Chapter 56: Seeing Everyone Criticize My Brother Mazi, I Felt Deeply Saddened
Chapter 56: Seeing Everyone Criticize Brother Mazi Makes Me Very Sad
“Brother Xuan, I have to go take care of the bottom lane first. You hold steady up top and keep farming...” Unable to secure the top lane, the bottom lane was assigned again.
Helpless, Xun had no choice but to change his strategy and started moving toward the lower half of the jungle.
“Then I’ll take your group of three wolves,” Cheng Xuan said, glancing at the pushed-back minion wave stuck near the tower because of Weapon.
Xun: “...”
Tearfully, he gave up the three wolves.
But this group of wolves was not given up in vain.
Once again, the Lucky Star passive triggered!
The small wolves granted an extra 6 gold!
With 7% luck and 14 probability events, one was bound to hit the maximum luck value!
Cheng Xuan looked up at the top lane minion wave. Since Weapon always secured the last hits, the minions would inevitably push back from the enemy tower.
He chose to recall for supplies. Having only farmed a few minion waves and one group of jungle monsters along with some gold income, he had a meager 600-something gold in his pocket.
After his earlier QAWE burst, his health was reduced to just over half. Although the cards continued to consume potions to raise his health slightly, it was nothing serious.
He attacked once more!
Afraid that Weapon might go on tilt and throw another wave, which would mean losing the Rift entirely.
He returned to the lane.
The IG team wore expressions full of question marks: “???”
At the caster desk, the commentator, seemingly seeing through Nuguri’s thoughts, exclaimed.
Although his theoretical strength had improved greatly in the last half month, plus the current 230% all-level boost, his mechanical skill had multiplied geometrically!
But the opponent was a former champion top laner.
The two exchanged basic attacks.
Unexpectedly, the card player only feinted with a clever fake move. The yellow card in his hand was not thrown; instead, he quickly turned his body!
That very turn caused Weapon, despite stunning the card at the farthest range, to be unable to reach the basic attack.
“Shaqima needs to stay calm right now! Even though the situation is unfavorable, as long as he keeps farming, there’s still a chance to fight in the late game!”
“Playing flashy tricks and losing your own teammate—laughable.”
Cheng Xuan’s whispered self-mutter was heard by the IG teammates.
His fingers danced nimbly on the keyboard as Weapon leapt forward, swinging the streetlamp fiercely toward the card.
“Futile struggle,” Nuguri sneered coldly and pressed the E skill.
“Even if you get a lucky crit, you still won’t have the upper hand in the exchange.”
Cheng Xuan glanced at his system passive.
Luck had already surged to 23%!
“Almost a quarter luck value, plus 230% all-level enhancement,” Cheng Xuan thought, looking again at the taunting Weapon dancing in front of the tower.
“Shaqima’s really tilted this round! It’s over—big trouble!”
The early game was rough, so Cheng Xuan focused on not dying.
He chased a little farther, using his reach advantage to land another basic attack on Weapon.
But at this moment, Weapon finally turned around, exuding murderous intent!
The Q skill cooldown was ready!
“World’s number one support? What a joke! At this form, if he meets Genshin at Worlds group stage, he’ll get crushed!”
Weapon jumped with the streetlamp directly onto the card’s face.
...
Cheng Xuan manipulated the card, moving toward Weapon.
“Don’t engage now!”
He checked his Q skill cooldown.
“Wow, this card’s head is way too stubborn! How many heroes can stand and trade with Weapon early game? Let alone being a fragile card!”
The E skill passive triggered!
Weapon at level 5 had at most 900 HP, and this burst instantly took away 300 HP.
After all, killing under the tower is tricky; one misstep would squander all early advantages.
While several casters lamented Shaqima’s being thoroughly countered this game, Cheng Xuan remained calm.
“Shaqima wants to play! That turn and retreat was very clever! He dodged Weapon’s E and immediately started output! The reach advantage over the shorter Weapon shows! Weapon can’t touch the card, but the card can touch Weapon! He’s starting to play!” After a few minutes of silence, the caster’s voice rose again.
...
This gave the long-suppressed critics a pretext to jump out and critique.
From the result, the card was surely going to die.
“You like chasing, huh? Now you’re in trouble, right?”
After the stun effect ended, just as the yellow card was about to vanish, the card threw it back!
Successfully stunning Weapon!
If... his thinking was correct.
“Brother Xuan, don’t get tilted! This trade is fine,” Xun, still watching the top lane fight, shouted urgently to stop Cheng Xuan.
His gaze locked firmly on the fleeing Weapon.
The Q canceled the basic attack’s recovery animation!
The cost was the ever-widening creep score gap.
“Yes, if you chase further, Weapon’s Q cooldown will be ready and you’ll probably die. Both have flash, no escape,” Rookie advised after recalling.
Four seconds left.
Weapon raised the streetlamp overhead, spinning rapidly to form a whirlwind shield.
AD poke cards only show their power fully once they’re built, but now they were clearly weaker than Weapon, who had passive attack speed boosts.
This fight was a must-kill on Weapon!
Amid the discussion, the card began to stand still and output.
“Seems about right.”
By just over six minutes, Weapon’s CS was already at 58.
Meanwhile, the card had a pitiful 21.
Open and trade!
Basic attack into W, the card’s health dropped rapidly!
Surprisingly, the card didn’t retreat but stood firm, choosing to fight Weapon head-on!
The crowd was stunned.
After thinking for a moment, he quickly bought a Nimble Cloak.
“If you dare to keep chasing, four seconds later is your death!” Nuguri thought to himself.
The live stream viewers were drawn in by the explosive top lane clash, and the barrage of insults dropped sharply.
“This is hard—there’s no stage for top lane right now, IG’s bottom lane is also at a disadvantage, Xun can’t move in the jungle. FPX really seems to have found IG’s weakness!”
Meanwhile, Weapon began retreating.
Must! Go all out!
Basic attack!
But not wanting to die comes at a price.
“Oops, out of safe range now.”
So, what’s the cost, Cui Erdan?
“Probably just enough gold to buy this. But what will he build? First item straight into Rapid Firecannon?”
“This round actively looking for a fight with Weapon—I really don’t get it. Just pressing ‘send’ (to die) huh!”
“No, don’t, Brother Xuan... stay calm, wait until I’m level 6 to help...” Xun’s voice hadn’t even finished.
“This? This? Is this the famed Brother Mazi you guys keep hyping?”
Down 30 CS at the start!
Cheng Xuan was completely unaware of the cultural output in the external chat, as this was typical in the LPL.
Feigning weakness.
...
“Shaqima went home and bought a 15% critical strike cloak? This item doesn’t help at all during laning... Brother Mazi looks a bit stunned this game.”
Both sides reached level 5.
“I should be able to kill this Weapon now.”
“Finally tilted, huh? Waited for you! Die!”
Nuguri narrowed his eyes, seeing the card step out from under the tower without hesitation.
The risk was a bit high but steady.
As the card closed in, basic attack into W triggered a burst!
The card struck back with a basic attack, throwing out playing cards!
Thanks to Conqueror’s mastery, every basic attack or skill from the card increased the damage of the next attack.
The card was a poke-style mage with low health scaling.
“To be honest, he can’t escape, so he might as well give up on fancy moves and stand and trade to chip at Weapon’s health.”
Players output with their hands on the field; viewers output with words in the stream.
No, what the heck are you using to kill this Weapon...
“Been taunted for six or seven minutes, finally can’t stand it anymore?”
Nuguri never expected the card to suddenly turn and retreat to dodge his E skill.
It can block any form of basic attack damage and attack effects!
Still farming tower minions.
Only by uniting two can the LPL teams make it to Worlds; it’s a mutual effort.
“Seeing everyone spamming hate on Brother Mazi makes me sad. Don’t others have keyboards?”
Losing one-third of his health now made him very unhappy.
Basic attack!
For nearly six minutes, he played cautiously, while Weapon was helpless, only able to dance and taunt, trying to provoke him.
Cheng Xuan was fully focused, lips tightly pressed, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead, unwilling to relax even slightly.
Soon, time reached six and a half minutes.
Counterattack Storm!
But Cheng Xuan ignored it, eyes fixed only on the screen.
And the card really chased up!
“Looking for death!” Nuguri frowned.
Controlling Weapon, he backed off, glancing at the card’s health.
His goal, naturally, was to bait the card to step out of tower range.
“Niubao started retreating! He wants to lure the card out!”
Simultaneously activating W and switching to the yellow card.
Q skill, leap strike!
Nuguri grinned.
Conqueror rune activated!
He struck again, rapidly clicking on enemy Jax with his mouse.
A deadly rhythm.
This build was also closely watched by the casters.
But soon, the doubts faded.
Until finally, nobody said a word.
Because they discovered something utterly outrageous.
Weapon traded health... but never traded with the card!!!
(End of chapter)