TCWSITD – Chapter 61

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Chapter 61 – The Killing Blow

HIT had no idea what kind of monstrous opponent they were facing.

Every move, every path, every strategy—all of it was laid bare before Lin Jiang’s eyes. Advance or retreat, it was all crystal clear.

He was playing Jayce in this game, dominating the lane with his ultimate ability to switch between long-ranged cannon and short-ranged hammer forms, essentially having six completely unique skills at his disposal.

Combined with Lin Jiang’s lightning-fast reflexes, no one stood a chance against him.

HIT’s mid laner initially had no intention of clashing head-on with him. Before the match began, he had thoroughly studied his opponent and was shocked by his findings.

Lin Jiang was a player with almost no weaknesses. Whether it was offense, defense, farming, or tempo control, he always performed at the highest level.

Against such an opponent, there was only one path to victory: play flawlessly and wait for Lin Jiang’s teammates to make mistakes.

HIT’s mid laner wasn’t far behind Lin Jiang in skill. As long as he didn’t want to die, Lin Jiang couldn’t do anything to him.

After exchanging a full set of abilities, both were still at nearly full health, neither having landed a significant hit.

This outcome pleased HIT greatly.

Now, their focus shifted to Lin Jiang’s teammates.

In the top lane against Song Zhixu, HIT’s initial plan was to secure lane priority, then target the Rift Herald to break OT’s mid-outer turret first.

But to their surprise, Song Zhixu’s resilience was off the charts. Despite the intense skirmishing, he managed to stay alive at half-health, frustrating HIT with his relentless kiting.

HIT’s jungler had to move top to assist. The moment he started heading there, Zhang Mingying sensed it. “Watch for a flank top,” he warned.

Song Zhixu’s greatest strength was his willingness to listen. Hearing the jungler’s warning, he didn’t hesitate. He immediately retreated under the turret, forfeiting half a wave of minions without a second thought.

This sudden retreat left his opponent bewildered.

The domestic commentators were stunned. “He’s just giving up this wave? The enemy jungler isn’t even in position yet, and metoo is already backing off! He’s leaving zero openings!”

The jungler hadn’t even arrived, yet Song Zhixu had already sacrificed half a wave. It was like flashing away preemptively to avoid death.

Seeing this, HIT’s jungler gave up on the gank and turned away.

But he wasn’t actually leaving. He faked a retreat, then looped around for a dive attempt on Song Zhixu.

This time, Song Zhixu was even more decisive. He Flashed straight into the inner turret, completely denying them any chance to engage.

After ten minutes of being toyed with, HIT’s top laner couldn’t take it anymore, screaming internally: Is this even fair play?

It had to be said. When it came to survival, Song Zhixu never admitted defeat.

Lin Jiang couldn’t help but praise him. “Well played.”

The compliment fueled Song Zhixu’s determination. Before the match, he had promised Lin Jiang he wouldn’t die even once in the early-game, becoming OT’s most reliable guardian.

Since HIT couldn’t force Song Zhixu to recall, they couldn’t secure top lane priority or pressure the Rift Herald. By sacrificing half a wave, Song Zhixu single-handedly preserved OT’s early-game tempo.

Old Mao in the livestream couldn’t help but praise him. “Song Zhixu has real talent. He didn’t seem like much before, but that’s because he hadn’t awakened yet. Look how fast he’s improved after his awakening. It’s almost making me jealous.”

From initial disdain to now looking at him with pride, Old Mao recalled, “I still remember when he first faced me in lane. I picked Renekton and tower-dived to kill him twice. I even told Lin Jiang to replace this top laner immediately. But Lin Jiang insisted on keeping him, saying he saw something in Song Zhixu that surpassed other players. It’s endurance.”

Song Zhixu’s resilience and endurance were unlike anything Lin Jiang had ever seen.

Perhaps it was because he came from humble beginnings, having endured hardships beyond ordinary imagination. Or perhaps it was because of his broad-mindedness. No matter what kind of person or situation he encountered, he could always accommodate it like a mountain.

Even when playing disadvantaged champions, he would desperately support his team. No matter how many bizarre deaths he suffered, if they needed him, he would rise again and again, sacrificing himself for the team.

The world only saw his stats and his struggles, but not his role in the team. He was always the glue. Wherever there was a need, he would bond it together.

Lin Jiang had noticed early on that Song Zhixu possessed a rare, almost imperceptible talent for the top lane.

So he patiently accompanied him, nurtured him, and witnessed the birth of a miracle, like waiting for a flower to bloom.

After Old Mao’s emotional reflection, the live chat quickly erupted in discussion.

They had never imagined the word “endurance” being associated with Song Zhixu, but once applied, it fit this player perfectly.

The top lane inherently requires pressure resistance, sacrificing lane advantages for the team while maintaining one’s own laning capability. It was a demanding role by nature.

Song Zhixu leveraged his resilience to perfect this aspect.

[My bad, I used to call Song Zhixu trash. Apologies.]

[No need to apologize. He really was bad before. He only started improving after Lin Jiang went to OT.]

[I’ve always wondered who’s the mastermind behind Song Zhixu.]

[He must have a mentor, right? This improvement speed is terrifying.]

[Laning skills don’t develop overnight. He definitely has a sparring partner.]

Seeing their heated debate, Old Mao finally revealed a sliver of truth: “Stop guessing. I’ve said it before. Song Zhixu’s sparring partner is Lin Jiang. Who else could achieve such rapid improvement? Lin Jiang, with his experience in major international tournaments, is the best possible sparring partner. Others beg for this opportunity. Song Zhixu is lucky to train against Lin Jiang daily. Even a dead fish would learn to flop on stage under those conditions.”

Some fans knew this, others didn’t.

The live chat exploded with mixed reactions. Some glorifying Lin Jiang, others accusing Old Mao of being Lin Jiang’s die-hard fanboy who always exaggerated his merits. They claimed his words couldn’t be trusted.

Old Mao lost his temper and went head-to-head with the haters for dozens of rounds. In a fit of anger, he revealed another truth. “Don’t believe me? Go check Song Zhixu’s Weibo yourself. Do you really think all he does is act crazy online every day? Look at the data he’s been updating. Those are the number of times Lin Jiang sparred with him in the livestream. This kid has been recording his growth numerically all along. He’s not the useless sack you think he is…”

The live chat exploded. Countless netizens flooded into Song Zhixu’s personal account, where his last Weibo update was the day before the World Championship: 1716.

1716! Was this the number of matches he had played against Lin Jiang??

Counting from the day Lin Jiang joined OT, excluding holidays, Song Zhixu had played at least ten matches a day!

Ten matches daily against a world champion… the mental toll was unimaginable! And Song Zhixu had endured this for nearly half a year!

Lin Jiang was strong, sure, but wasn’t Song Zhixu’s resilience just too insane?

[Damn, if he wasn’t strong, then who was?!]

[Holy shit, the black text is turning redder the more I look at it!]

[Ahhh, so this number is actually this brutal?!]

[Nearly two thousand matches against Lin Jiang?? Is that something a normal person could handle?]

[If it were any other player, they’d have gone mad…]

[Now I get why he wasn’t afraid of anyone at the World Championship. If I’d sparred with Lin Jiang for half a year, I wouldn’t be scared of anyone either.]

[OMG, Lin Jiang’s training is next-level. He literally molded an ultimate pressure-resistant king!]

[Right now, I’m more worried about HIT’s top laner.]

On the battlefield, Song Zhixu seemed clad in an indestructible armor, fearless and unshaken no matter what weapons his opponent wielded.

HIT’s top laner grew increasingly frantic in his attacks, accidentally revealing a tiny opening.

Song Zhixu, honed by countless matches against Lin Jiang, instantly seized the opportunity. His hands moved faster than his brain could process, and with a roar that echoed through the canyon, K’Sante raised his twin axes, leaped, and slammed his opponent into the air. A Flash adjusted the trajectory of his ultimate, dragging the enemy straight under his own turret!

Netizens who had watched Song Zhixu endure pressure throughout the entire World Championship were stunned!

The domestic commentators shouted, “K’Sante used Flash and his ultimate to drag the opponent under the turret. Can he secure the kill?! The enemy Flashed away! K’Sante lands a predicted Q, slamming them back into the air!”

Under such a precise combo, even if the opponent were Lin Jiang, they’d be dead!

A triumphant smile finally broke across Song Zhixu’s face. He had bided his time for this very moment; the fatal strike when it mattered most.

First Blood!

As the system announcement rang out, the first game officially reached its fever pitch. HIT, who had hoped to break through from the top lane, was utterly crushed. Song Zhixu had defended OT’s early-game his own way.

OT’s lineup could only be described as a pack of wild beasts, each skill more ferocious than the last. Once they seized the offensive, they would clamp down on their opponent’s throat and never let go until their last breath.

The mid lane was unwinnable and the top lane was an unbreakable fortress. HIT had no choice but to pin all their hopes on the bot lane. Rumor had it Shen Ju’s hand injury was severe. They’d make him their target.

The bot lane served as bait, continuously luring Shen Ju forward.

Before the match began, Lin Jiang had briefed Shen Ju on his task: “This game doesn’t require your full effort. Your goal is to conserve energy and wait for the second and third games to strike.”

Shen Ju kept Lin Jiang’s words in mind, never overextending, and retreating at the first sign of danger.

But no one expected HIT to play so ruthlessly. They immediately used a double Teleport to cut off their retreat, determined to secure a tower dive kill.

Zhou Wen, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly stepped up. Playing Rakan this round, he executed a perfectly timed W just as Shen Ju used his ultimate and Flash to escape toward the second turret, knocking up both opponents mid-Teleport. He then activated his ultimate, taunting the enemies and buying Shen Ju precious time to escape.

The commentators couldn’t help but shout, “That W! So clutch! Even 0.1 seconds later and it wouldn’t have worked!”

Unable to kill Shen Ju, HIT could only vent their frustration by taking down the support, but it was a terrible trade. With their double Teleport wasted, they essentially handed over the mid and top outer turrets for free.

At this point, the situation was already heavily unfavorable for HIT. If the disadvantage continued, even stalling for the late-game wouldn’t help.

Still unwilling to concede, HIT launched another assault in the mid lane.

Lin Jiang was like an unkillable war god, his skill combos executed with terrifying speed. Whether they sent two or three people after him, he always managed to break through their encirclement with his precise rotations.

He wasn’t prey. He was the smartest hunter on the battlefield.

He was the one standing tallest in this match.

Seeing Lin Jiang still performing at his peak, countless long-time fans were moved to tears. Behind all the praise for OT, for Shen Ju, and for Song Zhixu, the one who truly deserved the most recognition was Lin Jiang.

He was the only one who could tame Shen Ju and make Zhou Wen and Shen Ju work together seamlessly.

He was the one who discovered Zhang Mingying and despite everyone’s doubts, insisted on fielding him, rewarding the audience with a miracle.

He was also the one who sparred with Song Zhixu for nearly two thousand matches, ultimately allowing Song Zhixu to shine in the finals and become the undisputed king of pressure.

He was so low-key that everyone forgot. He was the one silently lifting OT from behind!

Watching the awakened players on stage was like witnessing a pack of young beasts unleashed from their cages. In the lounge, Li Qian finally allowed himself a satisfied smile.

Lin Jiang hadn’t trained his teammates into obedient puppets. He had taught them the instincts of hunters. Individually, they might not be perfect, but together, they were undoubtedly the perfect team.

Li Qian leaned back. “This is incredible. Lin Jiang actually pulled it off.”

As the Nexus shattered, OT secured victory in the first game, leaving HIT’s entire team visibly unsettled.

They clearly hadn’t expected OT to grow so terrifyingly strong in just five days. The moment the match ended, they huddled together, whispering as if devising a new strategy.

Lin Jiang removed his headphones, his gaze sweeping fearlessly over them.

Come on. Bring out everything you’ve got.

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