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

The KT lounge was deathly silent.

There were no arguments, no blame-shifting, not even angry roars. Only heavy breathing and the occasional sound of someone drinking water.

This silence is even more terrifying than the atmosphere after the previous loss.

They all performed very well.

They didn't give Faker a chance to get a solo kill in the early game, and Deft in the bottom lane also managed to farm steadily. In fact, in the mid-game team fights, they won with a perfect control chain, gained the initiative for Baron, and took the lead in gold and vision control.

Everything was going according to plan, and victory seemed within reach.

"Why..." Deft murmured to himself, his voice hoarse as if he were crying, "Why did I still lose?"

No one could answer him.

That sense of powerlessness overwhelmed the "Galactic Battleship" like a tidal wave.

Just as the entire KT team was sinking into a deep abyss of self-doubt, Xiao Yan, in the SKT break room next door, heard that familiar electronic synthesized voice in his mind once again.

【Ding! 】

[A drastic fluctuation in the morale of all KT members was detected, with some even experiencing self-doubt and despair.]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Hero Proficiency Increase - Twitch (100), Camille (100).]

Xiao Yan suddenly stopped drinking water.

The player's skill level with the mouse is at its maximum, which is reasonable, considering he's an AD carry.

But... Camille?

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Camille is a standard top lane champion; although a very small number of people use her as a jungler or support, those are extremely rare cases. What does it mean that the system has given him max proficiency with this champion?

Is he trying to get me to go top lane and go toe-to-toe with top laners like Smeb and Khan?

"Interesting..." Xiao Yan's lips curled into a playful smile.

Having more skills is never a bad thing; who knows, one day I might actually be able to use this "swing position" move to give my opponent a big surprise.

……

The short break is over.

The third match was also the match point of this BO5 series.

KT chose the blue side and had the right to ban and pick first.

From the very beginning, KT's bans exuded a strong sense of "targeting," or even "fear."

First ban: Caitlyn from Piltover.

The second ban: Vengeful Spear.

The third ban: Gunner.

All three bans were given to the ADC!

"Wow! KT is completely scared!" Jeon Yong-jun exclaimed in the commentary booth, "Another three bans on marksmen! They're going all out to shut down Xiao Yan this game!"

On the BP screen, KT instantly locked in Varus on the first floor.

Since they can't ban them all, they'll just have to steal them! Deft picked Varus, the champion he was most confident in, in an attempt to get back at them.

It's SKT's turn to select players.

Koma glanced at Xiao Yan: "They're targeting you really hard. How about we pick Kog'Maw or Twitch for the late game?"

Xiao Yan shook his head, glanced at Wolf beside him, and said calmly, "No need for that. Since they want to lane, let's play along. Get Xayah for me, and Wolf, get Rakan."

"Xayah and Rakan?" Their eyes lit up. "Great!"

SKT secured Xayah and Rakan.

When it came to choosing the mid-lane position, Faker pushed up his glasses, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Give me Syndra."

……

Game start.

To the surprise of all the viewers, Xiao Yan did not show off his prowess as he did in the previous two rounds.

Despite KT's aggressive draft picks and Score's frequent ganks on the bottom lane, Xiao Yan displayed remarkable composure.

He controlled Xayah like a patient hunter, calmly last-hitting minions and controlling the lane.

Although Deft got Varus, he was unable to exert any real pressure due to Xayah and Rakan's skillful kiting.

Xiao Yan was like a sponge, absorbing most of KT's offensive pressure, yet he never collapsed, and even managed to finish them off.

"Xiao Yan played very steadily this game, and his Xayah was also very good. This is another great discovery. It seems to be one of Xiao Yan's trump cards. I really don't know how deep Xiao Yan's hero pool is, considering that he is just a newcomer who has just entered the professional scene."

"KT is getting anxious; Sejuani has come three times but hasn't caught anyone."

Just as KT focused all their attention on the bottom lane, trying to find an opening through Xiao Yan, bad news came from the mid lane.

The game lasts 8 minutes.

Faker's Syndra capitalized on a positioning mistake by Pawn's Taliyah in the mid lane.

QE second company!

The Dark Orb accurately stunned Taliyah.

W grabs the orb and slams it down, applying Ignite, followed by the ultimate [Energy Burst]!

Countless dark orbs poured into Taliyah's body like a torrential rain.

Solo kill!

"Faker! The Demon King has made his move!" the commentator roared. "While the entire KT team was focused on the bot lane, Faker stepped up!"

This is just the beginning.

Having gained the advantage, Faker completely took over the game.

At 12 minutes, Faker roamed to the top lane and, with Huni's help, tower-dived and killed Smeb.

At 15 minutes, during a team fight around the dragon, Faker, hiding in the bushes, instantly melted Mata, who was warding, with a combo.

At 20 minutes, Faker pushed two opponents in the mid lane, instantly killing Deft's Varus.

Xiao Yan's performance was decent, though he displayed the strength of the Xia-Luo duo, dealing decent damage in team fights, using his ultimate to avoid key control effects, and using his hook to restrict the enemy's movement, but he didn't have any particularly outstanding plays.

Faker's Syndra, on the other hand, is the Grim Reaper who reaps souls.

"That's what makes SKT so terrifying!" Jeon Yong-jun exclaimed. "Just when you've racked your brains to contain their rookie AD, the man sitting in the mid lane is the real god!"

"Xiao Yan played a supporting role this game, but he was too tough; KT couldn't handle him at all! Meanwhile, Faker, the star of the show, was blooming too brightly, so bright it was almost blinding!"

The game lasts 26 minutes.

SKT pushed into the high ground with the Baron buff.

Faker's Syndra stunned both Deft and Pawn with a perfectly timed QE combo from near range.

Xiao Yan followed up with his attack, feathers flying everywhere, instantly wiping out the remaining enemies.

ACE!

Destroy the group!

As KT's main crystal shattered amidst dazzling magical light, the score settled at 3-0.

SKT swept KT, known as the "Galactic Battleship," in a near-crushing fashion.

Xiao Yan took off his headphones, looked at the large "VICTORY" on the screen, turned to Faker beside him who was rubbing his wrist, and smiled, giving him a thumbs up:

"Sang-hyeok hyung, this C is totally numb."

Even Faker's perpetually poker face showed a rare, faint smile:

"Are you lying down comfortably?"

Xiao Yan shrugged, slung his peripheral bag over his shoulder, and glanced at the lifeless KT players' bench opposite him.

"The feeling of winning without lifting a finger is really great."

But everyone knows that if Xiao Yan hadn't drawn all the firepower and bans in this match and stabilized the situation in the bottom lane, preventing a collapse under the pressure, Faker's Syndra would never have won so easily.

That night, SKT swept KT, and now they only have one opponent left: the champion LZ.

On the big screen, the MVP's official photo slowly appeared.

He was still that same boy with his hands in his pockets and an indifferent look in his eyes—Xiao Yan.

A commotion erupted in the audience, followed by enthusiastic applause. Although Faker's Syndra dominated the game with an incredibly impressive KDA, the post-match stats displayed by the broadcast director told a different story:

Xiao Yan's Xia, despite not having a high percentage of the team's economy, achieved the highest damage share of the entire game at 38%.

His seemingly insignificant kiting and basic attacks in team fights were actually devastating, melting KT's front line to ashes.

This is an MVP selection that considers not only KDA but also actual contributions, and the winner truly deserves it.

The lights are focused in the center of the stage.

Waiting there was Lee Hyun-kyung, a female host with a gentle and intellectual smile, wearing a light pink dress.

After Cho Eun-jung left the LCK stage, Lee Hyun-kyung quickly became the new generation of "host goddess" in the LCK with her professionalism and intellectual temperament.

"Congratulations to SKT, and congratulations to Xiao Yan for winning MVP again." Lee Hyun-kyung's voice was clear and pleasant. She looked at Xiao Yan who had walked up to her, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes. "Your performance in today's BO5 was amazing, especially in the last game. Even though KT targeted you throughout the game, you still managed to deal the highest damage. Many viewers thought the MVP would go to Faker. Were you surprised?"

Xiao Yan took the microphone, his expression calm: "Not surprising. Xiang He is responsible for killing everyone, and I am responsible for depleting their health bars. It's just a division of labor. As long as we win, it doesn't matter who gets the MVP."

Lee Hyun-kyung covered her mouth and chuckled, clearly satisfied with the answer: "It seems the atmosphere within the SKT team is really good. So, the next opponent is LZ. Is there anything you'd like to say to the fans about the upcoming finals?"

Xiao Yan looked at the camera, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Just get ready to cheer."

Short, confident, and domineering.

As the interview drew to a close, the host and contestants, as is customary, exchanged brief greetings and said their goodbyes.

Just as the camera zoomed out slightly, preparing to cut off the live stream, Lee Hyun-kyung suddenly took half a step forward and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, with a hint of shyness:

"Um... Xiao Yan, would it be convenient to add you on KakaoTalk? If there are any interviews scheduled in the future, or any questions about the LPL, I think... it might be more convenient to ask you privately."

As a popular host in the LCK, she rarely asks players for their contact information. However, she was very interested in this young Chinese player who was the only one to stand on the LCK stage and win multiple MVPs over Faker, the "Demon King."

Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment, looking at the host with a face as beautiful as a peach blossom in front of him.

He smiled, but instead of taking out his phone, he said half-jokingly:

"Although I really want to say yes, I have to focus all my attention on preparing for the finals."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Li Xianjing's eyes. He was about to say "It's okay" when Xiao Yan continued:

"However, if you see me at the interview booth again next time, I'll give you my contact information then."

Lee Hyun-kyung paused for a moment, then smiled broadly, a smile brighter than the stage lights: "Okay, it's a deal. I believe we'll meet again soon."

……

It was already late at night when we returned to the SKT base.

Although they defeated the formidable KT, the SKT players didn't have much time to celebrate. Just as Xiao Yan said, the real boss, LZ, who dominated the LCK this summer, was still waiting for them at the finish line.

After washing up, Xiao Yan didn't rest immediately. Instead, he habitually turned on his computer, logged into his Korean server account, and began a relaxing time of playing ranked matches while "smurfing" (playing against weaker opponents).

The next afternoon, in the training room.

Coach Kouma walked in with a small notebook in his hand and clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention.

"Alright, everyone, perk up. To prepare for LZ, we've arranged a very high-quality scrim today." Koma's expression was somewhat serious. "The opponent is a strong team from the LPL, with a very aggressive style, which is perfect for simulating LZ's highly offensive playstyle."

"An LPL team?" Wolf asked curiously. "Who is it? EDG or WE?"

Kouma shook his head and slowly uttered three letters:

"RNG".

Upon hearing this name, the expressions on the faces of the SKT members remained unchanged. They were confident that they could defeat any LPL team, regardless of their opponent.

After all, they now have the Great Demon King and the most aggressive AD in lane. However, the only thing that makes them a little curious is who is more powerful, Uzi, who is hailed by fans as the best AD in the world, or Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up when he heard the words "RNG" and "Uzi".

If it were another team, he probably would have treated it as a regular practice match.

But RNG...

Xiao Yan's lips curled into an uncontrollable, wicked smile.

He hadn't forgotten the times he used to smurf in high-elo Korean servers using a smurf account. In one game, he was matched against Uzi, completely dominated him, and was rewarded with a godlike Vayne.

"Use Uzi's most signature hero to dance in front of him..." Xiao Yan stroked his chin, his mischievous thoughts growing wildly in his mind.

Soon, both sides entered a custom room.

The business proposal (BP) phase begins.

RNG was clearly aware that SKT had recently acquired a very strong new AD carry, but Uzi didn't seem too concerned. In his view, apart from Faker, the rest of SKT were not a threat.

RNG locked up the female police officer on the first floor.

This is a dominant champion that Uzi is extremely confident in, clearly intending to teach SKT's bot lane a lesson.

It's SKT's turn to select players.

Kouma looked at Xiao Yan: "The other side picked the policewoman, Xiao Yan, what are you going to pick?"

Xiao Yan looked at the policewoman's avatar wearing a top hat on the screen, chuckled, and quickly swiped the mouse across the hero list, finally stopping on a figure wearing sunglasses and a red cape.

"Coach, get me Vayne."

"What?!"

Wolf was drinking water and almost spat it all over the screen. "Vayne? Hitting a policewoman? Are you serious?"

Even Faker turned his head in surprise: "This lane matchup is going to be very difficult."

In professional matches, Vayne versus Caitlyn is an incredibly difficult matchup. The difference in range is enough for Caitlyn to make Vayne's scalp tingle in the early game.

"Don't worry." Xiao Yan clicked the lock button directly, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I know what I'm doing."

As the crisp voice rang out, "Let us hunt down those who have fallen into darkness."

Inside the SKT training room, Kkoma nodded. Everyone had witnessed Xiao Yan's strength; if he wanted something, he definitely had the means to get it.

Meanwhile, at RNG's base in Shanghai, Uzi looked at the Vayne locked on by the opposing team, and his originally rosy face instantly turned even redder, a sign of anger after being provoked.

"Vayne? Playing Vayne in front of me?" Uzi laughed angrily, clicking his mouse rapidly. "Fine, if I don't make you shit your pants this game, I'm not Uzi!"

Xiao Yan adjusted his posture and gently tapped the keyboard with his fingers.

The show is about to begin.