Chapter 30

The game was nearing its end, with both sides having pushed the map to a similar extent.

Xiao Yin played very steadily.

Grey Cat’s BP was somewhat immature, partly because he was giving Hydralisk the carry position. When the economy is in their favor, anyone can become the core, but in a disadvantageous early game, the carry position must be chosen wisely.

Originally, Hydralisk was supposed to be the core this game, but Rong Yi stood out, becoming the actual carry.

He continuously guided Grey Cat and Hydralisk, offering instructional advice without revealing his predictions of the situation.

As the game progressed, both Hydralisk and Grey Cat forgot the initial excitement and nerves of the Arena, treating it as a teaching session.

Rong Yi’s instructions sometimes led them into traps. After getting caught a few times, Hydralisk and Grey Cat learned their lessons.

Each time Hydralisk shouted and died, Rong Yi would happily step in to secure the kill.

While waiting to respawn, Hydralisk commented, “Captain, I remember when I first met you, you weren’t like this.”

Grey Cat appealed emotionally, “He used to give me blue buffs in Ranked Matches.”

Hydralisk recalled some happy moments from scrims, “He even asked if I needed help on ADC and would gank for me.”

Listening to their complaints, Rong Yi smiled proudly. His almond-shaped eyes curved slightly, and his lips formed a charming, innocent arc.

The atmosphere in RS’s Training Room was somber, but it was the complete opposite for VIT, where the “scrim” was lively and enthusiastic.

Even the referees standing by VIT couldn’t help but exchange glances.

It was the first time they had seen a team play with such joy in a regular match.

Nowadays, 99% of teams have on-field cameras. Every player’s habitual movements are magnified and scrutinized. Facial details are analyzed frame by frame, and fans argue over who wasn’t focused enough and who should take responsibility for each match.

“The last team with this style was RS,” one referee couldn’t help but quietly remark. “There were no on-field cameras back then. Rong Yi was still Captain Rong, playing as the starting mid laner, and it was in this very building.”

It seemed like everything had changed, yet nothing had changed at all.

The match had reached the forty-minute mark, and the battle was still fierce.

Xiao Yin deliberately avoided direct confrontation, prolonging the game. Rong Yi held the mid lane steady, allowing the two ADC players to roam freely.

From the referee’s perspective, Rong Yi was handling a 1v3 fight while simultaneously switching screens. He then gave a prompt: “Hydralisk, Grey Cat, there’s a surprise at the dragon pit.”

“If I trust you again, I’m a fool,” Hydralisk said, but still glanced in that direction. “Woof woof, Grey Cat, should we check it out?”

After several skirmishes, Hydralisk began to notice Lang Bai’s jungling habits—he would patiently wait in key bushes for a long time, looking to strike at the weakest point of the enemy lineup.

RS’s operations were managed by others, leaving Lang Bai to carry the entire game.

From the audience’s perspective, Hydralisk and Grey Cat approached the dragon pit.

But unusually, instead of walking together as they had before, Hydralisk fell back a few steps, letting Grey Cat go first, cautiously crossing through the main path, creating the illusion of a lone Support.

Lang Bai initially retreated to avoid being spotted by Grey Cat—but then realized Grey Cat wasn’t scouting the bush but securing vision in another one, with Hydralisk not following closely behind.

In that moment, Lang Bai made his decision: assassinate Grey Cat!

Lang Bai emerged from the bush, heading straight for Grey Cat!

At the same time, Grey Cat flashed backward, and Hydralisk arrived with perfect timing, landing a crowd control on Lang Bai, successfully securing the kill!

“Hahaha, he fell for it this time, Captain! This time we didn’t fall for it!” Hydralisk laughed wildly into the mic.

Xiao Yin warned him, “Keep it down, or I’ll mute you.”

Hydralisk laughed even more recklessly, “You can’t mute teammates during a match! Yin, your damage is lower than mine this game!”

Grey Cat, more reserved than Hydralisk, still had a smile of excitement and joy on his face.

With the momentum on their side, the VIT team seized the opportunity after Lang Bai’s death to push their advantage.

Just as they were one step away from the enemy base, Rong Yi suddenly died under a turret dive, and Xiao Yin, who had overextended to follow up, was caught by the respawned Lang Bai, giving away a double kill.

Hydralisk: “?”

Grey Cat: “Yin-Ge, why are you in such a hurry to die?”

Wu Daogu chimed in modestly, “You guys are really bad.”

While leading the team in a frantic retreat, Grey Cat asked Rong Yi, “Captain, is this some kind of tactic?”

“No.”

Rong Yi’s expression was calm and composed, but his voice carried a hint of unease. “I made a mistake.”

“So what happened with Yin-Ge?”

In fact, Xiao Yin’s death wasn’t unreasonable.

This misplay was on Rong Yi. He thought he could finish off the enemy mid laner before Xiao Yun could get there to help, chasing all the way under the turret, but he failed.

Xiao Yin came over to tank the turret for him, but Rong Yi couldn’t hold on, and Xiao Yin ended up getting taken down by Lang Bai.

“Me?”

Xiao Yin responded casually into the mic, “I went down with him.”

Rong Yi glanced at him, and Xiao Yin, with his sharp, unflinching phoenix eyes, glanced back, his expression unwavering.

Rong Yi took his hands off the keyboard and rubbed his fingers.

This small mistake resulted in VIT’s dual carries getting wiped out. Hydralisk was already in poor condition and had to retreat to the fountain with Grey Cat’s protection, while the enemy team pushed in.

Such situations are common in professional games. A single slip-up can lead to a devastating push.

Rong Yi lay in the fountain, directing, “You two, go out and defend. As long as Little Key does well, theoretically, one person can hold the base.”

Grey Cat nodded vigorously. “Got it!”

Wu Daogu had already been chased down, leaving it as a 2v5.

Rong Yi had five seconds left on his respawn timer.

Grey Cat and Hydralisk’s abilities flickered rapidly, the sound of keyboard clacks filling the air, with Hydralisk yelling frantically.

Despite their efforts, Lang Bai and RS’s mid laner gave no openings. They were seasoned veterans, and in a 5v2 with such a massive advantage, it was unrealistic to expect any critical mistakes.

On the third second, Hydralisk was picked off, the nexus was half destroyed, and Grey Cat was left with no health, only a flash and freshly off-cooldown abilities.

Hydralisk lay at the nexus, yelling, “Pentakill! Pentakill!”

Grey Cat retreated, while the RS ADC focused on the nexus. The others pressed up to the respawn point, ready to cut Rong Yi off as soon as he revived, determined to seal his fate.

Grey Cat found himself caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to advance or retreat. He used his last ability, managing to take down the final minion with a critical auto-attack, but ultimately fell just a step away from the fountain.

With no minions left, RS’s ADC, Yao Cao, tanked the damage and forced down the nexus. The defeat screen appeared on all of VIT’s monitors.

Yet, the atmosphere in the training room was electric.

Wu Daogu and Hydralisk were fervently applauding Grey Cat’s last stand to defend the base. “Grey Cat, that was awesome!”

Hydralisk slapped his thigh. “What a shame! Just a bit more, and Captain Rong would have revived.”

Grey Cat found newfound confidence. “It’s all thanks to the Captain’s teachings. We’ve got the hang of it now. We definitely won’t lose the next one.”

The training room was filled with laughter and chatter. Xiao Yin also took off his headset, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Rong Yi looked at them and curled his lips into a smile as well. “I believe in you all.”

No one outside knew what had transpired in the closed-off training room.

From an outsider’s perspective, in the first game, VIT seemed disorganized and reckless. Despite a comeback from a disadvantage, they ultimately lost due to mistakes.

This game ignited the passion of RS’s fans, like a spark setting a blaze.

Before this, their confidence had wavered, but the current situation made them feel that RS genuinely had the strength to compete with the world champion team.

This led to a surge of blind confidence among them.

Both inside and outside the arena, the excitement was like a pot of popcorn about to burst. RS fans were ecstatic, with some even mocking Rong Yi: “Easy? Talking about scrims? Whose scrims are they, anyway?”

The post shot to the top of the forums, stirring up a storm, with replies piling up rapidly.

In the commentary booth, opinions varied widely. Those with ties to RS couldn’t wait to take a jab at VIT.

They all appeared objective and sincere. “It seems VIT still isn’t quite there yet. They didn’t meet our expectations.”

This is the level of commentary in the League’s community, with modest pay and conditions. Rather than accurately conveying the match’s intricacies, they preferred to create hype.

Only the five silent coaches in the training room saw everything clearly.

They distinctly recognized the state of VIT’s players.

Far from being chaotic, they were exceptionally skilled and composed.

Rong Yi wasn’t fixated on winning the first match of a best-of-five. If VIT had wanted to end the game quickly, RS wouldn’t have had any chance ten minutes in.

This was a true teaching game and a scrim.

In just one match, Grey Cat and Hydralisk had already started to adapt, getting familiar with RS’s arena style.

For the second match, the teams switched sides.

Entering RS’s training room felt like stepping into a shroud of darkness.

RS had never experienced such a frustrating win. A sudden disadvantage, followed by an unexpected victory.

The disadvantage was suffocating, and the win felt unsatisfying. They couldn’t grasp VIT’s style at all.

Rong Yi’s mid lane play was entirely beyond their expectations, and the rest of the team remained enshrouded in mystery. They had no distinct style, only efficiency—sometimes aggressive, sometimes cautious; sometimes initiating fights, sometimes avoiding them, like four AIs hidden in the shadows.

Especially Xiao Yin, who roamed as the jungler. Throughout the game, no one saw him—except for that one time he tower-dived to save Easy.

It was the fear of having a noose tightened around their throats by the Grim Reaper.

The second match started quickly.

This time, Rong Yi didn’t actively teach. He let Hydralisk and Grey Cat take the lead.

In this game, VIT had the first pick!

Rong Yi was in the spotlight.

“The opportunity has finally come for VIT. Last game, VIT’s lineup was at a disadvantage. This time, Easy must ban Lang Bai.”

The commentators and audience were excited, certain that Rong Yi would seek revenge for the last game. “They definitely need to ban Di! And they should pick Mother of the Earth first for Grey Cat, their support, to turn the tables!”

However, Rong Yi surprised everyone.

With thirty seconds on the countdown, he locked in three bans almost simultaneously at the twenty-seventh second.

For the three bans, he chose Yin, Meng Luoluo, and Lyra.

Then, he selected Memory Key and handed it to Grey Cat.

This move shocked not only the spectators but also VIT’s fans outside the arena.

Lin Yi was live streaming and almost spit out his drink when he saw the bans: “What the heck, Easy banned his own teammate’s champion! He’s such an Old Six! Xiao Yin’s Yin was banned in the first game, and now it’s banned by his own team in the second! Is there no justice?”

Inside RS, silence fell.

Almost immediately after Rong Yi’s bans were revealed, all the team members had a vague sense of what was happening.

Only the newly joined Coach Zhou didn’t understand: “What is Easy doing? Is this some new strategy?”

It wasn’t until VIT’s entire lineup was selected that everyone saw the truth.

VIT had picked the same lineup as before, the disadvantaged lineup, with Li in the mid lane and Little Key paired with the ADC in the bot lane.

Because he had banned RS’s mid laner Meng Luoluo, RS’s mid laner, Neng Li, had no choice but to pick Vincent the Cat again.

Only the ADC and jungle positions could be adjusted, but there wouldn’t be better choices than in the last game.

This was Rong Yi’s deliberate ban and pick.

He wanted to replay the previous situation—it was a real scrim!

Suddenly, the audience fell silent.

VIT’s Easy was even bolder than they had imagined.

He didn’t care about winning at all. He didn’t even think about how to make a highlight play.

He wanted to continuously lead his teammates through trial and error with a disadvantaged lineup!

This was the ultimate humiliation!

Lang Bai sat in his chair, his mouse cursor hovering over “Di.” His hand was shaking with anger, almost unable to click.

For the first time, the best choice on the field turned into something disgusting that his opponent forced him to swallow, whether he wanted to or not.

Coach Zhou was the only one who hadn’t realized it yet.

But once the bans and picks were finalized, the morale of RS’s team members began to crumble.

The lineups were locked in. Apart from Yao Cao switching to a similar ADC and Wu Daogu changing the top laner, the lineups were almost identical to the previous game.

Rong Yi’s eyes gleamed with cold determination: “This game, I won’t teach you anymore.”

Hydralisk shouted, “Come on! I’m definitely the MVP! We don’t need you to teach us again!”

The game began.

VIT had simulated disadvantaged lineups for two games in a row, but that didn’t mean they weren’t playing seriously. On the contrary, they were earnestly trying to counter RS’s strongest tactics through constant adjustments.

In this game, everything was evidently smoother than the last. Hydralisk no longer disappeared on the spot, and in the first seven minutes, he even survived three consecutive ganks from Lang Bai.

Hydralisk was almost crying with relief over the mic: “I survived! I didn’t die—thank you to my support, thank you to heaven and earth—”

With three failed ganks, the best timing had passed, forcing RS to switch tactics and focus on operations. Lang Bai fell silent and began farming the jungle.

But this time, Xiao Yin didn’t stay hidden. He cleared out the jungle near RS, creating a significant breakpoint in RS’s rhythm.

In the top lane, Wu Daogu, with Rong Yi’s assistance, solo killed the opposing top laner. With VIT’s aggressive counterattacks, their advantage began to widen.

The audience was starting to feel bewildered.

“Was the last game played in an alternate universe? How can the same lineup be so different?”

“Maybe we started the games in the wrong order. This should be the first game, right?”

“VIT is… someone accidentally let the truth slip, saying, ‘Isn’t this a stomp?’”

“Easy was right; it’s a scrim! They’re using RS to test their coordination!! My god.”

On the RS side, Lang Bai’s morale was gradually collapsing.

His jungle was completely cleared by Xiao Yin.

For the first time, he encountered a world-class jungler like Yin, and he even suspected Xiao Yin had map hacks. He couldn’t find him, yet Xiao Yin could repeatedly invade and take all the resources.

Xiao Yun’s morale was also about to break.

His Mother of the Earth had been trained by Rong Yi, but now, Grey Cat, the opposing support, was completely countering him.

Little Key, as a champion, was a natural counter to Earth Mother’s hard crowd control. In the first game, the enemy support was clearly inexperienced, but by the second game, they had grown at a terrifying speed.

Another thing that was breaking their spirits was Rong Yi’s omniscient scouting.

He knew all their habits, when they would place fake wards, and every player’s retreat intentions and plans. They were utterly exposed and defenseless before him.

Sometimes he didn’t even use skills; he would just lightly walk past.

It was like he was using his calm, gentle voice to say, “I know you’re here.”

At this point, all the netizens couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“What do you call a top-tier tormentor? Easy is it! This is the first time I’ve seen a Poke Composition mid laner.”

“It’s terrifying, absolutely terrifying. If I were in RS’s shoes, my morale would have already collapsed.”

Getting scouted in the bushes, getting ambushed, attacking Dragon, recalling… every single time, Rong Yi was there. This game, he played roamingly, his economy at the bottom of the five, but he exerted a disruptive influence throughout the game.

At the 23rd minute, Xiao Yun was the first to crack. He made a glaring mistake—when harassed by Rong Yi’s Li, he couldn’t resist using a skill to chase him. Though he killed Rong Yi, this action distanced him from the team, leaving ADC Yao Cao and jungler Lang Bai unprotected.

Xiao Yin, now very fed, immediately capitalized with a double kill, taking down both of them!

At the 30th minute, VIT secured victory with a kill ratio of 9:1.

The tournament organizers deliberated for a long time.

Although Xiao Yin had the highest KDA, the MVP of this game was undoubtedly Rong Yi.

Lin Yi was shouting outside the venue, and his phrase “top-tier tormentor” was quickly picked up and spread by netizens. Someone took screenshots of Rong Yi’s scouting moments and turned them into short videos, which circulated widely.

“Damn, this VIT mid laner is killing me with laughter. It’s like he has map hacks, there are people everywhere he goes.”

“Easy is too much! Who knew a mid laner could play like this? I would’ve lost my cool too!”

“VIT is truly unique. In the last game, Yin was just working hard, and in this one, he went godlike.”

“How do they manage to play the same lineup in so many different ways? I’m so intrigued! Their style is so wild!”

“Easy, I’d call him the top mid laner in the league.”