This Lee Sang-hyeok is very strong, but he lacks self-awareness.

On the afternoon of the second day of the competition, in the training room on the second floor of the EDG base,

What should have been a busy debriefing session was instead given a day off by Abu so that the team members, who had just returned from the brink of death, could relax.

The high-paid players have already started sleeping in.

Those with low wages need to start live streaming to supplement their income.

Lin Xiu adjusted the camera and opened the live stream. The originally dark screen was instantly filled with dense barrage comments.

The aftershocks of last night's epic battle were still lingering, and the popularity index surged past five million in just a few minutes.

Having grown accustomed to seeing the actual number of viewers on future live streams, Lin Xiu was initially taken aback by the popularity ratings of these live streaming platforms.

But looking at the number of comments and gifts...

You can immediately detect the moisture in it.

It's worth noting that many streamers on the platform only have a handful of viewers year-round.

They can also earn a salary far exceeding that of a 9-to-5 job.

Good evening, guys.

Lin Xiu yawned and adjusted the microphone.

"There's nothing planned for today, and I don't feel like playing ranked games. I just want to show you all the other semi-final match between WE and OMG this afternoon."

"After all, the winner will be our opponent in the final. Li Ge and I will take a close look here today to see who our opponent's biggest weakness is."

[Impersonating Fiora, huh?]

[Girl Bar?]

Lee Sang-hyeok, who was standing to the side, had changed into casual clothes and looked much better than he had on the field yesterday.

Although his 90-point mentality from the game was gone, the thrill of defeating the nightmare gave him an overwhelming sense of sharpness.

He sat next to Lin Xiu, staring intently at the BP interface on the screen.

[Lin is naughty tonight! Why didn't he take Li to practice Karma today?]

[Still want to practice Karma? Faker isn't suited to playing Karma, a passive champion; he needs to play aggressive, mechanically demanding champions like Cassiopeia and Galio.]

[It seems like Brother Li is turning into a keyboard warrior today? Look at his eyes, they've gotten much sharper.]

Stop bragging. Karma got ganked like crazy in game five yesterday. If it weren't for Lin, EDG would have been out of action by now.

[Faker wants to comment on Xiye and Icon? Does he even have the qualifications? A substitute commenting on two starters, unbelievable.]

[Still a substitute in the starting lineup? EDG's substitutes would be guaranteed starting positions in any LPL team!]

Faker glanced sideways at the live chat, though he couldn't immediately understand many of the Chinese comments strung together.

But he still understood the words Faker and Karma.

He blushed slightly, stared at the comments section, and said to Lin Xiu:

"Lin, the comments section seems to still be focused on yesterday's events. They think I got caught a few times because I wasn't skilled enough."

"Actually, that's wrong. I deliberately lured the enemy in deep, but the price was a little too high."

Still being stubborn? Well, you've finally decided to adapt to local customs, haven't you?

Dafei is now all he can do is talk the talk!

Lin Xiu didn't reply, but instead clicked on the broadcast of the first game between WE and OMG.

First Pick

WE: Kled, Rengar, Karma, Kog'Maw, Thresh

OMG: Gragas, Lee Sin, Ahri, Jinx, Lulu

In the first five minutes of the match, WE's mid laner Xiye played extremely steadily, using Karma's Q skill to constantly whittle down Ahri's health.

Icon played aggressively this game, attempting to use positioning to trigger Electrocute several times, but Xiye skillfully thwarted each attempt.

Faker stared at the screen, his pen spinning unconsciously across the notebook.

He suddenly pointed to one of Xiye's movements and spoke:

"This Karma's positioning is too rigid. He's obviously too afraid of Ahri coordinating with Lee Sin to tower dive."

"Actually, OMG's jungler showed up in the bottom lane just now. At this point, he could have played more aggressively and pushed Ahri out of the experience range, instead of staying here and farming safely."

"Two weaklings, I'll kill them both."

Before Lin Xiu could even speak, the live stream chat exploded like a hornet's nest had been stirred up.

[What?! This substitute is really bold! Xiye is being conservative, doesn't he know what teamwork is? He's doing this to protect Kog'Maw's development!]

[You yourself got caught by Mlxg at level 2 yesterday and had to use Flash, and now you're here teaching Xiye how to play Karma? You were feeding yesterday, he was controlling the lane!]

[Where's your face? If you were in that situation, you'd probably have been solo-killed by Icon three times by now, and you're still here giving orders.]

Look at Xiye's last-hitting, not a single sliver missed. That's the skill of a top-tier mid laner. You, you trembling monster, should learn from him!

【You killed them all? You're just a pushover, you noob. You're nothing but a free kill】

Lee Sang-hyeok seemed completely unfazed by the barrage of comments, and continued speaking while looking at the screen:

"Xiye's playstyle is too much like a babysitter. Protecting Kog'Maw is indeed WE's core strategy in this game, but if there is no pressure in the mid lane, Icon's Ahri can roam very comfortably."

"Look, Fox's positioning is clearly looking for an opportunity in the bottom lane. If Xiye doesn't push the lane, WE's bottom lane is going to be in trouble."

As soon as he finished speaking, Icon's Ahri took advantage of the gap in Xiye's wave clear and headed straight for the bottom lane.

Fortunately, WE had good vision control, and Condi's Rengar filled in the gap in time, so the roam was unsuccessful.

"Brother Li, what do you think of Icon's performance this game? His timing for that roaming play just now was pretty good," Lin Xiu asked.

Faker shook his head, a hint of the arrogance of a newly emerging demon king playing on his lips:

"Icon's mechanics were indeed good, but his mindset was too chaotic. He was too eager to gain an advantage through individual performance, and this kind of mentality makes it easy to be countered in professional matches."

"He's not calm right now; he's definitely going to cause trouble when he tries to climb the tower later."

[Both sides are putting each other down, you're so good at playing games!]

[A mid-laner who's terrified of Xiaohu would probably tremble at the sight of Xiye.]

[This guy uses talking nonsense to keep himself from being scared!]

However, the subsequent course of the match proved Lee Sang-hyeok's assessment correct.

Icon made a poor judgment error when attempting to Flash + E in the mid lane, and was taken down by Condi's Rengar.

WE took the first tower and their momentum took off.

"I told you so, he was too hasty." Faker adjusted his glasses and even gave the camera a knowing look.

This keyboard warrior-like demeanor immediately triggered the barrage of comments, but many rational viewers also began to feel that something was amiss.

[Damn, he was right! I give this prediction full marks; Icon definitely panicked.]

[Icon is much more aggressive and daring than you were like a ghost in the mid lane yesterday!]

To be fair, Li's comments seem to make some sense, but why do they sound so infuriating? His self-proclaimed expert attitude is really irritating.

[Lin Shen, you need to control him. If he keeps talking like this, WE and OMG fans are going to come and tear down the team's base.]

Since WE won the second game by a crushing margin, Condi's Lee Sin almost dominated the jungle, so the game was relatively uneventful. Lin Xiu and Faker only briefly discussed Condi's jungle route.

Lin Xiu noticed that Condi really liked to farm the F6 jungle camp, so he made a note of it in his notebook.

Immediately afterwards, they focused their attention on the third game, which would determine OMG's fate.

Third round Pick

WE: Gragas, Lee Sin, Vladimir, Kog'Maw, Lulu

OMG: Shen, Elise, Orianna, Caitlyn, Karma

In this game, OMG changed their tactics, giving Icon a late-game carry Orianna, while WE picked Vladimir to counter him.

"OMG is basically a low-budget EDG. They're treating Icon like a treasure, expecting him to carry like Orianna?"

"If Scout can't even carry, do you think you can carry the game?"

Lin Xiu immediately offered a sharp critique.

[Cold, dish?]

[Pfft, Lin Gou, you really dare to say that!]

[Cold is truly one of the few interesting mid-laners in the LPL, yet people are still slandering him!]

Faker agreed with Lin Xiu's opinion.

"Clockwork is a good champion, but Icon is really not suitable for a champion that requires extreme composure."

Lee Sang-hyeok looked at Icon's selections, a meaningful glint in his eyes.

"What a clockwork needs is to stretch and pull, but Icon is too hot. He will definitely be focused on using the ball to trade blows, which will easily expose his weaknesses."

"Look, he's trying to solo kill the vampire again. If Lee Sin is behind him in that position, he's doomed."

Lin Xiu added from the side:

"What Li Ge means is that Icon's operating habits are too easy to be countered. If you don't pay attention to the position of the ball and your own positioning, you will definitely get ganked."

The comments section immediately erupted in rebuttal:

[Icon's Orianna had some memorable moments in the regular season, what do you, a benchwarmer, know?]

Don't think you can dominate the game just because you beat RNG. Icon is the face of domestic mid laners in the LPL; his Orianna is all about setting the pace!

[I bet Icon's Orianna will carry this game. Faker, if you're wrong, just go live and tremble in front of us, don't pretend.]

I really like Li Ge's contrast – he says you're terrible, but actually trembles when he sees you.

[Xiye beat Faker so badly in the finals, just thinking about it makes me feel so good!]

[Your Karma got completely destroyed yesterday, causing EDG to lose their mid-tower, and you still have the nerve to call yourself an Icon?]

Faker glanced at the chat and suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

He didn't argue, but just stared at the screen quietly.

At the 12-minute mark, Icon indeed demonstrated extremely strong laning pressure, pinning Xiye's Vladimir under the tower, unable to move.

But just as he was about to use the ball's position to forcefully whittle down Condi's health, Condi's Lee Sin appeared like a ghost on the flank.

"See? We gave it away. That position was too deep," Faker said casually.

"Play like a Silver player. If the enemy can't push the lane against you, you have to find a way to do something."

"Instead of pushing the lane and then lingering in front of the enemy tower, unable to kill them and easily getting ganked."

In the video, Condi's Lee Sin uses a ward hop and R flash. Although Icon reacts quickly and flashes, he is still slowed down by Vladimir's Blood Pool and ultimately dies in front of the turret.

"Icon was too eager to establish an advantage. Once Orianna died, OMG's late-game pace slowed down by five minutes."

Faker drew an X on his laptop.

"WE's greatest strength lies in exploiting these kinds of moments of impatience, so we must play steadily and cautiously."

"However, OMG has a significant advantage in other lanes this game, so it's hard to say who will win."

What followed was almost a personal prophetic show by Faker.

He not only accurately predicted the course of the match, but he also guessed the timing of the team fights with remarkable accuracy.

The barrage of insults that had been filling the screen gradually quieted down, with only a few comments occasionally asking questions.

"Brother Li, did you secretly bet on OMG to lose? Why are you cursing them so badly?"

Is this the game understanding of a top-tier mid laner? Although his Karma play yesterday wasn't great, his game sense is truly exceptional.

[You said he played mediocrely? Were you in the bathroom when he played so perfectly in the last few team fights?]

[Icon was definitely stunned. His Orianna pick was completely outplayed by Condi. I feel so bad for Cold.]

Before the fourth game began, Lin Xiu saw Lee Sang-hyeok writing and drawing in his notebook and couldn't help but ask:

"Brother Faker, what advantages do you think we have in the mid-jungle matchup against WE in the finals?"

Lee Sang-hyeok raised his head, a rational glint in his eyes:

"Xiye is very strong, he's very steady, and that kind of opponent is the most difficult to deal with."

"WE's overall execution is better than RNG's, but they rely too much on Condi to set the pace."

"If you can wear Condi down in the jungle, WE's threat level will drop significantly."

"As for Xiye, he's too eager to protect his teammates, and that's his weakness."

Ultimately, OMG pulled one back thanks to their performance in team fights.

Fourth round Pick

OMG: Shen, Lee Sin, LeBlanc, Obama, Nami

WE: Nautilus, Elise, Karma, Ashe, Thresh

In this game, Icon picked his signature LeBlanc, and the whole team went into overdrive.

Lee Sang-hyeok nodded repeatedly, and this time he refrained from making insults.

"This hero is perfect for him; LeBlanc needs this kind of ruthless killing intent."

"Icon's dishes might be a bit mediocre, but he has a lot of presence!"

Icon's LeBlanc indeed performed exceptionally well in this game, but she still lost due to poor late-game strategy.

WE defeated OMG 3-1.

[I'm impressed this time, Faker, you really understand OMG and Icon! Are you two long-lost brothers?]

[Since you know so much, what do you think your chances are against Xiye in the Dalian finals?]

Xiye is currently the top mid-laner pick in the LPL!

In several head-to-head encounters, Xiye has never been intimidated by Xiaohu; WE is currently the strongest team in the LPL!

[You're not sure if you can accurately judge others' abilities but not your own, are you?]

[I'm telling you, it's 10/0, Xiye10]

Looking forward to Condi breaking through the defenses of the powerful dog tomorrow.

Faker looked at this comment and suddenly moved closer to the camera.

"Icon is a very strong player, but he is too easily influenced by his emotions, which is why he can't beat Xiye."

"I'm not afraid of Xiye because I have more experience than him in terms of consistency. In the finals in Dalian, I will show everyone what true mid-lane dominance is."

These words instantly quieted the previously noisy live stream room.

At that moment, everyone felt that the substitute mid-laner on the screen seemed to be bursting with confidence.

While the entire WE team was celebrating their victory on stage, Faker quietly closed the broadcast window.

He turned to Lin Xiu and said, "Lin, let's go practice for a while. You simulate Condi's counter-jungling logic. If we meet in the finals, I can help you counter-gank him in the jungle."

"Let's also review Condi's dragon control rhythm. As long as his Velociraptor rhythm is disrupted, he will be somewhat at a loss."

Lin Xiu was stunned for a moment, then broke into a bright smile:

"Okay, Li, as long as you don't shake your hand in the final, I can kick Condi out of the pit."

"As for farming jungle monsters, I've never been afraid of anyone."

After turning off the live stream, Lin Xiu looked at the confident Faker, his heart filled with pride.

Although the sea breeze in Dalian is cold, the golden rain there must be very beautiful.