Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  Saturday.

  Mix battleteam was facing their second round of competition today.

  And after the stats analyzer’s discussion with Mo Huaifeng, changes were also made to their tactics, Xiao and Ji Zhiyao were to take turns substituting for each other.

  As Xiaofei wasn’t strong enough, he remained as a spectator.

  For this round, Mix’s opponent was a Korean battleteam, LuQi.

  Before going on, every one of them checked their individual equipment then did some light stretches.

  Commentator A: “Today it’s the turn of the China battleteam that left a deep impression on me to compete again, and we can see that it seems like there have been some changes to their tactics, in the name list submitted to the organizing committee, they’ve added their jungler reserve Yao.”


  Commentator B: “That’s right. This seems to be his first time stepping into the arena since the official competition began, I wonder how he is feeling. Alright, now let us take a look at our local battleteam LuQi! As everyone knows, LuQi……”


  Though the two Korean commentators were doing the introductions in English, it was difficult to conceal their favoritism to their local battleteam. They went on for about five minutes before these two commentators finally let off the audience. “Now I announce, the competition officially begins.”


  Both teams walked on stage and bowed.

  Ji Zhiyao remained seated under the stage, Xiao was the one going on for the first match.

  LuQi seemed to have suffered from some provocation and did not move normally once the match began, all five of them headed to the middle lane together, Heng and the first turret in the middle lane was tragically trampled on. Though the top and bottom lanes did not know what was going on, it did not hinder them from stepping on Heng’s body and charging forward, each lane had already killed half of the first wave of minions.

  And after drawing first blood, LuQi’s players swiftly dispersed, the top, middle, bottom lanes and the jungle were instantly taken into their control.

  Commentator A: “Don’t mention the audience under the stage, even I, a commentator for more than ten years, don’t know what new tactic LuQi is using. But judging by the expressions of Mix, this tactic seems to be extremely useful, as they’re already completely dazed now.”


  Commentator B: “But Mix’s mentality and handling are still very steady. It looks like they weren’t very much affected. Mix’s mid-laner even has the mood to go to the opponent’s turret to tease him, LuQi’s mid-laner couldn’t catch him, he looks very enraged.”


  In actuality, Heng’s teasing, frivolous and indecent act had indeed attracted the opposing fire. LuQi’s mid-laner had sent a signal calling for their jungler and he was currently hiding in the bushes, preparing to trap him on both fronts to teach him a lesson, but an arrow suddenly came flying from the bottom lane, LuQi’s jungler in the bush was instantly exposed.

  Screams and cheers sounded from under the stage.

  Commentator A: “Oh my god! Truly proving himself to be the pro ranking third on the international ADC rankings, that arrow earlier, I dare guarantee is the most exciting scene I’ve seen since the official competition began!”


  Commentator B: “Me too! I recall during the previous international league, Mix.Fi clinched the no. 3 position on the international ranks with his accurate attacks, now it seems like he hasn’t changed at all.”


  After being saved by Mo Huaifeng’s arrow, Heng did not dare to fool around anymore and obediently developed himself cautiously.

  This match continued all the way into the later phase, everything moved very slowly. Other than their initial extremely devious play of charging down the middle lane, LuQi spent the remaining time killing minions and developing, half an hour passed and Mix still did not manage to catch a single player from LuQi. Mo Huaifeng probably became slightly irritated and gave instructions through voice chat, after which Xiao headed straight for the big dragon, boldly leaping into the dragon’s cave. The competition was forcefully dragged into the later stage

  A total of ten players from the two teams stood in the dragon’s cave, whether they were willing or not, all of them started a team fight.

  Mo Huaifeng steadily stood at the back, attacking from far, making use of Nuo, K and the others to firmly block himself off. As a center position, he dealt great damage and was surviving well, hence Mix naturally got the last laugh. LuQi was wiped out whereas still had Mo Huaifeng and Xiao left alive.

  The ADC jungler team up worked together once again, heading right to LuQi’s crystal.

  The first match, victorious.

  In the midst of the odd atmosphere where the Korean audience sighed and the Chinese audience cheered, both teams walked off the stage for a 10 minute break.

  The five people from Mix came down, Ji Zhiyao picked up the bottles of mineral water on the floor and twisted open the caps for each one of them before handing them over. Each of them drank some water and stretched their wrists.

  Then, the second match began.

  Ji Zhiyao followed behind Heng to walk on stage.

  Without having to look towards the audience, he could already imagine that the Chinese audience would certainly be pointing at Mo Huaifeng and himself while whispering to each other, or saying some not too pleasant things. But Ji Zhiyao’s mentality was still stable, the moment he puts on his headphones, everything in the outside world had nothing to do with him.

  Nuo: “Sit tight, my team’s Yao-god is going.”


  K: “Oh man, upon seeing NoHomo my heart suddenly relaxed, I feel as if the entire match has been set to easy mode. Two daddies carrying us, how wonderful.”


  Heng: “You mutt, repeat whatever you just said, I promise to recite everything word for word to Xiao.”


  K: “This illustrates a problem.”


  Ji Zhiyao: “What?”


  K: “The relationship between our battleteam’s jungler and mid-laner is dependent on who the jungler is, it’s either xoxoxo or f*ck you, how fake.”


  Ji Zhiyao: “Nothing wrong. Actually I’m hoping that Heng would be this unyielding when he is harvesting the blue buff later on, this way I won’t need to use my abilities to help him.”


  The mid-laner that was rebutted by the top-laner and jungler was pitiful and helpless and decided then to absolutely not open his mouth to talk in the match, so as to avoid Ji Zhiyao bearing grudges and always remembering what he had said.

  Once the match began, Nuo became totally impish as if because Ji Zhiyao and Mo Huaifeng, two pros were both in this match and went swiftly like the wind as he rode his fish all the way into the bushes beside the opponent’s turret, preparing to wait for an opponent to walk in. Though as a support, hiding in ambush by himself was no different from going all the way to gift his opponent a kill, Nuo was still as happy as a lark.

  Ji Zhiyao jungled while expressing his contempt for Nuo’s actions. “Although Captain is a wicked badass, this cannot become your reason to court death.”


  Nuo: “Daddies please don’t worry, I have flicker with me, my abilities are fully available.”


  Just as he finished his sentence, the opposing ADC walked out of the turret to kill the minions, Nuo rushed forward with a shriek and as a result he did not aim properly, his abilities all striking on the minions instead. Nuo was instantly dazed, he used his first, second, third abilities in a mess on top of a flicker before he managed to escape, scared sh*tless.

  K: “Serves you right!”


  Heng: “Serves you right!”


  Ji Zhiyao: “Serves you right!”


  Mo Huaifeng: “Why didn’t you die? If you die you won’t need to fool around anymore.”


  Nuo was unable to rebut.

  Nuo could not help it as tears flowed down.

  Ji Zhiyao had a good time playing with himself in the jungle, occasionally he would run to the top and bottom lanes to practice his movement, because of his fast speed and the lack of guard against him from the opponents, not a single player could catch him.

  Ji Zhiyao: “I am a man that all of you cannot control, and also an emotionless killer.”


  Following three seconds of silence in the headphones was Mo Huaifeng’s voice. “Did you not take your medicine this morning?”


  “Did you not see if I took my medicine or not? Day in day out your eyeballs are about to be growing on my body already, what decent person are you pretending to be here!”


  Although each of them were superb in bantering, they did not go idle in their game either. Mo Huaifeng brought the cowardly Nuo with him, sending the opposing top-laner home with a few strikes, the mid-laner and jungler duo worked together perfectly to kill off the opposing mid-laner. At this point, Nuo saw a chance and sneaked to the middle lane, three of them put together their efforts to push down the middle turret. At the same time, Ji Zhiyao stealthily made his way towards the top lane through the bushes, catching a chance, he helped K to finish off the opposing support.

  10 minutes into the game, Mix was leading by more than a thousand gold, everyone was having a very relaxed time.

  Commentator A: “We can tell that LuQi seems to be slightly anxious, having brought up the pace at both their top and middle lanes. But with the top lane is facing Mix.Fi and the middle lane missing yet another turret, it feels like there isn’t much effect.”


  Commentator B: “Right now their only hope is the top lane, but Mix.Yao isn’t focused on jungling and seems to be staying in the top lane. I’m not sure if LuQi’s ADC and support will be able to spot a flaw in this situation of a paired lane. After all we’ve already saw earlier, Mix.Yao’s handling is still very intelligent.”


  Commentator A: “Besides they’re in a favorable match right now.”


  Mix loved playing favorable matches and were very skilled in controlling their advantage.

  A phase of laning ended, a new wave of creeps spawned, Ji Zhiyao was suddenly tempted to go to the opposite jungle for some fun. Yet just as he adjusted his mic and was about to speak he heard Mo Huaifeng’s voice. “Impossible, don’t even think about it.”


  Mo Huaifeng: “Finish this match on your best behaviour, otherwise I will break your legs.”


  He aggrievedly dived into the jungle again.

  Heng laughed so hard in the middle lane, yet once he let down his guard he was hooked and dragged by the opposite mid-laner to the bottom of the opponent’s turret, his body left in the open after being attacked by a set of abilities. Ji Zhiyao wanted to applaud after seeing that. “My mid-laner, do you understand now, this is the consequence of mocking me!”


  Heng: “Screw you! If you’re really so effective, wouldn’t the trophy of the international league be in our hands with a smack of your lips?”


  Everyone laughed merrily in their channel, the commentators were also very confused on the elevated platform. Though they did not understand Chinese, it totally did not stop them from exclaiming about how they’d never met professional players who talked this much.

  In the lively and merry atmosphere, Mix maintained their dominance and pushed directly to the opponent’s crystal.

  Ji Zhiyao pulled off his headphones, his eyes bright.

  Under the stage, a group of audience were cheering. On stage, his Captain smiled at him.

  Mo Huaifeng: “Congratulations on your first win.”


  Ji Zhiyao was happy.

  After the announcement that the results were valid, they lined up to walk off the stage. When they sat down at the participants’ viewing area, Yuan Wei suddenly nagged, “NoHomo, you and Captain really look so perfect from 360° all around that it hurts the eyes to watch. At least on the international stage, please manage your expressions a little?”


  “We’re already exercising great restraint, it’s because you keep glancing at us alright.”


  Mo Huaifeng agreed. “He’s right.”


  Yuan Wei was so infuriated that he almost demonstrated what was known as passing away on the spot.

  Xiao went on for the third match. The competition ended without much suspense.

  Yet after this game ended, they did not return to the hotel but casually found a place near the hall for some food, before preparing for their game in the afternoon.

  Yes, today, Mix battleteam had a total of two games to play.

  Having filled their stomachs, they returned back to the hotel. Meanwhile, their timetable for the afternoon had been refreshed, Mix was arranged to be the first match in the afternoon.

  Ji Zhiyao made a “tsk” sound and asked Xiao, “Brother Xiao, how’s your wrist, any abnormalities?”


  Xiao shook his head, smiling as he replied, “It’s fine, recovered long ago. Don’t worry, if I cannot hang on anymore, I’ll tell you at once.”


  Ji Zhiyao lightly bumped his shoulders. “Then all the best.”


  “Don’t worry, Brother Xiao will carry you.”


  In about half an hour, the crew members entered in succession, commentators took their places, the hosts officially announced the commencement of the afternoon games.

  Mix vs DIL.

  Once the first match began, Heng and Xiao the shameless couple joined hands to make their way to the opposing territory to steal creeps once again, sneaking away once they got the blue buff, appearing extremely sleazy. DIL’s jungler was half a beat behind them and simply gave up on giving chase, forcefully holding his tongue.

  Whereas after Heng took the blue buff, he gained a small advantage over DIL’s mid-laner, hence he started to fool around, almost charging into the opponent’s turret to show off his handling skills and ended up having his head axed in a joint effort by DIL’s mid-laner and jungler.

  Ji Zhiyao covered his face, the stats analyzer’s expression immediately became a dark one as he asked Yuan Wei, “Did you bring any convenient weapons?”


  “Huh?”


  “Forget it, I’ll just use my phone. Heng this mutt is virtually pissing me off, he was bought by the opponents to play a fake game right?”


  “Calm down.”


  Yet no matter how the stats analyzer was secretly planning to beat up Heng, the kill that he had gifted away could never come back. As there was now a small gap in gold between the teams, Heng gave up on his suicide style battling, obediently staying under the turret to kill minions.

  The operation of the top and bottom lanes were all on pace, Mo Huaifeng’s newly unlocked ultimate ability from leveling up together with Nuo’s support’s second ability could continuously wipe out the opponents; top-laner K’s handling skills were also on point as he tied down the opposing ADC and support, not letting change positions easily. The two battleteams started to go all out in building up themselves.

  The 23rd minute, Heng could not suppress himself any longer and used his ultimate ability to singlehandedly kill of the opposing mid-laner, at this point, DIL’s jungler and ADC both rushed over, Heng hastily send a signal to his teammates. Both teams were essentially gathered.

  DIL’s jungler first used his ultimate ability to sweep everyone in Mix into their range of attack and cooperated with the ADC to reduce everyone’s HP to shreds. Mo Huaifeng first reacted in time, after dodging the attacks he used his ultimate and third ability to counter-attack and kill the opposing ADC and support, then was killed by DIL’s top-laner who rushed over.

  Commentator B: “Actually this fight was started a little too early, Mix’s mid-laner seemed to have started a team fight without much planning, he really shouldn’t have.”


  Commentator A: “I believe that such an extent of a continuous struggle, everyone can only witness at the international league. At the end of this fight, DIL is only left with a top-laner and Mix isn’t any better off either, being left with a barely surviving jungler and support. There are players dead and there are players handicapped, at least within the next 10 minutes, both teams won’t be able to start another fight.

  Commentator B: “I reckon that when they start fighting once again, it would be when they’re going for the big dragon. After all they’ve been weakened and would need to harvest a few spawns of minions to recuperate.”


  The facts proved that these two commentators weren’t wrong with their words.