TCWSITD – Chapter 44.2

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Chapter 44.2 – Odd-Defying Damage Output

Everything remained uncertain.

The entire OT was taking a huge gamble with Lin Jiang.

As the game began, the tempo was nearly identical to the first game.

Lin Jiang could indeed secure a slight advantage in the mid lane, but then what? How would he handle Lissandra’s threat in team fights?

Some fans even felt the pace of this game was worse than the first!

[Not watching anymore, my heart can’t take it.]

[It’ll just end with one word anyway: loss.]

[What the hell is OT doing? They have persisted till here, but it is still the same!]

[Waste of my time]

[I’II give it five more minutes at most.]

On screen, Lin Jiang remained laser-focused in lane while Shen Ju meticulously last-hit minions. The voice comms were stripped down to tactical commands—a single unnecessary word was spoken.

The five-game match had already begun to take its toll on Lin Jiang’s arm. He didn’t know if Shen Ju felt the same, but throughout the match, he hadn’t heard Shen Ju complain even once about being tired. Naturally, he couldn’t afford to collapse here either.

The high-level operation aggravated his old injury, and Lin Jiang’s hand speed noticeably slowed compared to the first four games. When Juzi noticed this, he realized his opportunity had arrived!

He frequently called for jungle support which made it more difficult for Lin Jiang’s already limited operational space.

To help alleviate the pressure on Lin Jiang, A’Deng had no choice but to constantly shift toward mid lane, which meant sacrificing control over the jungle.

Lin Jiang said quietly, “No need to come.”

Adeng hesitated, “But…”

He knew Lin Jiang’s arm had reached its limit, and he was certain the other three teammates could sense it too.

Lin Jiang picking LeBlanc this round was already a sacrifice for the team’s sake.

If he truly got caught and lost this game, none of them dared imagine the magnitude of backlash he’d face.

Song Zhixu in the top lane was the first to crack. “Captain, let me come mid and help you set up ganks.”

Zhou Wen chimed in, “I can roam around.”

Lin Jiang remained silent. After being forced to Flash away by the enemy jungler, he addressed his teammates, who were beginning to panic, “Have you all forgotten our strategy? No matter how much the enemy targets me, these are obstacles I must overcome. Your only job is to focus on your own lanes. If you can’t handle this kind of pressure, imagine how overwhelmed you’ll be at Worlds.”

Lin Jiang was a veteran of international tournaments, having faced situations far more dangerous than this. His ability to read and react to crises far surpassed theirs.

His words finally snapped his teammates out of their panic.

What Lin Jiang wanted wasn’t just an LPL championship. If it were only that, they wouldn’t be able to keep Lin Jiang at all.

Everyone steadied themselves and stuck to the original strategy. The tempo that had begun slipping away slowly returned.

The commentators noticed, “It seems OT has woken up, and their rhythm is very well controlled!”

Viewers who had been ready to quit watching suddenly sensed a potential comeback and chose to stay.

By the 20-minute mark, the situation mirrored the first game.

TG initiated a dragon fight, and OT contested it.

The audience wasn’t optimistic. Given how the first game ended, OT seemingly had no power for this dragon fight.

Just then, sharp-eyed viewers suddenly noticed—Lin Jiang was heading to the bot lane!

The broadcast cut to Lin Jiang, who dashed twice, triggered Statikk Shiv with a basic attack, instantly cleared a wave of minions and pushed them toward the enemy’s second tower.

Lin Jiang was actually running Statikk Shiv LeBlanc!

Statikk Shiv was an AD item. When fully charged, it could release a burst of lightning, dealing critical damage to up to four targets!

And in this patch, Statikk Shiv was even stronger!

With two crackles of lightning, Lin Jiang cleared another wave. His basic attacks dealt massive damage, and the second tower fell effortlessly.

This tower-pushing speed scared TG. Both top laners were still tangled up on the top lane, unable to leave.

Juzi had no choice but to abandon the dragon fight to stop Lin Jiang.

With Lissandra gone, TG’s dragon squad immediately found themselves at a disadvantage, and their jungler grew tense.

“They won’t steal my dragon, right?”

“Don’t worry, their jungler is notoriously unlucky. Even if he comes down, he won’t be able to steal it from you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Ju came down the pit with the invincible buff from Taric. TG didn’t dare to face them head-on. “Retreat! Retreat! Wait for the Taric’s ultimate to wear off!”

But Shen Ju gave them no time to retreat, immediately maxing out his damage output and sending them fleeing in disarray, leaving only their jungler desperately trying to secure the dragon.

As long as he took down this dragon, TG wouldn’t be at a complete loss.

The dragon’s health was about to hit the critical point, and with a swift “whoosh,” a golden light descended

A’Deng had arrived!

In this game, he was playing Lee Sin, his gaze sharp as a torch, his determination so fierce it felt like he was ready to pledge allegiance. Mid-air, he unleashed a perfect Q-Smite, stealing the dragon right from under their noses!

The dragon was secured by A’Deng, and TG’s jungler’s face paled.

Wasn’t he supposed to be the unlucky jungler?

He hadn’t hesitated at all when he pressed Smite!

Shocked, the jungler had no time to dwell on it and quickly retreated.

This was the first time A’Deng hadn’t messed up a dragon steal, and the chat exploded saying “rare sight.”

Sure enough, OT’s players never drop the ball at critical moments!

On the other side, Lin Jiang, who was targeted by Lissandra, leisurely used his W to hop over a wall, creating distance. When Lissandra gave chase, he returned to his original position at the very last second and swaggered away.

Trying to catch a nimble LeBlanc was nothing short of a fool’s dream.

After Shen Ju killed the enemy support, he and Zhou Wen continued to intercept Lissandra, bringing the team fight to an end.

The team fight finally concluded, with OT not only securing a turret but also stealing the dragon. It was a massive win!

It was then that TG realized the terror of Lin Jiang’s Statikk Shiv LeBlanc.

Turns out, he hadn’t picked LeBlanc for team fights but had planned from the start to execute a 1-3-1 split push!

Lin Jiang had tricked them all!

In the break room, TG’s coach grew nervous, hurriedly wiping sweat with a tissue. From the god’s-eye view, he clearly saw the hidden flaw in TG’s lineup.

Lissandra simply couldn’t stop Lin Jiang’s split push!

They’d picked Lissandra specifically to counter Lin Jiang in team fights, and it had worked perfectly in the first two games, leading them to subconsciously relax in this game.

If they didn’t deal with Lin Jiang’s split push soon, this game would slip out of their hands.

The coach sat in the break room growing increasingly anxious. He hadn’t expected that the two entire strategies TG had painstakingly prepared would be dismantled so quickly by Lin Jiang…

Could it be that OT had some expert advisor behind the scenes?

Gloom spread across the battlefield. Juzi gradually felt the strain. “Baron is about to respawn—this is our only chance.”

They’d chosen a team fight composition, but Lin Jiang had crushed them with split-pushing. If they didn’t stop him now, the late-game minion pressure would render their lineup utterly useless.

Juzi decisively commanded, “Start Baron!”

TG immediately initiated the Baron. A’Deng was leading the bot lane to rush over while Song Zhixu retreated to prepare for teleport.

The team fight was about to erupt. Juzi struck first!

But very quickly, he realized that OT had no intention of taking a head-on fight—they only wanted to stop them from taking Baron.

In that split second, Juzi’s instincts screamed, “Not good!”

Once a team fight started, there was no turning back.

As both sides danced around each other, Lin Jiang had already dashed down to the bot lane with his W, instantly clearing the minions and pushing the wave toward the high ground.

One hit, two hits, three hits…

As the turrets fell one after another, Juzi sensed that something was seriously wrong.

Since the high ground was bound to fall, then this Baron must be taken—even if it costs them everything!

He barked the order, “Kill them!”

All five players of TG counter-attacked, and A’Deng was instantly killed. Shen Ju, protected by Song Zhixu and Zhou Wen, managed to take out two enemies, barely surviving with a sliver of health.

He quickly turned back, consumed a few healing fruits, and returned to the Baron pit.

At this point, TG still had three members left, all with about half HP or more.. Shen Ju’s reappearance seemed almost reckless.

The commentators erupted, “Is sgod really going in? The Baron’s HP is dropping very slowly — he might have a chance!”

Just as the words left their mouth, Juzi suddenly dashed in with his W ability.

He would turn Shen Ju’s opportunity into dust!

Victory would belong to TG!

Landing, he unleashed his W.

Layers of ice and snow froze everything around… so what about Shen Ju?

The commentators went wild, “sgod used a pixel-perfect blind spot and vaulted over the wall to the other side! Lissandra’s crowd control missed!”

Shen Ju climbed over the wall, and the moment he landed, he fired a flurry of skills in succession, whipping the opponent’s AD to death with a single move.

The kill triggered his passive healing, giving him enough sustain to take on the enemy jungler. With the Baron’s debuff reducing the jungler’s defenses, the fight lasted barely two seconds before the enemy Flashed out of the pit.

Absolutely terrifying!

A fully-scaled Nilah was a nightmare! With two dashes and bonus movement speed, she was practically everyone’s nightmare!

What’s more terrifying was that after he hits someone, he would heal himself and transform it into a shield.

Such a perfect champion! In Shen Ju’s hands, TG didn’t dare face her head-on even when she’s in low health.

As the Baron began regenerating health, Juzi gritted his teeth and called the retreat, “Fall back!”

If they insisted on forcing the Baron now, they’d risk Shen Ju pulling off a flashy double kill. Even with the buff, it wouldn’t be worth it.

TG left the pit empty-handed, while Lin Jiang had already pushed through the high ground bot lane, minions flooding the base.

Staring at the endless wave, Juzi wanted to scream.

He had a few choice words he desperately wanted to say.

Old Mao, commentating from the broadcast, could practically taste TG’s despair. “Juzi’s probably cursing Lin Jiang to hell right now. They finally figured out how to deal with him but he already cracked it after only two games. And now Nilah’s damage has also increased. She’s unkillable now. I think TG’s done for…”

Down in the stadium, the fans were roaring.

No one had expected OT to turn things around like this. Even viewers who weren’t optimistic flooded back to the stream, eagerly awaiting for the final outcome.

At this stage of the game, the situation was already completely different from the first match.

Lin Jiang shattered TG’s lineup with two waves of split-pushing, exposing their weaknesses without mercy.

After falling behind in development, TG faced not only lane pressure but also a severe lack of damage output.

Old Mao summarized, “This time, TG really lifted a rock only to drop it on their own feet. As for Lin Jiang, you could say he was at most using their own strategy against them.”

You like playing Lissandra, don’t you?

I’ll let you taste what Lissandra feels like in a desperate situation.

The game quickly reached the late stage, and Lin Jiang, with his exceptional split-pushing, took down the enemy’s top lane high ground.

OT gathered as a team at the mid lane high ground, ready to end the game.

This time, both Lin Jiang and Shen Ju had Quicksilver Sash. Unless something unexpected happened, TG was about to face an unexpected defeat.

Juzi’s forehead was beaded with sweat, his vision swimming with stars. This was the closest he had ever come to the Summer Split championship, only for Lin Jiang to jump in and ruin it again.

Would he really never be able to defeat Lin Jiang in his entire life?

He used his E skill to penetrate deep into the enemy camp. But facing Lin Jiang and Shen Ju, both capable of cleansing crowd control, he had no choice but to target A’Deng.

A’Deng became the unlucky scapegoat once more, but with his death, there were still countless teammates left.

A Lissandra without her ultimate was like a stray dog who is forced to flee. Shen Ju dealt damage while Lin Jiang focused on the turret. A few quick strikes later, the high ground was demolished.

The commentator gasped. “All three high grounds are down. Does TG still have a chance?”

The answer was obvious: no!

Lissandra’s lack of damage was painfully evident this game. After being crushed in development, she couldn’t even clear super minions properly.

The enemy kept applying relentless pressure, and the moment OT secured the Baron, Juzi clearly heard the last thread of his sanity snap in his mind.

Exhausted. Let it all burn.

Lin Jiang rallied his team once again, charging into the enemy’s base.

With three lanes of super minions plus the Baron buff, Lin Jiang clearly had no intention of giving them any chance to survive!

Juzi smiled bitterly as the inhibitor turrets crumbled and the Nexus shattered. With his last ounce of strength, he initiated one final team fight, but the result remained the same.

Utter defeat.

As Lissandra slowly collapsed, the Nexus exploded in tandem.

After five grueling games, the winner was finally decided!

The audience erupted into deafening screams. After countless back-and-forth battles, their hearts had been tugged relentlessly.

Until the dust finally settled and the victor was crowned.

Amid the intense music, the commentators showered OT with endless praise: “Let us congratulate OT for defeating TG 3:2 and claiming the Summer Split championship! They will advance directly as the LPL’s first seed, representing the region at Worlds! At the same time, we also congratulate TG for securing the second Worlds spot based on championship points. Let’s give them the warmest round of applause!”

The music was deafening, but it still couldn’t cover the enthusiasm of the scene.

All OT members removed their headsets, still dazed from their victory in the match.

Then Lin Jiang broke the moment with a simple question, “No group hug?”.

Only then did the reality truly sink in—they had won the match, bringing OT its very first championship and marking a new milestone in their journey.

Endless hours of practice, relentless perseverance, finally bore the dazzling fruit of victory, blooming from their sweat and effort.

Song Zhixu cried like a mess. He never imagined someone like him, a self-proclaimed slacker, could be turned around by Lin Jiang. He hugged Lin Jiang while bawling,“Captain, it feels like I’m dreaming right now…”

A’Deng had also wanted to cry, but seeing Song Zhixu’s dramatic sobbing instantly dried his tears.

Lin Jiang comforted everyone with a hug. The team huddled together in excitement, except for Shen Ju who stood motionless to the side.

He stared straight as Lin Jiang approached. Just as he opened his mouth to offer congratulations, Lin Jiang suddenly pulled him into a hug, freezing him in place.

This hug was different from the others.

Lin Jiang held him in his arms protectively, gently patting the back of his head. “You’ve worked so hard. I’ll come with you to the hospital later.”

Shen Ju was stunned for a moment.

He covered his arm, which was numb and unable to move, and realized that he couldn’t even raise his hand.

Lin Jiang had been watching his condition all along.

Even before Shen Ju himself was aware, Lin Jiang had quietly been noticing the state of his hand.

Trembling, he tried to raise his arm. Although it took tremendous effort, he wanted to return Lin Jiang’s embrace at this moment.

With the music playing, the entire OT team took the stage—players, coaches, substitutes—their collective effort had created this miracle.

The host passionately recounted the match results on stage. Lin Jiang glanced around but didn’t see Li Qian. He asked Fang Luxing, “Where’s Qian-ge? Why isn’t he here?”

Fang Luxing, wiping sweat from his brow with excitement, replied, “Brother Qian said he’ll come when you win the world championship.”

Lin Jiang paused, then couldn’t help but laugh.

Li Qian always called him a dreamer, yet here he was, dreaming just the same.

As the countdown sounded, the commentator’s excited voice rang out, “OT, lift your trophy!”

Golden confetti poured from above, shimmering like rain. But Shen Ju was utterly exhausted—he didn’t even have the strength to lift his hand.

Suddenly, Lin Jiang grabbed his hand beside him. Under the dazzling lights, his burning palm guided Shen Ju to feel the warmth of the trophy.

With a bang, fireworks exploded, cheers erupted from the audience, and the photographers captured this beautiful moment.

Shen Ju could hear his own heartbeat—thump-thump, thump-thump—beating louder and more fiercely than the roaring crowd around him.

Below the stage were bustling audiences, and around him were his teammates who had fought alongside him. He was tightly held by Lin Jiang’s hand, holding up the trophy he had never touched before…

His gaze traveled past the cup to Lin Jiang’s face, seeing his radiant smile, making everything else in the world seem insignificant.

Shen Ju suddenly felt a little regretful.

Why did he only discover Lin Jiang now?

If only a little earlier—just a bit sooner—he could have used all his strength to catch him, to protect him before he shattered…

As the trophy was raised, Shen Ju suddenly pulled back his hand and, amidst the crowd, bent down to wrap Lin Jiang in a tight embrace.

Chaos erupted around them, golden confetti pouring down like a storm.

The moment Shen Ju embraced him, a fierce gust of wind brushed past Lin Jiang’s ear: “I like you.”

That confession only he could hear, the seemingly normal embrace, the roaring heartbeat—all were hidden beneath the massive trophy.

Lin Jiang’s heart swirled in confusion.

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