My buddy is actually a Cao Cao type top laner?

Chapter 255 Where did you two go when you invited the gods?

During halftime of the match, GENG's locker room was completely silent.

It wasn't just a failure on the coaching and drafting side; it was also due to intelligence deficiencies in the data analysis team and the players' own operational shortcomings.

in other words.

In the first game, they were almost completely crushed, something they couldn't have imagined before the match.

"Chovy, you know, the team needs you to step up."

"Your performance in the first game was terrible. There were many team fights where you could have actively cooperated with Peanut, but you didn't choose to take action."

"You have to get moving."

“Listen, this is not a request, it is an order. You have to move.”

Strong teams are the best detectors of a team's weaknesses.

In just one game, Coach Score had already astutely grasped the crux of the problem.

Emperor Chi is helpless.

The five bans are either the marksman or the support. It's understandable that Ruler can't be effective, and everyone understands that.

But what he couldn't understand was why Chovy had gone silent; it was clearly not up to his usual standard.

Chovy stared blankly at her head.

The coach's words went in one ear and immediately slipped out the other.

Looking at their strength on paper.

Chovy is young and versatile, and can almost be considered the best mid laner in the LCK, with numerous regional honors to his name.

But only Luo Ji knew.

S12's Chovy has a fatal flaw: like Knight now, he lacks a clear desire to win.

This isn't something you can get by just sprinkling a couple of pep talks on it.

For both left and right hands, this is something that can only be understood when you are so close to the real championship yet miss it by a hair's breadth.

At least.

As far as I can remember, it was only at the end of Season 13 that both of them gradually developed the demeanor of a truly top-tier mid laner.

As for now.

He still harbored resentment towards Yone for finishing him off.

correct.

The moment the game is over.

Luo Ji's finishing moves were still slightly ahead of Chovy's, which made him, who prided himself on his fundamental skills as his strongest area, very concerned.

And Dolan.

There's not much to say about Score.

V5's rise to super top laner is an uncontrollable super variable. Their region has produced Marin in the past, LPL once retaliated by producing TheShy, and later LCK nurtured Nuguri.

So, right now...

It's LPL's turn to make a move, and it would be quite reasonable for them to field another top-tier top laner.

no way.

He could only offer Dolan words of comfort:
"listen."

"If you keep dwelling on painful memories and constantly try to escape them, you will never be able to change the status quo."

"When facing fear, don't be afraid. Face it, see it clearly, and then conquer it."

"Believe in yourself, and also believe in your teammates."

at the moment.

He no longer cared about the players' ability to accept the information.

Time was of the essence, and the halftime break was so short that he had to work overtime to play the ten-cost card [Mind Control].

Meanwhile, on the other side is the V5 lounge.

Nofe repeatedly reminded the contestants to avoid arrogance and impatience.

"Always remember."

"What is the biggest difference between us and wild animals? It is that we know how to control our emotions."

"Winning the first game doesn't mean we'll definitely win the second one; it's not a good idea to have that kind of mentality."

"The opponent is the number one seed from LCK. After losing the first game, they will definitely go all out in the second game."

No need for many words.

Nofe's meaning is very clear: we'll beat them 2-0 first, then drag them down with Ruler and keep them relentlessly grinding away.

Just like how they targeted TES in the playoffs, even if Ruler can carry, he's still an old AD carry. After a few games of his skill, he'll be pretty much useless.

Once the approach is clear.

A dozen minutes later, the two teams finally reappeared at the competition venue.

at the moment.

V5 is just one point away from match point, and this first-mover advantage has caused the PPGOD cult members and V5 supporters at the scene to cheer wildly.

on the contrary.

On the other hand, from GENG's side, heavy pressure came crashing down.

In Dolan's eyes.

Luo Ji simply stood quietly in that spot waiting to go on stage, yet he exuded an overwhelming aura that made it difficult for Luo Ji to breathe.

He was smiling.

In reality, his laughter was a protective mechanism automatically triggered by his body due to excessive tension.

"Can I really withstand such a monster?"

He thought so.

Commentary seat.

As Zhao Junri got into the swing of things, he started to get carried away.

"We can see that the second game between GENG and V5 is about to begin."

"The score is now 0:1, which means that if V5 wins the next game, they will take the lead in the match point, which is something that GENG definitely doesn't want to see."

"Judging from the expressions of both players, both sides seemed quite composed."

"The next match may be very exciting."

aside.

Wolf silently learned a move.

The previous match was clearly a complete thrashing of GENG by V5, but Zhao Junri described it as a "very exciting match".

How come he didn't think of this way of subtly taking sides?
As expected, these commentators are not only cunning but also shrewd.

Come on, bring out the second one!

[With Red taking the lead over Blue, V5 was already in a winning position. Of course, Fujii was even more certain, banning Guan Zeyuan right there in the commentary booth.] [Although I also really wanted to see Guan Zeyuan cry his eyes out because of GENG's performance, it was definitely better to ban him, lest V5 suddenly start jinxing him mid-game.]

[Chovy, for the sake of LPL, use Earthbound Spirit on yourself!]

Amidst the cacophony of comments.

soon.

The second match then began.

A round of ban:

GENG: Big Head, Fox, Sword Demon

V5: Female Police Officer, Lu Xian, Cat

The three bans are still allocated to the bottom lane, but this time Kalista is available. Let's see if the opponent dares to pick her.

Score fell silent.

Kalista and Draven are both viable picks; if you want to dominate the bot lane with Ruler, these two are undoubtedly the best choices.

However, after Doran was completely destroyed in the top lane in the first game, Score had to consider one more thing.

The question was whether or not to help him on his journey. After a brief moment of thought, he decided to.

Even if the top laner gets help from the draft, it doesn't necessarily mean they'll carry.

But if the top laner doesn't get help in the draft, they'll definitely lose.

Just as V5 is wary of GENG's bot lane, GENG is also wary of V5's top lane.
then.

A round of PICK:

GENG: Ruined King, Renekton, Ryze

V5: Varus, Centaur Warrunner, Gragas

"Centa?"

"V5 has really boosted Karsa's confidence!"

"Absolutely. In the first game, all three lanes were advantageous, giving Karsa plenty of room to maneuver and making him confident in this game."

Second round of bans:

Lena, Karma, Sivir, Aphelios

Respect remains the priority!
In the bot lane, all that's left for Ruler are Tristana, Miss Fortune, Ashe, Jinx, and Zephyr, who are practically bottom-tier in the World Championship patch. But in the minds of the V5 team, they had already guessed what the opposing bot lane would build.

The fourth hand.

V5 picked Galio directly.

From GENG's perspective, V5's top laner is Gragas and Doran's team, and they've picked Galio for mid lane. Their damage output almost entirely depends on the bottom and jungle lanes, which means V5's tactical focus will be more on the bottom lane. Thinking about this...

GENG's last two moves were directly invoking the gods.

Xayah + Titan.

Ruler invokes himself, Lehends invokes Xiaoming; one invokes a god, the other a ghost—the divine and demonic duality of their bond shines brightly at this moment.
"As expected, it really is Xia."

Looking at GENG's options, PPGOD suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

They knew Ruler had a trump card: Xayah, but if it were them, they would probably consider picking Tristana instead.

of course,

They are not Genghis Khan after all, and cannot fully empathize with the other party's thoughts.

just.

It seems that GENG has once again stepped into their long-laid trap.

Just when everyone was wondering what support hero V5 would pick as their last pick, the final hero selection screen showed a hero that wasn't a support hero.

Instead, it's—Blue Steel Shadow.

Gragas support, Camille top lane.

Camille + Hecarim + Galio: the unstoppable system version 2.0.

The draft has corrected the fact that Prince was too weak in the jungle in the current version, and updated the rare stats of Twilight Centaur to make him tanky, deal damage and initiate team fights. This is a draft set that V5 designed specifically for GENG.

Chu Xia barely managed to survive.

If you choose any other build, you're guaranteed to die in team fights!

at the same time.

The bot lane Varus and Gragas can form a double poke synergy. Gragas isn't really afraid of Nautilus's engage. As long as Xiao Yan isn't hooked, the bot lane laning phase can still be very comfortable.

So far:

GENG: Top lane Renekton, Jungle Blade of the Ruined King, Mid lane Ryze, Bot lane Xayah + Nautilus
V5: Top lane Camille, Jungle Hecarim, Mid lane Galio, Bot lane Varus + Gragas
Only.

The lineups of both sides stunned the players and coaches watching from outside the screen.

"Was that... just my imagination?"

Meiko pointed at the screen with a strange expression, then looked at Abu, who was watching the game with them at the hotel.

"If you cover up the team names on the left, I think it's RNG."

Abu chuckled as he listened.

"Don't you think that if you cover up the team names on the right, this lineup is just like WE from S7?"

EDG members: !!
Open your eyes: GENG vs V5
Close your eyes: RNG vs. WE
Hey!
Your two teams seem to have become addicted to summoning spirits, haven't they?

As the page loaded, Luo Ji's face was filled with regret.

As the one who dominated Dolan throughout the first game, he could clearly sense that Dolan had developed a slight fear of him.

Normally.

If it weren't for the World Championship, but just a regular ranked game, he could have easily picked Karma with Grasp of the Undying.

On average, it drains the opponent's brain every 5 seconds, 6 times per minute, 18 points of health. A fight can last 2.3 minutes, which is equivalent to giving him a permanent health boost of 54 points.

This does not mean that the intensity is very high.

Instead, it can completely destroy the opponent's limited mental strength to the greatest extent possible, but unfortunately, it's not something you can do.

"Qi Shen, you'll have to work hard again this time. Guo Peng, please keep an eye on things and don't be careless."

"Hmm~"

"Don't worry, leave it to us."

Xiao Yan and PPGOD agreed readily.

The draft has been so targeted, with top, mid, and jungle players all playing aggressively, and the bot lane not feeding to the carry. If they still don't behave, the coach will make sure they get a slap on the electric chair when they get back.

Moreover,

Although they knew deep down that their strength was inferior to their opponents, just looking at this lineup gave them a strange sense of confidence that they could win.

Arrogance requires skill.

Coincidentally, their teammates happened to have one.

(End of this chapter)