ATIBTF Chapter 100

“Hello, viewers! You are now watching the final match of the WOC Pro League Season 7 World Championship. This is the deciding battle for the championship title, featuring WPL’s JW team against the reigning champions, NG.” Uncle Yuan, dressed in a formal suit with a red tie, adjusted his glasses and introduced the match.

The commentary team for the finals was WPL’s “golden trio,” an iconic lineup.

This trio had worked together for years, boasting rich experience, seamless chemistry, and a humorous style. They were representative of WPL’s commentary excellence.

Uncle Yuan, in particular, had witnessed the growth of the WPL region firsthand. He had commentated on numerous WOC World Championship matches, including several finals.

To be honest, he was feeling nervous.

There was nothing more exhilarating than the possibility of commentating on a WPL team winning the championship.

Yet, his hopes had been dashed for many years.

Could this year be different?

Lack, dressed in a suit nearly identical to Uncle Yuan’s but in a different color with a yellow tie, adjusted his tie nervously and remarked, “As we all know, JW is a very young team. Their most experienced player is their mid-laner, Sugar, right?”

Ruby, wearing a black qipao with gold trim, seemingly a subtle nod to JW’s uniform, chimed in, “That’s right. The team’s average age is around 20, which makes them three to four years younger on average compared to NG.”

Uncle Yuan added, “NG has been virtually unstoppable throughout the tournament, while JW barely made it out of the group stage and fought their way up. However, no one knows the outcome until the very end, so this match is one to look forward to.”

Ruby agreed, “Absolutely. The championship trophy is within reach. It’s all up to how JW’s players and coaches perform today!”

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Inside the player room.

While adjusting his equipment, Jiang Min couldn’t help but occasionally glance at NG’s players across the room, his eyes particularly fixated on Pepper.

For mid-lane professionals, Pepper was the benchmark they all aspired to surpass.

Jiang Min was no exception.

Even though he had already earned considerable recognition and fame in the WPL region, on the global stage, he was still far from Pepper’s level of renown.

While the gap wasn’t as vast as that between a superstar and a complete nobody, the ratio of their supporters was at least 9:1.

Looking around the entire stadium, only a handful of Z country flags could be seen waving. Most of the cheering faces were unfamiliar white ones, rooting for the home team, NG.

As the reigning champions and the undisputed powerhouse of the North American region, NG’s popularity in M country was at its peak. The majority of the spectators in the stadium were NG fans.

Seeing this, Jiang Min finally felt the true reality of competing in a foreign land.

During the elimination rounds, he had been too focused on the matches to pay attention to the surroundings. But today, the grand scale of the event was impossible to ignore.

The arena… it must hold at least 30,000 to 40,000 people, and every seat was filled.

Even through the soundproof room and noise-canceling headsets, the roars of the crowd could faintly be heard. The volume was unimaginable.

“Sugar, what’s on your mind?” Yu Hao noticed Jiang Min zoning out after setting up his equipment, staring at the opponent’s room.

“Huh?” Jiang Min snapped out of it. “Nothing, I was just thinking… if I can beat Pepper today, it’ll be like fulfilling a dream.”

“If we win today, Sugar, you’ll have defeated the world’s number-one mid-laner!” Hao Qianyi chimed in. “You’ll be the new King of the Mid!”

Jiang Min was a bit embarrassed. “I wouldn’t go that far… Pepper is still incredibly strong…”

Yu Hao spoke seriously, “Sugar, you’re amazing too. Don’t overthink it—just play your game.”

He then turned to the others. “And the rest of you, same thing. Don’t carry unnecessary mental baggage. We’ve made it this far—play however you want, give it your all, and don’t regret anything after.”

“…Got it!” the three answered in unison.

Coach Yan Junying, dressed formally with a headset and a notebook for tracking the draft, smiled faintly as he listened to their voice chat.

It seemed these kids were in a good mental state, sparing him the trouble of a motivational speech.

For their first time in a World Championship finals, their mindset was already impressive.

Amid the eager anticipation of the crowd, the match finally began.

In the first game of the BO5, JW was on the blue side, and NG on the red side.

Since neither team had faced each other before, the first game was a cautious one as both sides tested the waters.

JW opted for a traditional 4-protect-1 strategy centered around their carry, Wei Yabo, while NG employed a similar strategy protecting their mid-laner, Pepper.

“Sugar, hold the mid lane pressure in this game. Let’s see if Yabo can farm effectively under NG’s suppression,” Yu Hao instructed over voice chat before the game. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll adjust in the next round.”

“Got it,” Wei Yabo nodded, though he was nervous.

NG’s ability to dominate was no joke.

In previous matches, Wei Yabo had been able to farm freely, contributing in both advantageous and disadvantageous situations. But against NG, a world-class team, how much farming space he could secure depended heavily on both his own skill and his teammates’ coordination.

“Don’t worry, Captain. I’ll make sure to secure vision!” Wei Yafeng understood that protecting the carry required reliable information about the enemy’s movements.

“Sugar, mid-lane depends on you!” Hao Qianyi added. “We believe in you—just don’t let their mid become a monster!”

Jiang Min flexed his wrists. “Got it.”

Entering the game, Jiang Min chose Paladin for the mid-lane, while Pepper picked Shadow Dancer.

Pepper’s reputation as an all-around mid-laner was well-deserved. Whether it was mages, assassins, or the recently popular tanky mid-laners, he handled them all with ease.

From the moment the game started, Jiang Min felt an invisible pressure.

Pepper was exceptional both in laning and team fights.

Facing him required Jiang Min to put in more effort than usual, leaving him less time to monitor other lanes. He had to rely on teammates’ calls to gauge the situation.

“Bot lane missing!” Wei Yafeng reported.

Jiang Min had just stunned Shadow Dancer with his hammer and was about to follow up with a combo when he heard the call.

Sensing danger, he immediately backed off, narrowly dodging a long-range barrel roll from NG’s offlaner, Wild Drunkard. The barrel would have stunned him had it connected.

Had he been hit, Shadow Dancer and Wild Drunkard would have likely finished him off in one swift combo.

After this close call, Jiang Min became even more cautious.

In the Paladin versus Shadow Dancer matchup, Paladin was at a clear disadvantage during the laning phase.

Jiang Min’s goal was to survive the laning phase without giving Shadow Dancer an advantage.

“As far as I know, Pepper rarely fails to secure a solo kill during the laning phase,” Uncle Yuan commented, his voice calm despite his excitement. “Shadow Dancer should have the upper hand against Paladin early on, but Sugar’s cautious play has denied him any opportunities so far.”

Ruby added, “If they can hold off Shadow Dancer from snowballing in the early game, JW’s late-game composition still has potential.”

However, the good times didn’t last.

Just as the laning phase ended, Wei Yabo was caught in the jungle by NG’s offlaner and support and killed in a single move.

Losing their carry disrupted JW’s tempo significantly, especially since their lineup relied on a late-game scaling strategy.

NG’s dominance in jungle control was a clear cut above other teams.

The wards Wei Yafeng had placed were quickly de-warded by NG.

It seemed NG had their own analyst who specialized in studying opponents’ warding habits, just like JW did.

Forced to play more conservatively, Wei Yabo had no choice but to take risks farming in the lanes.

Even though his teammates sacrificed resources to support him, the lack of vision slowed Wei Yabo’s farming pace considerably.

In the end, JW lost a team fight to NG at the Sky Pit and was defeated in under 30 minutes.

Losing the first game of the finals, and doing so in such a short time, was a significant morale blow.

While the commentators and WPL fans worried for their region’s team, the atmosphere in JW’s break room was completely different.

Hao Qianyi, rubbing his hungry stomach, shouted, “Damn! They’re so freaking strong! That was intense!”

Wei Yabo scratched the back of his head. “Man, the farming routes we studied didn’t work. Looks like we’ll need to change our strategy for the next game.”

Wei Yafeng stared at the post-match review map and clicked his tongue. “Tch, they didn’t hold back at all. They countered my ward placements almost immediately. I’ll have to be sneakier next time.”

Jiang Min, stretching his fingers, remarked, “Pepper’s Shadow Dancer wasn’t as scary as I expected. Can I try picking a carry hero next game?”

Yu Hao nodded. “Sure, let’s go with a mid-focused strategy next. What do you think, Coach?”

Yan Junying agreed.

Despite losing the first game of the finals, the JW players didn’t feel disheartened. Instead, they actively analyzed their performance, eager to improve against such a formidable opponent.

Coach Chaos was deeply pleased.

Even if they lost this finals and missed out on the championship, this match would provide the team with valuable growth.

After a 20-minute break, the second game of the finals began.

For this match, JW opted for a mid-focused lineup, while NG stuck with their four-protect-one strategy.

The two teams clashed repeatedly in the mid-lane, engaging in small skirmishes one after another.

The mid-lane was perpetually crowded, with players from both sides “playing mahjong.” Both mid-laners played cautiously.

Jiang Min, using Shadow Phantom, executed a perfect flank during a high-ground team fight. He dove past the tower and eliminated NG’s carry, causing a sudden drop in NG’s damage output.

The remaining four JW players then surrounded and took down Pepper.

With both NG carries dead and unable to buy back, the team lost most of their fighting power and was forced to retreat.

JW seized the opportunity, transforming into a demolition crew and quickly destroying NG’s nexus base.

The series was now tied at 1-1.

[mfn]Happy 100 chapters for ATIBITF! I hope yall still enjoying reading this novel hehe.

If you enjoy my translations, feel free to support me by leaving a comment below or sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you, and happy reading! -TL: YSIAD ❤️

⚠️ Do not copy or repost my translations without permission. Please read exclusively on knoxt.space.[/mfn]