Chapter 182: Good News and Bad News

With Snake's match ending, the first round of the S6 group stage also came to a close.

Snake and G2 both finished their round with a perfect record.

The online audience erupted in an uproar.

Various videos and articles analyzing qualification probabilities began to appear all over the internet.

The group stage is a Bo1 double round-robin points system; in each round, a group has a total of 6 points to distribute among four teams, and the maximum a team can earn is 3 points. In this round's match, G2 took 3 points, while the remaining 3 points were evenly distributed among the other three teams, namely:

G2, 3-0

ROX, 1-2

CLG, 1-2

ANX, 1-2

The second round also has 6 points, with the maximum a team can earn likewise being 3 points.

It's a simple math problem; according to the rule that the top two teams in each group advance, G2, which already has 3 points, has only one scenario in which it would be directly eliminated: if in the second round G2 scores no points against any other A-group team (i. e., loses all matches), while the other two teams each get 3 points, resulting in two 4-2 teams from Group A advancing, while the 3-3 G2 and another 1-5 team are eliminated.

But this cannot happen, because there is no possibility for two teams to each get 3 points.

Moreover, given the strength G2 showed in the first round, the probability of losing all three matches in the second round is extremely low, so it can now be said that G2 has practically secured a quarterfinal spot.

This same analysis applies to Snake, because the points situation in Snake's Group B is identical to that of G2's Group A: one team at 3-0 and the other three at 1-2.

G2 fans and Snake fans were overjoyed.

Although Snake doesn't have many fans.

Next is a three-day off-season; behind the scenes, out of the audience's sight, things begin to churn turbulently, as all teams frantically rebuild their understanding of the patch.

Except for G2.

G2 doesn't need to re-study the patch, but it does need to study the environmental changes for the second round, which can be glimpsed through scrims during the off-season.

A perfect three-win first round is the ultimate badge of proving strength; even before G2's match against ANX had finished—but once G2 had established a clear advantage and the outcome was no longer in doubt—Ka Lao Si's phone started ringing nonstop.

They were all coming to arrange scrims.

They were all afraid that if they waited until after the matches to book offline, they'd miss out on scrim slots.

Yes, now G2's scrim slots are as hotly contested as civil service exam positions.

Ka Lao Si, you're awesome—before the season started you looked down on me, and now you come over with a smug face asking to scrim? Not throwing a few barbs back would be impossible.

Some who can't fully let go of their pride can't stand getting a single jab from Ka Lao Si.

For example, EDG.

I, the reigning LPL Summer Champion and the LPL's top club, am giving you face by arranging a scrim, yet you're still hem‑hawing? I said I could pay, and you say it's insulting you?

Giving you face and you spurn it—bah!

Do you really think you're that amazing?

Ou Mei playing scrimmages is just Ou Mei playing scrimmages—no vision, no breadth.

Little do they know that scrims between two teams are mutually beneficial; only when strong players face strong players can they both grow—refusing me is your loss!

……

After the first round points settled, aside from the two 3-0 teams, the remaining fourteen teams had nothing to cheer about, and the whole situation was a chaotic mess.

SKT training room.

Everyone watched as Kkoma entered with his phone, all gazing expectantly.

Kkoma couldn't resist teasing everyone a bit, smiling as he spoke:

"Good news, we've scrimmed with G2."

"Ohhhhhhh!!"

"Bad news, we only got half a day."

"Sigh~~~~~"

"Good news, half a day means from tomorrow noon to eleven at night, roughly ten hours, enough for plenty of games."

"Ohhhhhhh!!"

"Bad news..."

"???"

"Cut it out, coach, I can't take this—can you just say it all at once?"

"Alright, fine. G2 demands we not ban Dragon King, but they're willing to scrim with us under official match rules."

"Ohhhhhhh!!"

Amid the commotion, Kkoma noticed Faker sitting silently in the back with a thoughtful expression, so he walked over and sat beside Faker, asking:

"Xiang He, do you have any concerns?"

Faker glanced at Kkoma, shook his head, then gave a slight nod: "I just can't figure out why G2 specifically demanded that Dragon King not be banned."

Upon hearing that, Kkoma's face showed the expected expression.

"Regarding this, I have some guesses. This extra condition seems to have been made up on the spot by them, since the call was already wrapping up—I was about to hang up—when they suddenly said, 'Wait, I want to add a condition.' I heard it and didn't react at first—why would G2 suddenly impose such a strange ban/pick condition? Also, I vaguely heard another voice at the time."

"Their assistant coach?"

"No, it wasn't a female voice; it was a male's voice."

"That must be Firrrrrre."

"It sounds a bit like him, but I can't be sure. Actually, we don't need to quibble over who exactly proposed adding this condition; we should focus on why G2 did this. I suspect someone might have leaked information."

Kkoma furrowed his brow, a hint of worry he couldn't hide showing in his eyes.

Faker looked at him and slowly nodded:

"I thought the same just now, but now I think the likelihood is small."

"I also think it should be impossible..."

Kkoma fell silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh and said:

"Forget it, no matter what, let's do our best; since G2 won't let us ban, that's perfect—we'll practice hard!!"

What should we practice?

We'll practice how to play the Dragon King system.

Because SKT can't play the Dragon King system.

Similar conversations also took place in G2's lounge.

The suggestion to have SKT not ban the Dragon King came from Liang Yan.

Ka Lao Si also wondered why Liang Yan would make such a request; he just said it without thinking much, and surprisingly the SKT coach agreed without hesitation.

After the call with Kkoma ended, Ka Lao Si went over and directly asked Liang Yan, but Liang Yan said to go outside to talk and summoned Tang Anna.

Although Riot is generous, it's impossible to give each team a meeting room, so when the team wants to discuss something secret, they can only go somewhere outside the training room.

The three arrived at Tang Anna's room.