Chapter 147

“Look at all those banners, but I can’t find ours. Can you guys see it?”

“Stop looking; it’s not there.”

“Hey, let’s just focus on playing well. We’ll get fans eventually.”

“Don’t be nervous. Stay calm. They’re the world champions, a two-time champion team. Even getting a practice match with them is tough. Make the most of this opportunity to learn, and we’ll come out ahead.”

“Wow, Coach, you’re already surrendering? Ref, I want to report our coach!”

The teammates chatted and laughed while Ye Chi glanced to the right, noticing the stark contrast in the atmosphere between DSG and their team—serious and tense.

“Brother Madman, what’s the plan? Today’s game depends on you.”

Ye Chi snapped back to reality. “Coach is right. Let’s approach this as learners.”

“Come on, you didn’t say that in the interview.”

Ye Chi smiled, “I’ve learned my lesson.”

“The match is about to start,” the referee interrupted their conversation, “Please get ready.”

REAL’s players immediately fell silent.

The game interface appeared on the big screen, and the audience erupted in cheers. The players, wearing noise-canceling headphones, focused on the game.

The ban-pick phase was swift.

DSG’s bans and picks were decisive, prompting cheers from the audience.

The commentators couldn’t help but remark, “Such quick bans and picks. DSG seems very well-prepared, whereas REAL is taking more time to consider their choices.”

“DSG’s strategy is clear. They’re banning the currently overpowered champions and the key champions REAL has effectively used before. They don’t need to consider much else.”

“REAL, on the other hand, has to think about MY’s signature champions. His win rate is just too high. There’s no choice but to ban them, putting them at an inherent disadvantage.”

This comment caused an uproar in the live chat.

—[Hello???? Did I hear that right? The commentator just declared a disadvantage for one side.]

—[Truth hurts? High win rates are our fault now?]

—[Fanboys, please calm down. If you’re so confident, don’t ban MY’s champions and let him play.]

—[9-0 double champions vs. 6-3, and you’re still in denial?]

The online debates didn’t affect the players, but REAL’s team felt a subtle pressure from DSG’s quick decisions.

“Our composition can work,” Ye Chi, as captain, reassured, “Try to drag it to the late game. Don’t let them snowball too hard. We have a chance.”

“Got it.”

Chen Dong was tense. As another key damage dealer, he took the game very seriously, unlike his usual playful demeanor.

“The jungler will have a tough early game,” the coach advised, “Bottom lane, help secure the red buff to relieve some pressure. Ye Chi, you need to hold mid lane. Their early game is strong. Remember, avoid fights before our composition comes together. Understand?”

“Understood.”

Everyone responded in unison and glanced to the right.

DSG’s players were also ready. The central player took a sip of water, calmly placing the cup back before returning his slender fingers to the keyboard. Mo Yin said quietly, “Let’s start.”

As the game began, both sides’ fans started chanting.

“REAL—”

“Go—”

“REAL—”

“Go—”

“REAL—”

“Go—”

“DSG—”

The deafening “Go—” that followed the roar made the chat explode with “I’m deaf.”

The commentators waited for the cheers to subside when the in-game announcement and director’s prompt hit their earpieces simultaneously.

“First Blood.”

“Top lane got First Blood! Quick, switch to it!”

Neither the commentators nor the audience had time to react.

On the big screen, a cold female assassin’s portrait appeared with the golden “First Blood” text.

The delayed cheers erupted from the crowd, while the chat was flooded with question marks. The director quickly replayed the scene as the commentators regained their composure, hurriedly explaining, “Let’s look at the replay to see what happened.”

The replay on the screen showed REAL’s jungler and bottom lane grouping to take the red buff. As the mid laners reached their lanes, they noticed the absence of DSG’s mid laner, prompting a ping to the top lane, but it was too late. The moment REAL’s top laner entered the brush, DSG’s top, mid, jungle, and support ambushed him. Mo Yin precisely executed his skill right at the tower’s edge, securing the kill.

REAL’s team communication was chaotic.

“Mid missing.” This was Ye Chi’s reaction to Mo Yin not being in the lane.

“Shit—” was top laner Lian Cheng’s reaction upon discovering the ambush.

Lian Cheng: “…I’m dead.”

He was deeply frustrated.

“No worries, no worries.”

The other lanes consoled him: “It’s just level one, get back to lane quickly. It’s not a big loss.”

Lian Cheng: “Playing so dirty, damn…”

“It’s fine,” Ye Chi moved forward, preparing to harass Mo Yin in the mid lane, “Be careful, they might come top for another kill.”

The broadcast cut to REAL’s in-game communication.

“They’re coming,” jungler Guan Ming said.

“I’ve got ignite up, I’ve got ignite!” support Tang Qi said.

“Kill him, kill him—” top laner Qin Kunlun urged.

The player who secured the kill remained silent. After the kill, his female assassin returned to the edge of the tower’s attack range and elegantly recalled, gracefully signing “MY” with her throwing knife on the ground, showcasing the champion’s skin.

The crowd and chat exploded with excitement.

—[Mai Bao, don’t kill me with your coolness…]

—[Nerf him, ban him, but he’ll still crush you with his signature champion.]

—[I thought picking this champion was cocky, but now I just want to say, it wouldn’t be Mai Bao if he wasn’t cocky! Crush those fanboys!]

—[So what? They ambushed and got first blood. No need to act like it was a solo kill. (nose-pick)]

Ye Chi held his breath, waiting for the assassin to appear. Today, he chose a late-game mage for mid lane. In terms of hero matchups, both had their strengths. Ye Chi’s mage was stronger in the late game, while Mo Yin’s assassin demanded high mechanical skill, with a high skill ceiling but also a low floor.

There he was.

Ye Chi cast a long-range skill from the brush to harass, but the assassin dodged just as the skill nearly hit, as if anticipating it.

The crowd’s cheers intensified.

The lane phase was tougher than Ye Chi had imagined.

Mo Yin’s movements were incredibly precise. Whether dodging skills or harassing, he made no mistakes. His last-hitting was a work of art—an assassin that required close-quarters combat in the face of a long-range mage, not missing a single minion in three minutes.

“His last-hitting is beautiful…”

“Truly Mo…” the commentator cut himself off, but the chat filled in for him—[Mai Bao’s last-hitting is heartwarming.]

Sweat unknowingly formed on Ye Chi’s forehead from the immense pressure.

Ye Chi had felt pressure in previous matches, but nothing compared to facing Mo Yin.

A former opponent once said in an interview that facing Mo Yin in lane made his hands tremble. No one mocked him for this; everyone understood.

That kind of oppressive force was despairing.

You couldn’t find his mistakes, but you couldn’t afford to make any because if you did—

The female assassin suddenly stealthed and closed in, executing a flawless combo, killing the long-range but clumsy mage under the tower!

The assassin dashed out of the tower’s range without even glancing at the corpse, heading towards the dragon with more than half of her health remaining.

Ye Chi exhaled deeply, staring at the black-and-white screen, “I’m dead, he’s heading for the dragon.”

“No worries, no worries.”

His teammates reassured him.

REAL and DSG’s match had been heavily hyped, with audiences expecting a thrilling back-and-forth. However, the first game quickly turned into a one-sided slaughter from the moment DSG secured first blood.

Back in lane after the first blood, Mo Yin’s assassin dominated, gaining a lead through sheer laning prowess. After another kill and taking the dragon, his items were far ahead of Ye Chi’s.

When Ye Chi returned to lane, he found it nearly impossible to farm effectively. He either needed the jungler’s help or had to hug the tower to pick up scraps, but Mo Yin wasn’t allowing even that. He pulled the minions and held them in front, making Ye Chi take hits if he wanted gold or experience. Any time Ye Chi’s health dropped to an unsafe level, Mo Yin would move in for the kill.

REAL wasn’t completely without resistance. The jungler suggested, “I’ll gank him!”

Together, the mid and jungler launched an ambush on the female assassin. Mo Yin, unfazed, used dazzling maneuvers to take down both would-be attackers in the mid lane.

From that moment, it was a rout.

23 minutes and 16 seconds.

The match ended.

The female assassin once again performed her elegant recall animation in front of the enemy fountain, signing her name.

The chat exploded.

—[Nice, keep it up, I wish you success.]

—[Nice, keep it up, I wish you success.]

—[Nice, keep it up, I wish you success.]

—[Nice, keep it up, I wish you success.]

…

As the game ended, a break was called.

Both teams removed their headsets and walked toward the central aisle.

The audience chanted, “MY! MY! MY! MY—”

The chant continued even as the players reached the aisle.

REAL’s side was eerily quiet, and even DSG, despite their easy win, remained silent.

In the dim hallway, Ye Chi glanced back. The tall figure of Mo Yin was drinking from a paper cup, which he then casually tossed into a nearby trash can.

REAL’s players returned to their lounge.

The coach immediately apologized, “That’s on me, I didn’t plan the early game strategy well. My bad, everyone played well.”

Top laner Lian Cheng was too frustrated to speak.

Jungler Sun Yuanyang sighed, “We couldn’t hold the jungle. Their aggression was too much.”

“No point blaming anyone,” Chen Dong said. “Let’s focus on the next match. The lane pressure on Ye Chi is too much. We can’t pick like this again.”

Zhang Hanyu agreed, “I think we need to change our draft strategy. What do you think, Ye Chi?”

Ye Chi pondered for a moment, “We need a different approach.”

As REAL discussed tactics, DSG’s lounge was also busy with analysis. The coach praised their performance and encouraged them to keep playing the same way.

Sitting on the couch, Mo Yin suddenly spoke up, “I want to change our approach for the next game.”

Ten minutes later, both teams took to the stage again.

The audience roared in support.

Mo Yin and his team sat down, donned their headsets, placed new cups of water, and wiped their hands with tissues. Mo Yin then said, “We’re ready to start.”

The first game had ended faster than anyone expected. As the second game began, the commentators noted, “I think REAL needs to change their draft strategy. DSG’s snowballing ability is too strong. Avoiding fights doesn’t work; they need to contest the early game. Oh—look, REAL has first-picked an early-game strong jungler. That’s the right move. Fight them head-on!”

REAL’s draft strategy clearly shifted, moving away from a late-game focus to early-game aggression.

“No worries. We expected to lose. We approached this with a learning mindset.”

“If we keep dragging it out, it’s just a slow death.”

“Let’s give it a try. People only grow under pressure. The lane pressure is immense, but that makes me want to try even harder.”

Ye Chi addressed his team in the lounge.

After a brief silence, Lian Cheng spoke first, “I agree.”

“Me too.”

“Support fighting head-on!”

“Coach, let us try. If we have to lose, we’d rather go down standing!”

The coach smiled, “No problem. Think of it as a practice match. Let’s try different styles!”

The atmosphere quickly adjusted. It wasn’t a forced light-heartedness but a genuine release of pressure. They were, after all, facing the world champions, with much room to grow.

During the second draft phase, everyone remained calm.

Ye Chi also picked an assassin, not the same one Mo Yin had used, but one he was famous for early in his career. This champion also had a high skill ceiling and the potential to create miracles.

Meanwhile, DSG delayed their mid-lane pick until the last slot.

The image of a powerful Archmage flickered in the selection box, undecided.

This is the hero used by Ye Chi.

The audience in the stands was thrilled, and the director immediately cut to close-ups of the faces of the mid-lane players on both sides.

Ye Chi’s expression was calm.

Mo Yin was expressionless.

The commentator said, “Huh? Are they really going to choose this hero? This hero is somewhat countered by the one Quit chose. It’s not really suitable, right? Oh~ I get what MY means. ‘You don’t know how to play this hero, I’ll teach you’—is that what it means?”

“Maybe it’s just a display, a friendly interaction, not too aggressive.”

The support player, Tang Qi, who was in the last pick position, cautiously asked his idol, “Do we really want to choose this?”

The idol turned his face and gave him a light glance.

Tang Qi: “…” Understood.

“It’s locked in—”

The commentator was instantly excited. He stood up directly, and the audience followed suit, shouting. The commentator’s enthusiasm further heightened the atmosphere on site to its peak.

“DSG has locked in this hero!”

“This is exactly what it means!”

“You don’t know how to play this hero, let me teach you—”