Chapter 186: Qualifying Match (2)

After the fourth match that day, the LPL commentators commented as follows:

Guan Zeyuan: "They gave it their all, Deft and the junior really gave it their all, both dealing over 30% damage with only 20% of the economy, Deft even reaching nearly 40% damage share! But there's nothing we can do, the damage isn't enough! The fan mom keeps giving shields, it's disgusting!"

Miller: "How did it come to this…… Changzhang, show some effect, Changzhang!"

Wawa: "It's hard to say now, whether EDG can qualify is really uncertain; I never expected that, we said EDG was the best in the group, yet they've come to this!"

EDG took a loss from H2K, their record became 3-2.

H2K's record also became 3-2, their point ranking successfully surpassed AHQ, but due to the head-to-head with EDG, they are temporarily tied for first with EDG.

LPL fans burst out cursing.

European fans started cheering.

In the fourth match, AHQ also took a point from INTZ, and thus a miraculous thing occurred: in Group C, three teams ended up tied, H2K, EDG, and AHQ all at 3-2.

By this point in the Group C showdown, it is certain: INTZ has no chance to reach the quarterfinals, but the two qualification spots remain undecided.

In the fifth match, H2K steadily took down INTZ, their record became 4-2.

In the sixth match, EDG faced AHQ. At this critical juncture, EDG made the decision to substitute; the chronically ill Pàng Jiāngjūn (Pawn) answered the call and returned to the battlefield, fighting AHQ fiercely for nearly fifty minutes, helping EDG barely secure this crucial point.

The C group qualification spots were settled.

However, EDG and H2K have identical records and a head-to-head, so another match is still needed to determine the final ranking.

In the final match of Group C, EDG faced H2K; Pàng Jiāngjūn still went onto the battlefield wounded, continuing to burn himself out, giving his all, yet unfortunately lost.

Thus, the Group C battles were declared over.

The final results are:

First place, H2K, 5-2

Second place, EDG, 4-3

Third place, AHQ, 3-3

Fourth place, INTZ, 1-5

Ba Xi netizens: Thanks to EDG, we weren't forced to shave our heads.

In the G2 training room, everyone loudly cheered for H2K's joyful achievement of securing the top seed and qualification.

Liang Yan then had an expression:

Subway old man phone. jpg

Lao Zhang, sitting beside Liang Yan and sharing a screen to watch the live broadcast, then commented:

"The EDG coach has a problem—why keep putting Lady Caitlyn and Fan Mom? Just picking Dragon King alone is useless! When the enemy grabs Syndra, you pick Nami and the Mang Seng? Are you trying to make Changzhang prove he's not messing around at times like this?"

"Probably just like SKT, they never practiced the Dragon King–Lady Caitlyn system at all."

"Also……"

Lao Zhang pondered a bit, then nodded and said,

"In the few practice matches we played against them, it's the same: even though the bottom lane is the strong point, they only give him Jinx and Ezreal, always losing yet always picking, truly a blockhead, I don't know what they're thinking."

"So playing is just pointless."

Lao Zhang sighed again: "Although we're in Europe, our hearts are still with the LPL; I really don't want the LPL to look too bad, but looking at this situation, if EDG advances to the quarterfinals in this state and runs into the LCK, they'll probably get swept clean."

Liang Yan thought to himself, "You talk about yourself, just talk about yourself, don't drag me in—I have no sense of belonging to the LPL! But he couldn't respond to this topic, otherwise it would be like a prophet blowing his own cover."

Given EDG's situation, avoiding strong teams is impossible.

Because the quarterfinal draw rule is that the second seed must draw the first seed, plus the same-group avoidance principle, EDG's situation is very dire.

Even H2K can't beat them—what chance would there be against other groups' top seeds?

Apart from the A group where G2 is and the C group where EDG is, the remaining B and D groups' potential group winners are no pushovers; regardless of whether EDG will, like Liang Yan remembers, encounter ROX in the quarterfinals, it's ultimately a dead end—whether there will be a 4396 is uncertain.

"Stop chatting, go back to your seat and sit properly."

Tang Anna's clear, cold voice came from behind; Lao Zhang hurriedly pushed his chair and walked away.

Liang Yan turned his head.

Tang Anna saw him holding a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other, and tapped the back of his chair:

"Go into the room, it's about to start."

"Okay."

Liang Yan grabbed the mouse, quickly found the SKT-opened room in the match client, entered the password, and waited for the practice match to start.

Tang Anna's words were still few.

But Liang Yan could feel that her attitude toward him had subtly changed; it's hard to describe exactly, but Liang Yan sensed that Tang Anna was no longer angry.

By the way, tonight's practice match was added temporarily.

The previous practice match arranged with SKT had already finished the night before; unexpectedly, before the afternoon C group match began, Coach Kkoma visited again, even bringing a gift—Korean specialty kimchi—and stood at the door chatting with Ka Lao Si for half an hour before getting to the point, saying he wanted to schedule a few more matches with G2.

Ka Lao Si, being soft-hearted, couldn't bring himself to refuse, so tonight's match came to be.

……

The next day, the D group qualification battle began.

The D group's situation was rather special: after the first round, three teams in the group each had a 2-1 record while another team had zero points; entering the second round, the points race became even more intense.

The opening match was SSG versus TSM.

Facing the strong opponent SSG, TSM unleashed a strange tactic: Old Chrono plus Olaf and Lu Xi An forming a powerful charge composition; SSG did not repeat any weird mid-lane Veigar tricks, instead upholding the team tradition, and in the crucial battle displayed extraordinary strength, fighting for 45 minutes, SSG successfully avenged their earlier loss, repaying the defeat they suffered at TSM's hands in the first round.

One team went up, the other down—SSG's record became 3-1, TSM's became 2-2.

The second match was RNG versus SPY.

Needless to say, after practicing with Snake for so many days, RNG's understanding of the version and tactical level have both improved considerably; they also stopped letting Looper play the hammer, and right from the start they went all-out, picking the strong composition of Jayce, Mang Seng, Syndra, Ezreal, and Fan Mom, leaving SPY unable to find their bearings, and the battle ended in just over thirty minutes.

After this match, RNG's record tied SSG's, but due to the head-to-head they temporarily sit in second place.

Moreover, this match further deepened the credibility of a certain rumor: from the group stage to now, whenever Lady Caitlyn is banned, RNG would rather give Uzi Ezreal to play with than let him play Jinx, which seems to confirm that Uzi indeed cannot play Jinx.

The third match, TSM easily beat SPY.

Within the group, a three-way tie occurred again, and SPY still struggled to win a match.

The fourth match, SSG faced RNG.