Chapter 049: Penta Kill, Crushing the Underdogs, Ascending to the Throne of Korean Servers!

Uzi’s lips curled into a slight smile, but his expression froze instantly.
He had managed to land the third stack, yet Jinx was healed back up by Nami’s ultimate!

“Damn it!”

Uzi couldn’t help but curse in frustration.

He knew it was all over.

Jinx’s massive rocket slammed hard into Vayne’s frail frame, who was now barely clinging to life.

“Whoosh~”

At that moment, Lulu attempted to flash in and shield, but it was just a moment too late.

Not far away, Jinx unleashed an electric arc—the W skill’s resonating electromagnetic wave—once again striking Vayne.

Uzi’s game screen instantly faded to gray.

Jinx entered her berserk mode again. With only Lulu left on the blue side, there was nowhere left to run.

In the end, the blue team fell beneath Jinx’s onslaught. Simultaneously, a crisp victory notification sounded through Summoner’s Rift.

It was like the triumphant anthem of victory:

“Penta Kill!!”

Lu Ziang let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, the taut string in his chest loosening just a bit. Soon, he regained his usual composure.

Yet, no one knew that at this very moment, Lu Ziang’s palms were soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to his mouse.

“6666666!!! That was amazing! This penta kill was absolute perfection!!”

After securing the team fight, cheers erupted behind Lu Ziang.

Tian Ye waved his arms excitedly, “So strong, so flashy! Damn! That double ultimate combo was flawless!!”

“That Jelly must be Lu Ziang’s lucky charm or something. The timing was so precise—just a second earlier or later wouldn’t have worked. Right at that moment, Jelly healed Lu Ziang right back up!!”

“Uzi actually had a chance to counterattack here, but Vayne’s range was too short. When he couldn’t finish off Lu Ziang with that third stack, he knew he had lost.”

Among all the EDG members, Meiko was naturally the most excited—after all, he was the support.

The stronger the ADC, the better it was for him. This near-perfect team fight once again proved Lu Ziang’s strength.

Even Qi Jiang, standing at the back, showed a fatherly smile. Recently, the new EDG members had been performing exceptionally well in scrims, and he was very satisfied.

Especially Lu Ziang, whose prowess within the team was formidable. Not only was he strong in solo queue, but his teamwork was impeccable.

“In the S9 season, once he steps onto the stage, he will dazzle the entire LPL,” Qi Jiang’s eyes gleamed with pride. The more he looked at Lu Ziang, the more impressed he became.

“Maybe this year, the dream will really come true. At least the odds are much higher than before,” he thought.

At this moment, Lu Ziang’s livestream had again surpassed 100 million viewers, with fans flooding the chat with free little sharks and paid gifts.

“Strong, so strong! That penta kill was just insane. Guys, I’m officially announcing: isn’t it time to change the nickname ‘Falcon Boy’?”

“Uzi’s performance in this game was perfect too. But even so, he still lost to Falcon Boy, which just proves how strong Falcon Boy really is! And Jelly’s support was nothing to scoff at either—he absolutely outperformed Mata this game.”

“I think it’s still a bit early to call him a legend. After all, right now he’s just performing perfectly in solo queue. Who knows how he’ll do on the official stage?”

“Someone please tell me Uzi’s psychological damage level.”

“Praise him! Praise Falcon Boy hard! After this fight, the red side has a huge advantage!”

“Closer and closer to topping Korean solo queue.”

...

At Guan Zeyuan’s livestream, a few commentators had already begun their post-match analysis:

“Tsk tsk, incredible, just incredible. His in-game reactions are simply unbeatable.”

“A 17-year-old prodigy! Now I finally understand why, as soon as he left RNG, EDG snapped him up immediately. I heard they didn’t even have him try out—straight to signing the contract.”

“Abu is truly a god. Every player in that team fight performed flawlessly—Jarvan, Renekton, Nami, every skill, every control, it was like a masterpiece!”

“But in the end, it was all taken by Lu Ziang. The key was Nami holding onto her ultimate until the last moment!”

“This Jelly and Lu Ziang’s synergy is unmatched. They’ve been duo queuing since level one, and so far, they’ve never disappointed.”

In the livestream, three official LPL commentators unabashedly showered praise—after all, this was just solo queue, not an official match, so they could hype it up as much as they wanted.

Moreover, Lu Ziang’s performance truly deserved their acclaim!

On the blue side, morale took a hit after the full team wipe, but luckily, this team fight wasn’t a total collapse—the red side had also lost three members.

It was, at worst, a “minor loss.”

The match continued, and the clashes grew even more intense. The LPL, LCK, and even the LCS were all watching this pinnacle of S8 solo queue battles!

IG Esports Club had been champions for some time now. For the S9 season, their roster remained unchanged.

At this moment, Ning stared at his gray screen in disbelief. The previous team fight had stunned him. He shrugged and smiled, saying, “A Shui, are you feeling the pressure?”

Sitting beside him was a young man in a white team jacket with a delicate face—IG’s ADC, JackeyLove.

“Gao Zhenning, are you kidding me? Pressure? He is strong, no doubt. But I just won S8. You think I have any pressure? If I do, it only means the S8 championship trophy has no value.”

A Shui shook his head.

“Fair point. He is indeed strong, no denying that. But this is just solo queue. It doesn’t prove much—just that he’s great at solo queue.”

Ning nodded in agreement with A Shui’s words.

IG was no longer the old “IG.” They had won the championship, the very first Summoner’s Cup in LPL’s history.

Recently, interviews and endorsements had flooded in endlessly. Even CCTV had conducted special interviews with several players.

How could they not be confident?

After winning, the club’s official Weibo gained nearly six million followers in a single day. Their commercial value and exposure skyrocketed, making them the absolute traffic king of the esports scene!

Each player’s personal Weibo saw millions of new followers, with countless praises and fan adoration pouring in daily.

“In a few days, I’m going to record at the ‘Big Stage’, apparently sharing the stage with a top entertainment celebrity who has nearly 100 million followers.”

A Shui couldn’t help but sigh, “Our championship really brought esports into the mainstream. You know, my favorite TV show is ‘Big Stage.’”

Sitting nearby, Bao Lan chimed in, “I’m going with him.”

“Tell me honestly, do you think I can get on ‘Big Stage’? But can Lu Ziang?”

A Shui smiled, a hint of overflowing confidence in his voice.

Ning and Bao Lan exchanged a glance and solemnly shook their heads.

...

After securing the penta kill, Lu Ziang had pulled ahead in gold and experience from Uzi. His equipment also surpassed his opponent’s.

Though the match remained fierce, once the balance tipped, the red side’s advantage only grew.

Even mid-laner dOpa seemed to be zoning out, while the red team fought together like a tightly braided rope, growing braver and more confident with every fight.

In this solo queue match, Ning and Legge performed better than usual.

Their ability to break into the top 10 Korean solo queue at the end of S8 already proved their peak form.

After Uzi was taken down by Lu Ziang’s penta kill, his overall state declined—like the saying goes: “The first push is strong, the second falters, the third exhausts.”

In terms of hero mastery and experience, he had the edge over Lu Ziang.

But when it came to endurance and explosive power, he was clearly inferior. After all, he was a seasoned veteran!

Lu Ziang, on the other hand, was a rookie not yet eighteen, at the prime age for esports players.

This meant that as long as Lu Ziang survived the first round, any further matchups would see Uzi declining in form—and lagging in equipment as well.

In League of Legends, victory isn’t just about mechanics, awareness, or team fights—it’s also about gear, especially at the highest level of competition!

Even an advantage of a single longsword could create a huge gap in lane.

Finally, this highest-level S8 Korean solo queue match ended at 39 minutes.

Lu Ziang had amassed 11 kills, including a high-quality penta kill.

Then, the S8 season’s ranking portal closed.

Lu Ziang, with a terrifying 90% win rate, stormed to the top of the Korean solo queue ladder!

When his Chinese ID appeared at number one on OP.GG’s Korean ladder, a cold, mechanical notification sounded in his ear:

“Ding!”

“Congratulations, host. Task completed: Successfully reached number one on the Korean solo queue ladder in the S8 season with a 90% win rate, and livestream followers exceeding 5 million!”

“Host receives the following rewards:
1. Four randomly selected ADC champions with three-star proficiency—these are: [Jhin, the Virtuoso], [Kog'Maw, the Mouth of the Abyss], [Varus, the Arrow of Retribution], and [Ashe, the Frost Archer].
2. One randomly selected mid-lane champion with three-star proficiency—[Ziggs, the Hexplosives Expert].
3. 5 million RMB in cash, transferred securely to the host’s bank account.
4. Mysterious reward: +1 to Steadiness.
(Note: A rare attribute. The host will become calmer, more composed, and clearer-headed. Prudence ensures long-term safety; careful planning before action is steadiness. You will deeply appreciate the value of steadiness in your future competitive and personal life.)”

Lu Ziang was very pleased with these rewards, especially the mysterious +1 Steadiness attribute.

Only those who have truly competed understand the importance of careful planning and composure.

At that moment, the system notification sounded again:

“A new task has been refreshed. Please maintain your efforts and continue climbing.

Task details:
1. Win the LPL Spring Championship in the S9 season with EDG.
2. Represent the LPL region and win the MSI Mid-Season Invitational.

Rewards:
1. 1000 WRMB
2. One four-star proficiency ADC champion
3. +5 to Versatility attribute”

...