Starting with Zaozi Ge, a dream lineup

Chapter 395 I'm already studying our S-series opponents!

Arriving at the venue, it was still the familiar sports center, but what I saw and heard today was clearly very different from when I first arrived.

The weather in Iceland changes every day. After playing matches here for almost half a month, and getting through the initial adaptation period, the Edg team gradually grew to like this small country in a remote location.

In the past, when walking on the street, the hospitable Icelanders had thoroughly memorized everyone's appearance and would always cheer and applaud.

Whether it's the architecture or the culture, as esports has taken root and grown wildly here, an increasingly strong esports atmosphere has also emerged.

But today, as I walked along the road and took a bus to the stadium, all I saw were Asian faces!
Chinese people!

Chinese people standing on Icelandic soil!

At this moment, there was no grand welcome as expected, but seeing the determination in the eyes of every supporter, everyone in Edg felt an invisible but powerful sense of emotion.

Time passed, and it was 5 PM local time in China!

It was exactly nine o'clock in the morning in Iceland!

Having weathered the initial awkward renovation period, Iceland clearly had more funds available to renovate its meager stadium as the competition progressed.

The stadium, which can hold tens of thousands of people, was packed to capacity.

Although many fans came here today specifically to cheer for Edg, Iceland is, after all, a European country, and there are more Europeans and Americans here. Compared with the local audience supporting G2, they are definitely outnumbered.

The live stream was already live on domestic platforms, and even during the advertising break, it had already reached a terrifying number, even more terrifying than the battle between S9 IG and FPX, almost matching the S9 finals!
But this is only before the MSI has even started!
Even as the countdown was about to begin, people were still pouring in!

The atmosphere and enthusiasm of the European audience were showcased to everyone in a comprehensive and unobstructed manner for the first time in today's highly anticipated world final!

The roar was like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down, the sound waves drowning out everything!
"10"

"9"

"8"

"3"

"2"

"1"

"0!"

Bang!
A signature fist bursts through the screen and strikes the shattered surface, signaling the start of the 2020 Mid-Season Invitational Finals!
The brightly lit venue suddenly went dark, and Iceland's national flower, the pansy, was slowly showered down from the sky using the latest VR technology.

Yellow, white, and purple flowers, full of eerie and ghostly charm, and layers of icy mist sprinkled out, enveloping the entire stage!

The dazzling lights began to flash, and the camera slowly panned to reveal the live band in the upper right corner of the venue, marking the start of this grand event in the first half of the year.

As the opening ceremony's background music reached its first climax, the large screen suddenly lit up, displaying the words "MSI's first 15 years of glory since its inception."

And it was today's protagonist, Edg, who kicked things off!
Widowmaker and LeBlanc, classic counter-gank and Morgana mid lane
Everything felt like the S5 MSI had just happened yesterday. The EDG team flag hanging in the arena was still as bright and beautiful as a flower, accompanied by the passionate voices of the English commentators—it all flashed by in an instant.
The scene then shifted to SKT, the strongest team in S6, reigning supreme and winning the MSI championship!

SKT's five-man squad won the championship again in S7, and then in S8, that heart-wrenching voice shouted: "Congratulations RNG!!!"

The last 19 years!
"G2!! They're back!! The kings have returned to the stage. They destroyed Team Liquid's Nexus, ending this lopsided massacre. Three to zero! This G2 team is like a demon king. Representing the EU region, they won the S9 Mid-Season Invitational!"

"Invincible! Who can challenge G2?! Who has the confidence to beat G2?!"

The host from the Eu region roared, and the European audience in the stadium all stood up and cheered!
Countless viewers who came to support G2 went crazy, and the director even cut to a bearded European viewer who was slapping himself repeatedly.

The camera panned across the sea of ​​people, eliminating the need for the host to further engage the audience.

One was the first champion when MSI was founded, who defeated the then-dominant SKT team, Edg.

One is G2 Esports, the new champion of last year's MSI and the absolute dark horse of the European region, which can be described as unbeatable.

When the camera zoomed out to the center of the stage, revealing the exquisite, pure gold MSI trophy sitting there quietly, the fans of both teams erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Edg!!! Edg!!!"

"G2!!! G2!!!"

Before the fans of the two teams could continue their feud, a European tenor walked onto the stage, his voice booming with excitement: "Summoners in the audience! How are you all?!"

"After two weeks of intense competition and training, only two teams from the champion teams of various regions around the world have remained to compete for the final crown in this venue and in this place!"

"Today is destined to be a day that goes down in history. These two teams, Edg, defeated the former dynasty team Skt in the group stage, while G2 personally sent Skt out of the knockout stage! Welcome them, new demon kings! They are the bravest super warriors in the League of Legends world, invincible gods!"

"But today's competition will produce a victor! Who will take the MSI title? Let's welcome our two teams to the stage!!!"

"First of all, welcome to Edg, the LPL Spring Split champion team, a super team where every player has an exceptionally terrifying individual skill!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a crack naturally appeared in the stage, and the Edg team stood on an iron stage. As the support structure below lifted, they were brought onto the stage!

The spotlight shone on them in an instant, and the scene went wild!

Countless colorful smoke clouds, paired with dazzling lights, make it even more mysterious!
"Alright, then let's welcome the new kings, G2, to their home turf in Europe!!!"

With the same entrance format and the same cheers, the two teams stood facing each other across the iron stage, separated by the host, creating a sense of competition.

This scene even made the atmosphere inside the entire venue instantly hot and exciting.

They were all acquaintances, so naturally they were extremely hostile towards each other when they met.

After the host introduced the team members from both sides, the opening ceremony officially came to an end.

"The two teams on the field, with ten top players, are ready. Will G2 continue to defend their European region's glory and win the MSI championship, or will the former kings return, determined to slay the new king and reclaim the throne? Let's wait and see!"

"The 2020 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational Championship Finals have now officially begun!!!"

As the words were spoken, the lights in the venue returned to normal, and the large screen slowly lit up. Atop the snow-capped mountains of Iceland, as the trophy blurred, a celestial gate seemed to open, and an invisible hand of light pushed it open.

The scene shifts to a solitary figure sitting on the edge of an ice cliff, swinging his legs and gazing at the distant sea.

"The EU region hasn't risen to prominence in a long time, so long that we've forgotten the glory of Season 1."

Switch to close-up.

It's Caps' face!

Meanwhile, the screen switched to various scenes from last year's MSI where Caps crushed TL, winning the MSI championship 3-0, and for the first time, Caps proudly raised the trophy!

Caps' voiceover continues: "Edg has won a championship once, so what? We are also MSI champions, and we have enough strength to come here and take everything that belongs to us!"

Edg won the championship in 15, and Rng won the championship in 18. This time, the core players from the two LPL champions are gathered together, which makes Caps's mind wander!
"SKT has won many championships, whether it's Worlds or MSI, they are a team that inspires fear! But! We defeated them! We defeated them more than once! The kings of the old era, without the strength to stand in the new era, can only be eliminated!"

Ap appeared on camera and said, "Every time we talk about the match against RNG, everyone is curious about me and Uzi. This time it's different. It's me and Uzi, and it's also us and Edg! This time, we will use our strength to tell the world that we are the strongest team!"

"Times are changing, it's time for everyone to get to know us!"

The background music reached its first climax, and all the members of G2 stood atop the snow-capped mountain, gazing into the distance with an indescribable air of arrogance in their eyes.

The camera shifts, the style changes, and we are on a sea covered with ice floes. A figure stands on an ice floe, seemingly about to fall in at any moment.

Even before they got close, everyone recognized him by his physique: Uzi!

“I’m already riddled with cracks, I have no way out, I can’t see any path forward, but so what?”

Bend down, Brother Zaozi placed his palm close to the sea surface, and suddenly a chill was released.

The sea, which was originally flowing, suddenly began to freeze, and a bridge made of floating ice rose up, leading all the way to the unseen other side.

As he stepped onto the pontoon bridge, the desolation in Zaozi's eyes disappeared, gradually replaced by an air of dominance.

"No one can beat me in the bot lane, that's what I said! You guys can remember that!"

Wow!
The LPL viewers, who were just moments before stunned by G2's dominance, suddenly erupted in excitement!
Overwhelmed!
Zaozi has personally admitted that he is the world's number one ADC, and is no longer a mere figurehead champion?
Is Brother Zaozi confident now?
what?
The three-part phrase resonated with everyone who heard or saw it. European audiences might not understand, but domestic audiences were in an uproar.

But that's not the most shocking thing.

As Brother Zaozi stepped onto the pontoon bridge, one pontoon bridge after another rose into the air and were joined together. In the center of the pontoon bridge stood a man.

The man's face was etched with a wicked and arrogant air as he uttered a world-renowned line that would make even the most masterful flirtations pale in comparison:

"No doubt about it, I'm already studying our opponents in the World Championship."

Bang!
The scene froze, the promotional video ended, and the audience went wild!

This year's MSI, while not as impressive as previous editions in terms of stage, lighting, and hosting lineup, was best described in two words: the atmosphere and the unprecedented battle of wits.

Explosive! Thrilling!
After the promotional video finished playing, no further words were needed, and the camera immediately switched to the commentators inside the Icelandic sports center.

In the commentary booth, Wawa, Miller, and Longhair stood at attention, dressed in formal attire, and cheerfully announced, "Hello everyone, I'm Wawa."

"I'm Miller!"

"I am Long Hair!"

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh!!!"

The LPL fans at the scene recognized the familiar voices and naturally cheered.

"Oh dear, you have no idea how anxious we were waiting backstage. I watched this promotional video last night, and it kept me up all night!" The child seemed to be complaining, but the smile on his face, as bright as a chrysanthemum, betrayed him.

“That’s right! I didn’t expect that after lying low for so many years, the puppy would suddenly burst out. Tsk tsk, putting aside the controversy of these words, just for this domineering aura, I’ll give him a shout-out.” Miller nodded and continued to build up the atmosphere.

"After joining Edg, we can see that this team's style is completely different from before, and even different from any other LPL team. Their playstyle and individual strength are currently the strongest LPL team lineup I have seen besides IG!"

"Of course, it's understandable that SKT was eliminated this time. After all, SKT performed quite poorly this time. Even Faker couldn't play at the same level as Clearlove and Uzi!"

Seeing the topic drifting off course, Changmao quickly steered it back on track, "Yes, but there's no need to say more. Today's match between Edg and G2 is definitely going to be a fierce battle. G2 has been really strong this season. Judging from their performance at MSI, their record and play have been very consistent. They've completely abandoned their previous risky and impulsive playstyle, showing us something new."

"Whether we can win or not, we'll talk about it after we fight, right? Audience members, what do you say, right?" Wawa shouted, and some of the female audience members immediately gasped and screamed.

"To be fair, both the factory manager and the puppy looked quite handsome today. They looked like they had their hair and makeup done. Were they ready to receive their awards?"

"After all, we're already studying the opponents for the S-series, so give us some face, okay?" Wawa and Miller chimed in, making the viewers in the live stream laugh.

Long Hair coughed twice and quickly pulled the two who were letting loose.

"The match is about to begin, and finally, let's talk about the lineups for both sides today."

"Edg's top laner Flandre, jungler Clearlove, mid laner Scout, ADC Uzi, support Meiko, and coach Abu!"

"G2's top laner Wunder, jungler Jankos, mid laner Caps, ADC Perkz, support Mikyx, and coach Lohhman!"

"Both sides fielded their strongest lineups in the first match!"

This lineup, it has to be said, is finally back to the ADC position after playing with Perkz and Caps for a whole season, even during the MSI match against SKT.

As seen in the previous promotional videos, Perkz is determined to prove himself as the strongest bot laner in the current version by going up against Uzi in the bot lane.

Similarly, the return of the incredibly talented Caps to the mid lane will be a major problem for Edg!

Exams are over! Exams are over! To all my fellow readers who took the exams, may we all pass with flying colors!!!

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(End of this chapter)