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

Chapter 26: First Game of the Playoffs!

In the days that followed, SKT's training room became a veritable "factory of despair".

ROXTigers, BBQOlivers, MVP—these teams originally thought that playing scrims with SKT would be a good opportunity to learn, but they ended up finding themselves being guinea pigs who were thoroughly outplayed in various ways.

"Huni, this game is going for a split-push strategy. You pick Jax, and the rest of you stick together and kite."

"Peanut, this game you're playing a jungle carry, all three lanes will be your foes, you're responsible for invading the enemy jungle and killing them."

"Sang-hyeok, let's go for a global strategy this game. Pick Galio. We need to make sure the enemy team faces a situation of being outnumbered no matter where they fight."

Xiao Yan is like a tireless tactical mastermind, trying out different styles every day.

What's most terrifying is that as the number of training matches increased, the system notifications in Xiao Yan's mind never stopped.

[Ding! Detected that ROX's jungler's mentality has wavered due to his inability to predict the host's commands; overall strategic awareness +1.]

[Ding! BBQ support detected self-doubt due to complete vision suppression; overall game awareness +1.]

[Ding! Detected that the MVP team has fallen silent due to being wiped out by the host's strategic maneuvering. Overall game sense +2.]

As Xiao Yan's [Overall Strategy] attribute points continued to rise, his command became increasingly smooth and terrifying. At the same time, his other stats were also improving, except that he didn't get a single item.

At first, he needed to look at the minimap and think for a few seconds before making a decision, but now, those complex lane management, lane switching timings, and resource exchanges are like instincts etched into his mind.

He can even precisely calculate the recall time of each enemy player and the exact number of seconds it takes for the next wave of minions to reach the tower.

This near-omniscient command experience made the other four members of SKT extremely comfortable.

Huni is no longer scolded for giving away lives, because Xiao Yan can always stop him before he gets carried away;

Peanut rediscovered his former ferocity from his ROX days, because Xiao Yan could always tell him the enemy jungler's location;

WoIf no longer feels anxious about finding a safe place, because Xiao Yan will tell him where it is.

As for Fakr —

The Great Demon King is now the happiest person on the team.

He no longer needs to be distracted by directing the entire game, nor does he need to calculate those tedious operational details. He only needs to focus on laning, on mechanics, and on how to completely dominate the opposing mid laner.

"This feels amazing." After a practice match, Faker chewed gum and exclaimed sincerely, "I feel like my reflexes and actions have become faster because my brain doesn't need to think about anything else."

Coach Kouma watched all this, his notebook already filled with densely packed tactical insights. The way he looked at Xiao Yan had changed from initial admiration to treasuring him like a precious gem.

This newcomer is not only a sharp blade, but also a core engine that can enable SKT, this sophisticated machine, to evolve once again.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the LCK Summer Playoffs have officially begun.

On this day, the entire SKT team did not train, but instead sat around the big screen in the lounge watching the live broadcast of the wildcard match.

Matchup: SSG, fourth place in the regular season, vs. AFs, fifth place in the regular season.

"Who do you think will win?" Huni asked, eating a bucket of popcorn.

-

"SSG, right?" WoIf leaned back lazily on the sofa. "Although AFs has Marin, SSG has been too consistent this season, especially Ambition, who gets better with age."

Faker nodded: "SSG's style is a good counter to teams like AFs that like to fight."

Xiao Yan sat in the corner, twirling a pen in his hand, his gaze calmly fixed on the screen.

The competition unfolded as expected.

Although AFs won the first game thanks to Marin's Rumble in a brilliant team fight, the rest of the game completely fell into SSG's rhythm.

SSG has demonstrated their signature "suffocating operation." They are patient and methodical, using vision control and resource substitution to gradually erode AFs' living space.

Especially their bot lane duo, Ruler and CoreJJ, after being "humiliated" by Xiao Yan in the regular season, seem to have learned their lesson and become more rigorous in their play, even with a touch of ferocity.

The final score was 3-1.

As SSG destroyed AFs's main crystal, the commentators erupted in enthusiastic shouts: "Congratulations to SSG! They have successfully defeated AFs and advanced to the first round of the playoffs! Their next opponent will be—SKT T1!"

The camera panned to the SSG players' bench.

The SSG players didn't show much jubilation after their victory. Ruler took off his headphones, his face bearing a cold, avenging look. In the post-match interview, when the host asked him what he wanted to say about the next match against SKT, Ruler gripped the microphone tightly, staring directly at the camera as if looking at someone through the screen: "The loss in the regular season is a disgrace to our entire team."

"This time, we will get it back with interest."

"SKT, and that newbie, wash your necks and get ready."

In the lounge, all the SKT members turned their attention to Xiao Yan.

The tension is palpable, even through the screen.

"Wow, they're naming names." Huni whistled, looking like he was enjoying the drama. "Xiao Yan, they're coming for you."

Xiao Yan stopped twirling his pen.

He looked at Ruler on the screen, who was full of fighting spirit, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"With interest?"

Xiao Yan chuckled, stood up, and patted off non-existent dust from his team uniform.

"Perfect timing. I also felt that the last victory was too easy and didn't feel real."

He turned to Coach Kouma, his eyes gleaming with confidence like a sword about to be drawn: "Coach, prepare the tactics for the next game."

"Since they want revenge, then I'll make them remember—what true despair is."

Koma looked at Xiao Yan, then at Faker and the others beside him who were silent but equally eager to fight, and closed his notebook.

"Okay," Koma said in a deep voice. "The next match is against SSG, a best-of-five series. This will be a huge test of both physical strength and mentality."

Seoul, OGN eSports Arena.

The spotlight shone brightly, and the audience was packed. The first round of the LCK Summer Playoffs, a do-or-die match between SKT T1 and SSG, kicked off amidst the intense anticipation of the crowd.

This was not only a key battle in South Korea, but also a live stream for countless League of Legends players in China.

For many "big tournament fans" who don't usually pay much attention to the LCK regular season and only watch the playoffs and the World Championship, SKT's starting lineup today was like a bombshell.

When SKT's starting lineup was displayed on the big screen, the chat on major domestic live streaming platforms exploded instantly:

[Holy crap? Did I see that right? AD isn't Bang?]

[XiaoYan? Who's that? SKT's new foreign player? Why is he Chinese?]

[Oh no, has SKT given up? Are they just going to bench Bang for such a crucial playoff game?]

Who is this newcomer? Daring to replace Bang? Does he have some powerful backing?

[Sent! Faker is going to carry four noobs again. This AD looks unfamiliar; he'll probably get criticized by Ruler.]

Smash it.

Could this be LPL's best chance yet?!