The excitement of the live audience in the venue for the WOC World Championship Finals has been ignited to the fullest.
Meanwhile, online viewers watching the live stream are on the edge of their seats.
【Mom, I’m going to bed! My little heart can’t take it anymore! I’ll wake up and see the results!】
【I want to leave too, it’s so damn exciting!】
【I have to hold on, because I might witness the birth of WPL’s first world champion!】
【It’s easier said than done, NG isn’t that easy to break through, is it?】
【JW has made it this far, they’ve played BO5 before, give us some confidence for the last game!】
As usual, the viewers in the chat have their own opinions.
The WPL commentators are also adding to the already intense atmosphere.
It’s not that they’re trying to do so on purpose; they’re just as nervous themselves.
“If this match wasn’t assigned to me as a commentator, I’d rather sleep and watch the replay later,” Ruby honestly said. “This nerve-wracking feeling is really torturous!”
Her two colleagues agreed with her.
But, what if, just what if, JW really wins the championship? Those who missed the live broadcast would surely feel regret.
No matter how the outside world views the match, the players in the arena are unaffected.
Each of them has only one belief in mind: they want to win this game.
The draft phase has started.
“Sugar God, it’s the last game, any thoughts?” Yu Hao suddenly asked Jiang Min, who was staring at the screen.
“Huh?” Jiang Min didn’t react right away.
“I mean, it’s the last game, how about picking a signature hero?” Yu Hao glanced at the coach Yan Junying behind him.
Yan Junying thought for a moment, then said, “Let’s see their lineup first.”
His draft strategy is always calm. Since NG is picking first, they’ll need to counter accordingly.
“Alright.” Yu Hao didn’t say anything else.
After hearing Yu Hao’s words, Jiang Min focused on the hero selection screen, on a hero that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
It’s the last game, and this is the closest he’s been to a championship in his career.
This hero can be said to be his signature hero, his ultimate specialty.
It’s not that it can’t be used in this version…
If he were to go all out and play freely in the final game, he would probably pick it.
On NG’s side, they’ve seen JW’s mid-laner’s impressive skills in the first four games. This player, who hadn’t shown much on the world stage before, seems to be just as strong as their star mid-laner, Pepper.
Therefore, in the final draft, they showed enough respect for Jiang Min.
On JW’s side, Pepper’s signature hero couldn’t be left open.
So, in the banning phase, they banned a majority of the commonly used mid-lane heroes in the current version.
Other than mid-laner Pepper, NG’s players all got their signature heroes.
JW did the same. Wei Yabo, the 1st position player, got his best hero, the big core Starblade Swordsman; the 3rd position, Hao Qianyi, got his signature Centaur; the 4th position, Yu Hao, got his standout spellcaster, and the 5th position, Wei Yafeng, picked the Light Priestess to boost team sustainability and mana recovery.
The final pick was given to the mid-lane.
NG picked first.
After a long hesitation, almost running out of time, NG finally locked in the Demon Toxin Lizard.
The Demon Toxin Lizard was a strong hero in previous versions, but it had been slightly nerfed in this one.
Overall, though, it’s still a highly aggressive mid-laner.
The final pick then went to JW’s mid-lane.
“Sugar God, what do you think?” Yu Hao said over voice chat. “Should we pick that one?”
“…” Jiang Min hesitated while looking at the hero on the screen.
He had practiced with this hero before. In fact, with the heroes already picked by his teammates, he still had plenty of room to perform with this pick.
But…
“What does the coach think?” Jiang Min asked.
The draft phase still had to respect the coach’s decision.
Yan Junying flipped through his small notebook and said, “…Pick it. It’s the last game, no regrets, just go all in!”
With the coach’s approval, Jiang Min felt an unprecedented surge of excitement.
This hero could be considered his signature hero, and to pick it in the most critical match of the World Finals, this tournament would truly have no regrets.
JW locked in their hero.
Whether it was the live audience, the official commentators, or the viewers in the live stream, everyone was stunned.
Ruby couldn’t hide her surprise.
Luckily, the commentators were only using their voices and not showing their faces during the draft; otherwise, her usually praised expression management would have failed in front of everyone.
“JW locked in Elemental Spirit!” Ruby exclaimed. “WPL fans know that this is Sugar God’s signature hero!”
“This hero, known as the ‘WOC Quitter,’ is a nightmare for many players,” Lack continued. “But Sugar God’s Elemental Spirit is indeed unique, but…”
He paused, unsure of what to say next.
“Although Elemental Spirit has been buffed in this version, it doesn’t have the advantage against Demon Toxin Lizard in the lane,” Uncle Yuan said, echoing what Lack had wanted to express. “I’m not sure how Sugar God and JW will handle this.”
The commentators’ concerns mirrored the worries of the WPL viewers in the live stream.
Seeing Elemental Spirit, they naturally knew it was Jiang Min’s signature hero.
But against the world’s top 2nd position, Pepper, how far could Sugar God’s Elemental Spirit go? That’s really hard to predict.
“Elemental Spirit?” NG was also caught off guard by JW’s choice.
“This hero hasn’t been seen in a while, right?” NG’s 3rd position player said. “Do people still pick it mid? It’s more of a support pick now, isn’t it?”
The Elemental Spirit hasn’t been seen in the North American region for a long time, and even when it was played, it was mostly in a support role as the 5th position. So NG found the opponent’s lineup quite strange.
“Don’t rush, it might not necessarily be mid-lane,” NG’s 5th position said. “What if it’s Elemental Spirit in the 5th position and Light Priestess in the 3rd?”
“That would be better,” NG’s 3rd position confidently replied. “Light Priestess wouldn’t stand a chance against Pepper in the mid-lane, right? You agree, don’t you, Pepper?”
As one of the world’s top teams, NG felt a little embarrassed to be pushed to the final BO5 match by a team that hadn’t even made it out of the group stage last year.
Thus, they were all thinking about finishing the last game with an overwhelming victory.
However, only Pepper seemed slightly serious.
The other players hadn’t had a direct 1v1 lane confrontation with the opponent’s mid-laner, so they didn’t fully understand. But after four games, Pepper knew very well that the opponent’s mid-laner was no weaker than himself.
Although his teammates were confident, Pepper didn’t share the same level of certainty about the result of the match.
JW’s players were younger and more agile in their gameplay.
Although Pepper was regarded as the world’s best mid-laner, at almost 27 years old, he was facing the biggest threat to his career—age.
If he were just two or three years younger, he could maintain a perfect condition to play the final game of a BO5.
But now, while his dominant position still remained, he could clearly feel his reactions weren’t as fast as before.
This is a fate every professional player must face.
Meanwhile, the mid-laner for JW seemed to be just 21… With his current condition, he might grow to a level even scarier than Pepper’s.
But that’s something for the future.
Today, Pepper would still fight for his third world championship.
The match officially began.
The mid-lane matchup was intense from the start.
The Demon Toxin Lizard constantly pushed the lane with its strong presence, while the Elemental Spirit’s defense was flawless.
During the laning phase, both sides were very close in gold and last hits.
And neither side was able to secure a kill.
At first, many were waiting to see a joke as Elemental Spirit went mid.
But now, Jiang Min’s gameplay had won them over.
【Damn, if I could play Elemental Spirit like this under Pepper’s hands, I swear I could boast about it forever!】
【Sugar God’s Elemental Spirit is still top-tier, there’s hope!】
【It’s only been a few minutes, and you’re already hyping up? Wait until the team fights, what can Elemental Spirit, this fragile hero, do?】
Seeing that the mid-lane hadn’t been dominated, NG’s 3rd position knew that their early-game, fast-paced lineup needed to create an advantage or they’d be at a disadvantage as the game dragged on.
So, he quickly moved toward the mid-lane.
Elemental Spirit and Demon Toxin Lizard were still in the river, dueling.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, NG’s 3rd position threw out a hook skill, aiming to hook the Elemental Spirit and pull it in for a beating.
Elemental Spirit is a fragile hero, and early in the game, it couldn’t withstand the attack from the 3rd position’s tough and strong hero.
If the hook landed, it would be a certain death.
However, just as the hook was about to connect with the Elemental Spirit, Jiang Min, with sharp reflexes, turned around, rolling towards the nearby minions as a target, barely dodging the hook.
The gank attempt failed, and the Elemental Spirit safely retreated under the tower. NG’s gank was unsuccessful.
On Yu Hao’s side, the Spellcaster was also performing impressively.
The Spellcaster had a skill that could lift enemies into the air, but it’s non-targeted, meaning the player needed to predict the enemy’s movement to land the skill properly.
However, in Yu Hao’s hands, it seemed like he could land it every time.
Even Uncle Yuan, who usually spoke cautiously, couldn’t help but praise: “Honor player’s lift is like turning a non-target skill into a target skill!”
Yu Hao and Hao Qianyi’s coordination made NG’s 1st position uncomfortable in lane.
But JW’s 1st position, Wei Yabo, was also struggling.
Up against NG’s 3rd and 4th positions, who were on their signature heroes, he missed a lot of last hits and was under heavy harassment.
Wei Yafeng had to spend a lot of gold on supplies for him.
This situation couldn’t go on.
So, JW changed their strategy—Wei Yabo started jungle farming, Pepper took the mid-lane, and the other players began roaming.
NG adjusted their strategy in response to JW’s changes.
However, in a small skirmish in the jungle, JW’s late-game composition couldn’t compete with NG’s early-game fast-paced lineup, and they were beaten 2-for-4, giving NG a significant economic advantage.
NG’s strength lies in their ability to snowball.
Once they gain an advantage, they’ll expand it infinitely.
The game seemed to be entering NG’s strong phase, and JW kept losing kills, resources, and gold, causing WPL fans to be on edge.
【It’s over, it’s over, we’re done for】
【It’s not over, stop being so negative!】
【We’re almost 10k behind in economy, how are we supposed to turn this around?】
【Elemental Spirit’s economy isn’t too far behind, there’s still hope】
As a 2nd position mid-laner, Jiang Min occasionally swapped with Wei Yabo, the 1st position.
One key reason he could do this is because he was able to farm efficiently.
In an advantageous game, he could farm; even in a disadvantageous one, he could farm.
And somehow, he would always find a way to make a comeback.
Right now, Wei Yabo was far behind in economy, and it would be difficult for him to catch up.
However, the Elemental Spirit was still doing okay, not dying much, and had decent items.
So, Yu Hao made a quick decision to switch from the original dual-core strategy of 1st and 2nd positions to a four-protect-one strategy, protecting the Elemental Spirit.
In the late game, Elemental Spirit’s team control and AoE damage were very promising.
As long as he could farm quickly, he could turn the game around.
The Starblade Swordsman in the 3rd position was also a solid pick—this hero had strong durability and a stun.
Under the guidance of their captain, JW’s lineup transitioned to a 2-3-3-4-5 formation.
For nearly twenty minutes, the WPL viewers went through an agonizing time.
During this period, as NG pulled ahead in economy, reaching a 10k lead, JW kept hiding around the map, too afraid to engage in any fights.
If anyone was caught, it would be certain death.
Many viewers couldn’t bear to watch and had already left the stream.
Even WPL’s official casters, the “Golden Trio,” gradually lost confidence in the match.
This was because JW had already lost all their high ground, and NG was pushing super creeps in the final stage of the game.
However, they still had to fulfill their professional duties and continue to comment on the match as objectively as possible.
Finally, at the 45-minute mark, Elemental Spirit had completed its build.
“If we’re going to fight, now’s the time. The longer we wait, the worse it will get for us,” Yu Hao said.
At this point, NG’s core heroes were fully equipped.
The key to winning the teamfight was to take down NG’s core hero.
A skirmish broke out near the bottom watchtower.
The Starblade Swordsman initiated the fight with a decisive stun, but NG quickly scattered their formation.
NG’s 4th position threw a crowd-control skill, locking down Hao Qianyi’s Centaur.
But Yu Hao’s Spellcaster quickly copied the skill, locking down the unguarded NG 1st position.
Jiang Min seized the opportunity, using an ice wall to separate NG’s 1st position from their teammates, then switched to Flame Form and executed a high-damage combo, instantly eliminating NG’s 1st position.
Both teams clashed fiercely around the watchtower, engaging in a tug-of-war, with a beautifully executed teamfight that saw a total of five buybacks, but neither side won decisively.
Pepper was left with low health and planned to teleport to the top lane to farm a wave of minions and then return home to recover.
“He’s gone, he’s gone! Pepper’s disappeared!” Wei Yafeng reported, “He’s probably going home!”
“No,” Jiang Min signaled near the top watchtower, “He won’t go home; he’s probably teleporting here.”
“Why?” Wei Yafeng asked, puzzled.
Jiang Min smiled, “As a mid-laner myself, I understand. No core hero can resist the temptation of a big minion wave like that. Their 1st position is already showing in mid-lane, so this wave is likely for Pepper.”
Jiang Min signaled around him, and a large wave of minions was stacking up under the tower.
Jiang Min calculated Pepper’s health and decided to take a gamble.
Pepper, having just escaped the battlefield, was about to savor the minions and return home to heal, when suddenly, the ground beneath him turned black, and within less than a second, a divine lightning struck him from the sky.
It was, without a doubt, Elemental Spirit’s ultimate in its Lightning Form, a full-screen, non-targeted skill.
It could unleash a divine lightning bolt at any specified location on the map, dealing significant damage.
Pepper, already low on health, was instantly eliminated and couldn’t buyback.
The audience was stunned.
【Oh my! That prediction, I can’t think of any words except 666!】
【Sugar God is amazing!】
【Damn! Go up, go up!】
The game had been going for nearly an hour, and the respawn time was at least 100 seconds.
JW took advantage of the fact that NG was missing a core hero and quickly advanced to the high ground.
Before long, NG’s two lanes had fallen.
The teams clashed again around the third high ground.
JW’s positioning was excellent, and they managed to wear down NG’s last high ground.
Now both teams were in the super-creep phase, with only the T1 towers and the bases remaining.
Both the viewers and the players knew that the match was nearing its conclusion.
In the backstage, official WPL caster A Xin and her colleagues were hugging each other tightly, nearly in tears from the tension.
Both teams continued to stall for a while, but NG sounded the final battle cry and rushed toward JW’s high ground.
Their goal wasn’t to kill but to destroy the towers and the base.
During the back-and-forth, NG’s two T1 towers were destroyed, leaving only the base.
“Can we hold it?” Jiang Min cast a Fire Blast, pushing back the opponents who tried to attack the base.
Fortunately, their minion wave wasn’t in too bad of shape.
If all three super minion waves pushed onto the high ground, just the minions themselves would overwhelm them.
…Wait, minions?
Jiang Min looked at the minimap.
Their own bottom lane super minion wave had reached the opponent’s high ground, destroyed one of their T1 towers, and was attacking the second one.
Meanwhile, NG seemed too focused on destroying their base and wasn’t aware of the situation on their own base.
At this crucial moment… should they take a gamble?
“Holding on, brothers!” Hao Qianyi shouted, “Damn it, let’s go all in!”
“Damn! If we hold this, we can still struggle for a while! Let’s go, brothers!” Wei Yabo exclaimed, excited.
Jiang Min thought for a second, then said, “Little Fish, I…”
“Go, I know,” Yu Hao interrupted, “Believe in us, and believe in yourself.”
The trust between teammates was the most important thing.
Yu Hao marked a spot on the map, signaling NG’s base.
Their last T1 tower had already taken significant damage from the super minions.
JW’s other players quickly understood and shouted, “Go for it, Sugar God! It’s all yours! Let’s go!”
Jiang Min got the go-ahead and pretended to be overpowered, retreating into the trees beside the high ground to avoid attacks. In reality, he activated his teleport, using the super minions attacking the opponent’s T1 tower as his target, taking a final gamble.
NG, focused on quickly destroying JW’s base, didn’t pay attention to the trees near the high ground, and completely missed Jiang Min’s movement.
The pressure of the match now rested on Jiang Min’s shoulders.
As long as he was fast enough, he should be able to destroy the base before NG.
The WPL commentators, with their god-like perspective, witnessed the scene unfold.
“Sugar God has teleported!” Uncle Yuan was the first to point it out, “Sugar God teleported to the enemy’s base!”
“Hit it! Hit the tower!!” Ruby couldn’t contain her excitement.
“Hit the tower! Don’t care about anything, just hit the tower!” Lack shouted in excitement.
Elemental Spirit activated its Lightning Form, the fastest attacking form, with all its active items enabled.
The outcome of the game now hinged on how quickly he could destroy the tower.
The T1 tower fell, and only the bare base remained in front of Jiang Min.
Meanwhile, their own base was also down to half health. Though his teammates were still stalling, time was running out.
Whether NG’s players could destroy the base faster under the full interference of JW’s four players, or if Jiang Min alone could do it without any interruptions, would decide the outcome.
Jiang Min was fully aware of the situation.
He seemed to enter a state of forgetfulness, with only one thought in his mind: destroy that base!
“Destroy the base, destroy the base, Sugar God!” Uncle Yuan’s voice was nearly hoarse from shouting. “Destroy the base!!!”
“We can’t hold much longer! Damn it, I need to go back to the fountain to heal!” Hao Qianyi shouted.
“I’ve stunned Pepper! Captain, come on!” Wei Yabo yelled.
Wei Yafeng used a skill to replenish Yu Hao’s mana.
The Spellcaster copied the Demon Toxin Lizard’s third skill, “Toxic Mist,” and threw it in front of the base, trying to stop NG’s players from approaching.
NG, however, was doing everything they could to take down JW’s base, seizing every opportunity.
Everyone on the battlefield was fighting with all their might.
One hit, two hits…
Jiang Min controlled Elemental Spirit to attack the enemy’s base.
It was close, it was almost there…
“This is bad! They’re backdooring!” NG’s 5th position finally noticed something was wrong with their base.
“Damn! Why is their 2nd position missing?!” NG’s 3rd position yelled in frustration.
“Doesn’t matter, we’re destroying the base! We’ll tear it down faster than him alone!” NG’s 1st position shouted.
Pepper furrowed his brows.
Tearing down the base faster than JW’s mid-laner…?
That wasn’t so certain.
He had observed JW’s mid-laner’s Elemental Spirit during the match, and that guy’s talent points were incredibly unconventional, showing a deep understanding of the game.
Elemental Spirit’s 4th talent, called “Destruction,” enhances building damage.
Many players don’t choose this talent because the 4th tier has other talents that directly improve combat ability.
But JW’s Elemental Spirit had chosen it.
With this talent, it was hard to say who would destroy the base faster.
The director, realizing the critical moment had arrived, split the live stream into two, showing both teams’ base conditions.
Despite Elemental Spirit being a single hero, the NG base’s health dropped rapidly.
On the other hand, JW’s base was only slowly losing health, thanks to the interference from a few of their players.
“Destroy the base! Destroy the base!” The Yu family in China, sitting in front of their TV screen, shouted excitedly.
“Destroy it! Destroy the damn thing!” Professional players in China’s voice chat room shouted louder and louder in excitement.
“Damn! Are we really going to win? I wasn’t ready to become the owner of the WOC World Champion Club!” Ji Xiuyan, holding Lu Huai’s hand, said nervously.
“Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Woooow!” In the backstage, JW’s staff were crying and shouting.
Meanwhile, a few red Z-country flags waved in the crowd, and Z-country viewers were so excited that they stood up.
The final blow…
Jiang Min clicked the mouse.
【Victory——】
The system sound rang.
— They won!
They won!
WPL’s first World Championship was theirs!
“We are the champions!!!” The WPL commentators embraced and cried on the broadcast desk.
And the WPL viewers, who had stayed up until after 5 a.m., along with the players’ families and friends, were also in tears.
NG was deeply disappointed, having missed the championship by a hair, and they fell into reflection.
On JW’s side, they immediately took off their headsets and embraced each other.
Coach Yan Junying and the entire team, including analysts, rushed onto the stage to celebrate with the players.
Even the usually serious Yan Junying couldn’t help but wipe away a tear.
He had never imagined that after retiring, he would stand at the top of the world in this way.
Other staff members were already singing in celebration while tears streamed down their faces.
“Wooooo, ah! Damn!” Hao Qianyi was crying uncontrollably. “Damn it! I’m not even 20 and I’ve won a world championship! From now on, anyone who criticizes me can circle the globe!”
“You just won the championship, and you’re already thinking about this?” Wei Yabo wiped his tears while smacking Hao Qianyi on the back of the head. “Think about how to spend the prize money! Wooooo!”
Wei Yafeng covered his face, crying, but a smile tugged at his lips.
Jiang Min and Yu Hao exchanged a glance, both smiling with happiness.
Today, they had made WPL history.
They had won WPL’s first World Championship.
For a professional player, there was no greater satisfaction.
After the elaborate and solemn award ceremony, it was time for the customary post-match interview.
The MVP of the final went to Jiang Min, who had successfully backdoored in the last game.
Holding the MVP trophy, Jiang Min stood next to his teammates and coach, receiving an interview from the female host.
“Hello, Lollipop,” the female host, the leading host from the North American region, said, addressing Jiang Min, not using “Sugar God” like in China.
“Congratulations on winning MVP for this match. Please say a few words to the audience!”
“Hello everyone, I’m Lollipop, the 2nd position for JW.” Jiang Min introduced himself.
Although the North American audience felt a bit disappointed after their home team NG lost the match, they still clapped and cheered for JW in a friendly manner.
After the female host asked some usual questions, she brought up the final backdoor play.
“How did you make the decision at that moment?” the host asked. “Because with NG already besieging your base, sending someone to destroy NG’s base was actually a very risky choice.”
“Uh… I think it was trust,” Jiang Min replied.
Then… there was silence.
The female host, clearly unfamiliar with this interview genius from WPL, was momentarily stunned, unsure how to continue.
【Haha, just as expected, ‘if I say more, I’ll die’ series!】
【Hahahahaha!】
【I’ve decided, today I’m going full-on Sugar fan! My Sugar God TM is the world’s number one 2nd position!】
【Hahahaha, I’m not even going to work tomorrow! I’m too excited!】
The WPL live stream chat was filled with celebration.
“Uh, well… So, is it the trust between teammates?” the female host finally reacted. “But as I know, Lollipop, you only joined JW this year and were transferred for a high price from your previous club. How do you feel about that?”
“Uh…” Jiang Min thought for a moment, noticing Yu Hao was smiling at him, and then said, “I came to JW largely because of our captain’s encouragement, I’m really grateful to him.”
That was indeed the truth.
If it weren’t for Yu Hao’s insistence, JW wouldn’t have spent such a huge sum to buy Jiang Min’s transfer.
“Oh~” The female host continued, “So, how do you plan to thank your captain?”
“Uh…” Before Jiang Min could speak, Yu Hao, standing beside him, immediately grabbed the microphone.
He was grinning widely, showing a row of neat teeth, and spoke into the microphone, “Sugar has already thanked me. He promised to offer himself to me!”
The audience instantly exploded.
The people on stage had various expressions, and the female host looked stunned.
Yu Hao laughed loudly while putting his arm around Jiang Min’s shoulder, and Jiang Min helplessly covered his face, his ears turning bright red.
The moment was captured in a photo, becoming eternal.
Author’s note: Ah~~ this chapter is finally finished…
It all started because I often watched esports matches, which inspired this idea… I didn’t expect it to grow this big~
Thank you for the support all along!
I don’t know if there will be any extras… maybe there will be, haha.
See you again if fate allows! Kisses!
[mfn] This is the last chapter of the main story, and there is only one extra chapter left :((
If you enjoy my translations, you can show your support by leaving a comment or donating to my Ko-fi. It will be much appreciated. Thank you! -TL: YSIAD
![6-Minute Surrender [esports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/0cbcc685c90e15317844096a5132ce5247.jpg "6-Minute Surrender [esports]")
