Rise

Seven minutes into the game, the situation at bot lane was relatively calm. There were no signs of any fights breaking out. Both ad-carries appeared content farming minions and scaling. However, Tang Bingyao was slowly being out-CSed. Over these past few minutes, Vayne had seized an eight CS lead on her, and the two were relatively even in health. This was especially surprising since Tang Bingyao’s support had a heal in her kit. Not only had she failed to seize any kind of advantage, but she'd also been forced on the back foot over the last few trades.

“Ugh… this is frustrating.” Tang Bingyao frowned.

“Yeah, this Vayne is really good. She’s much better than you.” Lin Feng nodded.

Generally speaking, if you were a one-trick pony Draven, even if you were only a Diamond 3 or 4 player, you could still gain an advantage on other Diamond 1 or 2 ad-carries. However, that advantage was lost if the difference in skill exceeded an entire tier. An opponent much more skilled than you could easily keep you at bay, nullifying most of the advantages Draven enjoyed and preventing you from scaling. This only got worse the longer it went on.

Lin Feng’s gaze fell on the enemy Vayne. Her summoner name was First Tyrant. He had never heard of this name before. This person had to be smurfing[1]. He was sure of it. Vayne was a Master or Challenger-rank player, or else they wouldn’t be laning so flawlessly. “A hunter masquerading as a pig to hunt the tiger, huh?” Lin Feng remarked, his eyes shining brightly. His interest was piqued.

✹

Eight minutes into the game, both supports happened to recall back to base at the same time, leaving the two Level 6 ad-carries alone in bot lane. When the minion wave stopped in the middle of the lane, the Vayne headed to the river, looking like she was going to ward.

Tang Bingyao immediately followed her. Sure enough, Vayne placed down a green ward next to the dragon pit. As she was about to head back to lane, Draven flung an axe at her. Tang Bingyao had already prepared two spinning blades in the lane beforehand.

Draven versus Vayne! Round three!

Vayne was quick to respond, activating Final Hour. The Night Hunter shrouded in darkness, then raised her crossbow and fired back at Draven.

Tang Bingyao’s gaze radiated absolute focus. She activated Whirling Death, flinging two massive spinning axes towards Vayne. Too hasty. There was still enough distance between her and the Vayne. She’d given her enemy the time to dodge. And dodge Vayne did.

Even so, a Draven with two spinning axes wasn't to be trifled with. Vayne’s health plummeted as the two exchanged attacks.

Almost as if under Vayne’s conscious lead, the two ad-carries were getting closer and closer to each other. The flames of battle grew hotter and hotter! As Vayne’s health fell dangerously low, she raised the big crossbow on her back and fired out a giant bolt! At the same time, a flash of light illuminated the river as she disappeared, then reappeared behind Draven! The giant bolt struck Draven in the back, then sent him ruthlessly crashing into the wall. Stunned!

This single moment decided the victor and loser of this duel. Vayne had executed a high level technique and walked out the winner.

Tang Bingyao was caught completely off guard as she stared dumbly at the grey screen. Her hands came to a complete halt, resting on her mouse and keyboard.

《You have been slain!》

Draven lay dead on the riverbed. A solo kill. She stared at her screen in a daze. A trace of seldom-seen shock lingered in her eyes. This Vayne… She was really, really good! Tang Bingyao agreed with Lin Feng’s remark before. This Vayne was strong! It wasn’t until now that she realized just how big the gap between them was. It was far bigger than she had ever imagined!

Recalling the final moments of the fight, Tang Bingyao still felt cold sweat dripping down the back of her neck. This was the first time she’d encountered an opponent who completely outclassed her. She stubbornly bit her lips, her eyes still shining brightly with fighting spirit. She admitted the opponent was far out of her league, but she wouldn’t concede that easily. This wasn’t a matter of pride, but rather a personality trait of hers. Perseverance. Just because the odds were slim, that didn’t mean all was lost! She still wanted to give it a try. As long as she put in more effort...

“Ah, you’re not going to beat him,” Lin Feng’s frank, even rude words rang out in her ear.

Tang Bingyao turned to Lin Feng, staring at him.

Lin Feng awkwardly scratched his head. “You don’t agree?”

Tang Bingyao forcefully nodded. The resoluteness of this petite girl was cute and moving.

Lin Feng shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. It’s a fact you’re not her match.”

Tang Bingyao lightly pouted and whispered in an unresigned tone, “I want to try again.”

“You can, but it’s useless. Your biggest strengths are your reaction speed and mechanics, but they both lose out to that Vayne's. Also, her grasp of timing, map awareness, minion wave control, and everything else are better than yours. Even if you try again, you have no chance of winning.” Lin Feng paused and stared at Tang Bingyao. “Being earnest is a good thing, being stubborn isn’t.”

Tang Bingyao no longer tried to argue. She agreed with Lin Feng’s assessment, but she still felt a trace of unwillingness in her heart.

Suddenly, Lin Feng broke into a chuckle, then inched closer to Tang Bingyao with a mysterious smile. “Want to know what you can do to win?”

Tang Bingyao’s eyes lit up as she vigorously nodded.

Lin Feng patted his chest and confidently declared, “Here, switch places with me. Watch me play for a bit, and you’ll know.”

Tang Bingyao was stunned, but still shook her head.

“What, you don’t believe in me?” Lin Feng asked.

Tang Bingyao hesitated before shaking her head again. “No, that’s not it.”

Lin Feng was bewildered for a moment, then smacked his forehead. “Oh! It’s fine! You’re worried about a teaching fee, a carry fee? Don’t worry! I’ll do it free of charge!”

✹

Lin Feng had Draven rush back to bot lane. He turned to Tang Bingyao, his eyes blazing with spirit. “Watch closely. This lesson I’m giving you is worth ¥1 million!” He then paused for a moment and thought it over. “Hmm, ¥1 million is a bit of an exaggeration, let’s say ¥10,000!”

Tang Bingyao earnestly stared at Lin Feng. A knot tightened in her stomach. Perhaps it was a mistake to put her faith in him.

Lin Feng was already raring to go. His eighth-grader syndrome started flaring as he started narrating an epic scene to immerse himself in the game. “An axe spinning in hand, possessing an ice-cold metallic lustre. The heavy stench of blood permeates the air. A figure standing next to a pile of countless corpses leaps high into the air, his armour glittering brilliantly under the golden rays of the sun. A thunderous cheer rocks the surroundings as a hoarse and malevolent cry rings out.

“WELCOME… TO THE LEAAAGUE OF DRAAAAVEN!”

As Draven arrived at the outer tower, Vayne came walking back to lane as well. The two faced off.

In the gaming house of a certain top LPL team in Shanghai, Nightsong knitted his brows. He didn’t know why, but he just felt his heart skip a beat, as if a faint sense of danger washed over him.

In the NetCow Cafe, Lin Feng’s desire to battle blazed brightly!

1. Playing on a second account at a lower rank.