Rise (Web Novel CN)

Shenyang University didn’t have the luxury of holding back. They had their backs pushed against the wall, loaded guns aimed at them. And the entire situation was their fault, because they weren’t playing near the level they knew they could. It just took them two full games to realize that. Between the second and the third game, they took a small break and walked away from the stage to reset their mental. They walked around the stadium and watched the fans, listened to the cheers and reminded themselves why they were here, what they were here for. To win!

When Shenyang University returned to their computers, they were ready. Reinvigorated. They recognized that with Lin Feng playing Control Mage-type Champions, the late game was nearly impossible to win. That just meant that they had to win it early. So they chose Champions that excelled at the laning phase. They also recognized that the midlane wasn’t a lane they could ever win, and that Team Shanghai’s top lane was their weakest link. So they used the top lane to kickstart their other lanes.

Zhang Hao didn’t see it come. He was just feeling comfortable enough in the series to pick Ryze, a late game Champion. But Ryze had no escape mechanics and a very small health pool during the laning phase. In the first 5 minutes of the game, he was killed three times. Two of those deaths were to Shenyang’s Toplaner who was playing Fiora. And a fed Fiora was dangerous.

Shenyang University made full use of their Fiora. They helped her pull further and further ahead and by the 14th minute, the 4,000 gold advantage they enjoyed was almost entirely on her. She ran around the map and through Team Shanghai’s Jungle. She killed Tang Bingyao, Zeng Rui and An Xin. She went in one versus four and dove towers whenever she felt like it. The only times she grew cautious, the only times she retreated, was when Lin Feng’s Lulu came close to her. That was the one fight she didn’t want to pick.

It took Shenyang University until the 30th minute to get the confidence they needed to take on Lin Feng’s Lulu. They were laying siege on the inhibitor tower in midlane, with a boost from the Baron Buff, when Tang Bingyao made a slight positional error. Fiora noticed and Lunged. She dove the tower and took Tang Bingyao’s Jinx out with a flurry of attacks, spawning a Healing Field. Shenyang University made full use of that to take out the rest of Team Shanghai, Lin Feng’s Lulu included. From there it was an easy win. They took down the inhibitor tower, inhibitor, nexus towers and finally the nexus. The Blue energy within broke free and morphed into the victory emblem for them.

VICTORY

“WOOOOOO!”“WE’VE GOT A REAL GAME ON OUR HANDS NOW!”“FRIGGIN FINALLY! WAS ABOUT DAMN TIME!”“SHENYANG FOR THE WIIIIIN!”“MASSIVE PLAYS BY FIORA!”

Sun Ruinian sat in the player seating area with his teammates from Zhejiang University. He clicked his tongue and said, “Shenyang’s good. This is what I remember them like. When they get going, they’re just so good at coordination and map-wide plays. It’s really killer.”

Zou Cheng sighed in disappointment and said, “Why is Lin Feng playing Support mids? He went Lulu for fucks sake! What did he expect would happen? He doesn’t do any damage! He just flutters around all useless and his team is nothing without him! They need him to carry! Yeah, yeah, it’s a team game. I know. I know. Really, I do! But what did they expect? They’ve got a tanky Jungler with Sejuani and then they put their worst two players on Ryze and Jinx. It’s like they wanted to lose this game!”

“Maybe,” Sun Ruinian replied. He looked at Team Shanghai’s soundproof booth and added, “One thing’s for certain though. If Lin Feng played LeBlanc or Fizz, this game would’ve been over.”

“That’s what I’m saying!” Zou Cheng exclaimed.

Zhang Hongyi sat a couple of rows away from Zhejiang University. He glanced at them and then back at the large LCD screen above the stage. He chuckled and said, “What a bunch of idiots. Talking like Team Shanghai’s got this in the bag. I don’t see it. How can they possibly win with Zeng ‘SucksAlot’ Rui? Scrubs!”

Yu Ping shook his head and breathed out loudly. Zhang Hongyi needs to stop worrying so much about that Support. We’ve got our work cut out for us if we need to play Team Shanghai. Their Midlaner… Those guys from Zhejiang are most likely right. If he plays LeBlanc or Fizz, this series is over.

✹

Lin Feng ruffled his hair and said over the team’s voice chat, “Alright, that was enough fun for one day. Let’s just end it here.” He turned his head to look at An Xin and continued, “BunBun, camp the shit out of top. Get HaoBro to Legendary! I’ll do the same in mid and ZengZeng will help Tang Tang do the same in bot! We’ll go triple Legendary and smack some asses!”

Zhang Hao grimaced and replied, “I’m really so—”

“Uh, no you’re not,” An Xin interrupted. She glared at Lin Feng and continued, “It’s DimFeng’s fault that you fell so far behind. He was just messing around and pinging way too late whenever Shenyang’s Midlaner went to gank top. But he’s right about one thing. We need to win this next one. Let’s play our best.”

“Mhm!” Tang Bingyao agreed, nodding vigorously.

✹

In the fourth game of the series between Team Shanghai and Shenyang University, Team Shanghai played the Red team. That meant that they had the last pick in Champion Select. Lin Feng waited to see Shenyang’s University’s line up, grinned, and locked in Fizz. He clenched his fist and mumbled, “It’s time to rock ‘n roll!”

Everyone across the globe who knew him, knew what was coming next. Su Xue was jumping up and down in her chair, both relieved and excited. Her viewers were losing it, spamming her chat to show their adoration for Lin Feng. Even Yu Ping, who’d only watched Lin Feng play and had never even come across him in solo queue, shifted in his chair. He knew he was in for a good show.

At 4 minutes: Lin Feng’s Fizz picked up first blood on Shenyang’s Twisted Fate.

At 6 minutes: Lin Feng’s Fizz hit Level 6 before Shenyang’s Twisted Fate did. He used this advantage to jump on Twisted Fate and kill him, all the while watching the movements from Shenyang’s Lee Sin who was running into the lane. Lin Feng timed his cooldowns perfectly and ran around the lane with such precision that Lee Sin couldn’t hit a single kill. And then Lin Feng picked up the double kill.

At 8 minutes: Lin Feng tagged along with An Xin on a trip to the top lane, where they towerdove Shenyang’s Rumble. He picked up the kill. It was his third of the game.

At 10 minutes: Lin Feng’s Fizz swam through the river to the bot lane, where Shenyang’s Lee Sin tried to gank Tang Bingyao and Zeng Rui. He helped to turn the gank around, picking up two kills and an assist, bringing his score to an impressive 5/0/1.

At 18 minutes: Lin Feng’s Fizz picked up another solo kill on Shenyang’s Twisted Fate. It was his eighth kill of the game and the voice announcer broadcasted this by calling him Legendary!

“Dude… Da fuck? What’s this game?”“I don’t know… That Fizz… Holy mother of my father who bangs my brother, he’s so good!”“Feels like I’m watching a game of solo queue… There’s no teamwork or anything, just a hard carry by Fizz.”“Pretty sure he doesn’t even need his teammates. Haven’t seen a stomp this bad in months!”“My fucking god! Shenyang has fallen far. They’re getting solo’d by a fucking high schooler! They’re losing all face!”“They’re already toothless, might as well be skinless…”

TheBrawnster shook his head, incredulous, and muttered, “Yo, yo, yo! TheBrawnster here to tell you that Shenyang sucks massive dongs! I guess… Jesus, what a game. What happened to them? They looked so good in Game 3 and then… Well, this. Whatever this is.”

“I know right!” PufPuf shrieked. “It’s like they gave up!”

Chu Fang chuckled. He could hear the gasps and murmurs from the audience behind him and he could see the pure shock in the people around him. What they were witnessing wasn’t a university level Midlaner outclassing another university level Midlaner. What they were witnessing was a stomp so hard that it felt like Lin Feng was Rake and Shenyang’s Midlaner a 600 Bronze nobody. Chu Fang grinned and mumbled, “You’re not yet where you were. But it’s good to see you try, because you’re still really damned good when you try. More than good enough to beat any team here, anyway.”

20 minutes after the game started, Lin Feng decided it was time to end Shenyang University’s suffering. He’d destroyed their hopes and dreams 15 minutes earlier, but now their Nexus collapsed too. The energy within broke free and morphed into the victory emblem. He grinned and looked over the rim of his monitor at the fans—his fans—who were on their feet and cheering. “For me,” he mumbled.