Rise Chapter 275 – An Understatement

Team Shanghai grabbed a small advantage in the mid lane. Lin Feng's Lux put full pressure on Zhu Feng's Syndra, while keeping his Blue minions where he wanted them. It was an expert bit of skill. But the rest of the game was still completely even. Hu Hui, Jungler for the East China University of Science and Technology, was looking to change that. He finished his initial Jungle path four minutes into the game. He then had his Kha'Zix move towards the bot lane while announcing over the team's voice chat, “Coming bot for a gank!”

The Support Alistar replied, “I got this!” He waited for Hu Hui's Kha'Zix to be relatively close to the bot lane and then flashed forward, right on top of Tang Bingyao's Graves. Pulverize! Alistar smashed his two big fists down on the ground with all its power. The impact knocked Tang Bingyao's Graves up into the air! He then charged past the Graves and turned around behind her. “Watch this!” he said, grinning

Zeng Rui's Thresh flashed towards Blue team's outer tower while all of this was going on. He threw his lantern to Tang Bingyao, opening up the Dark Passage. All Tang Bingyao had to do was click on the lantern and her Graves would dash to safety. Zeng Rui informed her of that with a simple, “Click it.”

Tang Bingyao nodded and replied, “Mhm!” She then clicked on the lantern 300 times in the next second. Graves had to have both his feet on the ground to dash at Thresh. He was falling back to the ground. There was a miniscule opening between him landing on the ground and the Alistar Headbutting him towards Red team's outer tower. Tang Bingyao needed to get the click in during that brief period of time to survive. All she had to do was click. Click! Click! CLICK! Her Graves landed on the ground and then lost his footing again as Thresh's lantern pulled him away to safety.

“Ah damn,” the Kha'Zix player muttered over East China University of Science and Technology's voice chat. “That could've been first blood. Probably should've been.”

Wang He didn't say a word. He just stared at his screen, numb. She's good. YesYes. The stupid thot knows how to play! But she should've been the only one! How did that Thresh play it like that? Did he just get lucky? But that was a good play! Shit! Their Support can't be good! She was supposed to be the only good player on their team! This can't be happening! It can't! FUCK! He gritted his teeth. The more he played against Team Shanghai's Botlaners, the more he realised that they were both better than he was. But that conclusion was quickly pushed away. He still saw himself as invincible. They just have the stronger duo! I need a better Support! That fucking thot is just getting carried! In fact… If I'd had a better Support, we would've gotten that kill! Yeah! I'd be up 1-0! All I need is a Support who knows how to play! Why am I stuck with this noob!?

《First blood!》

Wang He felt his hand twitch. He forcefully restrained himself from hitting the Enter key and typing a message, while also tightly pressing his lips down. NOT FUCKING AGAIN! I already lost to this fucking thot once! We can't let this happen again! I need to win this! This is supposed to be my redemption game!

“What happened?” Zhu Feng asked over the team's voice chat, cutting Wang He's thoughts short.

The Toplaner, who was playing Fiora, replied, “Got baited. I just used all my skills on the Gragas and then the J4 shows up behind me. Didn't have my flash anymore either, so she knocks me up and gives the kill to that Gragas. Just a stupid mistake from me. Won't happen again. Sorry, guys.”

Zhu Feng glanced at his Toplaner and shook his head. Come on, guys! I warned you about this! We can't go underestimating these kids! We'll lose this series if we do that! He grimaced but understood that arguing wasn't going to help his team. So he replied over the team's voice chat, “It's fine. Just don't let it happen again.”

✹

There wasn't much that happened in the next minute. Red team's Kha'Zix had returned to his Jungle to clear some camps. But by the 6th minute of the game, he made his way through the river to the brush right above the mid lane. He waited for Zhu Feng's Syndra to move up towards the middle of the lane where Lux was farming minions.

“Now!” Hu Hui shouted over the team's voice chat. He pressed down on his E key, making his Kha'Zix Leap at the Lux.

There was a Blue ward in the brush Kha'Zix had been hiding in, showing Lin Feng exactly what his opponent's Jungler was doing. Yeah! Come at me! Lin Feng grinned when the Kha'Zix made the Leap. That was a short moment in which Kha'Zix couldn't dodge, locked in the jumping animation. Lin Feng's Lux stepped to the side and aimed a Light Binding at where the Kha'Zix was about to land. The sphere of light flew in a straight line, wrapping around the Kha'Zix right as he landed and binding him.

Right then, An Xin's Jarvan IV and Zeng Rui's Thresh walked into the mid lane from the bot side river brush. They aimed their crowd control on Kha'Zix, completely ignoring Zhu Feng's Syndra. Zeng Rui's Thresh landed a Death Sentence on the Kha'Zix and An Xin's Jarvan IV knocked him up with a flag toss combo!

Hu Hui saw his Kha'Zix's health bar evaporate. He tried to flash away, but the crowd control skills from Team Shanghai were linked together flawlessly. And then there was the Lux. She was auto attacking him, dealing the least amount of damage. But her Lucent Singularity, an anomaly of twisted light, was underneath him. It was waiting to be detonated. Ready to shear away the last of his health. Fuck! I need help! He shouted over the team's voice chat, “Guys! Zhu Feng! Help me! DON'T BACK AWAY! HELP ME!” He watched his health drop to almost zero. “We can still turn this around!” But Zhu Feng's Syndra didn't come to help. She hid underneath Red team's outer tower.

Lin Feng waited until he was certain his Lucent Singularity would claim the Kha'Zix's life. Then he pressed on the E key and activated the second half of the skill. The anomaly of twisted light detonated right underneath the Kha'Zix.

《You have slain an enemy!》

“Sweet!” Lin Feng exclaimed. He then turned to An Xin and said over the team's voice chat, “See? I told you! I'm really good at Lux too!”

An Xin glanced at Lin Feng and smiled dangerously. “Oh? That was all you? I see. Well I guess you don't need our help then. You can fend for yourself for the rest of the game.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Zeng Rui chimed in.

“Uh, no no! You can keep ganking! Ganks are always good!” Lin Feng replied sheepishly while scratching the back of his head.

Team Shanghai had picked up a kill in the bot lane, securing the advantage there. Then they moved their attention to the mid lane where they helped Lin Feng pull further ahead of Zhu Feng's Syndra. And it all went with relative ease. The team members were laughing over the voice chat and there was a focused but relaxed atmosphere in their soundproof booth.

The same couldn't be said for the East China University of Science and Technology's soundproof booth. No one was talking there. They were staring at their screen, frustrated and angry. Just a few minutes ago, they'd been joking about Team Shanghai being a high school team. A team with two girls on its roster. It really sounded like a bad joke to them. Yet now they found themselves running after the facts only a couple of minutes into the game.

But from everyone on the team, Zhu Feng was struggling the hardest. Even worse than Wang He. His laning phase got off to a bad start, which had annoyed him. But Hu Hui's gank was supposed to change that. He was supposed to be back in the game. Why did it go like this? Dammit! He gritted his teeth. His Syndra had survived, but that wasn't worth anything. I'm the real loser here! STUPID! Lux gets her damn kill! Forces me to recall back to base AGAIN! And she's just happily spending all her spare gold! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! And there's not a damned thing I can do about it...

The audience was just like the East China University of Science and Technology having a difficult time accepting what they were seeing. The high school team consisting of three guys and two girls weren't losing terribly. That alone was enough to shock many of the students watching the game. But not only was Team Shanghai not losing the game, they were starting to pull ahead, picking up two early kills and building up a massive advantage in the mid lane.

    “They really threw me off at the start… It's just not often that you see two girls on a team. And they're both playing really well!”
    “What the fuck is this! What are Zhu Feng and his boy doing? FUCKING START PLAYING!”
    “This ain't looking too hot for Zhu Feng and Wang He...”
    “They getting beaten by GIRLS! HAHAHAHA!”
    “Oh, come on! Hu Hui, what's this? Fucking play! STOP FEEDING!”
    “WOOOOOO! TEAM SHANGHAI! WOOOOOOOO!”
    “Maybe they're giving away the first game to make it more exciting? Has to be it, right?”
    “YUP! No way Zhu Feng loses to a damn kid in the mid lane! I refuse to believe it.”

✹

Zhu Feng's Syndra arrived back in lane half a minute later. The minion wave was frozen outside of the Blue outer tower. Goddammit! I can't even go up there for some CS! What the fuck do I do? Zhu Feng chewed on his lips and looked at the minions that were dying off in the distance. They were out of his reach. He wasn't even getting experience from them. I can't keep doing this! I'm just going to become useless! STUPID! I need to at least get in range to get the experience. Just a little more forward. He had his Syndra walk forward, doing his best to dodge the skills from Lin Feng's Lux that were already flying his way. This stupid Lux! How the fuck does she keep hitting me? I just need to dodge it!

The plan worked for the next 30 seconds. Zhu Feng's Syndra was getting more brazen by the second as he started noticing a certain rhythm in the Lux's attack patterns. Dodging the attacks became easier. Hehe, you're still just a kid. You gotta learn more tricks if you wanna beat me! I know exactly where you're attacking next! He stepped to the side and smiled. That's another missed Lucent Singularity! SCRUB! He had his Syndra push past the middle of the lane to last hit a caster minion.

Zhu Feng clicked on another caster minion. His Syndra was just out of reach. She floated forward and then started her auto attack animation. UH? It all happened too quickly. Zhu Feng was paying attention to the minion, completely forgetting to keep his eyes on the Lux. He didn't see the Light Binding coming until it flew straight through his Syndra. The light binded her in place. STUPID! STUPID! Zhu Feng frantically clicked away, smashing his D key to flash away, and hoped the Lux didn't have enough damage to burst him down.

Lin Feng's Lux moved forward and hit Zhu Feng's Syndra with an auto attack. It procced her passive skill, Illumination! The damage from Light Binding had charged the Syndra with energy and the auto attack ignited that energy for bonus damage! Then she followed up with Lucent Singularity! An anomaly of twisted light flew forward and spread out on the ground around the Syndra. Lin Feng's Lux detonated it and followed up with another auto attack. The skill procced Illumination and the auto attack ignited the energy!

Zhu Feng's Syndra was caught in the light binding for another second. Lin Feng grinned. Watch me blast you away with this Final Spark! He pushed down on the R key. His Lux threw her staff up in the air and let it spin in front of her. She jumped up in the air and arched her back backwards. Then she summoned all the light energy she could muster and threw it forward, screaming, “DEMAAAACIA!” A beam of pure light blasted across Summoners Rift. It slammed through Zhu Feng's Syndra, shearing away at her health and almost killing her!

    “He's alive! He's going to live! LOOK!”
    “FLASH AWAY! FLASH TO THE TOP JUNGLE! NOOO!”
    “DON'T GO THERE! DON'T!”
    “GO TOP! TOP DUDE! TOP!”

Zhu Feng was sitting in a soundproof booth, completely focused on the screen in front of him. He didn't see or hear the audience screaming for him to watch out. All he knew was that he'd survived the Lux's burst damage and that he now had to get away! So he chose for the fastest way home, straight towards his outer tower. And that was exactly where the Jarvan IV was waiting for him. Zhu Feng's eyes went wide. He stared numbly at the new arrival, then shouted, “STUPID! SO FUCKING STUPID!”

An Xin's Jarvan IV appeared from Red team's bottom side Jungle. She ran into the mid lane and then dashed at Zhu Feng's Syndra with the flag toss combo. It was aimed perfectly. The Syndra was flung up into the air! Lin Feng's Lux caught up and landed a third auto attack, igniting the energy left behind on the Syndra from the Final Spark skill. Her health dropped to single digits. But An Xin wasn't leaving anything to chance. She activated her ultimate skill–Cataclysm! Jarvan IV leaped up above the Syndra and then slammed down into the ground! He carried with him such force that the ground terraformed into an area! But he was the only one inside. Zhu Feng's Syndra was already dead.

《An enemy has been slain!》

    “WOOOOOOOOOW! WHAT WAS THAT!?”
    “Are these high schoolers on steroids? HOLY DAMN!”
    “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING ZHU FENG? THAT WAS SO OBVIOUS!”
    “Get your asses into the game! You're losing to HIGH SCHOOLERS!”
    “Oh my god, I can't watch this. It's too painful. What a bunch of braindead idiots...”
    “PLAY THE FUCKING GAME! STOP BEING SO COCKY! FUCK!”

✹

Wang He listened to Zhu Feng complain and knew exactly what was happening. It all felt far too familiar. This isn't fucking possible! I refuse to believe this! NoNoNo! NOOOOO! They're supposed to be shit! Just that girl was going to be half decent! Not as good as me but ok. JUST OK! The rest had to suck! He ground his teeth, fighting a losing battle against his own sanity. It was showing in his play. He clicked further left than he usually would, stepping out from behind the protection of a caster minion.

Zeng Rui spotted the mistake straight away. He lined up a Death Sentence and threw it out. The scythe connected with Wang He's Jinx. He said over the team's voice chat, “Tang Tang, on the Jinx!”

“Mhm! Okay!” Tang Bingyao replied. She kept her eyes locked on Red Team's Alistar while activating Quickdraw. Her Graves dashed forward and hit Jinx with an auto attack. She didn't activate a second skill. Her finger was lightly pressing down on the D key, waiting to activate Flash.

Red Team's Alistar tried to protect his ad-carry. He targeted Tang Bingyao's Graves with Headbut. It was Alistar's go-to move. Headbut the opponent and then knock them up right away with Pulverise. But before he could try this combo, Tang Bingyao flashed past him. She then raised her triple barrel shotgun and took aim at the Jinx.

Wang He froze. His mouse-hand refused to move and his keyboard fingers refused to press down. Fuuuuuuck! How did she do that? How! HOW! HOW!? He was forced to watch as Graves fired a Buckshot at his Jinx. Three bullets slammed into his Jinx! LET ME GET OUT! FUCKING THOT! PISS OFF! But his fingers wouldn't move. 

Tang Bingyao's Graves lifted his triple barrel shotgun again. He activated his ultimate skill. Collateral Damage! An explosive shell blasted through the air and slammed into the Jinx. The resulting damage decimated her health bar!

Zeng Rui's Thresh was still hooked to Wang He's Jinx. He now activated the second part of Death Sentence. Thresh dashed at Wang He's Jinx and then Flayed her back and Ignited her. An unquenchable flame burned on Jinx's body and the Flay slowed her. This combination gave Tang Bingyao's Graves all the help he needed to finish the job.

“DO SOMETHING!” Wang He screamed over the team's voice chat. “ALISTAR!” But it was already too late. The game announcer's voice sounded in his ears.

《You have been slain!》

Wang He watched his screen turn grey. This… This… It's like that stupid game from the other day all over again! God fucking dammit! This stupid thot is fucking beating me again! And… He slammed his fist down on the desk in frustration. AND I CAN'T FUCKING QUIT THE GAME! It took him every last bit of constraint not to stand up and walk away. Or to start screaming.

✹

The game between Team Shanghai and the East China University of Science and Technology was only a little more than 6 minutes in, yet it looked like the game was already played. Lin Feng was enjoying a big lead in the mid lane, while Zeng Rui and Tang Bingyao were quickly pulling ahead of their lane opponents in the bot lane. This was everything the audience expected East China University of Science and Technology's team to do.

    “How are these high schoolers this much better…?”
    “What in the world is happening? This shit ain't making any sense!”
    “Are there esports steroids? Those kids should be tested!”
    “This is borderline insane… The way those kids are playing… Fuck! It's impressive!”
    “Holy sweet moly! That's a 3,000 gold advantage right there!”
    “I know right… Zhu Feng is gonna have a hard effin time!”

Shocked, surprised, and confused comments sounded out in the hall. The audience wasn't really sure what was happening. They didn't understand how the university team was losing to a high school team. All they'd been hearing about was how the university teams were going to be so incredibly much better than the high school teams that it wasn't even going to be funny. Reality was anything but that.

It took highly skilled people to see just how vast the gap between Team Shanghai and the East China University of Science and Technology really was. There were several such individuals on the other teams competing here today. From the small things like positioning to the bigger moves like ganks, Team Shanghai exploited every asset of the game to pull ahead.

    “They're gonna win if it goes on like this…”
    “No shit! This Team Shanghai is kicking Zhu Feng's ass. This could be a sub 20 minute game…”
    “Fuck, that'd be embarrassing!”

✹

Zeng Rui glanced at the game clock. It read 9 minutes. He looked at his minimap and said over the team's voice chat, “Lin Feng, come roam bot.”

Lin Feng panned his camera, glanced at the state of the bot lane, and nodded. “Sure.” He then pushed out the minion wave in the mid lane and retreated to his own outer tower. It was a simple tactic to make the Syndra think he was recalling back to base to upgrade his items. Let's get some kills in bot too!

Zeng Rui waited for Lin Feng to almost be in the bot lane before engaging on Wang He's Jinx. His Thresh flashed forward and then Flayed the Jinx backwards. Red team's Alistar tried to protect his ad-carry by Headbutting Zeng Rui's Thresh away, but by doing so played the exact move Zeng Rui was waiting for. He smiled and pressed down on the Q key–Death Sentence! Thresh threw his scythe at the Jinx and hooked her!

Lin Feng's Lux walked into the bot lane right as the Death Sentence landed. He cast a Light Binding to root the Jinx and followed up with Lucent Singularity and Final Spark! An anomaly of twisted light flew towards the Jinx and glowed underneath her. Then the Lux threw her wand up into the air and made it spin in front of her. She jumped up herself, arched her back backwards and then pushed all the energy she could muster forward! A laser beam blasted across the map, enveloping the Jinx and evaporating her health bar!

Tang Bingyao's Graves had followed behind Zeng Rui's Thresh. She landed an auto attack on the rooted Jinx and then blasted the last of her health bar away with a Buckshot! All the while, An Xin's Jarvan IV ran into red team's bottom side Jungle and arrived in the bot lane behind enemy lines. There, she stormed towards the outer tower and knocked the Alistar up with a flag toss combo!

“Alistar! Alistar!” Zeng Rui shouted over the team's voice chat, ignoring the game announcer telling them about Jinx's death.

The Lux, Graves and Thresh charged towards Red team's outer tower and helped An Xin's Jarvan IV kill the Alistar. Tang Bingyao picked up the kill on her Graves, after which all four players from Team Shanghai made it out with their lives.

“Dragon! Go Dragon!” Zeng Rui ordered over the team's voice chat. And the other three followed behind him. They ran up the river to the Dragon pit and killed the monster, getting gold and a buff that gave them extra attack and magic damage. All of this only further extended their advantage over the East China University of Science and Technology.

✹

Wang He was going crazy. I CAN'T DO THIS SHIT! SCREW BOT LANE! He'd been playing in the bot lane for 14 long minutes. That stupid thot is more fed than I am! And that Thresh is better than my Alistar! And if it wasn't for that other thot and the stupid Lux constantly ganking me, I might even get some CS and win this lane! But I'm only falling further behind! I need to do something! He panned his camera across the map, searching for anything that might help him. Then he paused on the mid lane. Well, fuck it all! If I can't get anything in the bot lane, I'll just go and get some CS in the mid lane! That Lux can't do anything to me. I just gotta dodge her Qs. Those stupid Light Bindings… Any noob can dodge those!

Wang He's Jinx arrived in the mid lane and started attacking minions. He got a couple of last hits and pushed up further into the lane. This is more like it! I'm getting some gold and I'll be right back int— His eyes went wide in shock. The Lux had appeared out of nowhere and flashed towards him, throwing a Light Binding at him from point blank range! There was no way he could have dodged it. FUCK! NOT AGAIN! NOT FUCKING AGAIN! He pressed on every button on his keyboard, trying to break the root faster!

An auto attack landed on Wang He's Jinx, detonating the energy gathered on her from the Light Binding. Then the Lux attacked with Lucent Singularity and Final Spark. The two skills blasted away almost all the health his Jinx had. But it very importantly didn't kill him. He grimaced. I'll just have to recall back to base again. Fucking dammit! He slammed down on his F key, infuriated. The root broke and his Jinx flashed away towards the safety of his outer tower. At least I'm still alive. Unlike that idiot Zhu Feng! Feeding this noob Lux!

And then, from over the Jungle wall below the mid lane, an explosive shell flew towards Wang He's Jinx and exploded in her face. The damage was massive. Wang He watched his screen turn grey again. But more painfully was the game announcer's message that followed. It echoed in his mind, a constant reminder of how the thot he hated so much was kicking his ass. How she was the better player.

《Rampage!》
《Rampage!》
《Rampage!》
《Rampage!》
《Rampage!》
《Rampage!》

Chapter end