Chapter 40: The Smell of Gunpowder, Teaching Xiaohu to Play Ryze?

Commentary booth.

After stepping onto the stage, Wawa and Miller were noticeably high-spirited. Meanwhile, the battle anthem continued to pulse, heightening the tension for everyone.

"Okay, as you can see, the pick-and-ban phase has begun," Wawa announced. "Let’s sit back and enjoy this peak showdown between the two teams."

On the screen, EDG and RNG traded bans back and forth without hesitation. RNG, having chosen the red side for this game, used their three bans on Kassadin, Taliyah, and Elise. EDG, in turn, banned Syndra, Taliyah, and LeBlanc—all of which were Xiaohu’s most frequently played champions.

Xiaohu’s expression darkened instantly.

The live chat exploded:
"Three bans on the mid lane? They’re terrified of Xiaohu."
"Lmao, as if RNG didn't target the mid lane themselves."

Wawa and Miller exchanged glances, sensing the hostility. "The tempers are flaring," Wawa said. "They’ve banned five mid-laners in the first round alone. There aren't many viable picks left; this will be a real test of their champion pools."

Miller nodded. "But since EDG is on the blue side, they get the first pick. I feel like they might try to swipe another one of Xiaohu’s signature picks."

Using a pick to deny an opponent is a common, albeit straightforward, strategy. EDG did exactly that, locking in Ryze as their first pick.

"Ryze!"

The entire arena gasped as Chen Yan picked Ryze. Not only was Ryze one of Xiaohu’s signature champions, but more importantly, Xiaohu had played—and lost—with Ryze in the previous game. Chen Yan’s selection felt like a deliberate attempt to teach Xiaohu how to play the champion.

"He’s so arrogant!" iCon, watching from his stream, became fully invested. "Picking Ryze in front of Xiaohu? That’s like showing off your sword skills to Guan Yu!"

"Does he even know how to play Ryze?"

The chat mocked him:
"Why are you so worked up, streamer?"
"If you're so good, why don't you go play?"
"Cold Vegetable (iCon) acts like a bullied kid who has no choice but to call Xiaohu 'daddy,' hoping he’ll get revenge for him."

Seeing this comment, iCon snapped. He started shouting, "I’ll [expletive] your [expletive]..." As his face turned red and he continued his profanity-laced tirade, the chat filled with laughter, with some helpful viewers chiming in: "Click the report button in the top right corner to boost the streamer's popularity."

iCon: "Report your [expletive]!"

...

The camera panned to Xiaohu, who remained expressionless.

"Xiaohu is angry," observed a veteran viewer familiar with his demeanor. Whenever Xiaohu was truly furious, all emotion would drain from his face.

"Xiaohu, do you want to pick first?" Coach Fire asked.

Xiaohu shook his head. "Let me think."

The coach didn't press, opting to lock in Ashe and Maokai.

Wawa noted, "RNG’s picks are also targeted. Maokai and Ashe are signature champions for Mouse and Zet, respectively."

Miller smiled at the screen. "It feels like both sides are digging in. What’s EDG’s response?"

On the EDG side, Chen Yan suggested, "Mouse, how about Rumble? You love playing Rumble, right? Here’s your chance."

Mouse was tempted. Rumble crushed Maokai in lane. Although he was used to absorbing pressure, given the choice, no one wanted to spend every game getting beaten up. Coach Nofe hesitated, but since he now had full faith in Chen Yan’s judgment, he gritted his teeth and locked in Rumble.

Mouse was thrilled, glancing at Chen Yan. "I won't let the team down."

Chen Yan laughed. "Just make sure you torture Letme in the game. Make him regret playing a 'vegetable' champion." The rest of the team chuckled.

Next, Nofe locked in Kha'Zix for Clearlove—a signature pick often referred to as "Fat Kha'Zix."

When it was RNG’s turn, they hesitated for a long time before locking in a champion that nearly made Chen Yan burst out laughing: Jayce.

"???" The chat was filled with question marks. After all, when Chen Yan hadn't been playing, Xiaohu had picked Jayce in the game RNG lost. Now, he was pulling out the same champion again.

"This..." Wawa and Miller were surprised. Few domestic players were proficient with Jayce, though Xiaohu had an obsession with the champion. Being professionals, they didn't dampen the mood. "There aren't many mid-lane options left," they reasoned. "Jayce has a decent advantage over Ryze, and since Xiaohu knows Ryze so well, using Jayce against him could be twice as effective."

iCon’s eyes lit up when he saw the Jayce pick. "Hahaha! How is Ryze supposed to play against Jayce? If this Ryze can still..." He trailed off. Having learned from past mistakes, he held back.

"Still what?" the chat demanded.

iCon smirked. "If this Ryze manages to get the MVP, I, Xie Tianyu, will do a handstand and wash my hair on stream!"

"Pathetic!"
"No guts."
"Cold Vegetable, you're a piece of work. It's a losing lane, and you want him to get MVP?"

The chat roasted him. The difficulty was indeed immense; if Kassadin had room to scale in the late game, the odds of a Ryze getting MVP in this matchup were exponentially lower. iCon held his ground, certain that Ryze couldn't secure the MVP.

Meanwhile, the draft entered its final, heated stages. In the second phase, both sides banned more champions. EDG banned Lee Sin and Gragas to target MLXG, while RNG banned Thresh and Alistar to neutralize Meiko.

Chen Yan realized what was happening. RNG was banning all the hard-engage supports. *Is that so?* He had a hunch.

Sure enough, RNG locked in Nidalee. A poke composition! Chen Yan understood immediately. They hadn't picked Jayce because Xiaohu was strong with him, but to complete their poke system. Nidalee, Ashe, and Jayce were all long-range threats; by banning out the engage supports, RNG had a solid plan.

However, EDG hadn't intended to pick a hard-engage support anyway. They locked in Varus and Lulu—a classic bottom-lane duo.

RNG’s final pick came in without hesitation: Karma.

The ultimate poke composition.