League of Legends: League of Unknowns

“What’s the matter?” Yin Qin noticed Yu Luocheng’s troubled look and voiced out his concern.

“I dare say there are two semi-pro players on the opposing team,” Yu Luocheng said solemnly.

Yu Luocheng’s time in LoL was relatively short and despite matching up evenly with a few pro players before, this was not a game that could be won single-handedly.

Putting Yang Ying’s prowess aside, Team Dawn still had a very difficult jungler to deal with.

The jungler could be said to be the main pacemaker of a team. If the opponent jungler was allowed to ravage the other two lanes, Yu Luocheng would be irrelevant no matter how strong his personal skill was.

Yu Luocheng was well aware of Team Scarlet’s true power. Sure, they were above average among normal players, however, they were still far from being considered as pro players.

“Are semi-pro players… really good?” Xiao Tongtong asked.

Yu Luocheng repeated the information Yang Qianqian had just divulged to him.

For a long time now, the members of Team Scarlet had planned to step onto the path of being a professional. However, they were still miles behind and could not grasp the actual definition of the power gap between teams.

“Top 10 among national universities!? That’s absurd!” Xue Haiyang exclaimed.

“How so? They are just students, right? How good could they be?” Xiao Dao asked rhetorically.

“You are way too naive.” Xue Haiyang was a university student too and although he had been expelled for a substantial period, he was still rather familiar with the gaming environment in universities. “I used to participate in LoL University League with some of my seniors before. My skills were considered below average among my teammates. Do you know what position my team placed?”

Yin Qin, Xiao Dao, Xiao Tongtong, and Huang Yu looked at Xue Haiyang blankly.

Xue Haiyang smiled bitterly. “At that time, there were seven teams from my university. After the qualification rounds, my team was the only one left standing while others were sent packing. However, at the province stage, we were completely crushed by Fujian Normal University and yielded before twenty minutes had even passed.”

“How did your team fare that time based on your judgment?” Yin Qin probed curiously.

“It was several months ago. I am not entirely sure myself but I would say the team from Fujian Normal University that destroyed us was perhaps slightly stronger than Team Aviator, I guess…” Xue Haiyang said dubiously.

“I think Fujian Normal University ranked quite high in the University League. They were at least in the top 20 if I remember correctly,” Huang Yu chipped in.

Yin Qin nodded. ‘If that’s the case, we are not too far away.’

The skill level of the other three players of Team Dawn should be equivalent to those from Team Aviator. With only two players from a top 10 team, they should be able to overcome the differences factored in.

Xue Haiyang shook his head and continued, “I would not be this anxious if that was all.”

“Why? Do you not have faith in us?”

“Xue Haiyang, you need to have more confidence in yourself. You have trained with the team for two months straight now. You most definitely have improved a lot.” Yin tried to encourage him with more positivity.

Xue Haiyang glumly refuted Yin Qin, “I was pretty optimistic at first, thinking that getting destroyed by a top 20 team is not something I should feel ashamed about. However, I got a reality check when I found out that the team that finished us off was actually the second reserve team from Fujian Normal University…”

Yin Qin, Xiao Tongtong, Xiao Dao, and Huang Yu were all flabbergasted.

“Second… reserve?”

Xue Haiyang looked at his teammates and nodded miserably.

He had the same look that they had on their faces when he had first comprehended the cruel truth.

“Xue Haiyang, please tell me that you are just kidding. Are we really that weak?” Xiao Dao asked in disbelief.

“Do you think I still have the mood for jokes at this point? I am serious. I think our team is equivalent to the second reserve team of Fujian Normal University. Maybe slightly better, but no way are we near the top. By the University League standard, I can definitely say that we are out of the top 100,” Xue Haiyang concluded.

‘Below the top 100?!’

If this claim came from other people and not their own teammate, Yu, Xiao Dao, and Xiao Tongtong would have certainly laughed it off.

Yin Qin’s face had also turned gloomy. He opened his mouth after a long pause. “I think Xue Haiyang may be right. Just look at our miserable League Points in the Team Ranked match…”

“Wait… You said there were two top 10 players in the opponent team. How’s that possible? When did Team Dawn recruit such powerful players?” Xiao Dao asked.

“The original Team Dawn was eliminated in a closed-door competition,” Yu Luocheng explained.

He knew this through Yang Qianqian as well.

“Eliminated?! But their team was formed way earlier than us right?” Yu yelped.

Everybody’s mood was further dampened.

Team Aviator, Team Dawn, Team EZ, and Team Scarlet—these four teams were similar in strength if there weren’t any external forces in play.

The defeat of the expected winning team, Team EZ, at the hands of Team Dawn had come as a surprise to many. However, what was even more shocking was that the real Team Dawn had actually been kicked out via an internal competitive match long before the tournament had started.

Thus, they were facing a completely different Team Dawn now! Two of them were even players from a top 10 team in the National University League!

“Why didn’t you tell us something so important earlier?” Xiao Dao finally understood how scary the caliber of the two top 10 players were after the clear-cut comparison.

“I just found out myself…” Yu Luocheng said weakly as he turned to Yang Qianqian and gave her a miserable smile.

Yang Qianqian gaped slightly, finding it hard to believe what she had just heard. She had never believed her brother to be such a formidable opponent. ‘So he was not bluffing when he told me how skillful he was?’

“I… I should have told you earlier… Also, the Fizz you fought against the other day was him too,” Yang Qianqian admitted hastily.

“Oh… Just as I thought.” Yu Luocheng had been too busy chewing on his chicken feet then. He remembered clearly how he was first-blooded after a careless move.

***

“The game is starting. Just do your best.” Yin Qin tapped their shoulders, trying to raise their motivation level.

“…We were better off not knowing this. What a way to kill our morale before the final match,” Xiao Tongtong grumbled.

Yin overheard him and shook his head.

‘This piece of information was very important to us’. Otherwise, they would still be in the dark and might have been complacent, which could have led to them being demolished easily by their opponent. At least now they could do something to counter the opponent and prevent a humiliating defeat.

“Can you carry the team, Luocheng?” Yin Qin asked Yu Luocheng discreetly when the other members had gone back to their seats.

“I am not sure. I am playing as support. Playmaking and dictating the rhythm is way beyond my capability,” Yu Luocheng replied honestly.

“Why don’t you switch roles with Huang Yu. Let him play support while you go up against the mid-laner?” Yin Qin suggested.

Yu Luocheng rejected the idea. “I don’t think my AP skill is more superior to that guy over there. If I can’t dominate him in mid-lane, then this match is over. Don’t forget, they still have an excellent jungler too. Just let Huang Yu stay as our AP and I will try my best to take over the bottom lane which I am more comfortable and confident in. Make sure you ask Huang Yu to play safe.”

“Okay.” Yin Qin said nothing further after that.