, Jackeylove exclaimed, "Seriously, bro, they stole this too? We're doomed, guys. Mid and jungle LeBlanc and Vi, what am I supposed to do?"

"It's all Ran's fault. Why did he have to play Vi against DWG? It's ruined things." Meiko pursed his lips, and IG's third pick was Braum for him.

The combination of Ashe and Braum is enough to protect the bot lane, and they are also quite good in team fights.

Soon, amidst gasps of surprise, the second round of banning and drafting began in earnest.

SKT banned Galio immediately. First, there was already a Galio and Jarvan IV combination available, which they couldn't let IG have. Second, if Galio is in the mid lane, LeBlanc will have a hard time countering him.

In their second move, SKT didn't target Chu Ran; instead, they continued to target Rooike, banning Syndra directly.

Judging from IG's current draft, the bot lane has a high utility attribute, and Gangplank needs to exert his strength in the mid-to-late game. Therefore, IG must pick a strong mid-jungle duo to help the team get through the early and mid-game, otherwise they will have a very difficult time in the early and mid-game.

As for IG, they considered banning Gnar and Kennen, not wanting Khan to pick them, but these two moves were quite unexpected by all the viewers.

"Sigh, isn't IG considering blocking tanks? I personally think Khan will definitely pick tanks this game," Miller analyzed, but was quickly met with opposition from Wang Duoduo.

"That's not necessarily true. SKT's current lineup is all about the early to mid-game. Khan might pick a top laner who is also very strong in the early to mid-game, like Jayce, which he used in the first game. In that case, SKT's overall strategy will be to focus on the early to mid-game and end the game before 30 minutes."

"Another possibility is that Khan will choose a carry champion to protect the team. I wonder what choice SKT will make."

After he finished speaking, IG's fourth pick was announced, and a cold voice rang out.

A flash of cold light appeared first, then the spear shot out like a dragon!

Zhao Xin, the Chief Steward of Debang!
Upon seeing this hero, audiences both online and offline erupted in deafening cheers.

In the current version, Zhao Xin has been reworked and has been used by several professional players, but this is the first time Chu Ran has chosen to use him.

"Here he comes! I told you Chu Shen would definitely pick Xin Zhao in one of the matches. That's Chu Shen's style, he never uses the same hero in a BO5." Guan Zeyuan laughed, but the next second, his pupils dilated violently.

SKT first helped Mata pick Thresh, the champion that earned him the FMVP, and then helped Khan pick Jayce, as he wanted to prove himself with Jayce!

"My God, SKT has chosen a lineup that puts everything on the early and mid-game. Khan has even picked Jayce twice. In this crucial match point game, SKT is leaving no room for error!"

Wang Duoduo exclaimed at the top of her lungs, "Either the game ends in 30 minutes and they start their comeback from 2-0 down to 3-0, or they take a plane back to China overnight!"

"And what will be our last pick for IG? I think Zoe or Ryze are both options to consider."

But before he could finish speaking, IG's final move caught everyone off guard.

When the image of the angel appeared on the fifth floor, the audience around the world was stunned.

This version of Mercy has also been reworked, but like the previous Mercy, she is only considered half a person at level 11 and only a full person at level 16. She is incredibly weak in the early game and always goes up.

So the captain takes the middle route.

Reverse counter?
For a moment, everyone gasped!
"IG! What are they doing? Why did they pick Kayle as a counter-pick? Are they going to use Kayle to fight Jayce?! Are they crazy?! IG!"

Seeing IG's lineup, Miller and the other two felt a chill down their spines. It can be said that IG had very little fighting power in the early and mid-game. Apart from Xin Zhao and Ashe, they were no match for the opposing Vi and Ezreal.

Amid the commotion, the lineups for both sides were swapped and finally finalized.

SKT (Blue Side): Top lane Jayce, Jungle Vi, Mid lane LeBlanc, Bot lane Ezreal and Thresh.

IG (Red Side): Top lane Kayle, Jungle Xin Zhao, Mid lane Gangplank, Bot lane Ashe and Braum.

And this life-or-death battle quietly unfolded amidst the attention of the world!

(End of this chapter)