Did The Captain Catch Up With The Coach Today [Esports] Chapter 6
byChapter 6
Wei Xiao was pulled into a match queue room by Zhou Miao Miao, and soon the five slots in the room were filled.
Their ranks were too high for five-player ranked matches, but five-player casual matches were allowed.
However, after clicking “Start Match,” the system took a full three minutes to find opponents.
There was no helping it; the five people in this group were all at the highest rank, with server rankings within the top fifty. Finding a team of equally matched opponents for them was extremely difficult.
Therefore, three minutes later, when they saw that all their opponents had the KPI prefix, it wasn’t too surprising… was it?
“Holy crap!” Wei Xiao couldn’t believe his eyes!
It wasn’t his first time facing Professional E-sports Players, but it was his first time playing 5v5 against a complete professional team.
And the opponent was the team he had challenged—no, interviewed with—this afternoon: last year’s runner-up team, KPI!
Two words: exhilarating!
“Guys, I’m counting on you!” Wei Xiao said.
Professional teams must be dealt with by Professional E-sports Players!
However, his Professional E-sports Player teammates seemed even more nervous than he was.
“We’re doomed, doomed, doomed, doomed!” Zhou Miao Miao rattled off four “doomed”s in one breath, treating the situation like a formidable enemy. “Hu Die! The World Server Rank 1 Blazing Feather! I’m dancing right in front of my idol!”
“Isn’t that great?” Wei Xiao hadn’t realized the seriousness of the problem yet. “This is a great chance for your idol to remember you!”
“Doomed,” the support Tang Li also said “doomed,” then added in a very solemn tone, “We must win this game, but we might lose… We must win this game, but we might lose…”
“Doomed, you’ve turned into a repeater,” Wei Xiao was worried about his teammates’ mental state.
Immediately after, the marksman Lu Qing Yang also said “doomed,” but his next sentence was: “So our team’s group style starts with ‘doomed’? Anyone who doesn’t say ‘doomed’ isn’t a member of FHM?”
“Doomed, I’m not, but I said it too. Is it too late to take it back now?” Wei Xiao regretted his talkativeness for the first time.
“Doomed what? Why are you wimps?” The top-laner Qin Jin Yao couldn’t stand it anymore. “It’s just the first time playing against a professional team! Who, who, who’s scared?”
His words were domineering, but his stuttering ruined the effect.
Wei Xiao: “…”
Wei Xiao: “Wait a minute?”
Wei Xiao: “First time?”
Wei Xiao hadn’t been scared initially. Professional E-sports Players were all skilled, and he was the World Server Rank 1 Jungler after Wen Shi Yu. Even against last year’s runner-up team, they weren’t without a chance of winning.
But—
F-i-r-s-t t-i-m-e p-l-a-y-i-n-g a-g-a-i-n-s-t a p-r-o-f-e-s-s-i-o-n-a-l t-e-a-m!
Wei Xiao started trembling.
What was the deal with this team sporting the FHM prefix? They had a coach and wanted to recruit him, so they shouldn’t be cosplaying.
On the other side, Wen Shi Yu’s palm slapped the heads of the four players in turn, creating a rhythm like a DJ scratching records.
“If you know you can’t lose this game, then show me the attitude of someone who can’t lose!”
Facing KPI in their first 5v5 match was a risk, but also an opportunity.
If they could win, he would have the confidence to sign “to be continued” onto the team.
Although he didn’t really want to meet Wei Xiao again… his own embarrassment was nothing compared to his dream!
Wen Shi Yu was determined to get Wei Xiao!
“Coach, I need your help!” The MID Zhou Miao Miao looked up, feeling wronged. “I only know how to play Blazing Feather right now. If the opponent takes it, we’re completely doomed!”
Wei Xiao, hearing this through the voice chat: “…”
Wen Shi Yu, hearing this in reality, was also silent for a moment, then responded: “They have the first pick. Let’s gamble that their MID won’t snatch Blazing Feather.”
Wei Xiao was now sitting on pins and needles.
No offense, but FHM’s MID played Blazing Feather quite well, but only knew Blazing Feather… huh?
He silently recited “Professional E-sports Players cannot surrender” three times to calm himself down.
After the bans were complete, when the opponent chose their first hero, his heart jumped up along with Zhou Miao Miao’s.
In the end, the opponent’s first pick was Blade Shadow Dancer.
“Ahhh, I’m alive!” Zhou Miao Miao instantly locked in Blazing Feather!
In the second round, two heroes could be chosen. Wei Xiao’s side could still pick one. The top-laner asked him to pick Bamboo Swordsman for him, and Wei Xiao did.
Only after picking did he realize… Bamboo Swordsman! Isn’t that an Assassin? Aren’t you a top-laner?
“Bro, are you a top-laner or a Jungler?” Wei Xiao confirmed, worried he had mistaken his role.
“Top-laner,” Qin Jin Yao replied.
“Alright.” Assassin top-laner… it wasn’t impossible.
Next, the opponent chose Bloodthirsty Baron and Deep Sea Siren. Bloodthirsty Baron was definitely a top-laner. Siren could be MID or support. Since her damage was low, support was more likely, but considering Blazing Feather’s burst damage, it wasn’t impossible for the opponent to take a high-HP, high-defense magic tank to defend the mid-lane.
Then, on Wei Xiao’s side, the marksman and support quickly chose Thorn Whip and Soul Bell.
Thorn Whip, as the name suggests, uses a whip as a weapon. She is the shortest-range marksman in the entire Hero League. If you can’t manage the distance in the lane, you’ll generally be suppressed.
This hero’s pick rate is less than 1% in low-tier games, slightly higher in high-tier games, but still no more than 3%.
She is difficult to master, and her strength is only average. Unless you genuinely love her, there is no reason to pick her.
“Thorn Whip, are you serious or just messing around?” Wei Xiao asked. “This affects which hero I pick.”
“If I say I’m serious, what are you going to pick?” the marksman Lu Qing Yang asked.
“Overlord Blade, probably.” Wei Xiao felt this lineup couldn’t defend at all, so they should just go all-in on offense!
“What if I’m just messing around?”
“Overlord Blade!” Wei Xiao didn’t hesitate! He liked Overlord Blade because the name was wild enough, domineering enough, and 1 enough!
“Then…”
“Oh right, it doesn’t seem to matter.” Wei Xiao “slapped” the lock button on Overlord Blade.
No matter what, he was set on using Overlord Blade this game!
Both team compositions were confirmed:
KPI: Bloodthirsty Baron (Top), Deep Sea Siren (MID), Rain of Needles (Bot), Undying Hero (Support), Blade Shadow Dancer (Jungle)
FHM + Wei Xiao: Bamboo Swordsman (Top), Blazing Feather (MID), Thorn Whip (Bot), Soul Bell (Support), Overlord Blade (Jungle)
While the map was loading, the voice chat was very quiet, and Wei Xiao thought his headset was broken.
He asked, “Can you hear me?” and everyone responded.
Top-laner Qin Jin Yao: “1.”
MID Zhou Miao Miao: “I can hear you, very clearly.”
Marksman Lu Qing Yang: “I can hear you, what’s wrong?”
Support Tang Li: “Remember to say something or send a signal before you gank this time… Of course, it’s okay if you really don’t want to.”
Wei Xiao coughed. This was a huge misunderstanding; he wasn’t the type to silently kill people.
“Right, right, right, give us a signal, or I might accidentally steal your kill.” Zhou Miao Miao said, “The coach said our strategy is to feed you up like a pig, and leave the rest to you!”
“The strategy is good, but why is the phrasing so weird?” Wei Xiao felt that FHM’s coach still held a grudge against him. Was he trying to trick him into joining the team first, then use public office to settle a private score and bully him?
After entering the battlefield, Wei Xiao controlled his Overlord Blade with the mouse to run toward the jungle area, while taking the time to type.
Since it wasn’t a formal match, global chat was allowed, right?
In his first 5v5 against a professional team, Wei Xiao couldn’t suppress the urge to chat.
[Global] to be continued (Overlord Blade): Loser, how dare you still pick Rain of Needles?
The four members of the FHM team were confused by this message, but the next message confused them even more.
[Global] KPI-seagull (Rain of Needles): Don’t get cocky too early. This isn’t a 1v1.
[Global] to be continued (Overlord Blade): Wait for it, I’ll bully Fei Yu first, then come bully you.
[Global] KPI-flyfish (Blade Shadow Dancer): 6
[Global] KPI-seagull (Rain of Needles): FHM is the conclusion you reached after turning right when you left?
[Global] to be continued (Overlord Blade): Heh, is it? I’ll tell you after you beat me!
“Loser? 1v1? Holy crap, you won a 1v1 against KPI’s marksman?” Lu Qing Yang was shocked.
Tang Li’s focus was on: “Turn right when you left? What does that mean?”
“Nothing.” Wei Xiao didn’t want the FHM members to know about his embarrassing failure to get hired at KPI, where the manager had kicked him out of the club with the phrase “turn right when you leave.”
But Wen Shi Yu knew he had taken the high-speed rail to this city today to apply for jobs, targeting top E-sports Clubs like WI and KPI. It looked like he had already been to KPI.
Turn right when you leave?
Exiting KPI’s main gate and turning right leads to the mental hospital…
“Pfft.”
After chatting, Wei Xiao started farming the jungle while pulling his camera view, focusing intently on the match.
KPI had been crossed off his list of targets. Facing KPI as an opponent, he had no psychological burden; he just wanted to win cleanly and happily.
He pulled the camera to the top lane and saw the Assassin Bamboo Swordsman, facing the magic tank Bloodthirsty Baron, showing no fear. He would seize any opportunity to poke with his bamboo sword, then immediately retreat, performing extreme kiting. His mechanics were flawless.
In the last game, this top-laner was on the opposing team and had suppressed Wei Xiao’s top-laner under the tower. If Wei Xiao hadn’t ganked, the top lane would have collapsed long ago.
Tsk, thinking about that made him angry. The top-laner in the last game was definitely a feeder! It was ridiculous that a top-laner at this rank wouldn’t follow the Jungler’s rhythm!
He pulled the camera to the mid-lane. Zhou Miao Miao’s Blazing Feather was as agile as a Hu Die. The match had only just begun, and he had already whittled the opposing MID, his idol, down to half health.
He didn’t know if Zhou Miao Miao was telling the truth about only knowing Blazing Feather, but his Blazing Feather was indeed amazing, even better than Wei Xiao’s, which was why Wei Xiao had accepted his friend request.
He pulled the camera to the bottom lane. The Thorn Whip, whom he expected to be suppressed, was actually doing fine. Upon closer inspection, the support Soul Bell was harassing the opponent so effectively that they couldn’t get close. A classic case of the marksman relying heavily on the support.
This support was genuinely good. Wei Xiao was very satisfied, added him as a friend, and planned to invite him to Duo Queue for rank points next season.
The four members of FHM, despite saying “doomed” and despite this being their first 5v5 against a professional team, were strangely not falling behind in any of the three lanes.
Keep in mind, they were facing KPI’s Starters. Not Substitutes, not the Second Team, but the First Team Starters!
Interesting.
Let me be the one to break the balance on this battlefield!
After Wei Xiao finished the first jungle camp, gained the buff, and reached level 2, he immediately charged into the enemy jungle with his blade raised.
With this composition, the enemy Jungler had to be in the bottom jungle area. If he wasn’t, Wei Xiao would counter-jungle. If he was, Wei Xiao would kill the Jungler and then counter-jungle!
KPI’s Jungler, Fei Yu, had placed a ward in the bush, but Wei Xiao perfectly skirted around it as if he could smell the ward. Then, he targeted the bush where the enemy was located and charged in with a “Domineering Charge”!
Fei Yu’s Blade Shadow Dancer was indeed inside, and he immediately countered with a “Blade Chain”!
However, Wei Xiao was prepared. With a flick of the mouse, Overlord Blade performed an agile movement, narrowly avoiding the chain swinging toward him. He then raised the blade in his hand and aggressively slashed down!
One-Hit Slash!
Then, Ignite!
In this 5v5, Wei Xiao didn’t stack damage entirely like he did in 1v1s. He allocated some attributes to physical damage lifesteal, which would result in lower damage early on.
But this damage could be supplemented by Ignite.
After applying Ignite to Fei Yu, Wei Xiao turned and retreated.
A true man never looks back at an explosion!
Fei Yu’s Smite was still on cooldown, and he had no other means of healing.
He watched helplessly as the small amount of health remaining after the slash continuously disappeared under the scorching flames, his mind buzzing.
How could a Jungler not bring Flash but bring Ignite?!
A few seconds later, accompanied by a scream, the girl with several flying blades behind her collapsed weakly onto the ground.
[System Notification] Overlord Blade has secured First Blood!
[System Notification] Enemy Blade Shadow Dancer has been slain!
“Holy crap?” The global chat erupted!