Chapter 27: From this moment on, let your talent bloom!

"First game, secured!"

As the crystal shattered, the V5 player booth erupted in deafening cheers. The significance lay not just in this single victory, but in what it confirmed: the current TES team was not as terrifying as imagined. Perhaps it was because they had only just returned from their break, but the lack of form in the opposing players was palpable.

They could win this!

In the lounge, Coach Nofe welcomed his players back, his face beaming with visible delight. Regardless of the final outcome of the Demacia Cup, the potential of this squad was already clear. Thinking back to how he had been fretting over finding a job just six months ago, and comparing it to this "all-in" gamble half a year later—he felt like he could have staged a mythic legend: a fox calling in the wild, scrolls hidden in a fish’s belly, and a one-eyed stone statue rising from the earth.

This was a total takeoff!

Stifling his excitement, he continued to address the room: "After winning the first game, we are bound to face a counterattack from TES. We cannot afford to drag this into the final game of a best-of-five. They may be rusty, but they will heat up as they play, while our advantage will diminish over time. A war of attrition is not in our favor."

To be fair, Nofe had a sharp eye. Or rather, he didn't even need one; he could see that his team had three "old men"—Karsa, Rookie, and PPGOD—while the opposing TES squad, aside from their top laner, consisted of players in the prime of their careers.

What does a match come down to? Beyond form, champion pools, tactics, and synergy, it also involves peripheral factors—like a player's ability to hold their bladder.

"Meng, what do you think the coach means by that?" Xiao Yan leaned in toward Luo Ji and asked in a low voice. Normally, a team talk would be directed at everyone, but he had keenly noticed that Coach Nofe’s gaze hadn't really lingered on the two of them, focusing instead on the other three.

"I have a rough idea," Luo Ji replied, scratching his chin hesitantly. "In broad terms, our lineup is prone to being worn down by the opposition."

"And in specific terms?"

"They seem to have some kidney deficiency?"

"???"

Luo Ji actually understood Nofe's meaning. Their team really wasn't suited for a long, drawn-out battle. However, he felt it was risky to keep challenging the bottom lane, which was the opponent's strongest point. But there was no help for it. As the saying went, without results, one has no voice.

He could only watch as V5’s team leaders and analysts swarmed Xiao Yan, looking like they had activated the Kaleidoscope Sharingan, casting illusions upon him. Things like, "The three-year promise has arrived, do not bully the young into poverty," or "Xiao Yan should crush Nalan Wenbo in the Warcraft Mountains," or "Only pick champions with non-targeting skills so you can become Magneto in the laning phase."

It was becoming increasingly absurd. If such ordinary motivational talk could become this deranged, what kind of nonsense would Zhu Kai, the master of "World’s Number One Chicken Soup," have to spout to maintain his status?

Terrifying.

Yet, Xiao Yan was actually buying it, his face flushed with excitement. Sure enough, young, naive laborers were easy to handle; just draw them a picture of a pie and they were set.

As he was thinking this, Coach Nofe sat down beside him, watching the commotion in the room. After a while, he spoke softly: "You should know. If we play through the bottom half of the map, we won't be a match for TES for long. Having learned from 'Prison Gun,' you should know better than anyone how much power a team with a top-tier double-carry setup holds."

He didn't play the emotional card. Someone with a tactical maturity like Luo Ji's was beyond standard motivational speeches. Nofe simply laid out the truth: putting the mid lane aside—since Rookie, even in the twilight of S11, could just barely trade evenly with TES’s Knight—the focus was the bottom lane.

JKL, despite not showing much in the first game, was only kept quiet because of TES’s tactical choices. In reality, as the AD carry with the highest traffic in the current scene, his damage-per-gold statistics topped the charts in many patches. Even in the original S12 regular season, the top damage rankings for top, mid, and bot were still occupied by the "Incheon Three."

Luo Ji gradually understood Nofe’s tactical blueprint. At this moment, in everyone’s eyes, V5’s "top-tier horse" was the mid-jungle duo, the "middle-tier horse" was Xiao Yan, the "lower-tier horse" was Luo Ji, and the "beast of burden" was PPGOD. This was expected, as V5’s tactics had always revolved around the bottom lane, and he had mostly played a sacrificial role.

So, what was Nofe’s plan? It was to let the players unleash their full firepower. When the top masters had burned out in battle and the core forces had fallen, and it came down to which "monkey" would evolve into a human first—if one side wasn't just a regular monkey, but the Black Myth Wukong... then things would get very interesting.

On the other side, Karsa leaned over and draped an arm around Luo Ji’s shoulder. Both were veterans; they could figure out the schemes hidden in Nofe’s mind easily. He didn't hold back: "Don't be anxious. Don't be so restless, young man. Leave it to us; we are the old folks. While we still have our form, it won't be too hard for us to give it our all and win another game. But this final step toward victory... that will depend on you two youngsters."

The next two games went exactly as Nofe predicted. After losing the first, TES unleashed their full potential. With a better draft for their bottom lane, Tian began to stir up trouble around them.

As JKL’s form bounced back, the pressure immediately furrowed Xiao Yan’s brow. He couldn't win. He really couldn't win. Xiao Yan at this stage was essentially at the "Wutan City" level of *Battle Through the Heavens*; he was no match for a seasoned Nalan Wenbo. Facing TES’s jungle-assisted tower dives, he was left completely helpless.

It was like Tian Yan facing the two masters from *The Legend of Qin*. Ge Nie’s sword was fast—she could predict the move, but she couldn't dodge it; Wei Zhuang’s sword was heavy—she could predict the move, but she couldn't block it. Even with their mental preparations, V5 just couldn't stop TES’s onslaught.

But in the third game, Rookie and Karsa suddenly exploded. The two veterans seemed to return to the realm of "Land Immortals," establishing a perfect early-game tempo that secured their lead. Combined with the follow-up from Luo Ji and Xiao Yan, they barely eked out a win in the third game.

The score was 2:1. They had reached match point first.

[Brilliant!]
[Everyone else is Blue beats Red, but these two flipped it—the Blue side lost everything, and the Red side won everything.]
[No wonder they say an old man in the house is a treasure; these two V5 mid-jungle veterans actually managed to bite a win off TES.]
[In contrast, Knight, do something! Knight!]

The excitement of the first three games exceeded all expectations. In previous years, the Demacia Cup was just a filler tournament; players didn't even have the interest to play because it cut into their vacations. But this year, things seemed different.

"As expected, the feel for the game is back," Nofe thought, watching the crystal explode on screen. He knew the perfect moment had arrived. In the fourth game, a desperate TES would surely summon their "Visiddell."

"Are we ready to enable the top half?" Zero, sitting nearby, was excited. Just as the previous TES wasn't their strongest version, a V5 playing through the bottom lane wasn't their strongest version either.

Where was Karsa last year? TES. What tactics did TES play all year? Let’s put it this way: even though JKL had joined, the biggest focus of the season wasn't the bottom lane, but the top laner, 369. He was called the "Prince of TES." Because expectations were so high, his reputation plummeted by the end of the year, and fans even cheered when he transferred to JDG. It wasn't until he was trained by Homme that he performed well, leaving those fans full of regret.

In other words, Karsa had spent the better part of last year playing top-side tactics.

Thinking of this, Nofe didn't rush to give tactical instructions during the break. He let the players close their eyes and rest. Only Luo Ji was pulled aside.

"Coach?" Luo Ji looked at him, puzzled.

"Do you remember what I told you?" Nofe smiled and ruffled his hair, following his gaze toward the resting teammates. "I said I would always be watching you. The match has reached its most critical moment. At 2:1, in the next game, we will face TES’s strongest system to date. Does this stage match your ability to shock the world?"

He revealed the file in his hand. It was all the data from Luo Ji’s time in the EDG youth training and the LDL. There was no denying that from the Demacia Cup until now, Luo Ji’s performance had been perfect for a rookie. Though he lacked aggressive flashiness, his team play and discipline were miles ahead of other new players.

But that day, Nofe had dug up this specific data. Most of his games had been on team-oriented or utility top laners. But if you filtered those out and looked only at his offensive top laners—Luo Ji had maintained a terrifying win rate in every match, both in laning and overall performance.

Hearing the coach’s words, his heart rate spiked. A long-suppressed excitement churned in his chest.

In the distance, Rookie opened his eyes and looked at them. He was still the same person, but for some reason, he felt his top laner had changed. There was light in his eyes, a murderous aura about him, and an unforced, intimidating presence that grabbed attention. The usually lively rookie now radiated the dangerous aura of a top-tier predator.

Karsa patted his shoulder, giving him a knowing smile. They had understood from the start that this rookie was too mature. In the LPL, every player’s entry ticket was earned by slaughtering the ranked ladder or the youth leagues.

"Looks pretty good, doesn't it?" Karsa laughed, then looked at Xiao Yan, who was also waking up. "And you, kid, don't think this means you've fallen out of favor. Tactics in pro play are always changing."

"Naturally not," Xiao Yan shook his head calmly. Coming from TES, he knew better than anyone that a team with only one tactical system wouldn't get far. S11’s TES had maxed out their roster, yet they still failed to make Worlds. League of Legends is a team game. Power in one lane isn't enough; only through the synergy of multiple lanes and a variety of tactics can a team prove its infinite possibilities.

"I just want to beat TES. How we do it doesn't matter."

"Glad you're fine with it. As for Old Song? He must have complicated feelings right now."

Xiao Yan and PPGOD were stunned for a moment, then followed his gaze. Indeed, Rookie was frozen in place, staring at this version of Luo Ji. A top laner with shades of The Shy, a rookie who was JKL's backup, a tempo-heavy jungler who prioritized the top side, and a support who was once called the team's weak link...

PPGOD: ?

"Is this... another IG?" Rookie wondered, feeling the magic of fate.

As the fourth game approached, the five of them headed to the stage. Karsa, with his easygoing personality, didn't hesitate to wrap his arm around Luo Ji’s shoulder: "Listen, Meng, playing the top side requires a shift in mindset. If you have any needs, speak up immediately. Of course, if you see an opportunity, go for it decisively."

"Don't worry about threats outside of your lane. You’ve covered for us so many times; this time, it’s our turn to cover for you."

Luo Ji froze for a moment, looking at his teammates. Whether it was the two veterans Karsa and Rookie, or his bottom-lane partners Xiao Yan and PPGOD, they were all looking at him with trust. The stage lights bloomed with white heat at the end of the tunnel, but he felt that no light was as warm as the gaze of his teammates.

"I understand," he nodded heavily. As a transmigrator, he had never given up the confidence to draw his blade against the top laners of the world. He had simply been waiting, convinced that his time would come, though he never expected it to arrive so quickly.

Standing at the front of the team, his silhouette was tall and straight, his short hair fluttering. Beneath his calm eyes, a long-buried fighting spirit burned bright.

Just before stepping onto the stage, Rookie and the others noticed that Luo Ji didn't hurry out. Instead, he turned back, extended his right hand, and formed a fist. Everyone paused.

"No matter the result, I trust you all, just as I always have," he said, his voice deep and powerful.

The desire for victory had never been clearer. They instinctively curled their lips into smiles, and one by one, their fists rose to touch his.

The equation for victory was right before them. The stage was perfect. The lights were bright. With this Demacia Cup championship, they would swear their rebirth as the V5 dragon!