Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The elimination rounds took out about nine hundred teams, and only about a hundred teams remained, hence, the Playoffs would be run in a small exhibition hall.
Just in the span of one week, a hundred teams were left from the thousands that had participated. It felt like a big wave had come and swept them all away.
This was what the road to e-sports was like, they didn’t have any minimum threshold. As long as a team was formed and registered, they could participate in the competition. The competition itself was like a wooden bridge with hundreds and thousands of soldiers standing on it, but ninety percent of them would be pushed overboard into the coursing river below and swept away. Only those who remained would be able to cross to the other side of the road of e-sports.
Once they reached the other side, it wasn’t prestige or glory that was awaiting them, they still needed to fight their way through brutal competitions with other strong competitors! Only after claiming victory over everybody else would they be eligible to step foot into the hall of honor—LPL!
All the participants in the Media War only had one objective, and that was to get into the LPL hall of honor to leave their footprint at the peak. They loved e-sports and they had worked hard for it, getting into LPL was the only way they could prove themselves!
Perhaps a lot of strong teams had met with stronger teams during the elimination rounds and were eliminated, however, it was certain that those who could pass the three rounds of elimination definitely had the strength to reach the third tier professional line!
***
Progression by points was actually the more common tournament format: Over a hundred teams were randomly matched against each other, after which teams would be separated according to whether they had gotten their first win or loss.
During the second round, the twelve winning teams would be pitted against each other, and the same went for the teams who did poorly during the first round. From there, teams would again be separated, based on whether they now had two wins, one win and one loss, or two losses… 1
Events would continue in this manner until two teams with the highest winning rates were determined. During the final week of the LPL tournament, these two teams would fight each other for a place within!
This was a brutal elimination match of nine teams out of ten!
***
Entering the final elimination stage, the opponents that Team Skycrown encountered were not as easily done in as the previous elimination rounds. It was obvious that a lot of their playstyles were a threat to Team Skycrown.
The first game, they took 23 minutes to defeat their opponents.
In the second game, they got caught in the level one teamfight and it took them 27 minutes to wrap up the game.
Team Kouga was the only team so far in the competition that had managed to survive more than 25 minutes into the game against Team Skycrown.
Team Kouga and Team Scarlet were old enemies, and once the competition was over, Bin Bin walked over and patted the captain who was wearing a dejected expression. Bin Bin shook his head and sighed.
“If I were in your position, I would have surrendered at 20. There was no reason to continue the abuse into 27 minutes, it would definitely leave a mark in your heart…”
The captain of Team Kouga also felt incompetent, he didn’t understand, how was that fair, they were initially holding a big advantage and still they were overturned!
What’s more, normally in comebacks, the game would drag on for at least 40 minutes. But in the end, their opponents had only used 23 minutes to make a comeback, and in another 4 minutes, Team Kouga’s middle lane turrets had gone down, and their base had been broken into all the way.
In short, their 23 minutes of advantage throughout the whole game had been easily overturned in a mere 4 minutes!
They were stunned shock and at a complete loss for words. The members of Team Kouga just didn’t know what to say or do anymore.
Just as Team Scarlet had said, if Team Kouga had known the outcome, they would have surrendered at 20 as to avoid that depressing shadow that left such a deep impression inside them…
Holding the advantage for 23 minutes of the game, and in 4 minutes…
They really had nothing to say, they were just tired, it was the same as getting your heart broken completely.
***
After these two games, Team Skycrown had managed to enter the straight wins group!
There were a total of six teams in the straight wins group, and these six teams were all strong. Either they were teams who had won the Champion War, placed top three in the National Internet Cafe League, or some other competitions. All of them had very outstanding performances!
***
A little uncertain as to why, but they were feeling extra good today. Team Skycrown couldn’t help but think that and deliberately ate more during their meal that day.
After arriving at the stage, Team Skycrown then knew why they had eaten extra. Walking on the road while humming, the flowers were in full bloom, the girls were beautiful, it was because their opponent for today was Team Galaxy!
Team Galaxy, champion of the National Internet Cafe League, and the top team among the third tier professional teams.
In the eyes of the many people present, they were an extremely fierce and strong team. Meeting them in a match was equivalent to having a losing match already.
However, for Team Skycrown, after meeting them, their mood was extraordinarily good. It was the same pride and wicked feeling of when you had stolen somebody’s wife thus rendering them completely helpless.
***
“Team Skycrown, have you ever heard of them before?” A spiky-headed youth asked.
The youth’s ID was Hedgehog and everyone called him by that name. He was the Jungler for Team Galaxy, and he was quite an aggressive Jungler.
“Skycrown…Boss Lu, wasn’t that the trash team that wanted to have a combat practice with us the other day?” A guy sporting a flattop haircut said.
The guy’s ID was Flattop, the members of Team Galaxy used their hairstyles to name themselves which was once stated in an internet news article. They followed it proudly and always maintained the same hairstyle.
Lu Lian thought for a while, trying to recall, and realized Flattop was right.
“Ah, so it was them. What a joke that such a team could have gotten into the straight wins group.” Lu Lian said as he laughed.
Lu Lian was Team Galaxy’s coach, and he did recall something like this happening. Only, he hadn’t expected to meet them in the field so quickly.
“Lu Lian, I remember they were seriously arrogant on the call the other day?” Hedgehog said.
“Yeah.” Lu Lian replied as he rubbed his hands together in glee, smirking darkly.
Just as well, since the previous game they played had left them a bit anxious and stressed, playing with this trash Team Skycrown would serve to boost their confidence.
Wasn’t it a pleasure to abuse other people when playing League of Legends?
“Hehe, look, here they come…” Flattop immediately started laughing as he pointed at Team Skycrown.
Team Skycrown and Team Galaxy rubbed shoulders as they passed each other and Hedgehog looked at Xiao Bei during that time, chuckling non-stop as he said, “Little boy, you’re still studying? In primary school?”
Xiao Bei’s build was small and petite, and as he was only sixteen years old, he had the looks of a junior high school student. Standing among a group of adults, it was guaranteed that he stood out.
“No intentional provoking of other players allowed, this is your first warning.” The staff said sternly.
“Oh sorry, I just couldn’t help it. Good luck, Team Skycrown. We are optimistic about you, it was too bad we couldn’t make the last combat practice appointment.”
“By the way, it was a good thing we rejected that practice, otherwise, you would know all our tactics by now.”
Lu Lian could still recall the call when someone from Team Skycrown had raged at him, and he coldly said, “Even if you had seen our tactics or anything, it wouldn’t matter. The fact that I rejected the practice was also for your sake, if you had played against us, you wouldn’t have the courage to be standing here today to play against us.”
Saying that, Lu Lian deliberately turned and walked to a place behind the referee, mouthing two words.
Even if no sound came out, everyone could tell what the most harsh words were said, ‘trash team’!
***
The members of Team Skycrown didn’t speak. Except for Xiao Bei who was joining a real competition for the first time, the other members had played countless matches before. They definitely had more games in their hands as compared to a lot of other players, what kind of players had they not met before?
They had long since passed the stage where they would mock their opponents right before a game…
No, no, don’t misunderstand.
It wasn’t because they had matured and held themselves to a higher standard that they stopped doing it, but it was because they could still tolerate this level of provocation. What they were thinking was, how should they play this match so that their opponents could have a taste of what it was like to suffer and practically eat shit?
***
“Boss, they are very despicable.” Wu Sen said after a while.
Wu Sen was kinder and gentler than any of them, but anyone would get angry at the scorn and insult thrown in their faces like that.
“Yeah.” Luocheng said as he nodded.
“I feel that you should play this match.” Wu Sen said.
Xiao Bei, Lin Dong, Da Luo and Zhou Yan’s eyes all fell on Luocheng as soon as Wu Sen had said that.
“What the f*ck, why are you guys looking at me like that!” Luocheng exclaimed.
“Enough, I can’t take it anymore. It’s either you play this game with us, or once the game is done, I’m dragging them out to beat the sh*t out of them!” Da Luo said heatedly, his fist clenched tightly.
“Violence is not the answer, and you would get disqualified.” Luocheng hurriedly said.
“Then play this match with us.” Da Luo said.
“F*ck, just torture them in return, why do I have to play?” Luocheng said, frowning unhappily.
Team Scarlet who was watching this scene unfold from the side were also confused, why would they need Luocheng to play?
Wu Sen was strong, and he was definitely on par with a first tier professional player. Letting Luocheng play instead of him should make no difference at all.
As Qin Ying, Huang Yu and the rest were trying to figure out this matter, Luocheng had already been forced into the seat by the other members of Team Skycrown.
“Hey, hey! I already said that I’m not playing!”
“Damn it, being insulted right in the face and treated like a dog, are you telling me you can tolerate it?” Da Luo exclaimed as he pointed his finger at Luocheng’s face.
“Of course I can’t!” Luocheng retorted angrily.
In the past whenever anyone had dared to insult Team Wings, Luocheng would face them one on one in whatever type of match they f*cking wanted to pick, it didn’t matter!
“Then you play.”
“Isn’t it the same if Wu Sen plays?”
Da Luo and Lin Dong spared a glance at Wu Sen, then they shook their heads as they patted Luocheng on the back.
“No can do, Wu Sen is too honorable, he can’t play as despicably as you.”
“…”
Luocheng was completely lost for words.
If you had the balls, I dare the both of you assholes to say that again to my face! What do you mean despicable!
“So you’re saying I’m a despicable person?” Luocheng growled out.
“Luocheng, to be honest, watching you abuse JJK that time, it was really…if we use the ranking system to rank how despicable someone can be, we’re normally already quite bad and I would rank us at Bronze. Luocheng, your level…it would be Challenger.”
“Xiao Bei’s explanation is completely on point.” Zhou Yan nodded seriously.
Wu Sen, Lin Dong and Da Luo who completely understood Luocheng’s personality all nodded in unison, no objection was voiced.
Internationally, knowing that Luocheng was Fighting Hawk, he represented passionate and heroic fights…
In actuality, many well-known players who had gone against this dirty bugger in solo matches would experience a completely maddening plunge into a deep pit. Once Fighting Hawk entered his b*tch mode, you would feel like kicking down your computer and buying a flight ticket to China to f*cking strangle this little twerp with your bare hands!
