Chapter 46: Enemies on a Narrow Path, Laning Against Uzi

With only one hour left before the S8 season and the Korean server rankings finalized, Lu Zilang's daily live streams of his Korean server rank matches had driven the esports community's anticipation to an absolute frenzy.

Among the top ten players in League points on the Korean server ladder, the LPL representatives included not only Lu Zilang, but also UZI, 957, Ning...

It was essentially shaping up to be an LCK versus LPL showdown, with only an obscure player named Jelly squeezed awkwardly in the middle.

Shark Live.

Even though it was already 10:00 PM, viewer traffic in Lu Zilang's broadcast room showed no signs of slowing down, reaching a staggering 85 million popularity value.

Although that viewership metric was heavily inflated, it nevertheless reflected the countless fans eagerly awaiting this ultimate rank match.

Who would claim the number one spot on the Korean server in this final hour?

The answer remained unrevealed.

Yet, LPL fans universally rooted for Lu Zilang to take the crown.

If that happened, LCK's defeat in the S8 season would be total and absolute. This year's S8 could then be considered thoroughly complete for the LPL, especially since RNG had already secured the MSI championship earlier.

Whether on the competitive stage or in rank matches, LCK had lost across the board.

Some official LPL commentators even privately organized an unofficial watch party to provide live commentary on tonight's pinnacle rank match.

In the broadcast room of official LPL commentator Guan Zeyuan, viewership was nearing ten million—an unimaginable figure under normal circumstances.

Guan Zeyuan was somewhat flattered. Tonight, he had specially invited WaWa and Miller to guest-star in his stream, co-hosting and observing this profoundly significant match.

By now, the rank match had officially begun, and Lu Zilang was once again teamed up with Jelly.

Furthermore, their teammates for this match were none other than "dOpa," "957," and "Ning"—IDs that everyone in the community knew by heart.

Jelly took the initiative to message Lu Zilang: "Let me support you this game."

Lu Zilang: "Okay."

This match was supremely critical for Lu Zilang, as a victory would mean completing his system's mission!

Having Jelly as his support was undoubtedly like adding wings to a tiger, as Jelly performed much better in the support role than in the mid lane.

Jelly: "What ADC are you playing?"

After a moment of thought, Lu Zilang decided to test the system-rewarded [Three-Star Jinx]: "The Loose Cannon."

Jelly: "Then I'll play Soraka this game."

Lu Zilang: "Sounds good!"

dOpa took the mid lane, 957 (Big Bro Tui) went top, and Ning naturally took the jungle.

With the draft phase concluded, Lu Zilang successfully locked in Jinx, while Jelly secured Soraka.

Soon, both teams entered Summoner's Rift!

Tonight's peak rank match had officially commenced, promising endless highlights and an explosion of anticipation.

Meanwhile, Guan Zeyuan's broadcast room transitioned to the observer view. Miller couldn't help clicking his tongue as he looked at the team compositions:

"Red side: dOpa, the Korean server pub star who rivals Faker! Top laner WE Tui, jungler IG Ning! This supporting cast is nothing short of luxurious!"

Guan Zeyuan also gasped softly. "As expected of the peak rank matches of the S8 Korean server, the blue side's composition is equally unbeatable!"

"Currently ranked first in rank points is Peanut! Top laner: Khan, mid laner: ShowMaker, ADC: UZI, support: Mata!"

WaWa clapped in admiration. "The entertainment value here is simply maxed out! UZI versus Lu Zilang, Peanut versus Ning, dOpa versus ShowMaker, 957 versus Tui..."

"Ahem, Teacher Miller, give us an objective analysis of this rank match. Which side has the higher win rate?" Guan Zeyuan tossed out the question.

Miller thought carefully. This was a rank match, not an official tournament game, so he naturally had no reservations:

"In truth, the number one spot on the Korean server tonight will only come down to Peanut and Lu Zilang, since they are currently tied for first. Whoever wins this game takes the crown!"

"Don't change the subject on me. Zeyuan's question was which side has the higher win rate?" WaWa pressed.

"I'd say the blue side has a slight edge. Although dOpa rivals Faker, ShowMaker is currently riding a wave of immense momentum, hailed as the top mid laner in the LCK!"

"As for the bot lane, to be honest, I favor the duo of UZI and Mata. UZI goes without saying—he's playing his signature champion, Vayne! And Mata is, after all, a championship support."

"Comparing Ning and Peanut, I think they're pretty even. Their playstyles are very similar, but considering Ning just won the S8 World Championship FMVP, his competitive form must be at its absolute peak."

"In the top lane matchup between Tui and Khan, I'm certain Khan has the upper hand."

Free from the constraints of the official caster desk, Miller offered a completely unbiased and objective analysis.

Viewers in the chat largely agreed. In the eyes of many, although UZI had lost to G2, he was still UZI—especially given his frantic climb up the ladder lately!

It was as if he had been provoked; his form was making a terrifying resurgence.

His performances in rank matches had been dazzling, slaughtering his opponents almost every single game.

His Vayne play, in particular, looked even more formidable than during his absolute prime.

"Let us hunt those who have fallen into darkness." — Night Hunter

On Lu Zilang's end, the viewers in his broadcast room had completely boiled over.

The barrage of chat messages surged especially fast after UZI locked in Vayne:

"Tsk tsk, Doggo actually pulled out his signature champion for this match!"

"We're in for a show. The entertainment value of this game is through the roof—RNG substitute ADC versus RNG starting ADC. This showdown is finally happening!"

"The whole internet has been hating on Zao-jiang lately, and with such a rare opportunity tonight, I feel like bringing out his Vayne is his way of telling everyone: Lu Zilang doesn't deserve a spot on RNG! Even if he stays, he's only fit to be UZI's substitute!"

"Isn't that reading too much into it? Though it's stirring the pot, I love this script. Thrilling."

"I'm backing the Falcon Man! Let him put on a show and beat the dog! Hahaha~"

"Titan against titan! Full of highlights! I'm already looking forward to seeing Falcon Man smash UZI."

"Not that I'm a Dog fan, but I have to say, UZI is definitely the absolute top-tier ADC in all of League of Legends right now. Ruler is still a tiny bit behind him."

...

By now, Lu Zilang was completely absorbed in the rank match.

The sensation of controlling Jinx as she walked through Summoner's Rift felt extraordinarily subtle; he could be certain that he was stronger than usual.

"Is this the three-star Jinx rewarded by the system? Not bad at all."

However, when he glanced at the Vayne played by UZI on the opposite side, he noticed something hovering above Vayne's head: four stars, though the fourth star was only half-lit.

"?"

A giant question mark instantly popped up in Lu Zilang's mind:

"System! What does this mean? Didn't you say three-star proficiency is comparable to UZI's peak Vayne?"

The system immediately offered an explanation:

"This system has never stated that three-star proficiency represents the absolute limit of champion mastery."

"You mean... UZI's Vayne proficiency has improved during this time? Does that mean he's at three-and-a-half stars?! He has half a star more than my Jinx? Just how big is the gap of that half-star?"

Lu Zilang swallowed hard.

The system replied: "For the vast majority of professional players, the gap of that half-star of proficiency is something they could spend an entire professional career failing to catch up to."

Lu Zilang: "..."