Chapter 560

Liang Yan snatched KT's blue buff, then returned to the river, watching the lane situation and considering his next move.

On Xia Lu side, after all, it's a marksman versus mage, and the Deft+mata combo's lane strength is indeed strong; Gangzi, being wise, is a talent, and from the start of laning he had already agreed with Xiao Duan to let the lane push early, then later when his level rises give the enemy only skill effects, no champion.

Score, relying on Xia Lu having lane control, after respawning headed straight to VG's lower jungle, starting from the blue buff to counter-jungle.

When Score finished taking the blue buff, on the upper river Liang Yan also ate the river crab.

At this time, the game time was around 3 minutes 15 seconds.

With a ding, a signal lit up on the top lane, and Fu Lan Duo's voice sounded in the headset:

"He placed a ward, here."

Liang Yan glanced at the minimap; Fu Lan Duo's signal was marked in the grass at the river mouth of the top lane.

He also glanced at the time.

A basic ward lasts only 60 seconds, meaning that the ward Smeb just placed will disappear around 4 minutes 15 seconds.

In 60 seconds, clearing two camps and heading back is about right.

A simple, brutal plan formed in his mind; Liang Yan thus turned back to the blue team's jungle, starting from the Magic Swamp Frog, spending several tens of seconds to eat the remaining two groups of jungle monsters cleanly.

After finishing counter-jungling, Liang Yan turned again toward the top lane, crouching in the Triangular Grass behind the blue team's first tower, silently counting the time.

After Smeb was forced to flash, he went back to base before teleporting back to lane, and he teleported directly onto the minion wave; his landing time was basically the same as the Wine Barrel's return to lane, so their experience was roughly equal, but in terms of condition Smeb actually had a slight edge, plus Rumble's unstoppable push efficiency gave lane control on the top lane to Smeb.

However, one of Rumble's major drawbacks is that if he wants lane control he can't hold the lane, so even if Smeb's laning technique is superb, he cannot prevent the minion wave from pushing toward the red side.

At this moment, the second wave of cannon minions was about to reach the lane, the point of minion clash had already advanced over six hundred yards, and Smeb's position inevitably had gone past the river.

At 4 minutes 10 seconds, Liang Yan walked out of the Triangular Grass, stood on the Explosive Fruit and smashed it with a claw; with a bang, the Void Mantis was blown over the wall and fell into the grass at the river mouth.

The ward in the grass had already disappeared before he landed.

Smeb's anti-Gank awareness was good; although he didn't see the Mantis come down, he immediately noticed that his ward would disappear at its scheduled time, and fortunately the sixth wave had just arrived ahead, so he didn't need to rush to clear the lane.

Smeb decisively turned back, intending to come over and re-place the ward.

Then he discovered that the Wine Barrel was chasing him from behind.

Only then did Smeb realize someone was coming to catch him; he decisively canceled the plan to re-place the ward and instead ran toward the defensive tower while hugging the wall.

But it was already too late.

A mantis with sharp teeth and claws surged from the river mouth, lunging over a distance of nearly a thousand yards and landing on Lanbo's head.

Smeb knew escape was hopeless, so he simply ignited fire and sprayed at the mantis.

Switching is impossible to change; Smeb merely felt extremely annoyed because he was caught, so he wanted to disgust the opponent, pressing down the mantis's health bar and forcing them to return to base.

"Got you! Smeb! No flash this wave! You're definitely dead!!!"

In less than three seconds, Lanbo, amidst a strange "5V5V" cry, spun like a punctured balloon and flew up into the sky.

"Jiao Shen reaps another head!!!"

"Two heads…"

Changzhang looked at the mantis's 2‑0 record, his brow slightly furrowed, thinking, "This mantis surely isn't the core of a 4‑1 protect‑one composition, right? Why does it keep taking heads…"

KT team voice channel.

The worst thing is, the air suddenly fell silent.

After a long while, Score, the veteran captain of KT, couldn't help but say:

"Hold steady, wait for me to catch."

Smeb didn't answer him, just pinged a full cannon minion wave that the mantis and the barrel had quickly sent into the tower.

Score, however, pinged the enemy F6, meaning "I'm not taking the lane, I'm going to invade Ye Qu."

Smeb didn't say anything, while heading out, he glanced at Score's side profile.

If I'm not taking the lane, then let the turret burn it.

But what are you pulling?

Did you forget that your chance to invade Ye Qu exists only because I crippled the mantis, forcing it to return to base? Otherwise, would you alone dare step even a single foot into the enemy Ye Qu?

As expected, with no teleport and no shoes, Lanbo walked back to the lane on foot, and the seven minions, including the cannon minion, had been completely wiped out by the turret.

What's worse for Smeb is that the seventh wave was also stalled, pulled into a focus‑fire formation, naturally forming a counter‑push wave.

And Smeb's Flash will still take nearly two minutes to come back up, meaning Smeb either doesn't take the lane, or can only be a reckless daredevil who dares to catch and die.

Fact and experience have proven that relying on one person's vision cannot defend against it; the enemy is the world's top jungler, no matter where you place your wards, they always find the correct route.

Moreover, if I choose a timid, passive playstyle, Score definitely won't come; Smeb knows Score's style, our jungler is just that kind of person.

So Smeb chose the latter.

He wants to make a bet—not whether he sends the lane first or the mantis arrives first, but whether Score will come.

Communication is impossible.

If Smeb speaks up, Score will definitely make him play safe.

That's also the fact.

Score indeed had no intention of coming to help Smeb clear the lane. He felt that, because of the early‑game tempo, Lanbo had basically collapsed; no matter how much help came later, it would be the same. After all, two top‑lane/jungle heroes lacking crowd control and with average development trying to kill a three‑kill Lanbo and a barrel that would soon reach level six is really hard. Since they can't catch anyone, purely helping Lanbo farm the lane would be a waste of time; it would be better to focus on his own development. Score believes his own male gun developing first would be more useful than Lanbo, and while invading he could also disturb the enemy mantis's development. In any case, it's more worthwhile than helping the top lane clear the lane.

But Score also didn't expect that Smeb would strike first and then follow up, returning to the lane and immediately start pushing hard, as if saying, "Regardless of whether you come or not, I'm going to push."

Score was a bit angry, but he had no choice but to come over.

Because the coach was watching backstage, if Score didn't come this wave, regardless of the initial reason, he would definitely get scolded by the coach afterward, possibly even fined.

So Score could only abandon his invasion plan, gun in hand, rushing to the top lane, thinking with a bit of spite: "Fine, you won't let me invade Ye Qu? Then don't blame me for messing up the minion wave!"