Chapter 9: You Call This Thing Steady!?

After securing that solo kill, Luo Ji completely unleashed himself on the top lane. Whenever an opportunity arose, he would use QAQ to poke with basic attacks. However, after being killed once, Dahuang was clearly more cautious, and several attempts to pull the opponent with his E skill failed.

Considering Irelia’s mana issues and the scarcity of opportunities, Luo Ji gave up on further harassment and shifted his focus to other lanes. Their team composition relied heavily on two late-game carries. Orianna was inherently a mid-lane farmer, and Aphelios required at least a three-item build. The early game environment wasn't favorable for the AD carry, which meant the lower side of the map, relying solely on Lee Sin to maintain strength, was gradually losing ground under Tian’s relentless pressure.

They needed to find a way to share the burden.

Luo Ji didn’t rush. Having just used his ultimate, there was little he could do until it cooled down. The next eight minutes would see the Rift Herald respawn, presenting the perfect moment to disrupt the enemy's rhythm.

Yet, as he pondered this, something unfolded in the river.

Karsa’s Lee Sin was successfully caught by Tian’s Jarvan IV. What had started as a simple river contest quickly escalated with support from both mid and bot lanes. Rookie arrived faster in mid, but down bot, the TES duo, holding lane priority, sealed the fight.

Titan was the first to hook the ensnared Lee Sin, followed by the entire TES team swarming in.

TES’s JKL killed V5’s Karsa.

“My kill.”

“No, we also messed up.”

At this moment, Xiaoyan and PPGOD dared not shirk their responsibility. The lack of lane priority bot had left the river shrouded in darkness. Walking such dangerous paths often led to unexpected encounters.

This single kill allowed JKL to accelerate his development and even secure a dragon. Things were looking grim.

At just over the eight-minute mark, both teams’ bot lanes began moving toward the upper river.

Normally, V5 wouldn’t contest such a fight. With both carries leaning late-game, letting it go wasn’t catastrophic. But Irelia had a significant lane advantage this match, and JKL had secured kills early. If they didn’t contest, the Rift Herald would empower Jinx’s mythic item, sealing their fate.

Why did Jinx become the dominant ADC in Season 12?

It all came down to the reworked Lethal Tempo rune.

At full stacks, it granted an additional 100 range. To put this into perspective, the Rapid Firecannon provided only 150 range, triggered at intervals, whereas Lethal Tempo’s effect was constant, as long as auto attacks continued every six seconds.

Jinx’s base range of 525, plus 200 from Rapid Firecannon, plus 100 from fully stacked Lethal Tempo, totaled an astonishing 825 range.

Without damage, it might not matter, but once JKL completed his Kraken Slayer, his combat power was assured.

So how to handle the bot lane?

“Go! Go! Go!”

“Everyone who can fight, come on. We have a strong top laner.”

“Prepare for the team fight! I’m dreaming—how’s NAR’s rage?”

“I’m teasing.”

“?”

As a top laner with keen insight into the overall game, Luo Ji knew that though their two carries would peak late, TES’s composition depended heavily on NAR’s ultimate.

Big NAR was tough to handle, but what about Mini NAR?

Then team fights were just like having a cannonball.

Thinking this, Luo Ji zeroed in on NAR again.

It had to be said—Dahuang was indeed the pillar of strength for NAR at this stage. Despite being caught and solo-killed once, his rage management remained excellent, and Luo Ji found it hard to bait him into a fight.

No choice then.

If the enemy wouldn’t come, he would have to take the initiative. If he couldn’t earn a response, he’d force one with sheer aggression.

Seeing NAR lurking just one position behind the enemy turret, Luo Ji chose to wait for the next wave.

Meanwhile, Karsa glanced oddly at Irelia’s position.

The enemy was nearly gathered in the upper river, yet Irelia pressed so far forward? Was she suicidal?

Just as he was about to speak, Luo Ji’s clear voice rang in his ear:

“Do you know? My grandmother once told me—”

“Tell me what? Leave no survivors?”

“She said I am the man who controls all paths in the heavens.”

“Wait, does Irelia actually say that line?”

Karsa froze, while Irelia already began charging her W.

At 0.75 seconds into the charge—when the W skill’s damage peaks and flashes with a ‘biu’ sound—“Dance of the Blade” was unleashed!

“Biu!”

The three melee minions newly spawned on the red side instantly took significant damage from the razor-sharp strike.

What was this!?

Dahuang’s heart jolted, an uneasy feeling creeping in.

Those minions became Irelia’s springboard, and with her Q’s displacement, she effortlessly lunged at him like a lightning bolt.

Just as he instinctively prepared to react, the familiar blade flashed, stunning him perfectly first.

She charged in!?

At the commentator’s desk, Da Xiao leaned fully forward, eyes fixed on the blade’s flash.

Fast!

Too fast!

So fast the broadcast cameras nearly lost track.

A 17.8-year-old’s reaction.

The last time anyone was this stunned was during the S7 World Championship when iboy dodged skillshots with blind vision.

But now, Irelia’s graceful combo of blade flashes and displacement looked even more heroic.

Her E skill pulled him in as her Q landed perfectly.

At the moment she touched down, her four passive stacks were maxed, and she unleashed her ultimate, "Vanguard’s Edge," right in his face.

The TES players witnessing this on the top lane were horrified.

How dare she?

How could she possibly be so bold?

They had already regrouped in the river, yet the enemy not only refused to surrender but dared to strike back—and it seemed this time she actually found an opening?

No.

Who said this top lane play was stable before?

You call this stable!?

“Go! Go! Go! Surround her!”

“Can we save him? Feels like Dahuang can’t hold.”

“No chance. He’s dead for sure, but we can’t let her escape.”

“Aminos!”

Dahuang’s rage management was just enough to gather with teammates, poke a little, and then build up more rage.

But under Irelia’s sudden onslaught, his rage became awkward.

If it built, it was too late.

If it didn’t, he was doomed.

Recovering from the stun, he instinctively used E and Flash.

However, Luo Ji, who had been anticipating this, gave no chance to escape.

He flashed forward as well, but unlike Dahuang, Luo Ji’s Q was ready—“Vanguard’s Edge” again—stepping forward with a slide, triggering the passive on his ultimate once more.

Skills refreshed.

Another “Vanguard’s Edge” cast!

V5’s Mebius killed TES’s Wayward.

…

With the deafening sound of the kill, Luo Ji, dancing with the Bladeswoman Irelia, drew a deep breath.

Exhilarating!

So thrilling!

In countless games, this was the first time he’d felt such joy.

No veteran players, his own counter pick, early jungle support setting up advantages, and flawless plays netted him two solo kills.

Truly—

An unprecedentedly beautiful start!

The kind of play so slick even he felt cool, prompting him to release his mouse and spread his arms.

*Click!*

“Such a powerful Lán.”

“League’s ‘Sese’ master, look at her!”

“I’m learning from the market, I can’t even see my mouse, and she just flies over!”

Just as the chat flooded with praise, the minimap flashed urgent pings all over Luo Ji’s screen.

The broadcast wisely showed Luo Ji’s relaxed moment, then watched as he went from enjoying himself to sudden realization, then to panic, before being chased relentlessly by the other four TES members.

This sudden turn had countless viewers outside the screen laughing heartily.

“That guy…”

Offscreen, Saint Gunner watching the live stream at the club sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Such a cool moment, and now he stops playing the pro, trying to show off even harder?

Well, now you’ve got the esports troll reputation. You don’t want it? Tough luck.

On screen,

Surrounded by four TES members, Luo Ji was chased all the way to the TES high ground turret and caught.

After a brutal beatdown,

The kill went again to TES’s AD carry, JKL.

But JKL’s mood was noticeably sour.

Although the top laner died, the real victim would be the ADC when the next team fight came.

Top laner acts up, ADC pays the price—what the hell did he do to deserve this?

—

As the team’s absolute core, he even had to comfort Dahuang, saying Irelia was useless in team fights, unlike his NAR, whose ultimate could turn the tide in a single strike.

Never had he felt such exhaustion.

He had thought the new generation top laner was a beast, but now it seemed otherwise.

Thinking this, JKL recalled another option Guo Hao had suggested.

That 200-pound player who was unbeatable when trading one-for-one.

Hmm.

Maybe it was worth considering.

As the price for Irelia’s kill, the first Rift Herald in the river was perfectly controlled by V5.

Down bot, Xiaoyan truly felt the gap between himself and Luo Ji as a fellow rookie, but PPGOD was good at consolation.

“It’s okay.”

“In Battle Through the Heavens, Xiaoyan was weak early. Let Yao Lao slowly nurture him with fires and medicines; just treat him as your Yao Lao.”

“Just farm safely early, and later unleash the Buddha’s wrath to one-shot them.”

Xiaoyan: ...

V5’s Karsa found a chance to give the Rift Herald to bot lane, slightly closing the economic gap between Xiaoyan and JKL.

As for top lane?

Although Luo Ji solo-killed NAR twice, without his ultimate, he found it difficult to deal with NAR.

More importantly, he discovered that Dahuang had completely switched up his build.

He had gone armor penetration!

Yes.

After multiple deaths, Dahuang finally realized he was a rookie on the stage.

So the question arose:

How could a rookie survive and farm against veterans like Lao Deng or slightly older players?

Simple.

Copy the answer in front of you.

If Luo Ji could use Gwen with an armor penetration build to withstand AKL’s damage, why couldn’t Dahuang use NAR with armor penetration to survive Irelia’s damage?

What?

You say this item build runs counter to the coach’s expectations?

Wrong.

Wrong idea.

Think carefully: sometimes failure isn’t due to lack of effort, but because the goal was too high.

As time passed,

The game slowly shifted from the laning phase into a mid-game tug of war.

Luo Ji continued to farm on the side lane. With a 2/1/1 score, combined with solo lane development, his level and gear were the highest on the field.

TES would need at least two players to catch him, and even then, it was shaky. Leaving him alone, he farmed safely.

This time,

Luo Ji’s second item choice was unconventional.

Even while building components, many viewers sensed something was off about his upcoming item.

Bami’s Cinder.

With this component, just check what it could build into.

After some simple deduction,

Everyone’s eyes settled on one item: the mythic item Turbo Chemtank.

Priced at 2800 gold,

It granted 350 health, 25 resistances, and 20 ability haste, with a passive that dealt area damage at full stacks, and an active providing 75% movement speed boost followed by a slowing shockwave similar to Randuin’s Omen.

Another black technology item!?

Wait!

Slowly, many viewers caught on. Though this V5 rookie top laner hadn’t played many matches, he oscillated between pure stat monsters and armor penetration builds.

The moment the precursor to Chemtank appeared,

Offscreen,

Both Xiaohu and Doinb’s eyes lit up simultaneously.

This guy

Seemed to be a player of their kind.

Thanks to Luo Ji’s split pushing on the side lane, V5 finally felt somewhat comfortable with the rhythm in the mid-game.

Though it might seem like leeching, TES’s strength truly lay in the other three lanes; top lane was their weak spot.

Yet TES’s current performance was unworthy of their “Galactic Battleship” title.

“Mobius is experimenting again.”

“Shut up, we just need to quietly absorb the technology of the Land of Light and climb steadily.”

“Hurry, share your thoughts with your classmates.”

“Nalan Wenbo is carrying, the Left Elder is trying to survive, what is the Soul Emperor doing? #QuerySoulEmperorStatus#”

For Tian,

This situation was exactly the one he hated.

The advantage built in the lower half of the map was almost completely overturned by the isolated top laner’s singular impact.

But they were not defeated yet.

Choosing Orianna and Aphelios as the dual late-game carries meant that, before 28 minutes (the typical time for the third core item), TES still held the economic advantage.

And the chance to break the stalemate—

Watching V5’s jungler and support placing wards under river cover,

He bit his lip.

A man born under heaven cannot remain subjugated forever.

This time,

He intended to ride alone through the storm!