Chapter 647
Taking the Lead at the Start
At 20 minutes and 10 seconds, inside Baron Nash's dragon pit, the purple-clad Baron had just poked out his ferocious head.
The atmosphere inside the canyon felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it suffocating.
The Chinese team's vision control was impeccable. Meiko's Nautilus and Jiejie's Rek'Sai acted like two gatekeepers, clearing all vision in the red team's upper jungle. At this moment, the Korean team's map was completely dark, and every bush could potentially conceal a deadly trap.
“They’re going to force Dragon.” Faker’s voice remained calm, but his pace quickened noticeably. “Keria, go ward. Kanavi, apply pressure from the flanks. Ruler, your weapon is the Purple Blade, engage.”
“I’ll go scout ahead,” Zeus said through gritted teeth. Although his Quesanti was underdeveloped, at this crucial moment, no one dared to venture into the bushes except for his physique.
However, they underestimated Su Mo's murderous intent, as well as the discipline of this Chinese team.
Su Mo's weapon master was not fighting the dragon, nor was he even near the dragon pit.
He crouched quietly like a patient cheetah in the bush above the Korean team's F6 camp—the only way for Faker and Ruler to reach the Baron pit.
"Don't rush to fight to the end." Su Mo commanded softly in the voice chat, his eyes as cold as knives. "As long as they dare to cross the center line, I'll flank them directly. Knight, pay attention to my position and be ready to follow up with your ultimate at any time."
"Roger that." Knight controlled Neeko, transforming into a ward (fake ward) that had just been eliminated, and quietly placed it in the middle of the river.
This is an extremely daring disguise!
The South Korean team is cautiously advancing towards the river. Keria's Lothar activates his scan, glancing back every few steps.
As they passed by that "fake ward," Faker subconsciously felt something was off—was the ward's position slightly off-center?
In those 0.5 seconds that Faker hesitated.
That "fake eye" moved!
R——【Blooming in Full Glory】!
Knight's Neeko suddenly appeared out of nowhere, flashing into the fray and instantly covering the densely positioned mid and support duo of the Korean team with her ultimate!
"Neeko!! That's Knight's ward!!" Guan Zeyuan roared hoarsely, "Faker and Keria are controlled!! Perfect team fight initiation!!"
"boom!"
A giant flower bloomed, leaving Clockwork and Locke stunned and rooted to the spot!
At the same time, the real killer move was unleashed.
"open circuit!!"
Su Mo's weapon master emerged from the shadows behind him!
He activated his ultimate ability, [Grandmaster's Might], causing his resistances to surge and his body to be surrounded by golden light. Ignoring the crowd-controlled Faker, he charged straight for Ruler at the back!
Ruler's reaction was already at the limit of human ability. The moment he saw the Weapon Master flanking him, he immediately used the Gale Force to pull himself back, while simultaneously switching to the Purple Blade to try and restrain Su Mo.
"Want to run?"
Su Mo's fingers left a blur on the keyboard.
Q [Jump Slash]!
The Weapon Master leaped high into the air, but his target wasn't Ruler; it was a minion next to Ruler!
Activate E [Counterstorm] in mid-air!
The moment he landed, he used the minions as springboards to instantly close the distance with Ruler.
flash!
This was a completely illogical Q-mini-flash combo!
"Boom!"
A golden stun aura exploded. Ruler didn't even have time to press Flash before he was stunned on the spot by this unreasonable combo!
"He's stunned!! Ruler is unconscious!!" Miller excitedly stood up from the commentary booth. "That's Mozi's incisive move! Taking the general's head from the midst of a thousand troops!!"
A! W [Charged Strike] Resets basic attack! Divine Separator's passive triggers! Black Cleaver's armor penetration!
That seemingly simple street lamp has now become the scythe of death.
One, two!
Ruler's fragile body is like a sheet of paper in front of fully stacked Conquerors and Divine Weapons.
Health bar instantly emptied!
CHN.Mo has killed KOR.Ruler!
Without their strongest offensive weapon, the Korean team instantly fell into chaos.
Faker, just waking from his daze, tried to unleash his ultimate to counter-attack, but was knocked away by Jiejie's Rek'Sai with a flash. Zeus attempted to turn back to protect his team, but was overwhelmed by JackeyLove's Kai'Sa's already fully stacked Plasma.
"Kill!! Leave no one alive!!" JackeyLove was in a killing frenzy, and his R [Hunter's Instinct] flew into the fray to reap the rewards.
This is a massacre.
A ruthless crushing defeat of the LCK region by the LPL region.
Double Kill!
Triple Kill!
The Weapon Master darted in and out of the crowd seven times, activating his E skill the moment it was off cooldown, blocking all basic attack damage, like a god of war.
Finally, only Zeus's Quesanti remained, desperately using his ultimate ability to try and take down the low-health Su Mo.
But Su Mo simply used a nimble ward placement and Q dash to easily create distance, watching Zeus get focused down and killed by the group.
Ace!
Destroy the group!
“0换5！！中国队打出了一波完美的0换5！！”记得的声音都在颤抖，“21分钟！团灭韩国队！这就是我们的亚运代表队！这就是我们的FMVP！！”
"Baron! No need to think, just go for Baron!!"
As the last member of the South Korean team fell, Su Mo's voice sounded calm and resolute in the voice channel. The near-miraculous flanking maneuver just now seemed to have no effect on his heart rate; he was like a precise killing machine, instantly calculating the optimal strategy.
“This team wipe means our respawn time is at least 35 seconds. Add in the travel time, and we'll have a full minute of vulnerability.” Meiko glanced at the scoreboard and spoke rapidly. “We need to take Baron, then go back to base to farm. This wave can widen the gold difference to 10,000!”
Within the canyon, Baron Nash let out a mournful cry.
Without any suspense, Jiejie easily secured the Baron Nashor with a Smite, a move that should have been full of twists and turns. With the purple Baron Nashor buff, all five members of the Chinese team recalled to base on the spot.
The crisp clinking sound of gold coins came from the old shopkeeper's shop.
Su Mo went home and immediately took out his third piece of equipment—the Spear of the North (Azure Dragon Blade).
Divine Separator, Black Cutter, Spear of the North, plus Mercury Shoes and a stopwatch.
Wearing this gear on a 21-minute-old Weapon Master, even a glance at it would be an eyesore for the Korean team's squishy heroes.
"This is the ultimate weapon master." Guan Zeyuan looked at Su Mo's equipment bar and couldn't help but gasp. "This is not a street lamp, this is clearly a pillar of strength! Now, Zeus's Quesanti probably can't even withstand a set of three rings in front of Brother Mo."
22 minutes 30 seconds.
The enhanced minion wave, empowered by the Baron buff, surged towards the Korean team's high ground like a purple tide.
The Chinese team demonstrated breathtaking operational capabilities.
The classic "1-4" split-push system.
Su Mo led the bottom lane alone, while the other four grouped up to push the middle lane.
Zeus had no choice but to defend the bottom lane. Looking at the Jax carrying a lamp and radiating golden light, a deep sense of powerlessness washed over him. His Quesant, despite having Iceborn Gauntlet and Chain Vest, was like paper against true damage and percentage penetration.
“We can’t hold on.” Zeus’s voice was hoarse in the voice chat. “We have to give up the second tower. If I go up to clear the wave, he’ll tower dive and kill me.”
"Let it go." Faker switched screens to check the bottom lane, his brow furrowed. "Defend the high ground. As long as the high ground doesn't fall, we still have a chance to stall until Ruler has four items."
The resilience of the South Korean team was on full display at this moment. Even with a 10,000 gold deficit, they maintained a tight defensive formation.
In front of the central high ground tower.
Faker's Orianna used the threat of her orb and the quick wave clear of QW to completely disrupt JackeyLove's push. Ruler's Aphelios switched to his red and white sword and relentlessly attacked every minion that tried to approach from behind the tower.
"The Korean team is still holding on! They don't want to give up!" Remember spoke rapidly. "Faker and Ruler's execution was incredibly precise. Jiejie's Rek'Sai tried to poke with his Q, but Keria's Rakan blocked it with his body. This team's discipline is terrifying; other teams would probably have given up long ago."
However, a direct stalemate is exactly what Su Mo wants.
The bottom lane's second tower had already fallen.
Su Mo led a wave of enhanced siege minion troops to the bottom lane high ground tower.
Zeus tried to push the minion wave out with Q3.
Su Mo moved. He didn't activate his E skill, but instead activated his ultimate [Grandmaster's Might], tanking the turret's damage, and used his Q [Leap Slash] to smash into Zeus!
A! W resets basic attack!
Divine regeneration!
This combo dealt a third of Quesanti's health.
"He's ignoring the turret! He's ignoring Zeus!" Miller shouted. "That's the confidence that comes with an equipment advantage! Zeus won't dare to fight back. If he does, he'll be stunned under the turret by Counter Strike and killed!"
Zeus was forced to use his E skill to retreat, and could only watch helplessly as Su Mo repeatedly struck the high ground tower.
23 minutes 15 seconds.
The bottom lane inhibitor tower collapsed with a deafening roar.
"The high ground has fallen!! Zeus can't hold it!!"
With the opening in the bottom lane, the Korean team's defense was instantly torn apart.
Faker and Kanavi had to divert their attention to the super minions in the bottom lane.
Meanwhile, the four Chinese players on the front seized this opportunity and decisively pushed forward!
"I want to join too!" Knight's Neeko used the same trick again, transforming into a sports car and blending into the ranks of soldiers.
Although Keria was on guard this time and kept scanning and screening.
But Knight's goal wasn't to initiate a team fight, but to force out enemy positions!
He suddenly deactivated his transformation, and his E skill [Entangled Spikes] immobilized Sejuani, who was positioned in the front.
JackeyLove's Kai'Sa followed up with the damage, and the plasma exploded!
Kanavi was badly injured and forced to return to the fountain to replenish his supplies.
"Mid lane is gone too!" Guan Zeyuan exclaimed with delight. "The Korean team is caught off guard! They've made a killing with this Baron buff! Two high ground towers and two crystal towers!!"
24 minutes.
After pushing down both lanes of crystals, the Chinese team did not greedily attempt a final push, but instead retreated steadily, sweeping through the Korean team's jungle and securing the fourth dragon that was about to spawn—the Fire Dragon.
The economic deficit has reached a terrifying 13,000.
"To be honest, I can't see any chance for the Korean team to turn things around." Guan Zeyuan shook his head. "Unless Mozi disconnects, or the entire Chinese team rushes into the fountain and feeds the enemy team."
"Don't jinx it!" Remember to interrupt quickly, "Let's look at the next wave, the next Baron will spawn, that's the decisive moment."
25 minutes 30 seconds.
The Chinese team returned to the city to update their equipment.
Su Mo added the [Guardian Angel] (Resurrection Armor).
"With this equipment, he's practically an invincible warrior." Miller looked at Su Mo's equipment slots. "His margin for error is maxed out. Even if the Korean team used all their skills on his weapon, they might not be able to kill him, not to mention he has a stopwatch."
26 minutes.
Two massive waves of super minions surged into the South Korean team's high ground.
Faker and Ruler were frantically clearing out these super minions that were even more powerful than heroes.
The Chinese team assembled their five players and instead of heading for Baron Nashor, they directly advanced towards the top lane high ground.
That was the only remaining high ground for the South Korean team.
"No breathing room! We must break all three lanes!" Su Mo ordered in the voice chat. "Jiejie, keep an eye on Faker's position. If he dares to use his ultimate to clear minions, you engage him."
The minion wave pushes towards the tower.
Keria's Lo attempted a final, desperate gamble.
R [Fleeting Glimpse] activated! Flash W!
It charmed the Titans and Excavators in the front row!
Faker's Orianna follows up with her ultimate! Ruler unleashes a devastating attack from above!
This was South Korea's most perfect comeback!
"They've got it!! Keria made a very decisive move!!" The Korean commentator at the scene let out a desperate roar.
However, all this control and burst damage, while painful, was not fatal to Meiko and Jiejie, the two front-line tanks who were fully equipped with tank items.
More importantly, they passed on their key skills.
On the flank, that despairing figure reappeared.
Su Mo, the Weapon Master, activated his sprint and charged into the crowd like a heavy tank.
There are no fancy operations.
It's just a simple Q jump to the face, E start spinning.
Ruler looked at the charging weapon, but he no longer had Flash or Gale (he had used them to clear minions).
He could only desperately unleash his Q skill before his head was smashed by a street lamp.
"AD is down!! Ruler is down!!"
With their key damage dealer eliminated, the Korean team's resistance completely collapsed.
Su Mo secured a double kill, while Knight's Neeko used her ultimate to trap the top and mid laners who were trying to escape.
Ace!
Another team wipe!
This time, no defensive tower could stop the Chinese team.
The three lanes of super minions converged in front of the inhibitor turret, like a funeral procession.
27 minutes 12 seconds.
Su Mo stood in front of the fountain, watching Faker still counting down to respawn, and pressed Ctrl+3.
The weapon master started showing off his fancy moves at the entrance of the fountain.
This is not mockery; it is a declaration.
"Push! One wave!!"
JackeyLove landed his final basic attack on the base crystal.
The image freezes.
VICTORY!
"Let's congratulate the Chinese team!!" Guan Zeyuan's voice resounded through the sky, tinged with a slight sob. "Clean and decisive! Undisputed! This is a crushing victory of sheer strength! We've secured this hard-won gold medal in Hangzhou, right on our home turf!!"
The entire stadium erupted in cheers, and red flags fluttered everywhere.
The camera pans to the players' seats.
Su Mo took off his headphones, his face showing no elation, only a calm composure as if he had everything under control.
He stood up, watched his teammates hug and cheer, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
As the two golden words "VICTORY" froze on the screen, the Hangzhou Esports Center erupted in cheers.
That wasn't just cheering; it was an outpouring of pent-up emotions.
"We won!!! We are the champions!!!"
Although Guan Zeyuan was so excited just now that he seemed to want to hang the gold medal around Su Mo's neck, after regaining his composure, everyone knew that against a team as resilient as the South Korean team, a 1-0 lead was just a perfect start, far from the end.
In the commentary booth, Guan Zeyuan took a deep breath to calm his brain, which had just been almost oxygen-deprived, and quickly tried to recover:
"Ahem... Of course! This is only the first set! Although we won decisively, as if the gold medal was already in our grasp, the match isn't over yet! Team China is currently leading 1-0! This is a dream start!" (End of Chapter)