League of Legends: League of Unknowns

“Well now, does anyone want to hear a few things about Team Skycrown? Please allow a bit more time for our staff to perform their research. With the changes to Ranked play, we have to dig into the previous patch to get some answers,” Qi Qiao explained.

Considering how well Team Skycrown was doing, there was no way there’d be nothing to find out about the team or the individual members. In any case, they should all have remarkable standings in Ranked play.

“Our director has provided us with some details about the player known as Lone Gull—uh, wow! This is something else!” Qi Qiao exclaimed. “Lone Gull, highest ever position was 19th in Solo Ranked on the Ionia server, the sort of Top player you only see once a millennium! Is there anyone here who plays Ranked at the highest tiers of the Ionia server? If so, you may be acquainted with this god-like Top. The very sight of his ID might even fill you with equal parts dread and awe, huh?”

Getting 19th place in Ranked play on the Ionia server was basically the pinnacle of achievement. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call him one of the top five Top players in the nation.

“Blood Eagle, a player of your prowess should also be someone of note in Ranked play. Maybe you’ve come across Lone Gull a time or two, in-game?” Qi Qiao enquired.

“A couple of times, yes. When facing off against him, he basically doesn’t dare to step out from his Fountain,” Zhao Tinghua replied coolly.

“Blood Eagle, you wouldn’t have been camping him exclusively, by any chance?”

“Something like that.”

With his headphones on, Da Luo didn’t hear the nasty things Tinghua was saying about him.

Qi Qiao still wanted to ask more about Da Luo, but then the game began.

The view expanded gradually across the massive LCD screen. Both teams could be seen swiftly purchasing their starting items before setting out in unison.

As always, Team Skycrown prioritized defense in their jungle, standing watch at various key entry points.

Having learned their lesson from last time, Team Fudan didn’t attempt any more reckless invasions.

With no untoward occurrences at the start, they proceeded directly into the laning phase.

Since both Top-laners had received some introduction just now, the director deliberately cut the view over to the two of them now.

Jayce was nothing to worry about at Level 1, but with one more level, his power increased several times over. It was clear to see that Beer was very familiar with this champion, changing modes and deploying skills deftly. Somehow, he was soon the one with more health left.

“Da Luo, watch your health, there.” Zhou Yan snuck Elise up behind the wall.

No change in Junglers on either team: Team Fudan was still using Lee Sin, and it remained Elise for Team Skycrown.

Da Luo was playing Kennen. During Level 2, a fierce attack from Jayce had knocked away a substantial amount of his health, forcing him to withdraw some distance.

Seeing that Zhou Yan had arrived, Da Luo nodded faintly to himself.

He understood that Zhou Yan wasn’t instructing him to consume a Health Potion, but rather to make sure that he didn’t die if his opponent suddenly made another determined assault against him, while allowing his health to remain low enough to lure in the enemy Top and Jungler to attempt an all-in gank attack.

“Aha!” Kennen transformed into a ball of fizzing lightning, rolling through the minions to keep his distance from Jayce.

As he did this, both Da Luo and Zhou Yan sensed impending peril!

Now that he’d thrown away his mobility skill, the time was ripe for the enemy to make a move!

The Top lane was supposedly a solo lane, but the shadows were deep there, and you never knew whether there might be more enemies hidden nearby. Even if it looked as though your opponent was on his own, there could very well be a counter-gank lying in wait!

There was a thundercrack, and Jayce’s weapon instantly morphed into the Mercury Hammer, coursing with lightning!

Somersaulting through the air, he brought the hammer crashing down upon Kennen’s head!

At the moment of impact, Jayce immediately Flashed behind Kennen, and then used his E-skill ‘Thundering Blow’ to knock Kennen away from safety!

It was an unbelievably swift maneuver, the whole thing taking place over the course of less than a second.

As Kennen was struck, Da Luo hit his own Flash without a moment’s thought!

“Hah!” Lee Sin popped out from a nearby bush, slamming both palms into the ground!

However, Da Luo’s response had been too quick. Otherwise, if he’d been caught by that skill, he’d have taken more damage and gotten Slowed down as well—and that would have been the death of him!

“Holy hell, he really is here!” Zhou Yan muttered, deftly shape-shifting into Spider form.

Up into the sky, and then down again!

Elise descended upon Jayce, unleashing a skill combo on him. At Level 3, the Spider Queen actually had six skills to use. By the end of her skill combo, Jayce barely remained standing—and this was when Kennen lit him up with Ignite ! ¹

“As skillful as Beer was at switching modes on Jayce, Team Skycrown’s Jungler matched him with an equally jaw-dropping demonstration of dexterity on Elise! She closes the distance with E, uses all her skills in Spider Form, then smoothly switches back to Human Form to unleash another skill combo!”

It had been a fierce exchange of skills between the Top-laners and Junglers from both teams. With his Flash expended, and the Red Buff eating away at him, Jayce had no hope of getting away.

Meanwhile, Kennen had already used his ‘Lightning Rush’ to trick the enemy into launching their attack—and with his own Flash on cooldown as well, he was an easy target for Lee Sin’s Q-skill. He was doomed, too!

First Blood!

Zhou Yan had picked up First Blood with Elise!

Almost at the same instant, Team Fudan’s Lee Sin delivered a flying kick to Kennen, and then Jayce’s own Ignite finished off their target. The kill had been taken by Jayce!

Both Top-laners had fallen simultaneously!

For a moment, the Top lane became a scuffle between two Double-Buffed Junglers, neither one daring to approach the other!

“Lee Sin connects with his Q, a perfect shot! Elise takes to the sky, avoiding the follow-up kick—beautiful!”

Zhou Yan’s reflexes were astounding. A moment ago, Elise had still been in Human form. After Lee Sin’s Sonic Wave hit her, she instantly morphed into Spider form and pulled herself up to safety, dodging the incoming flying kick just before it landed, and thereby taking no damage from it.

Coming to ground again, she unleashed a skill combo, which Lee Sin absorbed with the shield from his ‘Safeguard’, even as he leapt over to one his minions to withdraw from the fight!

Elise and Lee Sin were both champions who possessed six skills at Level 3, and that most recent exchange between them had been mind-boggling to witness! It was like watching two swordmasters thrusting viciously at each other, intent to kill, and then just barely dodging every lethal attack, both fighters coming away unscathed!

The battle in the Top lane had been so intense that no one had dared to blink. Meanwhile, things were heating up between Orianna and Lin Dong’s Anivia, over in the Middle lane!

Thanks to her passive skill, Anivia was virtually unkillable in the early game, and she threw out her skills with furious aggression.

By Level 3, both AP champions had already run out of mana. Abandoning the minions, they began hurling basic attacks at each other, as though they were ADCs.

In this regard, Orianna had the advantage over Anivia, but Lin Dong wasn’t put off by that, and he stood his ground.

At last, Anivia’s ceaseless harassment seemed to cause Huang Lin of Team Fudan to lose his cool. Tossing an Ignite onto Anivia, he threw a full skill combo at her!

With one last basic attack, Anivia’s health was reduced all the way to zero, and she shriveled away into an egg on the ground.

“Nice one!” Qi Qiao called out. “Fudan University’s Huang Lin has forced the cryo-phoenix into her passive. Will he be able to finish her off?”

“Fudan’s Mid is kinda naïve,” Zhao Tinghua remarked bluntly.

Taken aback, Qi Qiao turned to him. “Why do you say that?”

“He’s out of mana right now. So what if he makes Anivia use her ‘Rebirth’? Can he kill her with just his auto-attacks? Earlier, Anivia was already low on health—there was no need to invest so many skills, and even Ignite, all just to bring her down once. In a few seconds, she’ll be back with more health than Orianna—and then how can Orianna remain in lane against an Anivia at nearly full strength, with her Ignite still available?”

Hearing Tinghua’s analysis, Qi Qiao finally understood the truth of the situation.

Indeed, even if Lin Dong had expended the benefit of his passive skill, Orianna wouldn’t be able to finish off Eggnivia with just her pitiful basic attacks. As the rebirth of the phoenix drew closer, Orianna had no choice but to back off.

Believe, and you shall have eternal life, never to perish!

Lin Dong’s face lit up with a grin. With half his health bar remaining, he boldly pushed forth!

His minions reached the enemy tower, and times were tough for Orianna. With scant little health left to her, it was exceedingly dangerous to be farming under her own tower.

As such, Orianna had to reluctantly abandon this wave of minions and return to base to recover.

“Team Skycrown’s Mid player is similarly impressive! Relying on Anivia’s passive, he picks a fight with Orianna right away, thereby securing an advantage with his second life! If I recall correctly, across all five games in this series, Team Skycrown’s Mid player Sky Swan has always won his lane!”

“Previously, we’d been minimal with information about the players on both teams out of respect for their privacy. Our director has now sent over more details about Team Skycrown’s Mid player.”

To have won against Team Fudan’s Mid five games in a row, there was no question that he was an exceptional player. Everyone listened with rapt attention for more juicy morsels about Team Skycrown’s players.

Qi Qiao’s little news bulletin here could hardly have come at a better time.

“Sky Swan of Team Skycrown is well-known among the highest echelons of Ranked play in the United States. Our collaborators from that region have informed us that Sky Swan has already been recognized over there as an all-star player, and has been mentioned in e-sports headlines about League of Legends. He’s an amateur player who’s admired by pro-gamers around the world.

“Some of you might be unfamiliar with the term ‘all-star player’. Basically, it’s like getting into the hall of fame, when you’re recognized as one of the best players in a server. It may also help to know that everyone in the United States plays on the same server, unlike how we have many server regions here in China. This should give you an idea of what it means to stand at the top, over there…”

Qi Qiao herself was stunned by the information she was reading aloud!

It seemed as though every one of the players on Team Skycrown had come from an unbelievable background. They’d already reached heights that most pro-gamers had never claimed before!

Small wonder that they were beating the players from Fudan University in every lane. With more time to develop their teamwork and tactics, this team would be absolutely spectacular to watch!