NOVEL NEXT Chapter 178 (3)
The tug of war between OP and ZGDX lasted till the late game. ZGDX was in the lead with 3 more kills and a small economic lead of 2000 gold. OP, which had a mountain drake and a cloud drake under their belt, however they knew how to make full use of their advantage. They came up with a bright idea and changed lanes quickly so they could steal Baron to the surprise of ZGDX!
When Lu Sicheng sensed the change and asked Little Fatty to go check on Baron, it was already too late. OP took advantage of the brief moment of neglect from ZGDX and started their counterattack. With Baron buff, OP was able to destroy the second line of turrets one after another on top, mid, and bot lanes. They were able to catch up in gold and even surpassed ZGDX……
The game had now reached the 40th minute mark-- --
OP, after upgrading their items, initiated a team fight. ZGDX defended their base with their backs against their nexus. Unfortunately, OP’s Kindred, who had made most of the team’s kills, had become very powerful at this point. Kindred coordinated with Tahm to kill Old Cat. Tong Yao had a sliver of health left and tried to flash away, but Zilean cast a bomb on her. Tong Yao died and the explosion also damaged Lu Sicheng who was nearby!
The mid part of ZGDX’s base was destroyed.
The inner and inhibitor turret at ZGDX’s bot were also taken down. OP retreated right afterwards.
ZGDX didn’t even have a chance to counterattack-- --
At the 43rd minute, all five OP players advanced as a group once again and they would destroy something of ZGDX’s with each attack-- --
At the 47th minute, ZGDX had only a bare base left. In the final team fight, the abilities of OP’s champions perfectly complemented each other and the team was able to give their carry a watertight protection. In the end, OP won the first round of the match!
……
The red light signaling defeat was shone on ZGDX players. Tong Yao stood up, took off her headphones, and her head was filled with the ticking sound of Zilean’s bomb which almost drove her crazy……
Tong Yao rubbed between her eyebrows and was about to tell her teammates that for the next ban phase, she didn’t want to see the Tahm + Zilean + Kindred life saving line-up ever again…… But right at this moment, Ming god announced that Lu Yue would replace Tong Yao as the mid for the next round.
Tong Yao was stunned a little, but soon understood the decision. ZGDX’s mid rotation was specifically designed for the S series world competition. As long as the switch could help the team move ahead toward their ultimate goal, it wouldn’t matter who was playing!
“I can take a rest and may be able to find the breaking point after watching Jin Yuguang play for the next round.”
Tong Yao said with a smile to reassure her teammates. She tried to show them that she wasn’t as resistant as before for the rotation and walked over to high five with Lu Yue to signal the exchange. She even offered a blessing: “Don’t get killed.”
Lu Yue raised his eyebrows and laughed in high spirits: “You think I’m you?”
Tong Yao stood up on her tippy toes to pat his shoulder then took a deep breath to sit down on the chair. She rubbed her somewhat stiffened fingers and when she turned her head, she saw Lu Sicheng was looking at her with a tilted head sitting not too far from her-- --It looked like he wasn’t sure whether Tong Yao really didn’t mind the rotation or was just pretending.
Tong Yao knew what he was thinking about and didn’t want him to carry the uneasiness to the next round. She stood up to walk over to him. She held his face and gave him a loud smack on his forehead. Then she said with a smile: “You carry the next round. Don’t let your brother shine too much so I won’t be pushed into the substitute seat forever.”
Lu Sicheng paused for a moment but soon said “en” as if he had relaxed.
He held on to Tong Yao’s wrist as she was about to leave to pull her back and let her sit on his lap: “No team will preserve their strength anymore in the quarter-finals. Carefully observe Jin Yuguang’s play style. You might have only one round to break through this hurdle.”
Tong Yao squinted her eyes and smiled with a nod, her eyes were like a crescent moon.
She told him: Captain, rest assured, how could I leave you by yourself on the battlefield.