nucmednet Chapter 28 Rookie!
Chapter 28 Rookie!
It was drizzling on the bus to the competition venue.
Chen Xiao sat in the last row, by the window, resting with his eyes closed.
"Are you nervous? You're about to go up against Rookie, who's the first mid laner from the LPL to win an S-series championship—a living legend!"
"Rookie is in great form this season, even stronger in lane than Scout. Do you think you can hold your own?"
Xiao Tian winked and nudged Chen Xiao with his elbow.
Chen Xiao opened her eyes, glanced at him, and didn't say anything.
Xiao Tian is a chatterbox; he kept talking the whole way!
Ah Shui, sitting one seated in front with his legs crossed, turned around upon hearing Xiao Tian's voice and, with the air of a senior, began to pontificate:
"Chen Xiao, just remember this."
"Never try to farm peacefully with him. Yi Jin's specialty is farming. If you try to farm with him, you'll definitely lose in the end."
"We have to take him down! Kill him! If he dares to come up and finish him off, just unleash your skills right in his face! If he tries to trade blows with you, yell 'Tian Sang!'"
As Ah Shui spoke, she reached out and patted Xiao Tian on the shoulder: "Whether you're treated like a human or a beast at that time is entirely up to you."
Xiao Tian's face darkened: "Get lost! I'm not your bodyguard!"
"Damn, if there's a problem, you just blame the jungler. Isn't that the bottom line of logic in the Rift?" Ah Shui said confidently.
"Holy shit!"
The carriage was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Both of them were teammates with Rookie, and JackeyLove even witnessed his peak.
While Rookie's skills and reaction time may not be what they were at their peak, he remains consistent and experienced.
He ranks among the top five mid laners in the LPL!
That's why I thought of giving Chen Xiao some advice.
369, wearing headphones and with the volume blasting, couldn't resist interjecting, "NIP excels at mid-jungle synergy, so you need to be careful and not fall into their trap!"
Coach Maokai, who was discussing the draft with the assistant coaches, also looked up.
"That's right," Maokai closed his tactical notebook, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Chen Duxiao's face.
"NIP's strategy this season is very clear: it revolves around Rookie's mid and jungle."
"Jungler Aki has a very aggressive style, likes to invade the enemy jungle early and frequently gank mid."
"Chen Xiao, you can play aggressively in lane, but you must prioritize preventing ganks. Don't skimp on resources, and make sure your vision control is excellent!"
"And Xiaotian, you should also focus on the mid lane in the early game to protect Chen Xiao's development and put pressure on Aki at the same time, so he doesn't get too comfortable."
"Bottom lane, Ah Shui, I'm not worried about your lane matchup against Photic. Try to put up a good fight."
"369... Shanji's hero pool is strange. Try to pick some stable heroes."
Maokai's voice was soft, but his thoughts were clear.
He had thoroughly studied NIP's playing style before the match.
"As for Rookie, he has a deep champion pool and top-tier laning experience, but he's past his prime, so his mechanics and reaction time are definitely not what they used to be. Chen Xiao, you need to believe in yourself. You're younger than him, and you're better at the game!"
"We beat LNG last time, and we can beat NIP this time too!"
Maokai's tone rose as he spoke:
"Did you understand?"
"Understood!" the people in the car replied in unison.
Chen Xiao looked out the window at the rapidly receding street scene, his fingers tapping lightly on his knee.
Rookie.
This ID carries the memories and youth of so many LPL viewers.
From the king of assassins in KTA to the pillar of IG, and now the core of NIP.
He is like an evergreen tree, standing firm in the cruel professional arena for nearly ten years.
But even the most legendary tales eventually come to an end.
A subtle smile appeared on Chen Xiao's lips.
Now, it's his time!
……
Meanwhile, online opinions were already in an uproar.
The pre-match hype programs on major live streaming platforms almost all focused on the showdown between Top Esports and NIP.
In the "League of Legends Dinner" program on Shark platform, LPL official commentators Miller and Wawa, along with retired players Zz1tai, Letme, and other guests, are having a heated discussion.
"Personally, I'm more optimistic about NIP," Miller said, adjusting his glasses with an objective tone.
"Judging from their performance since the start of the Spring Split, NIP's synergy is clearly better than Top Esports'. The mid-jungle synergy between Rookie and Aki is their most stable engine of rhythm."
The doll nodded in agreement.
"That's right, and Rookie is in such good form that you can't tell he's a veteran who's been playing for almost ten years. I don't think any of the rookie mid laners in the LPL can withstand the pressure he puts in lane."
"If Little Cream were still around, I feel there's still hope. Last year when he was in OMG, he wasn't afraid of Rookie!"
With her pinky finger raised in a delicate gesture, she began to provoke conflict:
"Hey, that's not necessarily true. Top Esports' newbie played pretty well against Scout in the last game, didn't he? His Taliyah was solid and he could farm well, and he even got the MVP."
"That's different," Letme immediately retorted.
"Scout's style is completely different from Rookie's. Scout is more team-oriented and focused on macro play, while Rookie is the kind of player who has an aggressive mentality in his bones. If you dare to farm safely in front of him, he can find a hundred ways to keep you under the tower and unable to leave."
"I predict that in today's match, Top Esports' new mid laner will definitely be outfarmed by Rookie, and NIP's coaching staff will definitely study him!"
"Yeah, I also think NIP has a higher chance of winning. Their lineup is too solid. Rookie and Aki can withstand the early game, Photic has the ability to carry in the late game, and there's also the unpredictable champion pool of Shanji. I feel like they can win 2-1!"
"..."
This analysis was quickly segmented and, with the title "Miller Predicts Top Esports Rookies Will Be Trained by Rookie," went viral on major video websites.
Kangba, as the biggest "cesspool" in the LPL, naturally wouldn't miss out on this traffic-generating opportunity.
A fresh post was quickly pushed to the top of the homepage.
"A rational discussion: Will Top Esports' rookie mid-laner Lucifer be brought back to reality by the 'Chicken God' today?"
[OP: Last game against LNG, she really showed off, her fasting Taliyah outfarmed Scout by more than 30 CS.]
But let's not forget, what's the current form of the junior player? What's the form of LNG? Is it a bit premature to call him the next Knight after just one win?
Today's opponent is Rookie, one of the top laners in the LPL. I'm telling you, if Chen Xiao doesn't get a 30-CS deficit in lane this game, I'll do a handstand and wash my hair on stream!
The post was flooded with hundreds of replies in an instant.
To be honest, playing against Scout and playing against Rookie are two completely different things.
[Stop the harsh criticism, his plays in the last game were undeniably impressive, right? That solo kill on Scout was flawless.]
[Hilarious! One solo kill and he's going to brag about it forever? If LNG hadn't messed up and their two carries hadn't been in bad form, would Top Esports have won?]
[The "classic match" argument is back again. Wayward debuted and crushed TheShy, and then what? He ended up just being a "show-off" anyway.]
[Waiting for Lucifer to reveal his true form today, trapped under the tower by Song Sheng and too afraid to come out!]
[Don't struggle anymore, you water ghosts! Winning even one small round today is a success!]
[Stop talking, I've already gone all in on NIP, thanks to Top Esports for the rice!]