IRAJAS Chapter 141

DT lost.

Lin Lan lost too.

On the scoreboard, Lin Lan’s stats showed 6 kills, 8 deaths, and 2 assists. This was his first defeat in the World Championship. Although his damage output was the highest on the team, over 20,000, compared to Kuien’s 34,000 output, his performance seemed quite meager. Moreover, in terms of economy and lane matchups, Lin Lan was nearly crushed by over 2,000 gold…

Every time DT lost a game, fans would often say: “DT lost, but Lin Lan didn’t lose.”

But this time, not only did DT lose, but Lin Lan lost thoroughly…

Watching Kuien rightfully receive the MVP on stage, with a final quadra kill in the last teamfight, Lin Lan felt something heavy in his heart.

The pressure Kuien put on him was like an incurable disease, something he couldn’t shake off. He returned to the rest area, buried his head, and replayed the match in his mind over and over, scrutinizing every detail from start to finish.

There must have been something he overlooked…

The camera of the director turned to the resting room, catching Lin Lan burying his head, looking remarkably similar to Qi Mo when he lost the game. Fans tightened their hearts at this scene.

[Is Lin Lan feeling devastated?]

[Is Kuien really that powerful?]

[YK’s form is even better than in the semifinals, not hiding their skills at all.]

[Qi Mo was like this after his match too…]

[Oh my god, tears are coming. Lin Lan, cheer up!]

[DT, come on, come on…]

The halftime break during the match was very brief. The coach could only do his best to adjust their state, “Don’t overthink it, just play freely. Follow my instructions, and you’ll have a chance…”

In the blink of an eye, Lin Lan seemed to grasp something. He lifted his head, but the brief halftime ended right at this moment, interrupting his thoughts.

He got up and followed his teammates to the arena. With each step, his thoughts became clearer.

The second game quickly commenced, and both sides took their seats to prepare.

The Korean commentators on stage were extremely excited, their incessant chatter making it seem like YK had already won the championship. The atmosphere in the venue was completely biased towards YK, which dealt a psychological blow to DT’s players.

Xiao Shengjing didn’t say anything upon hearing this. Instead, he picked up the headphones from the table and handed them to Lin Lan. Instantly cutting off the outside noise, Lin Lan looked up at his calm profile, which stabilized the team’s morale like an unshakeable pillar, “Everyone put on your headphones and focus on listening to the coach’s commands.”

With the noise blocked out, the team seemed to feel much calmer. Shi Quan was deliberate in his manner, always speaking calmly and reassuringly, which helped settle everyone’s nerves.

The team’s atmosphere slowly began to improve, and the impact of the previous loss gradually faded from their minds.

Lin Lan gazed steadily at the screen displaying the game, suddenly remarking, “Their jungle isn’t that strong.”

Everyone looked at him in surprise, “What? Not strong? He’s been dominating all three lanes. Maybe we really should ban his Zac…”

“Ban Zac. Are you still not going to ban any mid-lane champions? If Kuien gets a strong mid-laner champion, we’ll lose even faster.”

“We must ban Ryze, absolutely must ban him. We can’t afford to let him have it again, he plays it too insanely.”

“I often feel like Kuien and us are not from the same world of players.”

“We only have three ban slots in total. Banning Ryze means letting other champions through. Oh man, this game is so difficult to play.”

They debated in voice chat for a long time but couldn’t decide. After all, three ban slots against YK were really too few.

With time running out, Shi Quan pondered over it repeatedly and finally decided to ban three mid-lane champions: Ryze, Syndra, and LeBlanc.

But this decision meant Viktor and Akali would both be left open. Each side would likely take one, and the team picking second would be more susceptible to counters.

YK was on the blue side this match and had priority. Without hesitation, they locked in Viktor for Kuien, putting Lin Lan in a difficult position once again.

After much deliberation, Shi Quan made up his mind, “Let’s pick Urgot and Tristana first.”

Not picking these two champions would mean handing them all over to the opponents.

The drafting rights returned to YK’s hands, and surprisingly, they picked Akali and Zac.

DT’s entire team held their breath, unable to believe it.

Originally, they had thought if Kuien picked Viktor, Lin Lan would play Akali. But now, Akali was snatched away by the opponents…

Even the domestic broadcasters seemed to doubt themselves, “Huh? YK actually picked Akali too? Are they going to play Akali in the top lane?!”

YK’s draft caught Lin Lan off guard, pushing him into a deep pit. There were only a few mid-lane champions he could play. Now that Akali was either banned or picked, his options were almost nonexistent.

What’s even more daunting is that the opponents banned three junglers and took one, leaving DT’s third position for Xiao Shengjing. Otherwise, they’d face the embarrassing situation of having no champions left to pick.

But this meant Lin Lan would inevitably face bans on two more champions!

He didn’t know how to handle this…

Through the broadcaster’s lens, Lin Lan could be seen with tightly pressed lips and furrowed brows, clearly showing his frustration. Targeted by the opponents for two whole matches, unable to gain any advantage, his inner turmoil was evident.

[Oh no, they’re targeting Lan too much…]

[Seems like there’s no direct targeting, but it’s everywhere.]

[Lan, you must hang in there! QAQ]

[So, Lan is actually a threat to YK, right? Sob… I can only think like this…]

[Thinking like this seems to make it a little easier.]

YK’s draft has thrown DT into an abyss. This must be a big move YK has been hiding. Before this, their top laner had never played Akali even once.

Shi Quan on stage was helpless. This was his first time encountering such a disaster in the draft phase. “Xiao Shengjing, discuss with Lin Lan who should pick first.”

Xiao Shengjing was about to suggest letting Lin Lan pick first when Lin Lan’s voice came through the headphones: “Captain should pick first. The jungle position is more crucial.”

He sounded calm. But the more composed he seemed, the more it indicated he was holding back his frustration. Everyone involuntarily looked at him, concerned and asking, “Lin Lan, can you still play?”

He grunted in acknowledgment, then began adjusting his runes and summoner spells, seeming to have made his decision.

Shi Quan no longer held back, letting Xiao Shengjing pick his champion first. This was Xiao Shengjing’s secret weapon honed through countless practices: Skarner.

Skarner, the Crystal Vanguard. It’s a tank jungle with strong crowd control, almost invincible when coordinated well. It suits Xiao Shengjing’s aggressive playstyle, and DT had long prepared this substitute jungle to cope with opponents targeting their jungle position. Finally, it was time to put it into action.

After this pick, YK indeed showed some concern, whispering among themselves with serious expressions.

The second round of bans began, each side needing to ban two champions.

DT focused on banning YK’s AD carry, but YK took a strange approach—they didn’t continue targeting Lin Lan, instead, they aggressively banned supports. They consecutively banned Jiang Jin’s two signature support champions, forcing him to pick a less impactful support. Consequently, he wouldn’t be able to support Lin Lan in the mid-lane…

In DT’s voice chat, almost everyone was asking Lin Lan, “How are you going to play this?”

This brazen banning strategy didn’t seem to regard Lin Lan highly, which amused him. He felt like YK had ignited the suppressed temper within him that had been building for years. There was something deep inside him subtly boiling up, a kind of rebounding defiance. He sneered, “YK is playing mind games with me.”

As Lin Lan suspected, the opposition was indeed employing a very new tactic.

Seemingly banning jungle and support champions, they were actually cutting off Lin Lan’s external support, leaving him isolated and without backup.

Appearing to target Lin Lan, in reality, every step, every choice, showed they didn’t regard him highly at all.

They used arrogance and disdain to completely suppress one person, preventing Lin Lan from gaining any advantage. Under the dual pressures of body and mind, he gradually became frustrated, ultimately leading himself towards defeat…

Lin Lan finally understood where the discomfort from the first game originated—it was because the five pairs of eyes from the opposite side were constantly on him.

Perhaps the Lin Lan of years past wouldn’t have seen through this, but now he was no longer a newcomer just starting out.

If they liked playing against him, then let them do it to the fullest.

Once again, both sides picked their champions. All nine champions on the field were assembled, with only Lin Lan left to select his champion.

The domestic casters desperately analyzed, “I think Kiner can pick Katarina, or maybe Jayce for early-mid game pressure. DT’s lineup lacks damage a bit, they definitely need a mid-lane output champion…”

Just as he finished speaking, the big screen instantly locked in the final champion.

Ekko, the Boy Who Shattered Time!

This choice completely exceeded the casters’ expectations. One exclaimed in surprise, expressing confusion at first, but after deeper thought, realized the subtleties of this pick, “Ekko can handle Viktor, and if Kiner plays well, Viktor won’t be able to scale. More importantly, Ekko’s ult allows him to escape, so he doesn’t have to fear enemy ganks!”

Moreover, according to official data, Ekko versus Viktor matchup is 46-54 in favor, meaning Lin Lan can definitely dominate.

Looking at the entire game, Lin Lan’s choice can be considered optimal.

But the key question remains: Can Lin Lan actually play Ekko?

How well does he understand Ekko?

If Lin Lan can delay Viktor’s scaling, DT might just have a chance. However, can Lin Lan really stall Kuien’s development?

This is a showdown in the mid-lane. Both teams’ junglers are unlikely to focus on mid. Kuien needs to ensure his development despite being countered, while Lin Lan must rely on his efforts to dominate.

The commentators had analyzed before the match began: “YK’s Zac will definitely focus on ganking. Otherwise, Akali will struggle early, which is the downside of YK picking Akali. As a result, Kuien needs to be careful because DT’s mid-jungle duo can be extremely aggressive!”

Ekko himself doesn’t lack damage. As long as he lands his three-hit passive, he can almost instantly kill all squishy targets. His high mobility also gives him ample opportunities to proc his passive fully.

The question remains: How well does Lin Lan understand Ekko?

Can his understanding surpass Kuien’s understanding of Viktor?

This is an unknown game, and all outcomes will be written by Lin Lan and Kuien. As the camera of the broadcast moved, the game officially began, both sides entering the lanes, converging in the middle lane…

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