Chapter 196: Heartbreaking

In the B Group qualifier match, the very first game was an upset.

FW defeated Snake, taking the second point first and escaping from the 1-2 slump.

Strange, why say it was an upset?

Perhaps it's because Snake's performance in the first round was too impressive.

In the second match, SKT steadily took down C9, making the record 2-2, tying with FW, but because they lost to FW in the first round, they rank behind FW.

The third match was C9 versus FW.

Facing desperation, C9 unleashed unbelievable strength, taking down FW in under thirty minutes, and B Group once again fell into a tense three-way tie.

The fourth match was FW versus SKT.

In this match, Faker first picked Orianna, paired with Blank's substitute Zac the Rubber Man, and from macro to team fights they beat FW to a pulp, ending the fight in under thirty minutes as well.

SKT's record became 3-2.

FW's record was 2-4.

The remaining two matches no longer concern FW, and C9 only has one match left; even if C9 beats Snake to earn a third point, their ranking would still be behind SKT because C9 lost both head‑to‑head games to SKT, giving SKT the tiebreaker advantage.

In other words, SKT with a 3-2 record has already secured a qualification spot.

What's frustrating is that, contrary to expectation, Snake—who went 3-0 in the first round—hasn't yet clinched qualification, because they still have a match left against C9.

If Snake loses this match to C9, they will end up tied with C9 and cannot be separated by head‑to‑head record.

Assuming that, and further assuming Snake loses their final match to SKT, SKT would advance as group first with a 4-2 record, while Snake would have to play a tiebreaker against C9 for second place.

If Snake instead beats SKT in their final match, Snake would finish 4-2 and take first place, while SKT would advance second thanks to their double win over C9.

Another possibility is that Snake wins their upcoming match against C9 but then loses the final to SKT, forcing Snake and SKT into a tiebreaker for first place.

At this point, the fifth match has not yet started.

Under Zuowu's chairmanship, the Snake team held an impromptu meeting in the resting room.

In front of the camera, Zuowu said only one highly ambiguous sentence:

"Either C9 or SKT—you decide."

Everyone looked at each other.

Zhu Kai pretended to think seriously.

Actually there was no need to think; he just didn't want to take the blame, so he avoided making the decision.

Finally, Fu Lan Duo spoke up:

"I think we should go with C9."

Everyone agreed.

Then they went on stage.

The two sides fought for over fifty minutes.

After Snake killed C9's support, they quickly went for Baron, but the usually steady Sao Fen surprisingly lost the smite war.

"Oh my god!! C9 stole Baron!!"

LPL commentator Guan Zeyuan shouted wildly, and what followed shocked him to the core:

"And the Sao Fen who lost the Baron buff, acting brain‑dead, instantly flashed over the wall into the red side jungle trying to kill the blind monk who was escaping after taking Baron—only to be hit by the blind monk's Dragon Tail the moment he landed, sending him flying straight into Bo Bi's face!!"

"Teammates frantically tried to save him!"

"But can they even save him?!"

"Don't bother saving him!!"

"We have to sell it, oh no!!"

Guan Zeyuan cried out in anguish from the commentator's desk, but he couldn't stop the rest of Snake from feeding one after another, like the Calabash Brothers rescuing their grandfather.

In the end, they were wiped out.

"It's over!! Over!!! Snake didn't clear the minion wave before going for Baron, and now the wave has pushed all the way under their high ground—it feels like C9 will wipe them out in one push!!!"

The two surviving C9 carries didn't even need to recall; they pushed the naturally advancing minion wave under the blue side high ground and in one sweep destroyed Snake's base.

"Oh my goodness——"

Guan Zeyuan wailed,

"How am I supposed to take this?! What the hell is Snake doing?!"

The fifth match ended, C9 defeated Snake.

C9's record became 3-3, keeping alive a slim chance of a tiebreaker with Snake for qualification, and also preserving a final hope for the North American audience in attendance.

After TSM and CLG were eliminated in succession, C9 became North America's last hope.

"C9's hope is actually not small!"

Guan Zeyuan said as such.

After the match, Flandre exhaled a sigh of relief, leaned back in his chair as if drained, his sweat‑soaked hair sticking to his forehead, looking quite disheveled.

Jungler Sofm turned his head and smiled at him.

Flandre returned a knowing smile.

This scene was caught by the live camera, and commentator Su Xiao Yan on the desk said wistfully:

"Sheng Qiang Ge really gave his all this game, but he didn't blame Sao Fen; instead he kept encouraging his teammates. Seeing this…… I really feel heartbroken."

Guan Zeyuan said: "Yes, indeed no one expected Snake, who put up such a strong performance in the first round, to fall into such a tough struggle in the second round, and even now they still haven't secured a qualification spot."

"But I also believe in Snake; with this team atmosphere and spirit, they will surely win their next match and ultimately advance as group leaders."

"Come on, friends watching the live stream, please send your cheers in the bullet comments; we'll shout them out for you at the venue!"

"Go, Snake!"

"The other two LPL teams have already qualified; Snake definitely can't be left behind, so really, go Snake!"

The barrage that erupted instantly almost completely covered the live broadcast screen.

By the time the BP phase of the sixth match began, the number of barrage comments had not decreased but instead increased further.

Because at this time it was just the midday break when classes ended and work let off in China, and moreover it was an LPL versus LCK match, the viewer count naturally surged.

The later viewers didn't know what had happened earlier, but from the screen full of cheering and the tense score in Group B, it was clear that joining in the cheering was the right thing to do!

Guan Zeyuan shouted loudly, his voice ringing out:

"Come on, this is the final match of the group stage, and also the ultimate showdown that decides the fate of the three teams in Group B!

"The blue side is SKT, and the red side is none other than our Third Seed, Snake!

"Whether they advance directly as the top seed or end up facing C9 in a tiebreaker, Snake's destiny rests on this match! SKT went first and banned Olaf, whom the troll fans play extremely well, while Snake banned a Dragon King...

In this match, SKT's jungler position is taken by Bengi, who may not be as aggressive as Blank but is far more experienced and seasoned.

At the crucial moment, Coach Kkoma clearly still preferred to trust the veteran player.