IRAJAS Chapter 142

Both sides meet in the mid-lane.

Everyone was worried that the defeat in the previous game would affect Lin Lan’s mindset, but obviously, such concerns were unnecessary.

Lin Lan manipulates Ekko to come to the mid-lane, unleashing a very cunning Q skill.

Ekko’s Q skill, Timewinder, slowly travels forward. It damages enemies along its path, briefly pausing, then quickly returning, dealing damage once again to enemies along its path.

It’s worth noting that once hit by Ekko’s Q skill on its return journey, it stacks up to two stacks of his passive effect. Ekko only needs to E in and hit a basic attack to trigger the third stack of his passive.

The damage from Ekko’s third stack is very painful, especially for squishy champions like Viktor, basically meaning death after taking two of these third stacks.

Lin Lan’s Q skill seems non-threatening when thrown out, but it’s actually forcing Viktor to adjust his positioning. Kuien has to give up farming and retreat, while Lin Lan gains the upper hand, smoothly taking three minions.

Kuien quickly recovers and uses the advantage of his long arms to force Lin Lan back, keeping the current development relatively balanced between both sides.

Watching as Lin Lan is about to reach level three, Kuien becomes cautious. He carefully calculates Lin Lan’s experience, thinking he can still take two more minions.

Lin Lan remains nonchalant as before, casually throwing out a Q. Kuien instinctively moves to dodge. But as he does so, he suddenly realizes something is amiss.

The angle of this Q is extremely cunning, perfectly trapping Kuien amidst the minions. No matter which way he tries to move, he gets blocked by the minions, and forced to take the initial damage.

Was it just luck? Surely no one could calculate so precisely.

Kuien unavoidably grazes past the Timewinder. With that, he gets tagged with the first stack of Ekko’s passive.

Lin Lan, devoid of any killing intent, suddenly makes a leaping motion. He E’s towards Kuien, instantly jumping in front of him to land a quick auto-attack, applying the second stack of his passive.

By now, Lin Lan is incredibly close to where he threw out the Timewinder. The return of the Timewinder happens almost instantaneously, leaving Kuien with no chance to dodge, directly hit by Lin Lan’s third stack.

“Bang bang” — two sounds ring out, and Viktor’s health instantly drops by nearly half. Even if he tries to retaliate against Lin Lan, he can’t make up for the health disadvantage he’s in.

In this mid-lane duel, surprisingly, Kuien lost.

Lin Lan smiled in front of the cameras like a triumphant kitten, proud and contrasting sharply with Kuien’s serious expression.

Both inside and outside the arena, there were continuous sounds of surprise and doubt. Clearly, no one expected Lin Lan to adjust his state so well. They had thought he would falter…

The domestic broadcast commentators, upon seeing this scene, were so excited they forgot to breathe. They analyzed it in one breath, “Early game Viktor is still too fragile. Taking a third stack hits him hard. And truly worthy of our kiner, he quickly adjusted his state back. This blood exchange was handled perfectly!”

Seeing the familiar Lin Lan back in form, fans erupted in excitement, cheering for this exact style of play! The more targeted he is, the more he wants to prove himself to his opponents!

Lin Lan’s personality is the kind that rebounds the more he’s pressured. When he realized he was being targeted by YK’s entire team, a competitive spirit deep inside him drove him to prove himself.

After proving himself, the exhilaration of the surging blood into his heart was indescribable. It felt wonderful to gain an advantage from the hands of the gods. Lin Lan savored this taste of victory and refused to let go. He enjoyed the thrill of bouncing back despite being targeted by the entire enemy team. His gameplay grew hotter and faster. Once again, he skillfully repeated a cunning Q move, hitting with a second third stack.

Once that third stack hit, Kuien had no way to continue laning against him. He could only quickly push the minions in his hand and immediately recall.

Although Viktor’s late-game damage output is high and formidable, his options in the early game are limited. He can only cautiously farm to get his core items before he can truly contest.

However, Lin Lan didn’t give him any breathing room.

Upon returning to the lane, Lin Lan stubbornly held onto his advantage, once again hitting with a third stack during the laning phase, gaining an edge. While this advantage wasn’t enough to dominate the game, it was enough to lift the spirits of DT.

Lin Lan lost, but he didn’t give up! DT lost, but DT also didn’t give up!

Just like the fifth game that went to full rounds against ENG, neither team gave up. They almost brought YK down from their pedestal with their indomitable spirit.

This is the kind of match the audience wants to see!

Kuien’s expression grew increasingly serious each time he was hit by the third stack. He seemed to have encountered a difficult puzzle, deeply immersed in thought trying to find a solution.

Such an expression excited DT fans. It’s said that Kuien rarely shows this expression. But once he does, it means he has truly met a formidable opponent!

[Ah, ah, ah, Kuien is starting to fear getting hit!]

[Wh-wh-what. Lin Lan looks so cool when he’s serious…]

[YK has really made Lin Lan angry this time. I’ve never seen him put in so much effort before.]

[Lin Lan’s mechanics indeed seem more insane.]

[Lin Lan is losing his temper. YK is in trouble.]

[I’m actually starting to look forward to what’s going to happen…]

As the game progresses, Kuien’s expression becomes increasingly serious. After Lin Lan reaches level six, without hesitation, Kuien abandons all the minions and retreats to prepare for tower defense.

But Lin Lan has other plans. He leisurely farms in the mid-lane, not allowing a single minion to pass, unwilling to give Viktor any chance to farm.

Lin Lan has effectively shut down Kuien’s farming.

This realization sparked excitement once again among the domestic commentators: “Kiner’s understanding of Ekko is just too profound. Meanwhile, Kuien hasn’t been able to exert the same dominance as the previous game! If DT can continue to expand their lead, YK might not make it to the late game and we might not see Viktor reach his power spike…”

As soon as the commentator’s voice fell, the enemy Zac gave up on the top lane and headed towards the mid lane to try and catch Lin Lan.

Lin Lan seemed to anticipate this move. He calmly placed a W skill at his feet — this was his Parallel Convergence. As long as he stood within this magnetic field, any enemy entering would instantly be frozen in place, and he would also gain a thick shield.

Seeing this, Zac had no choice but to abandon his attempt to engage.

Meanwhile, at this moment, good news came from DT’s bot lane: with Xiao Shengjing’s assistance, Xu Shengwei secured first blood.

Xu Shengwei was playing Tristana this game, while Jiang Jin was on Lulu. This combination could practically face any lineup head-on. Knowing Zac would likely stay top, Xu Shengwei played aggressively early on.

To the point that when Xiao Shengjing came for a gank, the opponents were completely caught off guard. Xiao Shengjing flashed in with his ultimate and instantly killed them on the spot.

This first blood gave DT a lot of confidence, including Lin Lan. He jumped in, aggressively engaged Viktor, and used his W skill to shield against damage. He dealt a significant amount of damage without taking any in return.

He knew the enemy jungler was nearby, so he didn’t get greedy. He used this rogue-like playstyle to once again send Kuien back to base.

After this recall, the audience finally saw how dominant Lin Lan was playing. Not only did he outfarm Kuien by 20 CS, but he even had one more layer of plating than his opponent!

Watching the casually strolling Ekko in front of him, Kuien’s brows furrowed tighter. He felt that this game’s Lin Lan was different from the last one as if all his actions were a bit quicker.

Was this all the strength he could muster?

Kuien chuckled lightly, not taking him seriously. Like a monster, he quickly ramped up his farming.

Seamlessly connecting resources allowed him to stabilize his disadvantage quickly. As he saw his weak phase nearing its end, Lin Lan, still as relaxed as a sunny, cheerful boy, was driving his fans crazy.

He calmly took a Scuttle Crab, then sneakily lurked in the jungle bushes. The commentators were shocked: “There’s a Control Ward there! The enemy spotted him!”

The Control Ward was a summoner’s ability that provided vision. The moment Lin Lan entered, he was spotted by the Control Ward. It wasn’t clear if he didn’t see it or what, but he unexpectedly recalled in that bush!

YK’s jungler swiftly closed in on him, while the bot lane duo rushed over to intercept him.

Just as Lin Lan was about to be surrounded, he suddenly activated his ultimate!

Ekko’s ultimate is called Chronobreak. It allows him to return to where he was 4 seconds ago, dealing explosive damage — precisely at the current position of the enemy AD carry!

With a resounding “boom”, Lin Lan instantly triggered Chronobreak, teleporting next to the enemy AD carry and unleashing the third stack, instantly killing him!

The remaining support tried to flee, but Xiao Shengjing flashed over the wall with his ultimate to lock him down, coordinating with Lin Lan and Xu Shengwei’s damage to finish him off!

Double Kill!

YK’s jungler couldn’t even enter the fray at this point, and Viktor’s items were still not fully built, so his damage output was insufficient!

Kuien frowned, seemingly realizing something was amiss. His farming in this game had been disrupted by Lin Lan, and DT clearly aimed for fast-paced aggression…

He immediately rallied his teammates, preparing to defend with all their might.

However, with two kills under his belt, Lin Lan had reached a state where he seemed to be in a realm of his own. He could invade the enemy jungle recklessly or knock off half of anyone’s health upon meeting them.

If he couldn’t win the fight, he would immediately use his ultimate to escape, with Xiao Shengjing providing cover, making anyone trying to chase him effectively offer themselves to the heavens!

Fans also noticed the subtle dynamics of this jungle duo. Lin Lan’s agility was unmatched among ten players; he could dance freely on the enemy’s faces without a care in the world.

Meanwhile, Xiao Shengjing’s control was the most steady among them all, providing Lin Lan with the strongest support. Whether Lin Lan succeeded or failed, Xiao Shengjing was a steadfast anchor.

Kuien wanted to stop DT’s aggressive play, but he realized he couldn’t. Viktor’s margin for error was lower. Without hard crowd control, Viktor was almost guaranteed to lose half his health upon encountering Ekko. If Lin Lan got more aggressive, he could even force a life-for-life trade…

Suddenly, a buzzing sound filled his ears. Kuien sensed trouble immediately and decisively retreated.

But the next moment, Xiao Shengjing flashed onto his face and used his ultimate to drag him away. Lin Lan leisurely jumped in with his E and took his life.

Kuien might be a god, but what did that matter?

Skarner’s ultimate shuts down all kinds of fancy tricks.

They killed their opponents and left triumphantly, securing the third dragon and taking a solid 5000 gold lead over the enemy.

This kill dealt YK immeasurable losses. Kuien could only rush for a Quicksilver Sash to cleanse crowd control. But this would further delay his development, creating an almost unsolvable cycle…

As the game progressed, the commentators noticed something quite amusing: “Oh my, YK has actually bought three Quicksilver Sashes?!”

This alone demonstrated how much of a threat Xiao Shengjing’s Skarner posed to them. Moreover, the 5-0 Lin Lan looked truly terrifying; anyone who faced him seemed to lose half their health on sight!

His hand speed was so fast that opponents couldn’t keep up. Even Kuien suffered greatly, his expression growing darker.

Watching Ekko leaping around on the screen, fans burst into laughter. They never expected this seemingly laid-back hero to unleash such devastating effects in Lin Lan’s hands!

This clearly shows just how profoundly Lin Lan understands Ekko!

Some fans even felt that Lin Lan’s understanding of Ekko might already place him at the top of the entire league!

As the final electromagnetic sound echoed, Lin Lan went alone to the meeting, instantly immobilizing the enemy team of four. Xu Shengwei with his cannon and Jiang Jin with his ultimate bombarded relentlessly, instantly slaying all four members of YK.

Only Kuien remained. He quickly retreated to defend his base. At the last moment, his Viktor finally reached full power, nearly electrocuting three members of DT with his ultimate.

But it was too late.

The voice of the domestic commentators went wild: “Viktor hits all four of DT with his ultimate! Lulu is dead, Tristana is low on health with her ultimate ready, Kuien’s damage output is truly terrifying! Can DT withstand this wave?!”

Lin Lan, wielding his Chronobreak, resurrected from the abyss. He turned the tide, and with one final devastating blow, hammered the crystal, putting a perfect end to this match!

DT won!! Lin Lan won! And they won brilliantly!

Lin Lan fiercely retaliated with Ekko, telling the opposition: “I’m not afraid of being targeted by you.”

They employed various cunning strategies and unexpected synergies, breaking through YK’s impenetrable defense. Despite setbacks, they turned the tables fearlessly, showcasing DT’s style and the spirit of LPL.

Fans were so excited at this point that they were speechless. They saw Lin Lan, seemingly invincible, in a battlefield filled with blood and chaos…

---