Chapter 37: A Kill with Every Step, Fountain Zhonya’s, Ending RNG

Chen Yan was quite the show-off, but his teammates had no complaints whatsoever.

What does it mean to have a Kassadin reach level 16 with a massive lead? Kassadin’s ultimate is essentially a Flash that deals damage. At level 16, the cooldown of his ultimate is effectively one second, which is why they say that once a Kassadin hits level 16, the opposing base might as well explode automatically. With high mobility and massive damage, it feels impossible to lose.

...

Over at RNG, the pre-game harmony had vanished. Although there wasn't an outright argument, everyone except for Mlxg had stopped talking.

"They only have one fed Kassadin. Focus him down in team fights. Once he's dead, they have no damage," Mlxg said, acting as the team captain, trying to boost morale. It didn't have much effect, but the team did agree on the point of focusing the Kassadin.

"Stop split-pushing top, join the team fights. You don't have the map presence of a Shen."

"We shouldn't have picked Camille. If we had picked a tank top, we would be having a much easier time."

Letme: "..."

Letme felt stifled, but he didn't dare say anything. Within RNG, he held no real authority, and no one would listen to him anyway. However, Letme was soft-natured, and since the team needed him to join the fight, he headed toward the front line.

...

At the Baron pit, the Baron had already spawned. Until now, neither side had dared to touch it. But once Kassadin hit level 16, EDG took the initiative to pressure the area. As wards were placed, EDG quickly gained vision control around the Baron. RNG wanted to contest the vision but feared that EDG would force a team fight. For a while, RNG could only watch from a distance, trying to prevent EDG from sneaking the Baron.

"RNG is in a very passive position," Wawa noted while looking at the screen. "EDG is camping near the Baron, just waiting for RNG to come and check it."

Miller's eyes were fixed on Chen Yan's Kassadin. He watched as Kassadin looked for a flank, but RNG's vision and positioning were far superior to Omg's; trying to circle behind them to reach their backline was virtually impossible.

"Wait? What is Kassadin doing?" Suddenly, Kassadin moved. Instead of looking for a flank, he headed straight to the mid-lane to clear minions.

"Kassadin is pushing the mid-lane. That’s very clever. What will RNG do? Who is going to defend?"

A level 16 Kassadin requires at least three people to stop. But if they sent three people to deal with him, they would definitely lose the Baron. RNG was caught in a dilemma. While they hesitated, Kassadin had already destroyed their middle tier-two turret. With his high ability power, Lich Bane, and his W ability, Kassadin’s tower-shredding speed was absurd. Seeing him about to reach the inhibitor, RNG had no choice but to rotate back.

"You guys go back, I'll go try to steal it."

"They have a Kalista, don't bother."

"I have to try. If I die, I die."

Mlxg was resolute. His teammates didn't try to stop him; RNG was at a dead end and needed a miracle. But the next moment, they heard the system notification that Mlxg had been slain.

Okay, no miracle.

...

EDG secured the Baron, and Chen Yan’s Kassadin managed to escape. Seeing RNG rotating back, he used a few ultimate jumps to create distance. At the same time, he placed a Control Ward in a bush within the RNG jungle. After confirming the area was clear, Chen Yan hid inside.

"Kassadin is up to no good!" Seeing him camping, Wawa couldn't help but get excited. In a match, this kind of playmaker always makes for the best television.

"Can he catch them? I don't think RNG will go out there..." But before Wawa could finish, his voice abruptly cut off. Uzi and Ming were walking straight toward the Red Buff, while Camille was busy pushing top.

"Hilarious, slapped in the face at light speed."

"Wawa, you’d better just stop talking."

The chat flooded with jokes, and Miller looked at his partner with a smirk. "That didn't quite sync up with the players."

"Heh." Wawa’s skin was as thick as a city wall; aside from a momentary embarrassment, he chuckled and said dismissively, "Chen Yan is a pro player after all, it's normal for him to see things more clearly than I do."

They turned their attention back to RNG. "Now it's just a matter of whether RNG's bot lane realizes it. Kassadin can one-shot people now..."

In the game, as Uzi and Ming entered the jungle, Ming looked at the pitch-black bush and felt a sudden, ominous foreboding. "Someone might be in there..." He threw his Karma RQ into the bush.

"He found me?" Chen Yan was slightly surprised, but it didn't matter; he was close enough.

R-E.

He dodged the Karma RQ with his Riftwalk, closed the distance, and slowed the RNG duo with his E. The Caitlyn and Karma burned their Flashes without hesitation, but it was useless—Kassadin’s ultimate cooldown was just too short. A second R landed right on top of Karma, and her health bar vanished instantly. Uzi, seeing he couldn't escape, turned to fight, but a second later, his screen turned to black and white.

"Double kill!"

"Sheesh!" Even knowing how fierce a level 16 Kassadin was, everyone in the arena couldn't help but gasp.

"Uzi just died like that? Shredded like a minion."

"Kassadin is invincible!"

"Void creatures are just broken."

The audience was in a frenzy, and Wawa and Miller were equally stunned. If this had happened in a ranked game, it would be standard, but seeing it on a professional stage—with Uzi as the victim—was jaw-dropping. When did rookies get this terrifying?

Miller took a deep breath. "I'm reminded of a poem that fits this scene perfectly."

Wawa immediately asked, "What poem?"

"'Ten paces to kill a man, not a trace left behind for a thousand miles. After the deed, he shakes his clothes and leaves, hiding his body and his name.'" Miller’s words seemed to meld with the image of Kassadin.

Wawa teased, "What 'ten paces'? It's more like 'one step to kill a man'." Everyone burst into laughter.

By this point, EDG had essentially secured the victory. The RNG players looked drained of spirit, especially Uzi, who chewed his gum while his expression turned completely grim.

Not long after, EDG marched in with the Baron buff. RNG’s wave clear was mediocre, and with the EDG players looming as a threat, the inhibitor turrets crumbled at a touch. EDG didn't bother with a three-lane push; they drove straight down the middle to target the Nexus turrets.

"EDG wants to end it!"

"Kassadin teleports to the front line. He just bought a Void Staff."

"Kassadin is going in!"

Everyone's eyes were glued to him. After landing, Kassadin immediately R-Flashed and E’d into the center of the RNG squad. Because he had stacked his ultimate in the fountain beforehand, he dealt maximum damage. That single entry sent the newly respawned Caitlyn and Karma straight back to the grave.

Uzi and Ming: "..."

The rest of RNG saw their health bars plummet.

"My god! Kassadin landed a massive AOE!"

"That's game."

Wawa and Miller watched the destruction, filled with excitement and awe. However, EDG didn't just end the game.

"Wait? Not pushing?"

While everyone was confused, EDG charged straight into the fountain. Kassadin followed, jumping in with his ultimate to finish off the remaining RNG players. As the Nexus shattered, Kassadin triggered a Zhonya’s Hourglass in the middle of the RNG fountain with a chime.

Wawa and Miller stared in disbelief. Then, their high-pitched voices rang out: "Congratulations to EDG! They end the match with a total rout, tying the series 2-2 and forcing a final game!"

As the casters finished, the cheers of the audience rose like a tidal wave, rolling on and on.