IRAJAS Chapter 131

After securing their first victory at the World Championship, everyone noticeably became more confident.

The next day, DT continued to play against GTF, the top seed from Southeast Asia.

Their Vietnamese jungler was known for his elusive movements, with almost no one able to predict his jungle path. Even the Korean team suffered greatly against them yesterday, barely managing to turn the tables in the late game.

Shi Quan also mentioned that GTF was aggressive in the early game but became lost in the jungle in the late game. As long as they focused on shutting down the early game, they could win the match.

DT changed their strategy from the previous day. This game focused on mid-to-late game team fights, with a focus on surviving the early game. They managed to confuse the Vietnamese jungler with their defensive play.

Whenever he went top lane, he was met with resistance before he could reach Jiang Xu, who was already pushing the second turret.

When he went mid-lane, Xiao Shengjing was always behind Lin Lan.

When he went bottom lane, Jiang Jin’s vision immediately detected him.

By the 10-minute mark, the Vietnamese jungler hadn’t managed to catch anyone, and Xiao Shengjing had significantly outfarmed his counterpart.

GTF’s early-game advantage was quietly nullified. As the game progressed into the mid-game, DT abandoned their cautious playstyle and boldly initiated team fights, forcing kills in the enemy’s bottom lane and securing objectives like dragons and towers.

As the economic lead started to crush the opposition, even the commentators of the domestic broadcast sensed it: “DT is likely to win this match without shedding blood.”

Only three kills were exchanged throughout the entire game, but DT’s strategic maneuvers effectively shut down GTF.

Watching the match, one would realize that DT resembled seasoned hunters more than GTF did. Some spectators even felt a sense of disbelief: was this really a team formed by newcomers?

With two matches played and two distinct styles showcased, DT resembled master tacticians, skillfully harvesting their prey in the darkness…

After defeating GTF, DT temporarily held the top spot in the group with a 2-0 record.

On the third day, facing the Korean team, fans began to worry once again. Many teams from the domestic scene suffered from “Korean phobia”, often losing their composure when facing Korean teams and ultimately achieving nothing.

Prior to the match, many fans flooded DT’s official social media accounts, urging them to “beat the Koreans”. The surge in comments was a clear indication of the level of concern surrounding this matter.

The fans’ worries were not unfounded.

UT was the second seed from Korea, a relatively mature team known for their traditional Korean playstyle. Once the opponent made a mistake, they would capitalize on it and gradually wear them down with meticulous operations.

Could DT withstand their pressure?

On the day of the match, DT’s game drew the highest attention since the start of the World Championship.

This wasn’t just DT’s first match against a Korean team but also the first time an LPL team faced off against a Korean team.

Over the years, tensions between these two regions had been high, with fans from both sides often engaging in heated debates online. Now, they were eagerly awaiting the outcome of this match.

Therefore, this match wasn’t just about DT’s honor but also about the dignity of the entire LPL.

As the game began, DT didn’t disappoint their fans. They started with a powerful combination of top lane Renekton and jungle Olaf¹T/n: To be honest, the first time I read this name, I was having doubts AHAHAHHAHAHHA The first thing that got to mind was the snowman Olaf xD, followed by giving Lin Lan the aggressive assassin Akali and securing the strong bot lane duo of Xayah and Rakan.

As soon as this lineup was revealed, the fans were already ecstatic.

Putting aside the question of winning or losing, just in terms of momentum, they had already outplayed the Korean team.

And when it came to Lin Lan’s Akali, once he brought it out, it was guaranteed to suffocate the opponent to the point of despair!

After selecting the champions, Shi Quan happily smiled in front of the camera. He seemed to be looking forward to this match as well, expressing his excitement, “Let’s just end the game in 20 minutes.”

Lin Lan found it strange, “Why does it feel like Coach Shi is as pumped as if he were injected with chicken blood as soon as we face a Korean team?”

Jiang Jin adjusted his glasses and earnestly replied, “Coach Shi didn’t receive proper recognition in Korea. He was forced back to his homeland despite nurturing a team that nearly achieved the Grand Slam. Surely, he harbors resentment towards Korea.”

Indeed, that was the case. He had groomed a team in Korea that was on the verge of winning it all, yet due to nationality, he was deprived of even the opportunity to participate in a draft phase. He remained in obscurity, always relegated to the background.

Such treatment would be unbearable for anyone, wouldn’t it?

Lin Lan clenched his mouse, suddenly feeling a strong desire to seek justice for Shi Quan.

He wasn’t the only one feeling this way; the other four members of the team felt the same. Shi Quan’s abilities were evident to everyone, so how could he endure such mistreatment in Korea?

As the game progressed, DT’s aggressive playstyle was evident to the naked eye.

Xiao Shengjing constantly invaded the enemy jungle after level three because Lin Lan and Jiang Xu had lane priority, forcing the enemy jungler to focus on the bottom half of the map.

Lin Lan lacked solo kill potential before reaching level six, so Xiao Shengjing practically lived in the mid-lane. After pushing the wave, they secured lane priority and then moved to the jungle. After clearing the jungle camps, they would proceed to the top lane to gank.

This fast-paced style of play was clearly overwhelming for the opponents. They preferred a more passive and methodical approach, but DT, like barbarians, relentlessly dictated the pace of the game.

Initially, UT managed to hold their ground. But as soon as all of DT’s members reached level six, a critical turning point was reached.

Whenever Xiao Shengjing and Lin Lan went to the top lane, they were bound to kill their opponents’ top laner. The combination of Renekton and Olaf was too violent, and with Lin Lan dealing additional damage, even a tanky opponent would meet their demise.

UT’s jungler could only focus on the bottom lane. But the combination of Xayah and Rakan in the bot lane was fearless. If things got desperate, Renekton even had Teleport to join the fray.

UT couldn’t catch DT off guard, but DT could catch them and secure kills.

The rhythm in DT’s hands became faster and more aggressive as if they were all injected with chicken blood.

The opponent’s mid-laner played as Bard, a late-game mage. His goal for this match was to stabilize the economy and drag the game into the late game.

As Lin Lan’s development improved, every time UT’s mid-laner glanced at the scoreboard, he felt a pang of anxiety. The last time he saw Lin Lan’s score of 2-0-2, his vision went black for a moment.

They couldn’t continue like this; they needed to slow down the pace.

Utilizing his ult’s long-range and Teleport, Bard protected the bot lane and then moved to the top lane. Finally, he confidently faced off against Lin Lan in the mid-lane.

UT’s rhythm in this wave was very impressive. Korean commentators spared no compliments in praising them: “UT truly lives up to its reputation as an experienced team. They’re playing exceptionally well. I don’t even think DT is a match for UT because DT is a very new team. UT will make them suffer… And UT has already sounded the horn of counterattack. Yes, I believe they’ve awakened. Next, we can enjoy their beautiful operation…”

This commentary boosted the morale of Korean netizens, and excited voices could be heard from the audience.

As a roar echoed through the rift, the Rift Herald fell.

After being missing for two minutes, Lin Lan returned to the mid lane with the crystal core of the Rift Herald, smashing the already vulnerable mid-lane turret in one fell swoop.

Bard’s expression turned cold as he thought to himself, “Lin Lan is indeed fearless!”

He unleashed a combo, waiting for the jungler to enter. In this game, their jungler played Sejuani, and Lin Lan didn’t have Flash. As long as Sejuani landed her ultimate, it was almost a guaranteed kill on Lin Lan!

Just as Sejuani charged out and her ultimate came crashing down, Lin Lan used his ultimate in a split second, dodging Sejuani’s ultimate entirely.

He swung the sickle in his hand, a hint of casual mockery on his face. “Hmph, another overestimation.”

Then, he raised his hand and struck Bard’s major artery. As Bard attempted to control him, Lin Lan vanished into a cloud of smoke.

The duration of the smoke screen was much longer than the control time of W. After breaking free from the control, Lin Lan roamed within the smoke, waiting for his Q ability to cooldown. Once it did, he reappeared behind with an EQEA combo followed by the second part of his ultimate, instantly taking down Bard.

His speed and damage completely exceeded the opponent’s expectations. Moreover, his control of distance had reached an alarming level. Throughout the process of solo killing Bard, he managed to evade Sejuani’s attacks entirely.

He continued to casually taunt, swinging his sickle. Sejuani was provoked and charged towards him.

Lin Lan’s health was not great; he could only take two hits at most.

As Sejuani charged forward, she didn’t manage to touch him. When she activated W, Lin Lan swiftly turned and dodged it.

At this moment, the more flustered one becomes, the more problems arise. Sejuani remained calm, moving straight towards Lin Lan in pursuit, knowing that with the next Q skill, she could claim Lin Lan’s life.

Suddenly, an Olaf flashed out of the bush—it was Xiao Shengjing!

Seeing Lin Lan in danger, he immediately activated his ultimate and dashed over. In the frenzy of his ultimate, he disregarded all crowd control effects, completely neutralizing Sejuani!

Under his barrage of critical strikes, Sejuani began to falter. Just as she was about to finish off Lin Lan as soon as her Q cooldown ended, Lin Lan shattered her illusion with a reverse E.

Unable to kill Lin Lan and unable to escape herself, Sejuani met her end under Xiao Shengjing’s burst axe.

Sejuani herself was a rather cumbersome champion, while Akali was inherently agile. Coupled with Lin Lan’s extraordinary reaction speed, Sejuani seemed even more inept.

After this exchange, the Korean commentator let out an “Ah” and then fell silent on the spot.

He had been praising UT’s tactics to the skies, claiming their operation was invincible, and that DT was being manipulated by them. Yet, before he could finish praising UT, they were already at a 0-2 disadvantage.

The atmosphere, which had just been filled with thunderous cheers, suddenly quieted down.

Every move Lin Lan made struck them like a slap in the face, stinging painfully.

In this wave, DT not only took down the mid-lane turret but also secured a 0-2 exchange! At this moment, Lin Lan’s score stood at an impressive 3-0-3, with a lead of 2200 gold!

What could UT possibly do to win?!

With DT’s full-frontal assault lineup, they carried an unstoppable momentum, driving the pace of the game madly. And in this frenzy, they hardly made any mistakes.

Against UT, each member of DT seemed to have tapped into some secret technique, displaying a high degree of synergy.

DT advanced in a domineering manner, causing UT to feel overwhelmed. They could only retreat further and further, yielding ground continuously until there was nothing left to give. They could only watch helplessly as their nexus exploded…

Fans from all over the world were watching this showdown closely.

Originally, it was thought that even if the Korean team wasn’t at its best, they could still put up a fight. But unexpectedly, they stumbled in the mid-game and continued to decline, unable to lift their heads under DT’s pressure.

Moreover, DT displayed numerous high-octane plays in this match, making UT appear dull. After the game, even Korean netizens began to doubt the level of their team this year.

LPL audiences exclaimed in delight, as DT truly gave them face in this match! Even DT’s antis among the V-bloggers switched sides temporarily for strategic reasons. After all, in the current national context, personal preferences could be disregarded.

On the other hand, Korean netizens who had previously praised UT were now so embarrassed they wished they could bury their heads in the ground. In their frustration, they even came up with ideas to revoke UT’s nationality.

But this couldn’t stop their humiliation; it would only get worse.

With DT securing three victories in three matches, discussions about them exploded on official websites and across domestic and international platforms. The majority of fans believed they had the strength to contend for the championship this year.

On the other side, South Korea’s first seed team, YK, also achieved a 3-0 record, while ENG secured a 2-1 score. Only YTF had a tougher time, managing to win one game but ending up with a 1-2 record.

Domestic fans are crazily analyzing the tournament situation, all agreeing that DT and ENG’s advancement seems straightforward, but it’s uncertain for YTF. Given the current circumstances, there’s a high chance they might not make it out of the group stage at all.

LPL is considered a major league in League of Legends, with very few teams historically failing to advance. If YTF fails to advance, it would be a significant blow to the overall LPL scene.

Fans are very worried:

[Oh no. I feel like all the teams this year are so strong.]

[Even a strong team like YTF might not advance?]

[I’m devastated for my YTF.]

[What, they might not advance? Shocked for a hundred years.]

[This really is the group of death…]

[This year’s Worlds seems exceptionally competitive…]

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  T/n: To be honest, the first time I read this name, I was having doubts AHAHAHHAHAHHA The first thing that got to mind was the snowman Olaf xD