Chapter 722

Ning didn't see Tian in the blue buff camp and was stunned for a moment.

Where is the person?

Hasn't it respawned yet?

Ning guessed that, so Ning continued to scout towards the three wolves.

Just then, Tian's big tree emerged from behind IG's first turret, blocking Duke's big worm that was being pressed into the turret by Fu Lan Duo's crocodile.

This version's big worm is somewhat invincible: its Q reduces blue cost, its E increases blue cost but boosts percentage damage, slow, and attack range; three basic attacks take off a small chunk of enemy health, making it the current top lane supermodel monster.

But before armor items, the big worm fears heroes with multi‑segment dashes, recovery not worse than its own, and burst damage.

The crocodile perfectly counters the big worm; at least in the first five game levels, this lane crocodile can suppress the big worm. As for Duke's playstyle, everyone knows he's solo‑oriented and rather timid—especially after joining IG.

After trading health at level two without doing so, Duke retreated, Fu Lan Duo pushed the lane into the turret, and when Tian emerged from behind the turret, Fu Lan Duo was already level three.

Duke at level three put a point in level‑two E, didn't take W.

Fu Lan Duo dashed in without hesitation and bit; after her AQ combo she kept auto‑attacking. Tian first threw a sapling, then dashed in to lock him down, a Q knocked Duke outward. Fu Lan Duo calculated her health, her final auto‑attack followed by two E's exited, securing the kill and leaving cleanly, taking only two turret hits.

There was still a big minion wave under the turret; if Duke couldn't be taken he'd collapse, Ning rushed to steal Tian's blue, hurried home and went top to guard Duke's respawn and teleport back to lane.

But Tian didn't launch a second attack, Ning's attempt came up empty.

Over the next few minutes Tian took no further action.

Ning also became much more cautious; aside from trying a gank on an un‑flashed crocodile top lane, most of the time he was counter‑jungling.

Liang Yan wasn't present; Fu Lan Duo, having gained an advantage, became even more cautious, not even pushing the lane, keeping her position safe at all times, and as long as Ning's blind monk's position was unknown, Fu Lan Duo absolutely would not use E.

After Ning barely managed an unsuccessful grab, he lost interest in him.

Both sides developed steadily until around six minutes; Rookie's rock sparrow hit level six, feigned a retreat to base then directly ulted upward, hoping to join Ning in giving Duke a chance before the crocodile's flash reset.

As it happened, they ran into Xiao Duan, who had returned home and was roaming to top lane with spirit.

"Damn! You're still pretty good!"

Xiao Duan was delighted and directly turned the Rookie who had driven up in front of him into a sheep.

Rookie was stunned; he had driven up along the wall beside the dragon pit, planning to flank and block the road, Ning's blind monk followed him from the river, and Duke stood far away to avoid spooking the enemy, so before Rookie climbed over the wall he had no vision of Fu Lan Duo's rear.

Who would have thought, folks—driving up to top lane hoping to eat some crocodile meat, they got out of the car and were robbed by bandits!

Fu Lan Duo didn't hold back either, ulting outward in a burst, E‑A‑Q‑A then W, finishing with A‑E, combined with Xiao Duan's Lulu's two abilities, instantly killing the squishy, not‑full‑health rock sparrow.

"The coordination was a bit off, the kill was finally taken by Lulu's basic attack! But it's fine—this VG play made a huge profit!"

"How painful, IG—thought we were taking the initiative, but actually we walked into a trap!"

That really can't be helped; Rookie sent himself up there...

Pfft, I can't take it.

When Rookie fell, Duke had just walked into range to step on Q, and Ning's Mang Seng had just come up from the river mouth.

Seeing Rookie already down, the two had no choice but to retreat.

Can't even utter comforting words, because this wave really no one could have imagined that a soft-support Lulu, specially picked to pair with Big Mouth in lane, would actually run to top lane to cause trouble.

A silence fell over IG's internal voice channel.

I don't want to play anymore, brothers...

Rookie leaned back, his whole body resting on the gaming chair, speaking dejectedly.

The worse part is still to come.

VG indeed didn't know Rookie was faking a recall; catching Rookie in top lane was purely a pleasant surprise, because Xiao Duan's roaming to top lane was originally just a feint.

Lulu and Big Mouth are very strong in this patch; Xi Huang and baolan were being pressed hard earlier, but now Lulu appearing in top lane means Gangzi's Big Mouth alone in bottom lane can't naturally withstand two people, and IG's duo finally got a breather.

IG's team lacks discipline, and the duo's own macro vision is also limited, so they just pushed the wave forward. Of course they didn't have the guts to dive tower and kill Gangzi; even if they got Boots of Swiftness, a strong hero, it wasn't actually to gain lane advantage, but more to consider stabilizing the lane; after pushing, they wanted to go mid, planning to eat two waves in the mid lane where Rookie had died and no one was guarding.

As a result, it conveniently ended up at Tian and Ziezeta's mouths.

Xi Huang is taking baolan to the river, oh no, Tian and Zieta just happened to come over to gank them, this is like a meat bun beating a dog!

IG saw Tian and Ziezeta and only then realized, holy crap, VG's mid lane is also faking a recall!

Xiao Duan's roaming to top lane was just a feint; the real intention was to create an opportunity for IG's duo to push the wave and then catch them!

However, by the time they realized this, it was already too late.

Tian directly flashed in and knocked them up; IG's duo knew they couldn't escape and wanted to trade Gangzi's Big Mouth, but four fists can't beat six hands, moreover Fanzi Ma can still shield teammates.

The focused Xi Huang quickly fell.

Baolan looked at Big Mouth with half a bar of health left, couldn't run away, could only desperately duel Gangzi, and of course still couldn't trade.

Double kill! Wow, Shuijing Ge, this wave we really got eaten up by him!

Not only that, VG feels they could even take a first blood tower!

My god, a first blood tower at seven minutes? This...

But ultimately VG wasn't that reckless; after all, it was still early. After the three pushed the two waves, IG's duo had already revived and left base; they couldn't hit them a few times before they'd return to lane, and VG's three weren't at full status; without going home to buy items, they didn't have the capital to tower dive and kill the freshly spawned full-health IG duo.

Therefore VG simply wasn't greedy; after pushing the wave they just went back.

In the backstage lounge, Mafa watched VG's three group up and return to base together under the tower, and couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.

This game is already over; VG is too stable!