IRAJAS Chapter 87

Thank you dearreader for the ko-fi~

A mid-laner who doesn’t know how to play Zed isn’t a good mid-laner.

Zed is almost a required course for every mid-laner.

But the truth is, playing him well is very difficult.

First of all, Zed has never been mainstream in the mid-lane on the competitive stage. Single-target damage is both Zed’s advantage and his disadvantage. Once he makes a mistake in the late game, the possibility of collapsing is very high, and his coordination with the team is relatively poor.

Secondly, this champion has a very high skill cap. Playing him well can unleash instantaneous damage, but playing poorly means walking into certain death.

Qi Mo can be considered a master of playing Zed. In the LPL, no one could surpass him in playing Zed. It can be said that as soon as the opponent’s Zed makes a move, he knows exactly what they intend to do.

Unfortunately, Lin Lan is also a high-level Zed player.

He conceals his Q¹(Zed)Razor Shuriken: Zed and his shadows throw their shurikens, each dealing 70/105/140/175/210 (+110% bonus Attack Damage) physical damage to the first enemy they pass through, and 48/69/90/110/132 (+54% bonus Attack Damage) physical damage to each additional enemy. skill between his shadows, creating instant visual deception, misleading Qi Mo.

Fingers flying on the keyboard, two Shadow Blades flew out, instantly executing Qi Mo’s signature combo of W-E-Q, even faster than Qi Mo’s reaction, tearing apart the opponent in an instant.

With such a move, even if Lin Lan himself were playing LeBlanc on the other side, he might not necessarily be able to dodge it, let alone Qi Mo, who just encountered this move.

Executing a combo seamlessly, Lin Lan finishes off Qi Mo without looking back. He avoids minion damage as he leaves, while Qi Mo falls behind him.

First Blood!

Coach Zhang couldn’t help but shout, “Fantastic!”

On the competitive stage, everyone usually watches Lin Lan’s actions from a wide-angle perspective, but it’s shocking to see how impressive it is from a first-person perspective!

Lu Shi never expected Lin Lan to turn the tables. He had just been saying, “Lin Lan is going to get solo killed, he can’t beat Qi Mo.”

But the next moment, Lin Lan, with just a sliver of health left, tears Qi Mo apart!

Lin Lan calmly last-hits minions, regaining health just enough to save his life. Even if he had taken one more basic attack, he would have died along with Qi Mo. But he managed to kill the opponent with his last basic attack!

Incredible, absolutely spectacular! Lu Shi couldn’t find words to express his astonishment. He immediately took out his phone and sent a message to his friends on “Dada”: Damn, my bro is truly awesome, let me tell you what he just did…

On the other side, at ENG’s base, Qi Mo went still for a full five seconds after the match. The head coach behind him couldn’t help but worry about his mental state, “Qi Mo, are you okay?”

Qi Mo smiled bitterly and shook his head, “I’m fine.”

When you can’t win, you just can’t win. There’s no point in making excuses.

He had always been aware of the gap between him and his opponent. When he was solo killed by Lin Lan, Qi Mo realized that he had already lost this match.

He chose to prioritize early-game advantage by taking attack speed but ended up being counter-killed by Lin Lan, making it increasingly difficult for him to perform well in the late game.

As expected, the match unfolded just as Qi Mo had anticipated. Lin Lan suppressed him in the lane, expanding his advantage infinitely to other lanes, consistently keeping ENG ahead.

During the mid-game, ENG organized many brilliant counterattacks, but they always fell short by a small margin, ultimately regretfully losing the game.

After the first game, both sides conducted a 15-minute analysis, and it was evident that ENG’s overall strength was even stronger than during the match, with more aggressive attacks. But they lost due to the tempo in the mid-lane.

Qi Mo no longer insisted on laning against Lin Lan and opted for a utility mid-laner, securing victory in the second game.

In the third game, Lin Lan went to split push in the top lane. This forcibly dragged the game into the late game, relying on Xu Shengwei’s fearsome late-game unstoppable output to narrowly defeat ENG.

In the fourth game, ENG secured a perfect lineup and swiftly claimed victory.

As the series dragged into the fifth game, everyone’s gameplay was on fire, to the point where they had forgotten this was just a practice match.

Both sides showcased numerous highlights, constantly tugging at the economic advantage, refusing to let go, once again dragging the game into the late game. At this point, Xu Shengwei’s savage growth potential played an astonishing role. As long as Jiang Jin could protect him, he could continuously output damage like a Gatling gun.

After the fifth game, ENG lost to DT with a score of 2:3.

The feeling at this moment was truly subtle. If they had lost in the semifinals, they might still have harbored some resentment. But at this moment, they genuinely acknowledged defeat.

Perhaps DT wasn’t outstanding in every position, but together, they could unleash unexpected synergy. Through continuous adjustment and refinement, they gradually transformed into a formidable team!

Both sides returned to the lobby room, exchanging friendly words like old friends.

ENG’s jungler is named Zhang Chao, with a very playful personality. As soon as he returned to the room, he exclaimed “Damn” three times in a row: “Does your captain have vision hacks? How does he always know where I am?”

Feifei proudly replied: “Our captain is even better than having vision hacks!”

ENG’s support is Korean, and he said a couple of witty sentences in English, probably complimenting them.

Then the AD carry started wailing: “Lin Lan, I beg you. Please don’t just randomly kill me in team fights. Why don’t you kill our captain more…?!”

Lin Lan: “That can be arranged.”

Qi Mo: “???”

The DT teammates couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Even though they were both top-tier teams, the ENG players seemed much more adorable!

In the very end, both captains politely arranged for the next match, shaking hands formally, forming a strong alliance!

After the practice match, ENG’s jungler Zhang Chao started a livestream and was bombarded with questions. He never held back with his words, saying whatever came to mind.

In the barrage, someone asked whether they won or lost the practice match. Zhang Chao replied, “We lost. Went to five games, still lost. We all went to target Lin Lan, but damn it, Xu Shengwei scaled up! What a mess!”

The fans burst into laughter, finding it both pitiful and hilarious!

Besides the practice match, Zhang Chao also revealed that DT players invited them out for a meal. He complained that Lin Lan is never serious in private, always setting traps for people. Jiang Jin is obsessed with dolls, he’d probably want to give each of them a doll before leaving. Feifei is pretty easy-going, Xiao Shengjing is about the same as rumored, and Xu Shengwei is a deadpan, but once he’s with Lin Lan, he won’t stop talking, just like a Gatling gun.

The fans listened with great interest, and Zhang Chao became more and more animated as he spoke.

He also joked that Qi Mo turns into a fanatic whenever he sees Lin Lan, eagerly sticking to him. If it weren’t for Zhang Chao pulling him away, he’d probably forget he’s ENG’s captain.

As he was talking, he suddenly received a message from Qi Mo, warning him not to blabber recklessly on the live stream. Qi Mo also reminded him that it’s fine to mess with ENG, but messing with DT would be a problem, as they still have to play in the finals.

The barrage laughed hysterically again, almost to the point of being incoherent. ‘It’s okay to mess with your own team, but don’t mess with DT!’

Haha, indeed, Qi Mo is a great captain of ENG…

Zhang Chao ended the livestream feeling frustrated, joking that he’d get fined for speaking the truth.

But the fans said his money wasn’t wasted because, after this live stream, it completely debunked the rumors that DT and ENG were just superficial allies.

The players’ relationships behind the scenes are actually pretty good!

Moreover, besides ENG, players from FO have also expressed their desire to engage in in-depth discussions with DT, saying that DT’s schedule is too full and they need to make appointments.

Now, IB’s fans have turned into sour lemons, feeling jealous and resentful. Clearly, IB is a top-tier team, so why is everyone discussing DT?!

No, they absolutely can’t lose this final!

The final is approaching amidst both sides’ tense preparations, but the two teams’ states are quite different. IB’s entire team has closed their livestreams, handed over their phones, and focused on preparing, while DT is more relaxed, especially Lin Lan. He acts as if he doesn’t need to train at all, sometimes mentioning having meals with one player, and then going to another player’s base for a visit. This made DT’s fans worry every day that he might be poached by other teams.

DT, you need to get serious!!

Finally, the highly anticipated final arrived, with entry tickets said to be in high demand and scalpers selling them at sky-high prices.

But even so, Qi Rong managed to get two tickets at a high price from scalpers with her godlike reaction speed, lightning-fast broadband, and the blessings of a dozen girlfriends.

Accompanying her to watch the match is the hoodie guy. Last time, they exchanged contact information, and the hoodie guy often played games with her. In return, Qi Rong generously offered to cover his ticket expenses for today.

The hoodie guy’s name is Jiang Xu, he’s from out of town but lives locally.

He’s also wearing a hoodie today, in a goose-yellow color. Sitting next to Qi Rong, they look like they’re wearing couple outfit. Although he’s not particularly tall, he surprisingly matches well with Qi Rong, who is only 1.55 meters tall. With black-framed glasses on his nose, he looks quite cultured. Contrasting with Qi Rong’s energetic demeanor, he appears quite refined, creating an interesting contrast.

Qi Rong excitedly tells him about the alliance between ENG and DT, chatting away to express all her thoughts before suddenly realizing and asking, “Wait, aren’t you a fan of ENG? Why are you watching today’s match?”

Jiang Xu smiles and replies, “I’m a fan of DT now.”

Qi Rong happily shares her journey of becoming a DT fan with him, then suddenly remembers something, “You were a fan of YTF before, then YTF lost, and then you became a fan of ENG, and ENG lost too. Now you’re a fan of DT…”

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Xu finally realized something. He suddenly looked at Qi Rong, who also looked at him, and their pupils gradually widened in shock.

They stared at each other for about 5 seconds, then Jiang Xu quickly covered his head, while Qi Rong screamed and lunged at him, grabbing his neck, “You’re not! Not! Not! Quickly say you’re not!”

Jiang Xu was about to be choked to death.

He needs a chance to explain!

Meanwhile, the scene was proceeding calmly. Today, there was only one match, the Spring Split Finals.

After seven days of preparation without any matches to watch, all the audience members were eager. At this moment, fans of both teams began to open their livestreams one after another, eagerly awaiting the result of the finals.

Even before the match began, the viewership in the livestream room had already surpassed 30 million and was still steadily increasing.

The official concern about whether DT could sustain the hype was completely unnecessary. After several days of public discussion, DT’s popularity had already climbed to the upper echelons of the LPL.

And who dares to say that the DT that defeated ENG is an obscure team? Qi Mo is the first one to disagree!

Half an hour before the start of the finals, the live stream room would play some videos related to the match to set the mood.

Among them are daily interviews with IB, where their main powerhouse is in the jungle.

Their top laner, Wulen, is Korean but speaks very good Chinese. He communicates entirely in simple Chinese, and his experience is very rich. With five years of professional experience, he is proficient in various playstyles and is hailed as the cornerstone of IB’s invincibility.

The jungler, Deng, is unpredictable in his playstyle, with elusive movements. He excels especially with high-burst assassins like Evelynn and Kha’Zix, making him a nightmare for many squishy champions, earning him the title of the killer in the jungle.

Then there’s their bottom lane duo, solid and tight-knit in their coordination. They may not be the best individually, but together, they can achieve results greater than the sum of their parts, making it almost impossible for any duo lane to overpower them.

The video abruptly ends here. Their mid-laner in the video only uttered a single sentence throughout, almost as if they were erased from existence.

After watching, each viewer couldn’t help but criticize IB’s boss for his ultimate favoritism, giving almost half the screen time to the Korean top laner and not even giving a word of encouragement to the domestically produced mid-laner.

For IB, this mid-lane player really isn’t up to par. With four top-notch teammates, the mid-laner sticks out like a sore thumb.

In the game, the mid-lane is a crucial position. It can radiate throughout the entire game and influence the pace of the entire match. Even a slight gap in skill level can be glaringly obvious.

This is evident just by looking at Qi Mo. Although their bottom lane duo may not be top-tier, as long as Qi Mo is there, there’s always a chance to scale up, which is why IB always loses to ENG.

But unfortunately, no matter how rich IB’s big boss is, they just can’t seem to buy a decent mid-lane player.

They went to such great lengths to poach Qi Mo. IB even bought two jungle players with different styles just for Qi Mo. But in the end, Qi Mo calmly signed a lifetime contract with ENG, completely shattering IB’s dream of assembling a galactic warship.

Seeing this, IB’s fans all felt like they had been stabbed in the heart. With such an excellent lineup, but lacking a mid laner, it’s just too regrettable!

Someone shouted in the barrage: Can we buy Lin Lan for IB’s mid-lane?

This sparked a huge response in the barrage, with countless people expressing their support, feeling more and more like it could actually happen.

DT’s fans wanted to say, “Don’t come over here!” But they were outnumbered and drowned out by the overwhelming comments from IB’s fans.

IB’s fans even came up with a shameless saying: “If we win the game and then buy Lin Lan, it’s the Galactic Warship. If we lose the game, then buying Lin Lan means IB didn’t lose!”

Arrogant! Having some money doesn’t make you superior!

DT’s fans were thoroughly disgusted by such remarks.

After IB’s interview was aired, it was time for the pre-match trash talk segment. The official broadcast compiled all the clips about both teams, only to dramatically discover that there weren’t any.

Everyone, including themselves, hadn’t expected the two teams to meet in the finals. The commentators even joked, “Indeed, we never thought DT could make it this far. This team always brings us surprises.”

In the locker room, Coach Zhang kept reminding them repeatedly, “Pay attention to IB’s top laner. Don’t let him scale up. Also, about the jungle, make sure the vision is good, especially you, Feifei. You absolutely can’t probe into the bushes without vision like you did in the semifinals. Let Jiang Jin lead the way…”

Lin Lan’s ears were starting to get calloused from hearing these words over and over again.

Regarding the upcoming match against IB, Coach Zhang’s idea was simple: let Lin Lan go top lane against Wulen, and Feifei go mid lane against Waxi. This way, both sides should have an equal effect, and the bot lane would likely be stable as well. So, as long as Xiao Shengjing’s rhythm is stronger than Deng’s, DT should be able to secure victory.

This idea coincided with Lin Lan’s thoughts. It could indeed reduce many surprises, and he also wanted to compete with this old teammate.

Back when they were at IB, he and Wulen were always referred to as the “Double Nuclear Bombs”. Many people believed that his strength was comparable to Lin Lan’s, but his playstyle was too conservative, making him less entertaining to watch compared to Lin Lan.

Some even said that Wulen has always been underestimated. If it weren’t for Xiao Shengjing and Lin Lan being more popular, he would have been elected as an All-Star every time. Perhaps, they could have seen Wulen and Lin Lan face off in a real match at the All-Star solo competition.

Lin Lan indeed hadn’t played solo against Wulen before, not even in private training. Now that he thought about it, they hadn’t even had a real match against each other.

He was also curious: who would be stronger when facing off against each other?

As per usual, both sides needed to check their equipment before the match. Lin Lan was busy organizing the cables when Xiao Shengjing suddenly asked him, “What do you think about IB’s jungle and top lane?”

“Hmm…” Lin Lan pondered briefly.

In his original world, he didn’t know much about top laners, only that Wulen was a good teammate with no apparent flaws in any aspect. However, due to language communication barriers, they hardly ever interacted.

Lin Lan: “Wulen is rather aloof and doesn’t communicate much with us. I feel like he has his own little world. He’s very focused during matches and is a well-rounded player.”

Xiao Shengjing: “Do you feel confident against him?”

Lin Lan shook his head. “But if we go jungle, we should have a better chance.”

Xiao Shengjing: “How so?”

Lin Lan: “Because you’re better than Deng.”

Otherwise, in the original world, IB’s coach wouldn’t have kept Deng on the bench and let Xiao Shengjing fill the match to the brim. Lin Lan never doubted Xiao Shengjing’s skill in the jungle aspect.

Upon hearing Lin Lan’s praise, Xiao Shengjing smiled.

He instinctively reached out to touch Lin Lan’s hair but then remembered they were at the competition venue and forcefully resisted the urge.

Back in the lounge after checking the equipment, Xiao Shengjing kept thinking about it and couldn’t help but chuckle.

When Lu Shi saw this scene, he felt like he didn’t know Xiao Shengjing anymore. “Wait, am I seeing the word ‘gentle’ on our captain?”

The youth team members accompanying him were puzzled. “Was the captain very fierce before?”

Lu Shi: “He was definitely fierce. Do you know the former top laner of DT? The one with the fierce appearance? Our captain drove him away.”

“Huh?” The youth team member was a bit confused.

But the captain usually seems very gentle! Especially when he makes coffee for Lin Lan every day!

As the clock struck 19:00, the viewership in the live stream room surged past sixty million, signaling the official start of the Spring Split Finals.

The commentators on stage professionally introduced the opening remarks, and the players from both sides entered the stage one after another, making their appearances. The highly anticipated match was about to begin.

Following the direction of the camera, it was evident that the spirits of the players on both sides were very high. Lin Lan, who usually looked like he hadn’t slept, seemed well-rested today. His hair had grown a bit longer, slightly covering his eyes. He deliberately pushed his hair upwards, and the loose strands appeared lazy yet soft.

In the barrage, someone had already commented: [Lin Lan feels like a cat.]

[Oh yeah! He sleeps for 20 hours a day. Once he wakes up, he’s ready to wreak havoc everywhere!]

[Hahaha, indeed, a cat’s reaction speed is really fast…]

[This reminds me of the epic battle between cats and snakes.]

[Hilarious. It really does sound like that.]

[Today, Lin Lan woke up, which is great. I feel relieved.]

While DT fans were enjoying the game with ease, IB fans kept blowing the battle horn, fiercely defending IB in the barrage. Anyone who dared to refute them was met with a barrage of criticism!

After the intense battle with ENG fans, DT fans had come to a realization; there was no point in arguing. So they chose to remain calm and accepting.

Tranquil, serene, peaceful…

They could just relax, as Lin Lan would handle everything.

All ten players took their seats on the stage, and the game proceeded smoothly.

During the Ban-Pick phase, neither side hesitated. IB was determined to drive Lin Lan to the top lane, which coincidentally was also Lin Lan’s preference. Both sides made their choices swiftly.

The commentators struggled to keep up with their hero selections. Just as they analyzed the significance of Feifei picking Malzahar, IB instantly picked both Mordekaiser and Nidalee.

Nidalee! IB’s jungle chose Nidalee!

This champion heavily relies on tempo, requiring superior jungle awareness to gain an advantage.

Is Deng from IB really confident that his tempo can outmatch Xiao Shengjing?

The commentators were incredulous: “What is Deng planning? Is he trying to establish dominance in this game?”

IB had studied DT before the match. They believed that by forcing Lin Lan to the top lane and controlling the jungle tempo, they could easily defeat DT.

They didn’t believe that Feifei and Xiao Shengjing, even combined, could match their jungle performance.

Once they gained a slight advantage in the top lane and focused on shutting down Xu Shengwei in team fights, winning the game would be a breeze.

IB is very confident in their draft.

The moment Lin Lan saw the enemy pick Nidalee, he began teasing Xiao Shengjing, “Captain, they’re underestimating you, huh?”

His teammates burst into laughter, and Xiao Shengjing shot a glance at Lin Lan, “Finding joy in others’ misfortune?”

Lin Lan was indeed finding joy in it. Usually, he was the one targeted. So seeing the captain being targeted for once brought him extra happiness.

Not only was he happy, but he also teased, “Captain, pick Kha’Zix. If I were you, I’d pick Kha’Zix. I’d treat her as an ATM.”

Kha’Zix is indeed a great counter to Nidalee. If they encounter each other in the jungle, Kha’Zix can easily take down Nidalee.

Xiao Shengjing did consider picking Kha’Zix. His teammates even selected the champion for him. However, before confirming, he changed his mind at the last minute: “Kayn.”

Because he keenly realized that the opponents not only wanted to dominate the early game but also intended to aggressively target the lanes. Picking Kayn would be more suitable for the late game than Kha’Zix.

Seeing Xiao Shengjing pick Kayn, Lin Lan pondered. He didn’t know how skilled Xiao Shengjing was with Kayn. In the original world, junglers like him usually played more utility-oriented champions.

Lin Lan: “Captain, are you good at playing Kayn?”

Xiao Shengjing is very modest by nature. Even if he’s skilled with a champion, he’d only say he’s “average.” However, for this particular champion, he still gave a confident “Hmm.”

It seems the captain is quite confident in his abilities with this champion…

Lin Lan opened the champion selection page and scrolled down slowly. “Coach, I want to play Aatrox.”

Coach Zhang, with his round head buried in his notebook, suddenly raised it, thinking he misheard. “What did you say?”

Lin Lan was straightforward, “Aatrox.”

The Darkin Blade, Aatrox. A dark deity who can dominate the top lane and control the game once he scales up!

This champion is incredibly powerful in 1-versus-many situations, with strong sustain and multiple crowd control abilities, making him formidable both in fending off ganks in the top lane and team fights during the mid-game.

However, mastering this champion’s mechanics is also very challenging.

Coach Zhang broke into a sweat on his forehead. He flipped through his notebook to check Lin Lan’s champion pool and found that Lin Lan had hardly played Aatrox. The probability of him picking Aatrox in ranked matches was less than 1%.

“Do you want to pick Aatrox, are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

Translator’s corner: 

I really like how confident Lin Lan is.

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  (Zed)Razor Shuriken: Zed and his shadows throw their shurikens, each dealing 70/105/140/175/210 (+110% bonus Attack Damage) physical damage to the first enemy they pass through, and 48/69/90/110/132 (+54% bonus Attack Damage) physical damage to each additional enemy.