The first round of group matches concluded successfully. After a brief one-day break, the second round of matches quickly arrived.
The second round of group matches is also known as the knockout stage.
The entire schedule spans 4 days, starting with Group A’s elimination and continuing until Group D’s conclusion.
On the first day, the knockout matches for Group A began. YK was unstoppable, cleanly winning three matches in a row, boasting an impressive 6-0 record, and securing the top spot in the group matches, successfully advancing to the next stage.
YK’s flawless performance brought a lot of confidence to Korean netizens. They had lost some pride with UT but found it all back with YK. Discussions about YK quickly overshadowed DT. Most netizens still believed that YK was stronger, feeling that DT was still too new and would eventually have to pay their dues.
On the second day, it was Group B’s turn for the knockout matches.
ENG performed exceptionally well, surpassing everyone’s expectations by securing three consecutive victories, clinching the top spot in the group with a 5-1 record.
This first-place finish not only redeemed the reputation of LPL but also allowed ENG to avoid meeting YK in the quarter-finals, meaning ENG has a high probability of making it to the semi-finals.
If luck and form are a bit better, there might be a chance to overturn YK.
ENG’s momentum also surged for a moment. Even Korean netizens couldn’t ignore ENG’s excellence, unable to resist praising them a few times.
On the third day, it was the knockout matches for Group C.
Everyone eagerly awaited the matches, glued to their screens.
DT had enough rest time, and the entire team’s condition was pretty good. Their first match was against the third seed from North America, FA. They took the initiative right from the start, targeting Jarvan in the jungle, clearly intending to play aggressively.
Faced with such a lineup, normal teams would choose a counter lineup to withstand the early game pressure. But the big brothers from North America? No, they actually brought out Yasuo and Blitzcrank, ready to have some fun at the World Championship.
The commentators on the domestic broadcast couldn’t help but laugh and cracked a few jokes.
Then, they quickly stopped laughing.
Because FA’s Yasuo and Blitzcrank played exceptionally well, ganking the bot lane three times, with Yasuo securing two kills.
Jiang Jin couldn’t believe it, “Why are his hooks so accurate?”
The most powerful aspect of Blitzcrank is its Q ability. Because of its short casting time and swift hooking, it’s almost impossible to dodge through positioning.
But who are the players at the World Championship?
They are the cream of the crop, the strongest in the entire league. Positioning comes naturally to them, so Blitzcrank easily loses its advantage at the World Championship. Hardly anyone dares to pick it.
But FA’s Blitzcrank really played a bit freaky!
When Lin Lan glanced at the screen while recalling to base, he found Blitzcrank’s playstyle extremely bizarre. It often took positions that were difficult for ordinary people to understand, then unexpectedly landed a hook.
With this awkward and peculiar playstyle, it managed to achieve a hook-hit rate of up to 70%.
Jiang Jin and Xu Shengwei were both afraid of being hooked. Once their positioning was caught, they could only reluctantly choose to retreat.
Lin Lan’s expression changed when he saw this.
He was playing the roaming mage in this game because Shi Quan was worried that FA would exploit a gap with Yasuo and Blitzcrank. So he picked the roaming mage as a backup.
This is a very normal train of thought. But this way, DT’s early-game damage simply can’t compare to FA’s.
Accompanied by Yasuo’s ultimate, FA once again killed Jiang Jin. When Lin Lan arrived, he was blocked by Yasuo’s Wind Wall and didn’t even have a chance to output damage before the team fight ended.
At this point, Yasuo had already secured 3 kills, leading Lin Lan by nearly a thousand in gold. This was the first time Lin Lan had suffered such a big loss in the mid-lane position, causing fans’ hearts to tighten.
In their minds, Lin Lan had always been a mythical figure, undefeated in battles. FA was considered a weak team in the World Championship. If they faltered here, could DT’s strength withstand the test?
Fans on the internet also flooded the comments, believing that DT wasn’t as strong as they imagined, at least not as strong as Korean YK, and maybe even not as strong as ENG. They speculated that luck might have played a part in DT’s two consecutive championships in the domestic scene.
Faced with the overwhelming public opinion onslaught, Lin Lan remained completely calm. He continued to farm honestly, doing what he needed to do, unaffected in the slightest.
At this moment, Yasuo went to the bot lane again.
Blitzcrank flashed in to initiate the fight again, hooking Jiang Jin and killing him once more.
Yasuo secured another kill, bringing his score to 4-0, a level of dominance that would intimidate anyone.
Korean commentators were lavishly praising FA while subtly criticizing DT. Just when fans across the country were starting to doubt DT’s strength, a sudden change occurred.
Lin Lan, in coordination with Xiao Shengjing, took down the Rift Herald. With the Rift Herald’s essence, he went to the mid-lane, summoned it, and rammed through the mid-lane tower, single-handedly taking down five layers of plating.
Then, a miraculous scene unfolded.
Displayed on the stats panel, not only was Lin Lan not behind in lane economy, but he was actually ahead of Yasuo by nearly 300 gold!
This phenomenon astonished everyone. With Yasuo having secured 4 kills, everyone assumed he had a significant lead over Lin Lan. But the reality was completely different.
Upon closer examination, everyone realized.
Lin Lan had essentially earned over a thousand gold from taking down five layers of plating and a first blood tower solo. Furthermore, he had nearly 40 more CS than Yasuo, which amounted to an additional 500 gold!
The Korean host suddenly fell silent, unsure of how to continue the commentary, and the atmosphere in the venue was filled with astonishment and disbelief.
Seeing this scene, the domestic commentators were thrilled: “My goodness, Kiner hasn’t dropped in economy at all! He farmed 140 CS in 12 minutes, my god, is this human CSing!”
This is CSing beyond time!
Normally, at 12 minutes, the number of minions is around 125, even if not a single CS is missed. Any CS count exceeding this number is considered CSing beyond time!
The mid-lane position is the easiest to achieve this feat because they can clear jungle camps like F6. For mage heroes like roaming, clearing an F6 wave takes only a few seconds and doesn’t affect CSing at all.
Of course, this can only be achieved in normal solo queue games without interference from opponents.
In fact, achieving such a feat in a competitive match is very difficult. When facing equally skilled opponents, both sides will use subtle CSing tactics to attack, making CSing a key aspect of the game. Sometimes, losing an opportunity for one CS can be costly, so players will weigh the value of each CS and selectively give up some CS.
Competitive matches focus on overall advantage, so it’s normal for players to have around 100 CS at 12 minutes. Having 120 CS can be described as dominating, and someone like Lin Lan, who has farmed 140 CS, can only be called a god.
Many people are puzzled. How did Lin Lan manage to achieve this?
The domestic commentators have started analyzing: “Yasuo has been supporting all along, while Kiner has been farming consistently. And because Yasuo keeps going to the bot lane, the enemy jungle is left empty. Kiner finishes farming his own F6 and then moves on to theirs. His wave clear is exceptionally fast, making it impossible for the enemy jungle to defend!”
This is how Lin Lan accumulated his advantage, to the point where it cannot be ignored.
Furthermore, his development has given his teammates great confidence.
A roaming with 140 CS at 12 minutes and all 5 plating destroyed is almost equivalent to a roaming with a normal score of 4-0. With such advanced development, his teammates don’t know how to lose.
FA seemed to realize that Lin Lan’s development was abnormal and became somewhat panicked. They hastily started the Dragon without even gathering their team properly.
This was FA’s second Dragon, and the rewards from securing it were quite substantial.
Although they weren’t fully gathered, DT’s team was even more disorganized. Besides Lin Lan still farming in the mid lane, everyone else was in a state of just returning home.
The domestic commentators were also anxious: “FA is starting the Dragon, will DT contest? Blitzcrank is intercepting, so DT can’t come down. What does Kiner say? What, is he going to contest this!”
As soon as Yasuo’s Wind Wall was down, Lin Lan stealthily began to act.
In front of everyone, he entered the bush, then cast his ultimate in place, teleporting himself to the other side of the Dragon pit, where FA’s AD carry was positioned.
Lin Lan created a visual discrepancy. While everyone thought he was on one side, he had actually teleported himself to the other side.
Eyes can deceive.
Especially the eyes of professional players.
Upon landing from the flash, Lin Lan unleashed a full combo of damage. FA’s full-health AD carry didn’t even react properly and was instantly burst down in just 1.5 seconds.
FA’s entire team: !!!
How terrifying can a roaming be with such advanced development?
Lin Lan showed them.
In this game, he only feared Yasuo’s Wind Wall. During the moments when Yasuo didn’t have his Wind Wall up, Lin Lan transformed into a Gatling gun, relentlessly outputting damage with lightning-fast reflexes.
He continuously unleashed AOE attacks, repeatedly resetting his Q ability. The explosive damage made the opponents surrender in unison, even daring not to contest the Dragon.
Yasuo had no choice but to flash towards Lin Lan. But in the instant he landed, Lin Lan suddenly went golden, dodging his whirlwind, and calmly awaited his teammates.
At the same time, his Q ability bounced to the enemy jungler, who was then hit by the Dragon’s flame and died on the spot.
Double Kill!
The system’s voice elevated the excitement of the match. Lin Lan was immediately hailed as a god because of this play. He was essentially taking on four opponents alone and managed to kill two in return!
With Jiang Xu’s teleport completed, Xiao Shengjing also arrived on the scene. The remaining two players from FA were left in tatters, having lost the Dragon and three lives.
The advantage instantly shifted in DT’s favor!
But there wasn’t much to shift, considering Lin Lan’s advanced development. FA’s impressive performance didn’t actually give them much of an advantage.
Lin Lan was like a time bomb planted by DT. When the time came, it was bound to explode.
“I’ve mastered the runes, you’ve lost!” Amidst the surge of spells, all squishy targets were mere clouds.
Lin Lan continuously unleashed his runic output. Wherever his runes reached, nothing grew, and enemies trembled in fear. Sometimes, even when Blitzcrank hooked someone, Yasuo dared not follow up with his ultimate.
Because the moment he went in and before his ultimate even landed, he was already slain by Lin Lan!
The dynasty established by FA fell, while DT’s was just beginning!
They continued to hunt down enemies. By the end, the audience was astonished to realize that FA, apart from initially securing 4 kills, hardly got any more kills throughout the rest of the game.
Yasuo’s score remained at 4-4-0, while Lin Lan’s score stealthily reached 5-0-2.
Such a reversal caught everyone off guard as if it was within reason yet beyond comprehension.
[Wow, they’re playing so well, aren’t they?]
[Playing Yasuo against Lin Lan, does that make you happy with the Happy Wind Man?]
[Lin Lan’s damage is terrifying, even Yasuo can’t seem to do much.]
[Actually, Yasuo messed up by roaming from the start.]
[No wonder Lin Lan wasn’t worried at all in the beginning. Roaming against roaming is like asking for death.]
[I was worried about DT for nothing, how could they lose to FA.]
[To be honest, FA’s Blitzcrank scared me.]
[This must be FA’s secret weapon…]
[I thought DT was going to lose.]
[Thank goodness it was a false alarm.]
In esports, it’s all about winning or losing. The impressive plays FA showcased in the early game turned into points of ridicule after losing the match, while DT became the master tacticians, steady as rock hunters.
Lin Lan smiled lightly in front of the camera, instantly filling the atmosphere with screams.
The barrage of comments from domestic viewers erupted, claiming they were going to be killed by Lin Lan’s handsomeness. And it wasn’t just them; even North American viewers watching the match claimed to be impressed by Lin Lan’s plays.
At this point, DT’s score reached 4-0, with two matches remaining.
Fans hoped they would win them all.
