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

From that day on, the training room at the SKT base was less filled with boisterous laughter and more with a suffocating focus.

Without Xiao Yan's absolute lane control and firepower draw in the bottom lane, the remaining four members of SKT were forced out of their comfort zone and began to truly learn how to win the game as a "team".

Faker regained control of the team's leadership during the match.

In their next match, SKT faced off against Gen.G.

Before the match, numerous Korean media outlets predicted that Gen.G would break through SKT's defenses in the bottom lane, because Sirius's disadvantages in experience and mentality would be magnified when facing a top veteran like Ruler.

But the course of the competition surprised everyone.

In the first game, TheShy unusually didn't choose any fighter heroes, but instead quietly locked in Malphite, the Lava Giant. When this hero was picked, the entire commentary team was stunned. TheShy, who always played ranged heroes against melee heroes and could take on two opponents at once, was actually playing a pure tank hero?

Sirius, playing in the bottom lane, chose Ashe, the Frost Archer, and took Cleanse, clearly indicating his attitude of "I'll only farm minions and never cause trouble."

After the match started, Gen.G's jungler Clid relentlessly targeted the bottom lane, trying to help Ruler establish an advantage. But Sirius was like a frightened bird; if there was even the slightest movement in his vision, he would rather miss an entire wave of minions under the tower than leave the tower's protection range.

"Sirius's playstyle today... was very solid." In the commentary booth, the Korean commentator could only use such euphemistic words to describe it.

But just as Gen.G focused all their attention on the bottom lane, attempting to tower dive and kill Sirius, Faker's calm voice rang out in SKT's voice channel.

"Peanut, go top lane, counter-gank. TheShy, let the wave go, prepare your ultimate."

The moment Lee Sin appeared in the bot lane vision, Peanut's Sejuani had already quietly slipped into the top lane bush. Gen.G's top laner CuVee was dominating TheShy's Malphite, completely unaware of the impending danger.

"Charge." Faker glanced at the top lane and casually gave the command.

Without hesitation, TheShy unleashed his ultimate, "Unstoppable Force," sending CuVee flying high into the air. Peanut's Sejuani followed closely, landing her ultimate, "Glacial Freeze," with pinpoint accuracy. The two executed a perfect control combo, instantly killing CuVee.

"Beautiful!" Little Peanut exclaimed excitedly.

"Don't be greedy for tower plates, go straight for the Rift Herald. Sirius, retreat to the second tower, let them have the first tower." Faker's brain was like a sophisticated supercomputer, methodically planning every step that would come next.

Without Xiao Yan's extreme individual heroism, SKT displayed a chillingly sophisticated Korean-style management style.

They avoided direct confrontation, trading the bottom lane's first tower for an advantage in the top lane and the Rift Herald; they exploited TheShy's teleport disadvantage to execute a perfect kiting maneuver at the Dragon pit; they had Sirius's Ashe use her E skill "Eagle Strike" to illuminate Gen.G's jungle, allowing Peanut to perfectly avoid Ambition's attacks and frantically plunder resources.

Throughout the entire match, SKT failed to produce even a single miraculous team fight like they did at MSI. Instead, they were like a slowly tightening net, using vision control, minion waves, and resource trades to gradually strangle Gen.G.

At 35 minutes, SKT secured Baron Nashor and, with a 10,000 gold lead, pushed down Gen.G's base.

2: 0!

SKT won the game cleanly and decisively.

When the game ended, TheShy glanced at his 0-0-8 Malphite score, his lips twitching slightly, but a strange light flickered in his eyes. He realized that not killing, but watching the opponent helplessly rage before him, was also a unique kind of fun. (Next chapter is even more exciting: Chapter 214 Returns, looking forward to your visit.)

Although Sirius only dealt a little over 10,000 damage throughout the entire match, he didn't die once, perfectly fulfilling the task Xiao Yan had set for him—"to be a good shield."

This match became a microcosm of the first half of SKT's Summer Split.

Under Faker's absolute command, SKT embarked on an incredible winning streak. They defeated KT, swept KZ, and avenged their loss to AFs.

SKT's performance has steadily improved, and they have returned to the top of the league.

Although the match was not as overwhelming as before, this rock-solid pressure made the other teams feel even more desperate.

"This SKT... has evolved." LPL commentator Miller said with a serious expression while broadcasting an LCK match.

"Yes," the doll beside him gave a wry smile, "and the scariest thing is... they achieved this result even with 'Death' at their disposal. Once that man returns..."

The doll didn't finish her sentence, but a chill ran through all the audience members.

With the Summer Split regular season drawing to a close, all the teams are making their final push for a playoff spot. SKT, too, is facing their last few opponents in the regular season.

On the eve of their match against the number one ranked team, Griffin, SKT officially announced: Xiao Yan is back in the starting lineup!

Match day, Seoul LoL Park eSports Arena.

When Xiao Yan, wearing his familiar red and black team uniform, walked onto the stage expressionlessly and sat in his AD position, the cheers from the entire audience almost lifted the roof off the stadium.

This young player, who shone brightly in the Summer Split and was hailed as the strongest AD of the new generation in LCK, was looking at the ID on the other side of the screen—"SKT XiaoYan"—and his palms, which were holding the mouse, involuntarily broke out in a cold sweat.

The BP phase begins.

GRF's coach, Marc, was on high alert. He immediately banned all three AD carry champions in his first three bans – Lucian, Draven, and Kai'Sa.

"GRF is really showing respect to Xiao Yan! Ban AD three times!" the Korean commentator shouted.

When it was SKT's turn to pick the fifth counter pick, Kkoma stood behind Xiao Yan and asked softly, "What do you want to play? The enemy bot lane has Xayah and Rakan, should we pick Ezreal to withstand the pressure?"

Xiao Yan sneered, a long-lost bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes.

"Resilience? That's not a word in my vocabulary. Get me that one."

With a crisp "clang," the image of a hero holding a spear and moving nimbly appeared on the big screen.

Kalista, the Spear of Vengeance!

"Skateboard Shoes! Xiao Yan has locked up the skateboard shoes!"

Game start.

If the previous SKT was an indestructible shield, then with Xiao Yan's addition, a peerless, deadly sword capable of piercing everything instantly grew from the center of that shield!

After half a season of adjustment, TheShy, Peanut, and Faker have fully mastered how to stabilize the situation when they don't have an advantage in the bottom lane.

The game had only lasted two and a half minutes.

Xiao Yan's Kalista displayed an extremely abnormal level of dominance in the bottom lane.

Every basic attack and every slide he made was perfectly timed to be within Viper Xayah's attack range.

Viper felt like he was being watched by a cheetah toying with its prey, and every time he tried to finish it off, he had to pay a bloody price.

"Peanut, come here," Xiao Yan said calmly in the voice chat.

Peanut's Prince abandoned the top jungle and ganked bot lane at level two!