Chapter 38: Infinite Glory, Has Little Tiger Lost His Nerve?

"Still fountain-diving?!"

"Where is your decency? Where is your sportsmanship?"

"Never won a game before, have you?"

"Shut your damn mouth! The strong are meant to humiliate the weak."

"If you're good enough, dive us back. Quit your whining."

"Got crushed and still have the nerve to bark?"

"A rookie, treating RNG like dogs."

"Hey, 'Little Dog' [Uzi] is a dog too. That fits perfectly."

The live chat was in a frenzy, filled with all sorts of comments. The main point of contention was EDG’s fountain-diving behavior, especially since Chen Yan had topped it off with a mocking Zhonya’s Hourglass activation inside the fountain.

Within the EDG team, the players had felt a rush during the dive, but once the adrenaline faded, they realized it might have been a bit inappropriate.

"Was the fountain dive going a bit too far?" Meiko asked. After all, they would still be seeing them around...

"Who started it?" Clearlove asked.

Everyone thought for a moment, then instinctively looked toward Chen Yan.

Clearlove: "..."

He should have known. Only this kid would pull something like that.

"You really know how to stir up trouble, don't you?"

"Doesn't matter," Chen Yan said nonchalantly. "Let them come to my stream and flame me. I'll be waiting."

The rest of the EDG team was speechless. They almost forgot—the kid was just waiting to cash in on that negative publicity.

To Chen Yan's surprise, however, Clearlove smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "If we're going to get flamed, we get flamed together. We can handle it. Besides, your Kassadin was unstoppable this game."

Chen Yan laughed, "Everyone says so."

...

At the commentary desk, the match had ended, but Wawa and Miller were still reeling. Chen Yan’s performance had been flawless; his legendary Kassadin had rampaged through the game. It was no exaggeration to say he had dismantled RNG single-handedly.

"You have to admit, this EDG rookie really kept Xiaohu in check," Wawa said, sounding incredulous.

Xiaohu was undoubtedly one of the best mid-laners in the country, yet against Chen Yan, he couldn't gain any ground and was suppressed for the entire match.

"He definitely has talent," Miller agreed. He had been watching more closely, especially the finer details of the game. After offering sincere praise, he couldn't help but sigh, "This EDG rookie has had an incredibly bright performance over the last few games. His future is promising."

"Still, the next match will be the real test."

Wawa nodded, "The next game is the decider for both teams. If RNG has any hidden strategies up their sleeve, they’ll surely pull them out now."

"Exactly, especially in the mid lane. Given Xiaohu’s personality, he’s definitely going to fight back."

The commentators spoke with fervor, sending the audience's anticipation soaring.

...

This match had certainly been a highlight for Chen Yan, but everyone was waiting for Xiaohu’s counterattack. After all, one game didn't prove everything; the "lucky punch" scenario had played out countless times in esports. Even SKT had lost to internet cafe teams, so in that light, Xiaohu losing one game to a rookie wasn't entirely unacceptable.

But one time is a fluke, two is a coincidence—three or four times is a pattern. If Xiaohu kept losing to Chen Yan, that would be another story entirely.

...

There was a short break after the match. During the interval, both teams returned to their respective lounge areas. EDG was naturally jubilant, with Aaron personally waiting at the door to welcome them. His eyes lit up when he saw Chen Yan.

Previously, he hadn't been sure if Chen Yan had truly reached a state of enlightenment during his streams and undergone a transformation. But after this game, he had completely recognized Chen Yan's strength.

"Great game!" Aaron said excitedly.

Chen Yan held out his palm. No one else understood what he meant, but Aaron did. Those five fingers were a subtle hint for the fifty-thousand-yuan transfer. Thinking about fifty thousand yuan just vanishing like that, the excitement of winning the match dissipated for Aaron. Other players were under buy-out contracts, but Chen Yan felt more like a hired booster who needed to be paid by the game.

Chen Yan couldn't care less about what Aaron was thinking. He sat in his chair, and the sound of a completed mission echoed in his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission.]

[Reward distributed. Please check.]

Accompanied by the system's pleasant chime, Chen Yan felt as if a cool spring had flowed through his brain. Was this what it felt like when reaction time increased? He carefully sensed it, though the change wasn't immediately obvious. He knew that reaction time wasn't like a standard attribute; it usually only manifested during moments of crisis or intense duels.

Chen Yan didn't dwell on it. He closed his eyes to rest, waiting quietly for the next match to start. He didn't notice that Scout was looking at him with an incredibly complex expression. As a teammate, he couldn't lead the team to victory, yet Chen Yan had single-handedly carried the banner. It left him feeling a sense of frustration.

"Coincidence. It must be a coincidence. I won't lose to him."

...

On the screen, the match MVP appeared. Without a doubt, it was Chen Yan’s Kassadin. The legendary score, explosive damage, solo kills, and highlight-reel plays were countless. Watching the replays, the chat was filled with comments calling it "deserved."

Wawa and Miller were singing his praises at the desk, calling him the strongest rookie, the new wave replacing the old, the future of LPL mid-laners... Even Chen Yan felt embarrassed listening to it. However, the viewers ate it up; many had developed a fantastic impression of Chen Yan thanks to the commentary.

Only Xiaohu felt the sting. All of Chen Yan’s glory had been achieved by stepping on him; he had effectively become a stepping stone.

"Xiaohu, what do you think of this rookie?" In the RNG lounge, Coach Wind didn't blame Xiaohu but instead asked about the details of the match.

Xiaohu fell into deep thought. After a moment, he said, "His laning fundamentals are solid, and his anti-gank awareness is strong. I couldn't do much against him in lane. But he couldn't do much against me either; he just got fed by picking up kills."

Coach Wind ignored the latter part of Xiaohu's statement and silently reviewed the game. He concluded that EDG had used a variant of the "Protect-the-One" strategy. While usually, it was used to protect the bot lane, EDG had used it to protect their mid. Their top, jungle, support, and even the AD carry were all tools to help the Kassadin build an advantage.

Wind realized that EDG had consistently traded resources to favor the Kassadin early on, and once he was capable of fighting, they structured their tactics around him. Every kill was funneled to him, resulting in an unstoppable Kassadin. And the draft—their own mid-jungle duo had been full AP, failing to put significant pressure on the Kassadin, which was a major reason he was able to scale safely.

After the review, the worry on Coach Wind's face only deepened. If they had simply been outplayed, that would be one thing, but they had been outmaneuvered from the draft phase, and that final Kassadin pick had been a stroke of genius. Most importantly, the rookie’s tactical execution and game sense were near perfect; from start to finish, he had made virtually no mistakes. If they couldn't handle this strategy, EDG would likely use it again in the next game.

Coach Wind rubbed his temples, feeling as if his head might explode.

"Xiaohu, do you think it's necessary to ban Kassadin?"

Everyone looked at Xiaohu. The question seemed simple, but banning Kassadin would undoubtedly be an admission of defeat. Everyone present felt that Xiaohu wouldn't do it. After all, admitting defeat to a rookie was shameful.

It was then that Xiaohu’s unique voice broke the silence.

"Actually... banning Kassadin... it's not off the table."

"This..."

Hearing this, everyone in the room exchanged glances. Had Xiaohu actually lost his nerve?