Chapter 730: This is unscientific!

Half a month, exactly the time until the LCK qualifier begins.

But Liang Yan felt weird.

Online, people always say he is the sect's patriarch, while G2 is his chief direct disciple, VG is the second…… According to this saying, then SSG wouldn't be the third?

Wait, if we really count it that way, there's still a team in the backwaters of Ba Xi……

So SSG counts as the fourth?!

No…… there seems to be another one!

KT!

Although KT has already 'betrayed the sect'……

Thinking this over, Liang Yan felt a bit dazed; without realizing it, he had already taken on so many disciples, pulling together a team from east and west, just like Tang Sanzang—if the S7 World Championship gathered everyone, it would be him leading his disciples on a journey to the West for scriptures…… bullshit!

It's all just netizens talking nonsense; he never admitted to it!

……

The paid coaching for SSG started the next day.

On the first day, Liang Yan slacked off, letting Tian go up to play instead, while he occasionally glanced over and gave a bit of guidance, barely keeping VG's win rate around forty percent.

Actually, SSG figured it out in the first game, but they saw through and didn't say anything; after harshly educating VG for a day, they reviewed the replay and confirmed that the player on VG wasn't Firrrrrre but the substitute Tian, then they called to protest, saying it's not allowed, they had agreed to use the starting lineup and play according to official match standards—how could you put a substitute on?

No way, they're soft on people.

Starting from the second day, Liang Yan took over, and VG's win rate shot up to seventy percent, nearing eighty. Liang Yan didn't hold back at all; it's just that the whole team held back somewhat on lineup and tactics.

If we compare VG's overall strength to a clay pot full of sand, then the amount of sand poured out in VG's six practice matches against SSG today is roughly eighty to ninety percent—basically just leaving a bottom, which more than justifies the pay they received.

Of course, SSG's side is probably the same.

So this practice match win rate is already extremely close to the true win rate of both sides, roughly a 7-3 to 8-2 split.

For SSG's head coach Edgar, this is already a win rate that pleasantly surprises him; originally, based on past practice matches against VG, he thought the true win rate would be around 1-9. Moreover, Edgar believes that in half a month, SSG's win rate will definitely surge to 4-6.

However, Edgar overlooked one point.

——Such high-intensity practice matches are equally beneficial for VG, so it's not only SSG that absorbs nutrients from the practice matches and begins to evolve.

……

A few days later, the third match of the LCK playoffs Bo5 began, with SKT versus KT—a pair of old rivals; since S5 up to now, they have faced each other multiple times in the playoffs, and aside from that spring final, KT has without exception been the loser.

As for why only this spring final saw the perennial runner-up KT pull off a miraculous comeback, crush SKT, and lift the trophy, few people know.

And those who know were not at all surprised by the result of today's Bo5——

SKT 3:2 KT.

KT's beautiful dream was shattered; the team that will challenge the ultimate champion Dragon Pearl next week is SKT, not them.

By this point, regardless of the outcome of next week's final showdown, SKT has already secured an S7 slot, because SKT is the spring runner-up plus a guaranteed summer runner-up; if they win the summer finals they are naturally the first seed, and if they lose they can still obtain the second seed based on having the highest annual global finals points.

As for KT, after losing today's Bo5, they can only pray that SKT defeats Dragon Pearl in next week's final; if that happens, KT can, thanks to their spring championship plus summer third-place overall ranking, surpass Dragon Pearl—who didn't even make the spring playoffs—in annual points and obtain the S7 slot as a second seed; otherwise, KT will have to play in the qualifier.

However, Korean netizens analyzing the strengths of the two finalists unanimously believe SKT's chance of winning is extremely slim, and the victor of the summer finals will almost certainly be the 'invincible' Dragon Pearl.

This means KT is basically destined to play in the qualifier.

KT fans are furious.

From spring champions to summer qualifier participants, what on earth happened?!

Could it really be, as others say, that they were struck impotent by VG at MSI?

If that were the case, it's obvious that KT also lost to VG in the Intercontinental Tournament group stage, and was even crushed by an incomplete VG lineup—wouldn't that be even more humiliating? So why did KT suddenly become strong again after returning from the Intercontinental Tournament?

And then they still couldn't beat SKT in the playoffs?

This is unscientific!

Clueless Korean netizens chattered away.

However, KT fans are merely angry, not overly worried that KT might drown in the qualifier, because by now the playoffs have whittled down to just one final remaining, and the four qualifier teams have been determined; among the other three qualifier teams, only SSG poses any threat to KT.

But the threat SSG poses to KT is also quite limited, after all they were crushed 3-0 by SKT, whereas KT went the distance with SKT, losing only by a hair in the deciding game—it's clear who's stronger. Moreover, a Bo5 differs from a Bo1 or Bo3 where various accidents can happen; a Bo5 is a pure test of strength, with very little variance.

Therefore, KT fans' predictions for the upcoming qualifier remain fairly optimistic.

【Playing SSG, likely 3-1, Crown being played like a bot by Faker, definitely can't beat the better-operated Pawn】

【Crown hasn't even played ranked lately, obviously feeling SSG has no hope, starting to slack off and give up treatment^^】

【Crushing SSG with pure strength, advantage in all three lanes, Score just needs to stay healthy to win easily】

【↑↑The problem is whether Score will get sick; that punishment in game five against SKT, I still recall it and my blood pressure spikes】

【SSG is so weak, what's there to fear about a team that got 3-0'd by SKT】

【CuVee this season hasn't won a single lane against Smeb, the top lane gap is wider than between a person and a dog—how could KT lose?】

【The bottom lane gap is the biggest, Deft playing Ruler is like playing against a son】

【KT fighting! Beating SSG must be 3-0 at most 3-1! Impossible to lose!】

Although there are also a few differing voices, such as 'Last year KT said the same thing and the result was SSG got the S6 ticket', 'SSG is a qualifier war god, while KT is infamous for choking in crucial moments', 'Ambition hacks when he plays key matches', 'If KT goes to S7 they'd just be feeding Fire kills, better not to go', etc., but it doesn't affect the mainstream Korean net view that KT is one tier stronger than SSG.

KT's win rate against SSG is at least eighty percent!

Most people think that way.

……

……

It's fine not to take part in the Asian Games; with the current condition, going might just net another bronze medal…