Insignificant match
VLG played very carelessly in the semifinals. Their crushing victory in the quarterfinals had made everyone complacent, but this match was different. VLG took the lead several times, only to stumble unexpectedly each time. Finally, in the fifth game, they were in a huge disadvantage, down 0-7 economically and seemingly on the verge of collapse. Chen Yuchuan seized the opportunity, coordinating with Chenhe's teleport to launch a strong attack, turning the tide and securing a 3-2 victory, barely advancing to the next round.
In the lounge, Chen Yuchuan had a dark expression, looking like he was ready to put pressure on someone at any moment.
Shen He glanced at him, got up and walked over. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was looking, he quietly grabbed the man's hand. With a strong tug, he pulled the man up from the sofa and led him outside.
Chen Yuchuan paused for half a second, then followed suit. The two of them went out one after the other and turned into an empty rest room at the end of the corridor. As soon as the door closed, Shen He let go of his hand, turned around and leaned against the wall to look at him, his eyes smiling: "You used to always call me a score slave, how come you've become a score slave yourself now?"
Chen Yuchuan's brow twitched, and his voice was muffled: "This is different."
"What's different?" Shen He crossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips, his eyes full of mockery.
Chen Yuchuan stared at him for two seconds, his Adam's apple bobbing, and said in a low voice, "I want you to keep winning. I want you to win the championship."
Shen He shook his head, his voice calm but firm: "I don't care about these things. Whether I win the championship or not, it has little to do with me."
Chen Yuchuan didn't budge. He took a step forward, reached out and hugged his waist, his eyes filled with gloom: "You don't care? But I do care. I want to give you the best, I want to make you happy."
Shen He looked up to meet his gaze, paused, and softened his voice: "It's just a game. Just enjoy the thrill of the controls, and... it's a lot of fun to play with friends."
Chen Yuchuan suddenly chuckled, relaxed his shoulders, and leaned closer until their noses touched: "Friend? Is it me?"
Shen He didn't dodge, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she looked straight at him: "Yes."
Their opponent in the finals is TM. On the screen, TM's players are listed one by one. This newly registered, powerful number one seed from the region has emerged out of nowhere, crushing their way into the finals. Their playstyle is unconventional and unorthodox. The coaching staff has been working overtime to study their league's match videos, and the version update before the World Championship has made the situation even more complex and unpredictable.
Just before going on stage, the coach whispered to me, "Don't go head-to-head. Follow their pace in the draft. Since we haven't done much research, we should bet that they haven't figured us out either."
The first game of the finals.
During the draft phase, the opposing coaching staff was clearly well-prepared, banning all four of their first four picks to target the bottom lane, and undoubtedly picking the only one that slipped through the net: Ranger.
The camera cuts to the VLG players' bench, where Shen He stares at the hero selection screen, his face expressionless, but his mind is racing.
Chen Yuchuan's nonchalant voice came through the earphones: "Choose whatever you like."
Shen He's fingers hovered over the mouse for a few seconds, scrolling through the hero portraits on the screen. It wasn't that he couldn't play other heroes; his hero pool was actually quite deep. But at this moment, on the stage of the finals, randomly picking an unpopular hero felt like a provocation to everyone—his teammates, his opponents, and the audience.
Seeing that Shenhe hadn't locked on yet, Chen Yuchuan couldn't help but ask, "Baby...brother?"
Everyone else laughed when they heard the name. Shenhe thought for a moment and finally locked in a hero, Gale.
The live chat exploded with discussion:
【Swift Wind? This version?】
This hero has short legs and deals almost no damage in the early game.
Styx was forced into this situation.
[TM's BP is disgusting]
The commentator paused for a moment, then said, "Jifeng... is a very traditional marksman with a very high skill ceiling. He requires a high level of proficiency and precise mouse control, and he's not strong in the current version. He faces a lot of pressure in the early game and needs to be played until he has three core items in the late game to truly shine."
"This is VLG's best option for the bottom lane right now, but it's also a huge challenge. It means that the bottom lane has virtually no fighting power in the early and mid-game, and the rhythm of the game depends entirely on the jungler."
Chen Yuchuan glanced at the hero Shen He had chosen, his eyes flickered, but he simply adjusted his posture and said, "It's okay, I can carry."
The game begins.
Chen Yuchuan played extremely aggressively in this game, seemingly trying to carry the entire team with his own rhythm. At 5 minutes, in the enemy's red buff jungle, Chen Yuchuan, with the support of Li Xiuyan, forcefully killed the enemy jungler and took the red buff.
At 8 minutes, Chen Yuchuan dove the tower in the top lane, flanked and cut in, and Lin Xiaoyu provided timely support, securing the first blood.
At 12 minutes, in the Vanguard team fight, Chen Yuchuan initiated the fight with a flash, managing to hold out against three opponents until his teammates arrived and secured the Vanguard.
The commentators were stunned: "Has River gone mad in this game? The pace is too fast!"
"He's using his own rhythm to buy time for the bot lane to farm."
"In this match between the world's top junglers, River completely dominated."
But playing in the river was not very comfortable.
With his short legs, Jifeng's early-game damage was negligible, and the enemy team clearly knew this, relentlessly targeting the bottom lane. Chenhe was forcibly confined under the tower, only able to farm minions, let alone keep up with Chen Yuchuan's pace.
Yi Yang had tried his best to protect them, but faced with the opponent's strong suppression, the two could only wait under the tower, waiting for their teammates to make their move.
At 16 minutes, a team fight broke out at Xiaolong. Chen Yuchuan initiated another team fight, but this time the opposing team was well-prepared and counter-attacked, focusing fire and instantly eliminating Chen Yuchuan.
Shenhe glanced at his equipment; one and a half pieces, still far from enough.
“Pull it open,” he said softly.
VLG was forced to concede the dragon.
Chen Yuchuan glanced at the bottom lane's equipment and level, and reminded his teammates: "Go to the bottom lane and help them out more."
"Brother Chuan, you..."
"I'll play it safe," Chen Yuchuan said calmly. "This game needs to drag on."
Lin Xiaoyu paused for a moment, then quickly understood Chen Yuchuan's meaning. He began frequently roaming to the bottom lane, helping Chen He and Yi Yang clear lanes and creating space for them to develop.
Chen Yuchuan slowed down his pace, becoming less aggressive, and instead began to control resources, establish vision, and protect his teammates' development.
But the other side won't give them the chance to drag things out.
23 minutes, Baron fight.
TM decisively initiated the dragon attack, and VLG had to engage.
Shenhe had already completed two items, but his room for maneuver was still limited against the opponent's strong lineup.
The team fight began, and the enemy team charged straight in, trying to eliminate VLG's backline.
Chen Yuchuan immediately stood in front of Shen He, but the opponent's damage was too high. Although his equipment was good, he couldn't hold out for long.
Lin Xiaoyu and Li Xiuyan were also about to collapse.
"Brother He, let's go!" Yi Yang shouted a reminder.
But Chenhe is still outputting.
He stared intently at the screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard. He used Flash to break free from the enemy's initial crowd control, switched weapons to unleash wide-area splash damage, and combined with the weapon's passive lifesteal, managed to stay alive for two seconds in the team fight with a sliver of health.
One, two, three...
"A quadra kill!" The commentator's voice changed. "Styx! A quadra kill! What's going on?!"
"A swift wind! A quadra kill in this disadvantageous situation!"
The scene instantly erupted in cheers, with deafening applause from the audience.
The screen was flooded with comments:
[Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, I'm speechless!]
Styx is amazing!
I declare this to be the world's best AD carry!
This move really moved me.
How do you play this hero?
The moment the weapon's attributes disappeared, Shenhe and the enemy jungler fell together, resulting in a five-for-four exchange and securing vision around the Baron pit.
At 31 minutes, TM pushed onto the high ground. VLG defended desperately, but the difference in lineup was too great, and the opponent's advance was unstoppable.
Shenhe once again delivered an amazing output, but ultimately his equipment was insufficient.
The base crystal exploded.
VLG 0:1 TM.
Chen Yuchuan walked up to him and secretly took his hand: "Baby, you played very well."
Shen He smiled at him: "Indeed, but I didn't enjoy it."
Chen Yuchuan said, "Play whatever you want. You said this is our game, why should we care about others?"
Shenhe squeezed his palm: "You're right, but we can't let others hear these kinds of things."
He knew he had done his best, but he also knew that in this game, the hero he chose was completely out of sync with Chen Yuchuan's pace and failed to step up at crucial moments, leaving Chen Yuchuan to carry the team alone for too long.
That quadra kill came too late.
Yi Yang sat down next to Shen He. Seeing that Shen He had no expression, he hesitated for a moment before speaking up: "Styx, don't feel pressured. This game is a problem with the lineup, not yours."
Shen He shook his head: "In the next game, I will follow my original strategy."
The coach nodded in agreement: "Yes, everyone should focus on their own game. Your own ideas are the most important thing in this situation."
In the second game, TM's coaching staff did not change their strategy. The first three bans continued to target the bot lane AD champion pool, and the champion selection was also aimed at the bot lane. The main idea was that our bot lane could play uncomfortably, but your bot lane would have no chance to play at all.
The commentator sighed, "Damn, we still need to keep limiting the bot lane."
"At this rate, VLG's draft picks are under too much pressure, and Styx is finding it difficult to get into a rhythm no matter what he plays..."
The camera cut to the players' seats, where Shen He said something. Chen Yuchuan paused for a moment, then smiled meaningfully.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Okay." Shen He nodded. "Help me carry it."
Chen Yuchuan locked the Gem Blade without hesitation.
The entire venue erupted in cheers.
[The Jewel Blade?!]
[What the heck, some ancient hero? This is my original passion!]
[Li Xiuyan has never played this hero before?]
[Could it be that Sichuan dog is playing this jungler?]
The commentators were also baffled: "Almost no one plays Gemblade in this version? I've never seen them play this hero before, what are they trying to do?"
"Gemblade is still quite strong in the top lane, but picking it so early makes it too easy to be countered..."
But then, VLG's final pick completely shattered everyone's expectations, choosing a top lane champion with extremely strong counter-picks.
The scene erupted in uproar.
"Wait, there are already people in Kaminano and Nakano, and that Jewel Blade..."
"It's the bot lane! Styx is going to play Gem Blade!"
The commentator's voice changed: "This is insane! Gem Blade in the bot lane? This has never happened before in professional matches!"
The live chat is going crazy!
Styx is really daring!
If we lose, I'll get yelled at to death.
But it must be said, this BP really outmaneuvered TM.
[TM targets loneliness]
On the TM player bench, several team members looked rather grim, clearly caught off guard by this unexpected move.
The game begins.
Gemblade is a warrior. In the bottom lane, facing a traditional AD and support combination, he can only stand under the tower to farm in the early game. However, playing him in the river is not difficult. This hero has high sustain and control, and can use his skills to farm steadily. Once he reaches level six, he can counter the enemy's squishy AD.
Chen Yuchuan played an assassin jungler in this game, and he frequently ganked the bottom lane early on to help clear the wave and create space for Shenhe to farm.
The opposing bottom lane duo was clearly wary of Chen Yuchuan's assassin abilities and dared not push too far, only slowly wearing him down.
Eight minutes in, the opponent made a radical decision, which was also the most correct choice under the circumstances: either completely crush Gemblade in the early game or play it safe and drag it out to the late game, but Chen Yuchuan's crushing speed was too fast, so they could only choose the first option.
"Four people! Four people booked it for themselves!" The commentator's voice suddenly rose.
The top laner used Teleport to support the bottom lane marksman and support who were being ganked by three players. The jungler was also counter-ganking, and the four of them appeared in the bottom lane in an instant. The mid laner was also on his way.
Chen Yuchuan pursued too deeply and was instantly killed by the first move.
Yi Yang had already used all his skills, leaving him in a skill vacuum period and in a dead corner of the terrain. The opponent's control skills were relentlessly thrown at him, leaving Yi Yang with no room to maneuver.
The commentators were getting anxious: "This is it! The support is out of skills, and the AD can't escape either!"
Just when everyone thought this wave was doomed, Shenhe suddenly used his W skill to teleport in front of Yi Yang and took the fatal control effect for him.
At the same instant, Purify was used, a golden light flashed, and the opponent's ultimate move followed immediately and missed.
The next instant, a massive area-of-effect control and damage skill from the enemy mid-laner came crashing down on the two of them.
Almost a split second before the skill took effect, Chenhe used Flash to create a fatal distance.
Then, he used his Q skill in response, triggering the special mechanism of the Gem Blade, which cut a crack in the terrain and blocked the opponent's pursuit route.
Both of them survived.
The entire venue was silent for a second, then erupted in deafening cheers.
"My God! What kind of play is that?!" The commentator was already standing up. "Helping the support take a fatal skill, instantly removing crowd control with Cleanse, flashing to dodge the ultimate, and even using Q to cut through terrain to stop the chase! This whole sequence of plays is so smooth, how fast must your reaction speed be to do that?!"
"This is Styx! This is the reaction and awareness of the number one AD carry in ranked matches!"
The screen was flooded with comments:
【？？？？？】
Is this even human?!
I couldn't even see it clearly in slow motion...
You think a four-man squad can win against two opponents?
Honestly, I'm so touched. At a time like this, all I could think about was saving my teammates.
Perhaps this is the true meaning of playing this game.
Yi Yang couldn't help but say, "Brother, I've prepared my wedding dress. Shall we get married tomorrow?"
Lin Xiaoyu chimed in, "We're going to put this Gemblade on the wanted list all over the internet. Supports should just marry an AD carry like this."
Li Xiuyan coughed twice: "You two watch your words, this is a legendary, almost divine figure."
Shen He, puzzled, asked, "What kind of divine being?"
Chen Yuchuan changed the subject: "Baby, you've nailed the key, so we don't need to stay in the bot lane anymore."
The following match was a solo showcase for Chen Yuchuan. After Chen He completed his first damage item, the Gem Blade allowed him to perfectly fulfill the role of a warrior, standing at the forefront and using his Q skill to cut through the terrain, creating perfect opportunities for Chen Yuchuan's assassin to engage.
In every small-scale team fight, Shenhe would take the lead in opening up vision, absorbing damage, cutting off the backline, and dividing the battlefield, allowing Chen Yuchuan to reap the rewards without restraint, while Li Xiuyan could push lanes without any regard for the consequences.
Chen Yuchuan's assassin thrives in this environment, almost instantly eliminating squishy opponents with a single skill. Trying to catch them? Unable to. The terrain-cutting effect of the Gem Blade prevents the enemy from forming an encirclement. Team fights? Even more of a nightmare. As a warrior who thrives in the early to mid-game, the Gem Blade is unkillable yet undeniably restrictive, leaving the enemy completely helpless.
At 28 minutes, during a team fight at the Dragon pit, Chen Yuchuan secured a quadra kill, but Shen He inadvertently stole his penta kill.
32 minutes later, the TM base exploded.
On the data panel, Chen Yuchuan's record was clearly displayed: 13-3-8, with an output percentage of 35%.
The MVP without a doubt.
But when they returned to the lounge, everyone was saying, "The MVP for this game should go to Styx."
Lin Xiaoyu said, "That play was too outrageous. If it weren't for my brother He saving Yi Yang, the game would have collapsed in the early stages."
Yi Yang whispered, "I thought I was going to die, brother. Now I really have no choice but to repay you with my body..."
Chen Yuchuan couldn't hold back any longer: "Shut your mouth, what kind of promise are you making?"
He then turned to look at Chen He: "It's all thanks to our precious baby."
He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, his tone filled with undisguised doting affection.
Lin Xiaoyu immediately chimed in, "Oh, our darling?"
Yi Yang suppressed a laugh and secretly glanced at Chen He.
Shen He sat expressionlessly in his seat, opened his water bottle and took a sip, showing no reaction to Chen Yuchuan's nonsense, appearing completely calm and composed.
Everyone had their own guesses.
In the third game's ban/pick phase, the TM team's coaching staff clearly learned from their mistakes. They banned Chen Yuchuan's assassin hero pool for the first two bans, including Shadow Hunter and Shadow Assassin, and then banned the most OP support hero of the current version.
In the commentary booth, the host analyzed: "TM's bans this game are very targeted. It's obvious that they're starting to limit River. Before, they targeted Styx. Although Styx's Gem Blade was impressive, it didn't seem to have the same exaggerated performance as River."
“Yes, but they seem to have overlooked one problem…” Before the other commentator could finish speaking, a hero icon suddenly lit up on the first floor of VLG.
Wind String Hunter!
The live chat exploded instantly:
Holy crap! The Wind String Hunter has been released?!
What is the TM coaching staff doing?
Isn't this hero always on the ban list?
Chen Yuchuan didn't hesitate and locked it immediately. He glanced at Chen He and said, "Baby, I've finally let you have your fun today."
Shenhe sighed, "I really don't want to play this hero anymore. I was almost sick of playing him before."
"Since I carried the last game so well, how about I get a Wind String Hunter as a reward? You've never played this hero before when we play together."
Lin Xiaoyu interrupted the two: "That's enough, you two. The next round of banning is about to start. If you keep showing affection like this, I'm going to make a scene."
Li Xiuyan pushed up his glasses: "If we win this game, the opposing coaching staff will probably have to take the blame until they retire."
Yi Yang was a little worried: "Brother He hasn't used Wind String Hunter in a match yet, right? If he does it in his debut... I don't know how disgusting the forums will be."
"Wouldn't that be even more exciting?" Chen Yuchuan interrupted him, tapping his fingers on the keyboard. "Don't worry, I'll create the right environment for him."
Shen He smiled and said, "It's okay, trust me."
Game loading.
3 minutes and 10 seconds, bottom lane.
After clearing half of the jungle, Chen Yuchuan headed straight for the bush behind the bottom lane tower. The enemy support flashed and used Q to try and pressure him, aiming to secure a kill with the help of the jungler. Yi Yang predicted this and used his E skill to interrupt the follow-up skills.
"Don't be afraid." Chen Yuchuan's voice rang out. Shadow Hunter used the second stage of W skill to dash into the fray, flashed to the face of the enemy Ranger, used Q skill to control him, followed by Smite E skill, and then followed up with Sinking River to dash in and refresh his enhanced skills. The combo was incredibly smooth, and his proficiency was ridiculously high. He didn't waste a single auto-attack moment. The enemy jungler who was counter-ganking didn't even have time to step forward to break the gank before the Ranger was burst down to death.
First Blood!
Lin Xiaoyu: "The rhythm is getting better this game."
Li Xiuyan: "Nice brothers!"
Chen Yuchuan laughed too: "Sigh, if it weren't for my brother Styx, I would have gone to invade the enemy jungle long ago. Brother, say something nice to me."
Shenhe continued to lower the enemy support's health, interfering with his recall, and said in a flat voice, "Let's continue next wave."
"Just say something nice and I'll come."
"You don't need to come." Shen He's tone remained unchanged, and everyone else couldn't help but laugh.
VLG initiated the dragon fight, but the enemy jungler stealthily attacked Yi Yang from the flank with a Q, and together with the mid laner's R-flash, they tried to kill one of the bottom laners. Chen Yuchuan flashed close to Shen He's side and used his R skill to instantly silence three of the enemy teams in a wide area!
Shenhe seemed to have anticipated Chen Yuchuan's moves and unleashed his ultimate move in advance, resulting in a 2-for-4 exchange, a 3K gold lead, and the acquisition of the Fire Dragon.
Chen Yuchuan's relentless, dog-like persistence kicked in again: "See? I'm keeping R around just to protect you, you should praise me for that."
Shen He's lips twitched slightly: "Hmm, not bad."
"Just not bad?"
That's enough for you.
"Okay, okay."
Yi Yang interjected, "Look, look, these two are at it again."
The real turning point came during the Baron fight. The enemy top laner interrupted our teleport, forcing Chen Yuchuan to sneak into the jungle to hide his vision.
TM is turning to attack Baron Nashor, looking eager to try.
Yi Yang kept his vision deep, and the minimap lit up for a moment. Everyone realized that Chen Yuchuan had been ambushed by the enemy jungler who was hiding. However, Li Xiuyan was still on his way, and they couldn't easily engage in this team fight. Chen Yuchuan prepared to retreat, but Shen He said, "I can't wait. I'll go first."
Shenhe gave a false vision, circled around his own jungle, and Chen Yuchuan kept an eye on his position. The next second, he used his skill to lock onto the enemy's carry, initiating a team fight. The enemy jungler who was hiding behind him came out to surround him. At the critical moment, Shenhe entered the fray from the fog of vision. The enemy reacted quickly, using crowd control to deal damage to the two of them.
Shenhe was locked down by the enemy support's ultimate, and Chen Yuchuan had already finished his crowd control and damage combo and fallen. Everyone's hearts were in their throats. The next second, Shenhe flashed to avoid the fatal damage, quickly entered stealth mode, and burst down the enemy's lowest-health jungler. The others repositioned, and Shenhe, with a sliver of health, disappeared into the bushes to hide his vision. Yi Yang and Li Xiuyan, who had arrived quickly, provided support. The next second, Shenhe emerged from the back bushes, teetering on the edge of being controlled, and once again killed the enemy's low-health support before retreating to a safe position. With the mid-laner's high-level healing buffs, VLG pressed their advantage, and the team fight was a foregone conclusion.
Quadra kill! 2 for 5! Baron Nashor easily secured.
"Holy crap! Styx! Awesome!!" Lin Xiaoyu and Yi Yang shouted loudly, their voice chat filled with noise. Shen He couldn't help but adjust his headphones.
"A true god has descended to earth!" Even Li Xiuyan couldn't help but shout "Styx is awesome!" several times.
Chen Yuchuan turned to look at him and joined the others in cheering: "Styx bro, Styx god, Styx baby, please, smile! You've played like this, how can you still keep a straight face? Don't try to maintain your persona at a time like this!"
Shenhe was genuinely amused by his nonsensical nicknames, and won the round without any suspense.
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