Chapter 836: All Rise

"Envious, huh? Then if I get you into C Group, would you be willing?" Liang Yan heard Fu Lan Duo say she envied EDG, and he gave a hehe cold laugh and said.

Xiao Duan immediately echoed: "Starting late, maybe it's actually leaving earliest. Looks like Qiang Ge is homesick; let's lend him to EDG."

Gao Jun waved his hand: "Don't say that; we're from the same region. If it gets out, it won't sound good—they'll think we're hoping they get eliminated, which isn't good."

What he said naturally is the grim group-stage situation EDG currently faces.

Given Group C's strength, if EDG really could climb out, Liang Yan would even look up to them a bit; a semifinal spot would be quite hopeful to contend for.

But after interacting with EDG's members these past few days, Liang Yan could see that EDG's strength hadn't improved much during this training period.

The key is that EDG is uncoachable and unwilling to play against VG and RNG.

Liang Yan also felt helpless, only able to watch EDG gradually lose themselves on the mistaken path of understanding the version.

If EDG could promptly turn back from the wrong path, there would still be a chance, but Liang Yan thinks, given Ah Bu's stubbornness, it's probably not possible.

Two makeup artists carrying makeup cases knocked and entered the VG lounge, beginning to do makeup for the VG members.

Just then, the audience's roaring sound suddenly came from outside; the noise transmitted through several walls, still astonishing in magnitude.

"Has it started?"

Xiao Duan suddenly sat up straight, almost knocking the brush out of the makeup artist's hand.

"Don't panic, little brother." Fu Lan Duo slowly messed with her bangs in front of the mirror, an air of someone who's been there, "The more you panic, the more likely something goes wrong—just remember the rehearsal procedure."

Actually, among everyone in the room, the nervous‑looking one was the most tense, spine straight, hands with nowhere to go, so he just rubbed back and forth on his uniform pants.

Liang Yan opened his eyes, glanced at him, and smiled.

This appearance is much better than when they faced EDG in the spring playoffs—at least he wasn't sweating.

Wang Liangyi, who had gone outside to scout the wind, rushed in, shouting excitedly: "It's started! It's started! Bros, holy shit, the sound's too loud—it's rattling my brain. When you go on stage later, be sure to wear your earphones, or you won't be able to play the match!"

……

The venue.

In the darkness, a huge arc‑shaped screen lit up, and amid the sudden burst of cheers, the group‑stage promotional video began to play.

The screen flickered repeatedly, starting with FNC lifting the trophy at the inaugural, rather rudimentary World Championship, to the rise of the Taipei Assassins, then Faker leading SKT to sweep S3, followed by the blue‑white rivalry of S4, and then S5 season Faker making a comeback……

The promotional video's visuals switched extremely fast, the music building toward a climax, until European commentator Drakos shouted: "Lift the cup, G2!"

The picture finally froze on a line of large text:

【2017WORLDCHAMPIONSHIP】

The whole venue erupted with a boom, the lights came back on, and host Ren Dong strode out from behind the curtain in a black suit, an LPL badge pinned to his chest. He raised the microphone, his booming voice spreading through the sound system and floating over the entire arena.

"Hello everyone, both the summoner friends here at the venue and those watching on screens around the world—good afternoon!

"Welcome to the match site of the 2017 League of Legends World Championship group stage, here at the Wu Han Central Gymnasium—I'm Ren Dong!"

The audience responded with cheers.

Ren Dong paused, his expression solemn and grave:

"I know many of you here, and the summoner friends watching on screen, may have gone from S1 to S7, from students to office workers, from one person to two or even three…… but I believe!

"No matter how many years have passed, right here and now in this arena, that racing‑heart feeling hasn't changed a bit!

"Because this will be the most passionate, largest‑scale, most‑participating, highest‑total‑prize‑pool, most‑watched super event in esports history!

"This is the seventh League of Legends World Championship!

"The Summoner's Cup has come to China, to Wu Han!

"Over the past month, we've come from the play‑ins all the way to today, with sixteen top teams from all major regions gathering here.

"Starting today, the sixteen teams will compete for the same goal—eight tickets to advance to the knockout stage—engaging in the most brutal showdown.

"Among them, only eight teams will be able to walk out of this arena alive!

"So now, let's welcome the opening match's two teams with the warmest applause!

"First, please welcome the blue side, the second seed from the Hong Kong‑Macau‑Taiwan LMS region!

"A! H! Q!"

Accompanied by waves of cheers, the arena's big screen cut to AHQ's logo and a team photo of all AHQ players.

Lights flashed wildly at the backstage corridor exit, and the five AHQ members walked out.

Walking in front was the AHQ mid laner nicknamed Ximen Yeshuo, Westdoor. This guy is also somewhat familiar in the LPL, and the crowd gave him a polite round of applause and some cheers.

The chat chuckled:

【AHQ's here to feed VG again~】

【When is Ximen finally retiring? Feels like this guy's been playing for eight hundred years】

【Don't look down on AHQ, a team that makes it to Worlds every year—absolutely not weak!】

【No way they'll crash—VG, I want you to crush them!】

The five AHQ players walked to the blue side's player seats, standing in order from top lane to support, heads high and chests out—you couldn't really tell how nervous they were.

Ren Dong didn't pause either, introducing AHQ's five starters one by one in a ringing voice; then, without stopping, he lifted the microphone and cranked his volume to max.

"Alright, done introducing the blue side; next, please welcome the red side!

"Coming from the LPL region, the first seed!

"The King's Army!!

"ViciGaming!!!"

When AHQ entered, they were announced by their abbreviated name, but for VG they used the full team name—clearly biased. But this is China, the LPL's home turf!

Looking at all past Worlds, which home venue hasn't had some privilege?

If we truly wanted fair treatment, we'd have to ask which side the host's butt is sitting on.

The moment Ren Dong's words fell, the entire Wu Han Central Line Gymnasium resembled a ignited powder keg—boom! —the stage lights flashed, fireworks shot up from both sides of the stage, the audience's cheers surged into a towering wave that swept from all directions of the stands onto the stage, shaking the floor beneath their feet.

The silhouettes of the five VG members appeared at the backstage corridor exit; leading them was that face already known to every netizen around the world and then some.

The chat went completely out of control at this moment.

【Everyone, stand up!】

【Jiao Shen is awesome!!!】

【Handsome Handsome Handsome!】

【He's here, he's here, he came in his Hongxing Erke~】

【My Yanbao!!! (sobbing)】

【VG, go! This year's Bird's Nest trophy must be yours!】

【This is truly the home-field treatment, ah】

【At the scene! So awesome!!!】

【This scene, compared to AHQ just now, makes me cry~】