Chapter 13: Dark Rose Will Bloom Again!
Outside the internet café, night deepened as cold wind swept up fallen leaves from the street.
Jiang Yuan sat with his hands in his pockets beside Ji Shiyun in their private booth, eyes fixed on the screen.
This was what being a coach was like—after selecting champions and explaining the key points for this match, there was no way to influence the game anymore.
Everything had to be left to the players on the field.
The live stream had a five-minute delay.
After a moment, Ji Shiyun said with slight nervousness, “It’s starting.”
Jiang Yuan nodded, his gaze calm.
On the boys’ team side, the five players completely shed their previous casual attitude the moment they entered the game.
Yu Feng spoke rapidly: “Brother Yuan definitely has something planned for the opening. Everyone be careful.”
“Got it,” Dr. K responded. “Play it safe for now, focus on warding.”
They spread out in a perfect line formation, their positioning airtight.
On the girls’ team side, Zhao Xiaomeng’s Braum crouched in the mid lane brush for ages without finding any opportunity.
“Wanwan, I’m going back to lane,” Zhao Xiaomeng said.
“Mm,” Su Wanwan replied, controlling LeBlanc with slightly sweaty palms.
She’d played online matches before, but never felt this kind of tension.
She didn’t know why…
The clash began.
After the first trade, Brother Kai realized Su Wanwan’s skill level was decent, so he decisively adopted a defensive stance.
He shared information through voice chat: “Enemy mid is playing well. I can only hold steady. How about you guys?”
Dr. K replied: “Enemy has average mechanics but their combo has the advantage. We can only give up the lane early on.”
Zeus said: “The enemy is trash, probably Gold level. Play around me—I’ll carry this game.”
Once information was synchronized, the jungle strategy became clear.
Yu Feng said: “Okay, I’ll farm up.”
The early game plan failed, Su Wanwan couldn’t break through solo, and their rhythm inevitably slowed.
Ji Shiyun couldn’t quite understand and asked: “Coach Jiang, which side benefits more from this development?”
“Them,” Jiang Yuan said quietly. “They’re stronger late game, especially with Fiora’s split push top lane. We can’t handle it. We’ve practiced this split push strategy many times—they won’t give us any openings early.”
“Ah…” Hearing this, Ji Shiyun looked worried.
What this composition most needed to guard against was Fiora getting ahead in farm.
They’d picked Renekton for Lin Yuanyuan hoping she could gain some advantage early.
But…
Fiora used W [Riposte], stunning the Renekton who tried to E forward for a clean trade.
The stunned Renekton could only be chased down and beaten…
FIRST BLOOD!
Lin Yuanyuan’s screen went gray.
Jiang Yuan saw that the moment her character died, Lin Yuanyuan’s talent triggered on the system panel.
[Detected player ‘Lin Yuanyuan’ triggered talent: Mental Collapse (D-rank): After being solo killed, operations become unstable for a short time, extremely likely to die again!]
Ji Shiyun grew more worried: “This will be hard to play now.”
Jiang Yuan hummed in agreement.
The boys’ team secured first blood, and top-jungle began coordinating, controlling scuttle crab while invading Jiang Ruoxi’s upper jungle.
Jiang Ruoxi was forced to retreat, giving up some jungle resources.
The economic gap slowly widened.
Game time reached seven minutes.
Jiang Ruoxi remained calm, quickly issuing commands through team voice: “Mid and bot push waves! Ward first, prepare to contest dragon!”
Su Wanwan immediately cast her abilities to clear minions.
Qin Shu and Zhao Xiaomeng also began pushing forward, placing wards at river entrances.
The boys’ team likewise had no intention of giving up the dragon.
A four-man teamfight around dragon was about to break out!
Both supports probed each other, trading abilities back and forth.
Just at the critical moment!
From top lane, bad news arrived again!
Lin Yuanyuan’s Renekton was solo killed once more!
The kill notification rang harshly.
More critically, after killing Renekton, Zeus didn’t hesitate for a moment—he recalled directly, then teleported back at full health!
Light flashed behind the dragon pit!
The local skirmish instantly became five versus four!
“Let it go!”
Jiang Ruoxi’s voice rang out decisively.
Zhao Xiaomeng immediately covered Qin Shu’s retreat.
Ji Shiyun watched the rapidly deteriorating situation, her palms cold with worry: “It’s over… this wave hurts too much…”
As she said, the girls’ team morale hit rock bottom.
Especially top laner Lin Yuanyuan, who remained silent, clearly already tilted.
The camera focused on mid lane.
Su Wanwan pressed her lips tight, her eyes sharp as blades, staring intently at every movement of the Twisted Fate.
The initial nervousness had gradually dissolved during the game.
Now she was like a leopard ready to pounce, fingers hovering over the keyboard, patiently waiting for that fleeting opening.
She didn’t want to lose!
Absolutely didn’t want to lose!
And definitely didn’t want to lose in front of Jiang Yuan!
But the enemy Twisted Fate was slippery as an eel.
When pressured on CS, he’d cower under tower, never giving her the slightest chance.
Poke, kite, freeze the wave… Su Wanwan tried every method, none worked.
Several times she wanted to force a play anxiously, but Jiang Yuan’s words echoed in her ears:
“An excellent hunter must have enough patience. Even the strongest opponent will make mistakes. What you need to do is seize that fleeting opportunity…”
A wave of minions entered the tower.
Twisted Fate raised his hand to cycle cards, blue light flickering—W ability [Pick A Card] used just to restore some mana!
Key ability down!
Opportunity!
Su Wanwan’s pupils contracted sharply, killing intent exploding instantly!
The combo she’d rehearsed countless times unleashed! Her fingers became afterimages, striking the keyboard with explosive bean-like crackles!
Flash!
Blinding golden light erupted! LeBlanc’s form ghosted across the distance, instantly closing in on Twisted Fate!
[Distortion]!
Twisted Fate was shocked! His mouse frantically clicked backward!
Gold card still on cooldown, he hastily threw Q [Wild Cards]—three cards flew in a fan pattern toward LeBlanc, trying to force her back and buy breathing room!
Useless!
Su Wanwan’s eyes were ice cold, her mechanics flawless! Q-R combo released!
The following E [Ethereal Chains] aimed not at Twisted Fate’s current position, but where he’d land after flashing!
Sure enough, Twisted Fate pressed Flash, golden light flashing as he tried to escape!
But the moment he landed, that deadly purple chain wrapped around him like a bone-eating maggot!
It’s over!
Twisted Fate’s heart went cold.
Su Wanwan’s [Sigil of Malice] mark was already applied!
The chain detonated the mark, triggering the second wave of damage!
The defense tower’s aggro shifted, attacking LeBlanc!
But Su Wanwan didn’t care! Auto attack! Another auto attack!
Twisted Fate’s health plummeted! His screen flashed red frantically! He struggled desperately, even trying to cycle cards for a counter-attack, but his W cooldown stretched like an unbridgeable chasm!
LeBlanc’s final auto attack landed!
His health bar completely emptied!
“An enemy has been slain!”
The defense tower’s laser beam struck LeBlanc heavily, but Su Wanwan used W’s second cast to return to safety at critical health!
Her chest rose and fell dramatically, her fair cheeks flushed red with excitement.
She remembered the coach’s instructions clearly:
What you need to do is give your all to solo kill the enemy!
Solo kill!
She did it!
And it was a solo kill under the enemy tower!
The LeBlanc in the screen recalled with low health, as if saying to the enemy’s corpse:
[The Black Rose shall bloom once more!]
“Beautiful!”
Ji Shiyun couldn’t help but shout, but then worried, “But… wasn’t this kill a bit risky?”
Jiang Yuan just smiled.
He turned to look at Ji Shiyun, saying easily:
“Risky? Want something to drink? I’ll go buy it.”