Next Battle, NAVI

Chapter 139 The Next Battle, NAVI

The moment the match ended, TyLoo's battle zone fell into a brief silence.

Tang Ye leaned back, fidgeting with his hair.

He did his best this time, and he also had to admit that there was still an insurmountable gap between Tianlu and Little Bee.

This gap manifests in several aspects: individual player skill, team coordination, tactical depth, and map understanding.

The key to what makes a dynasty a dynasty lies in its unfathomable foundation.

They were tricked in the draft phase and ended up choosing Ancient Ruins, but little did they know that this was a trap set by the Little Bees.

He's not inexperienced in coming back from behind. He pulled off a remarkable comeback against the Green Dragons, falling behind 0-7. But this time was different. The Little Bees' defense was like a wall; no matter how he charged, attacked, or executed his plays, that wall remained unmoved.

Ling Feng sat beside him, saying nothing. His hands rested on the keyboard, his eyes fixed on the score on the screen, his lips pressed into a thin line. His double kill in Zone B in the first half had given them hope, but the Little Bees adjusted too quickly in the second half, so quickly that they didn't even have time to react before the score had already widened.

Zhong Weijie slowly began to comfort his teammates.

"I know what you're thinking." Zhong Weijie's gaze swept across everyone's faces. "You're thinking, if that..."

"If we practiced more, if we studied the legacy more deeply, if we changed our approach during build/dropout, would the results be different?"

He paused.

"But there are no 'what ifs' in esports. A loss is a loss. We must admit that there is still a gap in strength between us and the Little Bees."

"But I also have something to tell you." Zhong Weijie's voice was calm, not at all like someone who had lost the game. "You played very well today."

"It's already been a lot of work for us to get this far, so there's nothing shameful about losing to the Little Bees. Now all we need to do is adjust our mindset and prepare for the losers' bracket."

Everyone nodded and quickly adjusted their mindset.

apEX walked in front, followed by zywoo, flameZ, ropz, and mezii. The five members of Little Bee lined up and walked towards Tianlu.

This is the post-match handshake. Although TyLoo lost, the battle went the full three maps, with both sides fighting until the very last moment.

apEX walked up to the hamburger first and extended his hand.

"You played well, especially on the small town map," apEX said in slightly accented English, a genuine smile on his face. "You guys pushed us to the brink."

Hamburger shook his hand and nodded: "Thank you."

Next was Zywoo. He walked up to Tang Ye and stopped.

Tang also raised his head and met zywoo's gaze.

The man standing at the pinnacle of CS is looking at him now, with that signature, faint smile on his lips.

"You played exceptionally well." zywoo extended his hand, his voice soft but sincere. "In today's match, you were one of the toughest snipers I've ever faced."

Tang was taken aback for a moment, then grasped his hand. Zywoo's palm was dry, and his grip was not strong but very steady.

"Thank you," Tang replied in English. "You fought very well too. We never expected those three fights."

zywoo smiled, let go of his hand, and patted him on the shoulder: "Good luck in the loser's bracket. I hope to see you again in the knockout stage."

After saying that, he turned and walked toward the next person.

flameZ, ropz, and mezii walked by one after another, each politely shaking hands with the TyLoo players, saying things like "nice game" and "good luck." There was no mockery, no arrogance, only respect from top players.

After the handshake session, the five members of Little Bee packed up their equipment and turned to head backstage. They had won this...

They played the match, but didn't show much excitement because they knew it was just a group stage win, and the real test was yet to come.

The five members of Tianlu slowly stood up and began to pack up their keyboards and mice.

Tang packed his peripherals into his backpack, zipped it up, and slung it over his shoulder. He turned around, glanced at the score still lit up on the big screen, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he turned his head and looked at Ling Feng beside him.

"Let's go."

Ling Feng nodded: "Let's go."

Tang also pulled out his phone, and the moment the screen lit up, the WeChat icon was filled with red numbers. Wang Hanjie had sent over a dozen messages, the last one being: "Brother Tang, don't be sad, we'll come back from the loser's bracket!"

He stared at the message for a few seconds, and a slow smile crept onto his lips. He typed a few words and sent it.

"it is good."

Meanwhile, in the interview area on the main stage.

The host, microphone in hand, stood under the spotlight. Zywoo was kept on; as the winner of the match, he needed to...

He gave a post-match interview.

The host, with a smile on his face, began the routine questioning.

"Zywoo, first of all, congratulations on winning this tough match. TyLoo gave you a lot of trouble today, especially on the second map, Inferno. To be honest, the 13-3 score surprised all of us. Can you tell us what happened in that match?"

zywoo took the microphone, thought for a moment, and then a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"To be honest, TyLoo played almost perfectly in the small town. Their utility coordination, offensive rhythm, and endgame handling were all at a very high level. Especially their sniper g0d, who almost single-handedly tore through our defenses in that match."

He paused, as if recalling a specific scene.

"In that 1v4 clutch, he single-handedly wiped out all four of us with a sniper rifle, and then defused the bomb with 0.02 seconds left. I've only seen that kind of play a handful of times."

The host chuckled and pressed further, "So you mean, TyLoo's snipers left a deep impression on you?"

zywoo nodded, his expression turning serious.

"It wasn't just the snipers. Their entire team impressed me. Feng's follow-up shots were incredibly fast, Mercury's command was very organized, and Jamyoung and Moseyuh put a lot of pressure on us in the neighborhood defense."

His tone was calm, but every word he spoke was firm.

"Many people may think that Tianlu is a dark horse, that they got here by luck. But I don't think so. They really have the ability."

The host was clearly interested in the answer and took a step forward.

"So, what do you think is the ceiling for TyLoo? Can they fight their way back from the loser's bracket?"

zywoo paused for two seconds before speaking.

"If they can maintain the form they showed in town today, I think they are capable of beating any team."

Upon hearing this, a murmur rippled through the audience. The host's eyes lit up as well.

"Any team? Including the bees?"

zywoo glanced at him and then smiled.

"Small town only."

He spoke frankly, without the slightest evasion or politeness. As a top-level competitor, he never hesitated to praise the strong.

The host nodded and changed the angle.

"So, one last question—what do you want to say to G0D? His performance today was outstanding, even..."

His level far surpasses yours, and many people say he is the future hope of CNCS. What do you think about this?

zywoo held the microphone, his gaze passing over the camera lens and looking in a certain direction.

"g0d, you played exceptionally well today. Your reaction speed, your clutch play, and your composure under pressure were all truly impressive."

His voice wasn't loud, but it traveled to every corner of the venue through the sound system.

"Keep winning. I hope to meet you again in the knockout stage. Let's have another exhilarating match."

"At that time, I will give it my all."

After the interview, zywoo handed the microphone back to the host and turned to walk backstage.

The five members of TyLoo, carrying their peripheral bags, silently walked through the player tunnel and returned to the lounge.

Zhong Weijie walked at the front, pushed open the door, and stepped aside to let the team members go in first.

The lounge was small, with a few folding chairs around a long table. The tactical diagrams drawn before the game were still on the whiteboard, and they looked rather jarring at the moment.

The five of them found seats and placed their peripheral bags at their feet. Tang also sat in the far corner, leaning back with his hands behind his head, staring at the tactical markings on the whiteboard that had been half-erased.

The silence in the lounge didn't last long.

Zhong Weijie stood in front of the whiteboard, placed the tactics notebook in his hand on the table, and turned to face the five people. He didn't rush to speak, but first scanned each person's face with his eyes, as if to check their condition.

"Have you recovered?"

Mo Siyu was the first to speak, her voice still a little muffled: "Brother Jie, it's okay, I've recovered."

Xiao Ju nodded, placed the water bottle on the table, put her glasses back on, adjusted the frames, and sat up straight. Ling Feng opened his eyes, his gaze falling on Zhong Weijie.

Tang also sat up from the chair in the corner, put his hands on his knees, and looked at Zhong Weijie.

Chung Wei-chieh nodded: "The loser's bracket opponent has emerged. NAVI."

Tang Ye's eyes widened slightly. Of course, he knew this team.

As a representative team of the academic style, even after s1mple left, NAVI's strength remained formidable thanks to their unique academic style of play and Leonardo DiCaprio's wise decision-making.

After JL was demoted, NAVI experienced a brief slump, but their playstyle destined them to rise again.

The newly acquired young player, makazze, has outstanding firepower and excellent synergy with his teammates. Although he claims to be able to become the top team, the team's performance is often disappointing, but his individual ability is undeniable.

Hamburg took over the conversation, flipping open his tactics notebook. As the commander, he had been studying the potential opponents in the loser's bracket ever since the match ended.

"NAVI's core system is the default system built by commander Aleksib and coach B1ad3." Hamburg's voice regained the composure and decisiveness that a commander should have. "Their game pace is usually very slow. The first fifteen seconds are basically spent on default map control, and they rarely launch a one-shot attack. Aleksib's command style is typical of the academic school. Every step has a purpose, and every decision is calculated."

"So, they won't compete with us on individual ability like the little bees, but rather on tactics, teamwork, and discipline?" Tang also asked.

"That's right." Hamburger nodded. "NAVI isn't the Green Dragons. They don't have a monster like Donk who can tear apart a defense line single-handedly. But their teamwork, utility coordination, and finishing fire efficiency are far superior to the Green Dragons."

Mo Siyu frowned, a hint of impatience in her voice: "Doesn't that just make it harder to win? We're not afraid of individual skills, but when it comes to teamwork... how long have we been practicing together?"

Mo Siyu's concerns were not unfounded. TyLoo's roster had only been assembled for less than three months, and their current chemistry was already a miracle. However, expecting them to compete with top teams like NAVI, who had been playing together for two or three years, in terms of teamwork was indeed asking the impossible.

Xiao Ju pushed up her glasses and slowly began to speak.

"It's not entirely without a chance. While NAVI's system is well-developed, it also has weaknesses."

"Aleksib's default system is based on information gathering. They need to obtain enough information in advance to make the right decisions. If we can disrupt their information gathering rhythm, their default system will be disrupted."

Zhong Weijie nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. What Xiao Ju had mentioned was exactly what he was about to say.

"I've analyzed NAVI's recent match data. Their biggest weakness is that they rely too much on information."

"NAVI's win rate during mid-game rotations is far lower than their win rate when they typically engage in a decisive early-game push. In other words, if we can disrupt their information gathering in the early game and force them to rotate earlier, they will make mistakes."

"So what we need to focus on is the early game."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.

"Don't give them the chance to gradually acquiesce; take the initiative to push forward, change personnel, and disrupt their rhythm."

Hamburger's lips curled up slightly.

"Alright, let's do it that way. Push forward proactively and disrupt their default rhythm." He paused, his smile fading, and his tone became serious. "But the prerequisite is that our marksmanship must be on point. Pushing forward proactively is a double-edged sword; if we get kills, it's an advantage; if we don't, it's a free kill. And in other areas, we also need to make some feints to give them the wrong information. This will give us a significant advantage on the offensive side."

Hamburger's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Tang Ye.

"There's something even more important that needs to be confirmed in advance. NAVI has definitely studied our tactics, especially the default coordination between Tang Ye and Ling Feng. They will definitely try to disrupt your rhythm and force you to make mistakes."

"So what I'm thinking is that, Tang Ye, you'll take control of the mid-game from now on. I'll give you and Ling Feng the most freedom. How you fight, where you fight, and when you fight are all up to you."

There was a moment of silence in the lounge after he said that.

Ling Feng frowned and turned to look at Hamburger: "You mean... freedom to fire?"

"That's right." Hamburger nodded. "Most of the time, I'll let you make decisions based on your own understanding of the game, rather than blindly following my instructions."

Tang was also taken aback, clearly not expecting Hamburg to come up with such an idea.

Generally speaking, the commander is the brain of a team, and all decisions are made by the commander. However, the downside of this model is also obvious: if the commander's decisions are anticipated by the opponent, the team will be put on the defensive.

The free-fire mode allows star players on the team to perform actions that exceed the commander's expectations, relying on their individual skills and on-the-spot judgment.

This model has been used by Green Dragon and Falcon, and now Tianlu is going to use it too.

"NAVI's strength lies in their system, their discipline, and their ability to accept things as they are. But their weakness also lies precisely in this."

He turned around and glanced at the five people.

"Because their system is so well-developed, their playing style is also relatively fixed. What is the default routine in the first 15 seconds, what is the timing for mid-game rotations, and what are their positioning preferences in the endgame? All of these can be analyzed through data."

"So our strategy is simple: get points early and disrupt their rhythm. Then wait for them to make mistakes."

"But the prerequisite is that our marksmanship must be on point, and our teamwork must be perfect." Zhong Weijie tapped the whiteboard. "NAVI isn't a super team; they don't have a monster like Zywoo who can single-handedly turn the tide. If we can establish a lead early on, it will be very difficult for them to catch up."

He paused, then smiled.

"So, lads, it's up to you now. Let's send NAVI home in the loser's bracket."

The five people looked at each other, and simultaneously extended their palms, stacking them together.

"Tianlu, keep going!"