LPL didn't want me? I joined SKT instead!

DWG's top laner Nuguri, jungler Canyon, and mid laner Showmaker—three prodigies destined to make waves in the future—demonstrated a suffocating dominance against SKT, who were without Xiao Yan.

In the first game, Nuguri picked Vladimir, and TheShy picked Jayce.

This was supposed to be a clash of titans in the top lane, but Canyon's Lee Sin practically roamed the top lane. TheShy was caught out and killed three times in the early game, and Jayce was completely disconnected. Meanwhile, Sirius in the bottom lane, facing DWG's ADC Nuclear, not only failed to gain an advantage but also got killed in lane due to a reckless fight.

In the second game, SKT attempted to change their tactics, having Peanut focus on the bot lane. However, Canyon astutely anticipated this, aggressively counter-jungling and suppressing Peanut's Olaf to the point where he couldn't even farm his own jungle monsters. Showmaker's Zoe also showcased her incredible skill in the mid lane, pinning Faker's Orianna under the tower.

At 22 minutes, DWG forced a team fight at the Baron pit.

Sirius' Ezreal attempted to harass on the flank but was hit by Showmaker's incredibly tricky long-range sleep bubble. Canyon's Lee Sin used a ward hop followed by a W and R flash, kicking Sirius directly into the DWG's ranks, where he instantly melted.

Without their AD carry, SKT collapsed like a house of cards, suffering a 0-for-5 team wipe at the hands of DWG, who then pushed down their base in one fell swoop.

0: 2!

SKT has suffered two consecutive losses!

The moment the match ended, the director's camera focused on the SKT players' bench.

TheShy stared blankly at the screen, his eyes revealing deep frustration; Peanut grabbed his hair in annoyance; Sirius's eyes were red-rimmed, his hands covering his face, almost crying. Only Faker remained calm. He silently packed up his peripherals, patted Sirius on the shoulder, and led the way off the stage.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the SKT backstage lounge, not far from the stage, was extremely tense.

Xiao Yan, dressed casually, sat quietly on the sofa, watching the DWG team members cheering and celebrating on the screen. He held a glass of warm water in his hand, his slender fingers gently tracing the side of the glass, his eyes so deep that no emotion could be discerned.

"Is this your current level?"

As the players pushed open the door to the locker room and walked in dejectedly, head coach Kkoma's suppressed anger boomed through the room.

Kkoma gripped the tactical board tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. He slammed the board onto the table with a loud bang, startling Sirius.

"Tell me, what are you guys doing?! TheShy, didn't I emphasize before the match that the enemy jungler would definitely target you, and that you should maintain vision and not blindly push the lane? Why did you still cross the minion wave to trade damage when there was no jungler counter-ganking?!"

TheShy lowered his head and muttered in broken Korean, "I think I can kill..."

"You thought you could kill him? And what happened? You got caught and went 0-3! You're supposed to be a Jayce who needs to exert pressure in the early game, but you're not even as good as a super minion in team fights!" Kkoma criticized mercilessly.

Then, Kkoma turned his gaze to Peanut: "Peanut, where's your rhythm? Where's your invasion? You're being led by the nose by a rookie jungler, your jungle planning is a complete mess!"

Little Peanut bit his lip, speechless.

Finally, Kkoma looked at Sirius, who was huddled in the corner trembling, sighed, and softened his tone slightly, but it was still stern: "Sirius, I know you're under a lot of pressure. But you're a professional player, you represent SKT! That positioning mistake was completely amateurish. You're too eager to prove yourself, and you've lost your most basic composure."

The entire lounge was completely silent, except for the heavy breathing of the team members.

In the suffocating silence, Xiao Yan, who hadn't spoken until now, stood up.

He wasn't wearing a team uniform, but the moment he stood up, an invisible sense of pressure instantly spread out. He walked to the whiteboard, picked up a marker, and drew a simple map of Summoner's Rift on the whiteboard.

"The coach was right to scold us, but he was only half right."

Xiao Yan's voice wasn't loud, but it was extremely clear, carrying an irresistible certainty.

He turned around, his sharp gaze sweeping across the faces of each of his teammates.

"Your biggest problem isn't your erratic gameplay or poor tactical execution. It's that your mindset is still stuck in the illusion of MSI."

Xiao Yan heavily touched the bottom lane with his brush.

"At MSI, because I was in the bot lane, I could draw at least 60% of the enemy jungler and support's attention by myself. TheShy, you're used to that kind of pressure without any worries; Peanut, you're used to that kind of unbridled play with lane priority at all times. You're used to the premise that 'SKT's bot lane is always the advantage.'"

"But now, I'm not here."

Xiao Yan's words were like a sharp knife, mercilessly piercing through SKT's current fig leaf.

"Sirius isn't me; it's normal that he can't exert that kind of extreme pressure. He's just a rookie. But what about you guys? As world-class top and jungle players, why didn't you adjust your strategy in time after realizing that the bot lane couldn't provide any impact?"

Xiao Yan stared at TheShy: "Sanghyeok is being held back in the mid lane, and the bot lane is even or even at a disadvantage. What makes you think you can push so deep in the top lane? Do you think you're playing ranked? That's not confidence, that's arrogance!"

TheShy suddenly raised his head, a hint of defiance flashing in his eyes, but when he met Xiao Yan's cold gaze, he ultimately lowered his head silently and clenched his fists.

Xiao Yan then looked at Peanut: "Your jungle was completely destroyed because you were still farming the same routes as before. Why didn't you try counter-ganking the top lane? Why didn't you focus on the mid lane? You've lost your initiative; you've become a robot that only knows how to mechanically farm the jungle!"

Finally, Xiao Yan walked up to Sirius.

Looking at the young trainee with red and swollen eyes, Xiao Yan's tone softened slightly, but it was still full of power.

"Raise your head."

Sirius timidly raised his head and looked at the man in front of him, who was known as "Death".

"Don't try to imitate me. You can't, and there's no need to," Xiao Yan said calmly. "When I play AD, I treat it like an assassin. But a typical AD needs to survive, farm, and deal sustained damage in team fights. Was your Ezreal movement today a tribute to me? Trying to E in and show off your skills? Foolish!"

"Remember your role. You are SKT's shield, not their spear. Survive, deal the damage you're supposed to, and that's enough. If the sky falls, the top, mid, and jungle will hold it up. If you can't even do that, you should go back to the academy as soon as possible."

After Xiao Yan finished speaking, he threw the marker back onto the table and sat back down on the sofa.

The lounge fell silent once again.

But this time, the atmosphere was no longer one of despair and oppression, but rather one of reflection after being thoroughly awakened.

Faker adjusted his glasses, stood up, and looked at everyone, saying, "Xiao Yan is right. We've relied on him too much. League of Legends is a five-player game. If we lose one player, the whole team collapses, and we don't deserve to be called the strongest. In the upcoming matches, we need to regain our winning edge as a team."

TheShy took a deep breath and said earnestly in Korean, "I will correct my mistakes. I will play smarter."

Peanut patted his cheeks hard: "I know what to do. I'll take back my jungle."