ATIBTF Chapter 94

After the LSQ draw, the last two teams, MVP and AFK, were automatically matched against each other.

With that, the matchups for the quarterfinals were all set.

Defending champions NG will face the only remaining Korean team PH, North American powerhouse LSQ will face WPL Spring Champion JW, M Country dark horse MVP will face AFK, and the European clash ING will face OWG.

“Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! How is it LSQ?!” Hao Qianyi cried out in frustration, holding his head in his hands, “This is it! I even told my friends that if we don’t make the top four, I’ll swim back! We’re done for, done for, done for!”

“Why are you shouting so loudly?” Wei Yabo pretended to dig in his ears, making an exaggerated disgusted face. “We have to play anyway. Being anxious and scared won’t help.”

As the first player, Wei Yabo was actually quite calm. He wasn’t easily thrown off and didn’t have an impulsive personality.

This was rare.

Because many teams’ first players were reckless, and once they got emotional, it was easy for the opponents to find an opening.

Wei Yabo, though also reckless at times, knew when to hold back, and under Yu Hao’s leadership, he usually could rein it in.

“But it’s LSQ!” Hao Qianyi, now the only one shouting in the room, was confused. “Don’t you think they’re scary?”

In this year’s Global Points Tournament P City Substation, JW didn’t make the finals because they lost to LSQ.

“LSQ?” Yu Hao crossed his arms. “It’s fine, we lost to them in the P City Substation, so it’s time to get revenge. Right, Sugar God?”

“Yeah.” Jiang Min nodded.

“Exactly, we need to get revenge!” Wei Yafeng said too.

Hao Qianyi was dumbfounded: “You guys don’t think they’re hard to beat?”

“It’s fine.” Coach Yan Junying had already started seriously analyzing the game strategy. “As long as we don’t get crushed in the early game, we still have a chance in the later stages.”

LSQ is strong because of its laning phase.

This is a team that plays at a very fast pace.

Once they establish an advantage in the laning phase, they immediately snowball the lead.

It seems they enjoy the feeling of crushing their opponents with a massive advantage.

“I can guarantee to stabilize the mid lane,” Jiang Min said. “In fact… I should be able to suppress them.”

LSQ’s mid laner, the number 2 player, isn’t a very famous player, but is known for being steady.

From a personal skill perspective, Jiang Min had watched a few of their matches, and he felt that it shouldn’t be difficult to suppress him.

However, LSQ’s number 3, the captain, is very strong.

The synergy between their 3rd and 4th players is excellent, making it very difficult for the 1st and 5th players from the opposing team to perform well in their lanes.

If the first player can’t farm in the early game, has no experience, and gets killed a few times, their mentality will explode, and the match will end quickly. This is one of LSQ’s usual strategies.

That’s right, LSQ is a team that really likes to target the 1st player.

After all, this meta is still one where the first player bears the brunt, so as long as the enemy’s first player is silenced, LSQ is basically guaranteed to win.

“So, the key to this match is on Yabo?” Yu Hao asked after hearing Yan Junying’s brief analysis.

“Mm.” Yan Junying looked at Wei Yabo.

Wei Yabo scratched the back of his head. “Hmm, no matter how tough it gets, it can’t be worse than special training, right?”

Yan Junying’s lips curled into a smile.

As soon as Wei Yabo saw his coach’s expression, he shuddered.

“Yabo, you’ll train with me these next couple of days.” The coach’s devilish tone struck Wei Yabo like a blow.

Wei Yabo’s face immediately turned pale.

He had already deeply experienced how terrifying the coach’s “1v1” luxury training was during the World Championship preparation phase.

If possible, he really didn’t want to go through it again.

However, reality left him no choice.

Losing to LSQ would mean JW would be heading home, and he’d most likely be the one to blame. So… he’d just have to endure it!

“Everyone else will continue regular training. Van Emperor has arranged a few scrims for us, so we’ll keep working on our team synergy.” Yan Junying continued, “After the scrims, we’ll start targeted training.”

And so, JW began preparing for their quarterfinals match against LSQ.

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The first match of the quarterfinals was NG vs. PH.

It has to be said, this was an incredibly exciting match.

Many people initially thought NG would win easily.

After all, PH was strong but not yet at the level of top-tier teams, and they had recently swapped players, so their synergy wasn’t on par with NG, whose five-man roster had been together for years.

However, PH put up a strong fight against NG.

They dragged the series to a full BO5, with the final game lasting over an hour, almost breaking the WOC’s record for the longest match duration.

PH’s mid laner, DNA, stood out, but even more surprising was the performance of their 5th player.

As veteran commentator Uncle Yuan put it, it had been a long time since such a talented 5th player appeared on the WOC stage.

The support they provided came earlier than expected, and their ward placements were exceptionally tricky, not the usual spots players would use.

They were very decisive in initiating teamfights, provided ample control abilities, protected their team’s carries well, and often managed to escape narrowly.

All these performances didn’t seem like those of a rookie debuting in the World Championship.

Though PH was eliminated in the quarterfinals, DNA and their young 5th player proved their value.

After PH’s unfortunate loss, NG became the first team to advance to the semifinals.

Next up was the match between MVP and AFK.

Although MVP comes from the relatively strong North American region in the WOC professional league, it hasn’t been around for long. This time, they made it to the World Championship, emerging as a dark horse among many strong teams.

AFK is a true “scheming” team.

Don’t be fooled by Shu Lou’s usually gloomy demeanor—on the field, he’s a master strategist, even leading the entire team with a bit of deviousness.

Although the WPL region isn’t considered strong globally, AFK, as the top team from the region, has participated in many world-class competitions and has a lot of experience.

In the end, the match between MVP and AFK ended with AFK winning 3:1.

For the first time, WPL has a team in the semifinals this year.

The third match was an intra-European battle between ING and QWG, where the two teams were evenly matched.

ING won the match 3:2.

The last match of the quarterfinals was LSG vs. JW.

On the day of the match, all of AFK’s players were at the arena, sitting in the designated area to cheer for their fellow team, JW.

After the quarterfinals, there would be a five-day break before the semifinals.

After intense training and matches, both the players and coaching staff needed a break to catch their breath.

Thus, the team leader arranged for everyone to come to the arena to watch the match.

It would be a way to relax while also cheering on their regional teammates, JW.

“Captain, I heard that LSG particularly likes targeting the first position,” AFK’s 5th player, Ring, whispered to Shu Lou. “I wonder if JW’s Cypress can handle it.”

Shu Lou said, “I’m not familiar with Cypress, but I heard that both JW’s 1st and 5th players were discovered by their captain, Yu Hao, from high-level pub games. They’re twins, so their synergy should be just as good as the opposing team’s, right?”

Flow, watching JW preparing in the competition room, said, “That’s not certain. LSG’s 3rd player is ‘Muffin,’ known as the world’s best 3rd player. JW’s laning phase might be tough.”

Shu Lou sighed, “Sigh, whatever, let’s just enjoy the match. Hopefully, Ah Min and the others can make it to the semifinals.”

Ring added, “Of course we’re all looking forward to it! If there are two WPL teams in the top four, who would dare say our WPL region is weak?”

Flow patted Ring on the shoulder, “But you have to win the championship to really claim you’re strong.”

Ring puffed out his chest, “Of course! Let’s work hard! We’ll succeed!”

Shu Lou smiled.

Young people are full of passion and energy.

He turned to look at the stage, his expression becoming serious.

The match between JW and LSG was definitely going to be a tough one.

While the audience and commentators outside the arena were all certain that JW was either actively strategizing or mentally preparing the players for the upcoming tough battle, the atmosphere inside JW’s team room was quite different.

Hao Qianyi: “Damn it! Can you two not steal my food for one day?!”

He was referring to the twins stealing his chicken leg at lunch.

Wei Yabo: “What’s the big deal? I’m the one under pressure today! Can’t I show a little love to my teammates?”

Hao Qianyi: “It’s not just that! You two each got one, and the chicken leg that Emperor Fan specially added for me got stolen by you guys!”

Wei Yafeng: “My brother’s the 1st position, so he has a lot of pressure. As the 5th position, I have to take care of him. I need to look after him, support you all, place wards, and provide supplies. Can’t I take care of the poor little support too?”

Hao Qianyi: “I’m hungry! I don’t care! After the match, I’m eating ten chicken legs!”

Yu Hao: “Exactly, that’s why you’re hungry. If you ask me, Emperor Fan shouldn’t have given you the extra chicken leg. You eat too much and it’ll make you sluggish.”

Hao Qianyi is indeed known for his big appetite, but he has another quirk.

When he eats too much, he often makes uncharacteristic mistakes. On the other hand, when he’s hungry, he tends to perform beyond expectations.

In this match against LSG, with the world’s best 3rd position, Muffin, on the opposing team, JW’s little Haozi, though young and inexperienced, might turn into a mutant super mouse when hungry, and might even give Muffin a run for his money.

Hao Qianyi, still pretending to cry: “I’m going to report you guys! You’re abusing a minor! You won’t even let me eat enough!”

Hao Qianyi, being the youngest in the team, often jokes about being a minor, even though he’s just about to turn 19 and has been competing since he was underage.

Jiang Min coldly chimed in: “You’re already an adult.”

Hao Qianyi “cried” even louder: “Waa, why are you two like this, Sugar God!”

JW’s pre-match voice chat was nothing like the tense atmosphere one would expect before a major match.

Coach Yan Junying sighed behind the players.

Could it be… that the psychological coaching he gave the players earlier had gone too far, making them too relaxed?

[mfn]You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you and Enjoy reading! ❤️ -TL: Ysiad [/mfn]