Faker: I committed the sin of arrogance and received divine punishment.

Faker, sitting in his gaming chair, suddenly froze.

Staring at the gray screen, his hand left the mouse, and the images of the simulation in his mind began to surge back like a flood.

He recalled the S8 simulation.

That year, SKT, along with him and all LCK fans, stubbornly believed that losing to LPL in S7 was just an accident, a coincidence with a huge element of luck.

If it weren't for the coaching staff's obsessive decision to let Xiaohu play Galio five times in a row, he would have played five perfect games as if he were possessed by Galio.

They should be the ones who won!

During the offseason, Faker strongly intervened in SKT's operations, demanding that the original roster remain and try to compete for another year.

Hubi and Peanut, who were originally going to leave, stayed.

They regrouped at the beginning of 2018, winning the Spring Split championship and even taking the MSI title again.

Back then, Faker was so full of vigor, feeling that the world was still under his control.

Although they lost the LCK Summer Split trophy and no longer have the possibility of making it to the World Championship as they did last year,

But at first glance

This is another promising year for LCK.

The group stage match, where they easily secured their qualification, boosted the confidence of the entire SKT team.

Even in the team's live stream, the SKT streamer shouted:

"Bring RNG over here right now! We're going to beat Uzi!"

When SKT drew G2, a team widely considered to be a weak team, during the quarterfinals draw, Faker first smiled in front of the camera, and then couldn't help but burst into laughter in the live stream.

Peanut and the coaching staff, seeing Faker burst into laughter, couldn't help but join in the laughter as well.

His smile was full of arrogance; he was even backstage considering how to deal with his old rival RNG in the semifinals.

The result was 1 to 3.

SKT was completely crushed by G2's unreasonable jungle skirmishes and extremely confident plays.

What was originally a stable operation was led by the nose, turning them into complete puppets.

The moment G2 celebrated wildly at the match venue,

In an instant, Faker and SKT went from being the hope of the LCK, heroes.

He became a sinner in the LCK.

Arrogance, ignorance of their own incompetence, and even match-fixing have become their defining characteristics.

That year, RNG once again lifted the trophy, and Uzi won the FMVP award for the second consecutive year.

In the post-match interview, the chubby, determined-looking AD player said something that Faker would remember for a lifetime.

Even the words that pierced his soul during every simulated night,

The host asked Uzi:

"Uzi, you faced G2 in the semifinals, and then IG, who hadn't lost a single game in the LPL all year, in the finals. Wasn't this knockout stage journey a little too easy for you?"

Uzi pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"I will not say which opponent is easy to deal with or which opponent is difficult to deal with, and I will not say that my opponent is not strong or even that my opponent is bad just because I won."

"We must respect every opponent, even if they seem weak."

"I will never feel happy or think I've got this opponent in the bag just because I've drawn a particular opponent."

"Because this is the World Championship, the highest stage for League of Legends."

"Every team here has gone through rigorous selection processes in their respective regions, some even going through the qualifying rounds,"

"There are no weaklings here, and no team can be easily defeated."

"At least when we knew that our opponent in the semifinals was G2 instead of SKT, none of us laughed. Instead, we held an emergency meeting and watched G2's game recordings all night. We also watched the four games between SKT and G2 three or four times. We respect every opponent."

"If you underestimate your opponent, you commit the sin of arrogance, and God will punish you."

"I won't admit I was trolling Faker, but it's a fact."

Then the female host asked Uzi,

"Let me put it another way: who is the opponent who put the most pressure on you in this year's World Championship?"

Uzi chuckled and said in a barely suppressed tone:

"It's SKT, right? We played five games against them last year, but this year, even after winning the championship, we never played a full game against anyone. The pressure was definitely immense."

"However, it seems they didn't make it to the finals to face us."

All I can say is, Faker, I missed you terribly during the finals.

There are differences in gaming skills, and there are differences in character!

[Dafei, you're a clown not only in Summoner's Rift, but also in Online World!]

That interview completely turned Faker and SKT into clowns in the LCK.

SKT's owner, angered by this, cut spending.

This led to a decline for SKT in the following years. Although they managed to qualify for the World Championship thanks to Faker's efforts, they failed to reach the finals or even the semifinals for several consecutive years.

The sin of pride...

Faker stared at the glaring gray-white on his computer screen and suddenly felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

He realized that his behavior just now was exactly the same as when he underestimated G2 and ended up crying on the field.

Because he suppressed WE in two consecutive games, he subconsciously began to look down on Xiye, thinking that the other party was just a vassal playing the four-protect-one strategy, and that the other party was just a pawn that could be manipulated at will.

But he forgot that Xiye was able to lead WE to first place in the regular season and win the first two games against Scout here, which was earned through countless sleepless nights of training and relentless hard work.

He may not be as invincible as those LPL supermen, but at this moment, he is the beast on this battlefield most eager for victory.

And me? What right do I have to look down on him? Just because of my so-called simulation experience?

That's not my capital, that's my shackles!

"I'm sorry, it was my fault, I'm guilty."

In EDG's voice chat, Faker's calm yet somewhat subdued voice suddenly rang out.

Lin Xiu, who was desperately trying to figure out how to turn the tide in the jungle, was stunned.

He turned his head and saw that Faker's face was somewhat pale, and there was even cold sweat on his forehead.

But in those eyes, an extreme, humble, and awe-inspiring calmness rekindled.

"Brother Li?" Lin Xiu asked tentatively.

"I admit I'm completely outmatched in the mid lane this game. Lin, keep an eye on me, I'll start playing cautiously and farming."

"I was arrogant just now. I thought I could easily crush him. But I forgot that he is the best mid laner in the LPL. I am not worthy to look down on him now."

"Please hold on, give me another chance. Let's stall this game and wait for the team fights later."

"As soon as I enter a team fight, I will make my ball a nightmare for everyone. I will not die once and will become a god."

Lin Xiu was deeply moved by the almost repentant and sincere words of the clockwork.

He knew that at this moment, Faker had truly embodied the will that was capable of destroying everything.

"Brother Li, you woke up fast enough! One solo kill is nothing!"

Lin Xiu grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"As long as you, Faker, want to win, I, Lin Xiu, will risk my life in this jungle to help you survive the late game! It's just Lucian, right? Let him be arrogant! Watch me smash him to pieces!"