TCWSITD – Chapter 18

Hi, this is strawberrypoptl! This extra chapter is dedicated to Noni who generously gave 2 kofis! Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 18 – Peak Performance

As expected, OT chose the blue side for the second game.

FOU banned three mid lane champions in a row: Tristana, Jayce, and Galio.

OT responded by banning two more mid laners: Twisted Fate and Lissandra.

The commentator joked, “Looks like FOU is fully committed to shutting Lin Jiang down. But OT isn’t having it either—clearly going for a ’no one gets to play’ strategy.”

With bans locked in, the draft phase began.

As the blue side, OT had first pick rights. Sure enough, they didn’t hesitate to lock in LeBlanc, The Deceiver.

The arena erupted in cheers.

No one had expected it—after six months of constant bans, Lin Jiang’s LeBlanc was finally back on stage.

Commentator: “It’s LeBlanc! river’s LeBlanc finally made it through the ban phase! What a clean pickup by OT. Now let’s see how FOU responds.”

A’Jue’s two best mid laners were Viktor and Twisted Fate.

Unfortunately, Twisted Fate was banned, and Viktor simply couldn’t stand up to LeBlanc in lane.

A’Jue’s face visibly darkened.

Meanwhile, the barrage was merciless with their ridicule—

[Hahaha our Jue is truly in despair]

[A’Jue: Are you f***ing serious right now???]

[A’Jue: Is this some kind of a joke?]

[Poor Jue—he could never beat Lin Jiang before, and even after Lin Jiang moved to OT, he still can’t win.]

[Can’t really blame Lin Jiang. A’Jue started it.]

[These two are stuck in a love-hate relationship.]

[I’m literally dying of laughter.]

The commentator suggested, “Maybe FOU should pick Ahri? Or play it safe with Azir and scale late?”

As the timer ticked down, FOU picked their top and jungle first, only giving A’Jue Azir with their second pick.

His teammates kept talking in voice chat, “Azir doesn’t do well against LeBlanc, really doesn’t. If they pick Lucian too, our early-game is screwed…”

Already frustrated, A’Jue couldn’t help but speak up, “Then what the hell can I pick that beats Lin Jiang’s LeBlanc?”

Lin Jiang’s LeBlanc was basically a bug in the league. Even when LeBlanc wasn’t a top-tier mid laner in the current meta, he could still pull off jaw-dropping plays—diving in and out seven times over—and made a name for himself with it.

“Don’t be afraid of the unknown.”

“He plays in a ridiculously insane way.”

“Absolutely insane.”

Out of sheer fear, FOU’s AD even locked in Ezreal just to try to stay alive.

The barrage was flooded with questions.

[What kind of dumbass lineup is this?]

[Azir paired with Ezreal? Do you even have any early-game damage?]

[Did LeBlanc scare the shit out of you guys?]

[Help, Lin Jiang really is FOU’s eternal nemesis…]

Both sides entered the game.

Just as FOU predicted, Lin Jiang’s LeBlanc played extremely freakishly. Right from the laning phase, he effortlessly chunked A’Jue’s health bar without taking any damage himself. During the mid-game, his pressure even caused A’Jue to miss several minions.

The jungler took one look at Lin Jiang’s LeBlanc and immediately lost all desire to gank mid. “A’Jue, you’re on your own,” he said, before heading straight for Song Zhixu in the top lane.

Song Zhixu was playing Ornn this game. He’d been in good form lately and was performing quite well.

FOU’s top laner had picked Renekton and gained an early advantage during the laning phase, but Song Zhixu played so cautiously that no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t kill him.

“Jungler, come top for a gank”

“Got it, on my way.”

Before A’Deng realized the enemy was targeting top, Lin Jiang warned him over voice comms. “They’re probably heading top. A’Deng, move up. Song Zhixu, be careful and don’t die.”

A’Deng obediently moved toward top lane. Sure enough, he ran into FOU’s top and jungler ganking Song Zhixu. He rushed in to help, but as the fight dragged on, it became clear they were completely outmatched.

Sensing danger, Song Zhixu turned tail and ran. “Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!”

Just then, the enemy Renekton hit Level 6. He flashed in, used his ultimate and instantly stunned A’Deng—killing him in three swift strikes.

First Blood.

A’Deng: !!!

He hadn’t expected Renekton’s combo to be that fast.

Song Zhixu’s face paled in terror as he desperately fled. Just when he thought he was doomed—

Bang! Bang!

A double-dash combo[mfn]Distortion (W) – mobility and damage Mimic (Q) – ultimate ability used to mimic a previous ability W for initial mobility, then mimic it with R to reposition or dodge skillshots[/mfn] of W-R, and a sly LeBlanc wielding her staff appeared in his vision.

It was Lin Jiang! Lin Jiang had come to save him!

Song Zhixu was so moved he nearly cried.

Lin Jiang’s double-dash dropped him onto Position 3, where he instantly cast his E-Q combo[mfn]Ethereal Chains (E) – this ability roots an enemy, dealing damage initially and then again if the root duration is not interrupted; Sigil of Malice (Q) – this ability marks an enemy with a sigil, and if the enemy takes damage from another ability, it will be consumed for bonus damage[/mfn]. Ethereal Chains shot out, snaring Renekton mid-motion.

LeBlanc’s chain is a crowd control ability with delayed effect—after landing, it takes 1.5 seconds of tethering to trigger the imprisonment effect.

At this point, Renekton’s ultimate was still active. Seeing the fragile little LeBlanc, his eyes gleamed with the instinctive bloodlust of a predator.

The massive Renekton loomed over the slender Lin Jiang, an overwhelming aura of terror radiating from him.

He mercilessly swung his blade, activating his Q[mfn]Ruthless Predator (Q) – this ability, allows him to swing his blade, dealing moderate physical damage to nearby enemies and healing him for a portion of the damage dealt[/mfn], ready to tear this arrogant LeBlanc to shreds!

If Lin Jiang got hit by Renekton’s empowered Q[mfn]Empowered (Q) – Red Fury: when Renekton’s Fury bar is full, using Ruthless Predator will empower it, making it deal more damage and heal for a larger amount.[/mfn], not only would he take massive damage, but Renekton would also heal at least a third of his HP. At that point, forget killing Renekton—Lin Jiang would be lucky to escape alive!

Watching this unfold, Song Zhixu’s heart sank.

At this stage of the game, no one could beat Renekton while his ultimate was still active!

And FOU’s top laner was no fool. He was the strongest player on his team. Song Zhixu had to give everything he had just to stay alive in lane against him. How could Lin Jiang possibly kill him?

Everyone held their breath, watching Lin Jiang’s next move. Just as Renekton’s blade was about to slash Lin Jiang’s face, Lin Jiang flashed a long-lost smile.

The LeBlanc under his control mirrored his confident, charming smile. “Watch closely!”

Their smiles matched perfectly, and the fingers dancing across the keyboard moved in perfect sync with LeBlanc’s staff on screen.

Right before Renekton’s killing blow could connect, LeBlanc vanished—using her second R to blink back to her marked position.

That blink didn’t just let her dodge Renekton’s empowered Q—she stayed just close enough to keep her chain locked in.

With a sharp bang, Renekton was rooted in place for 1.5 seconds!

LeBlanc’s burst damage was immense. The damage from her E skill, combined with the triggered mark from her Q, was just enough to kill Renekton on the spot.

{System} You have slain an enemy!

The cold, mechanical system voice rang out, and everyone at the venue felt goosebumps crawl up their arms.

Under Renekton’s giant blade, in a rage-fueled state, Lin Jiang had actually killed him in an instant—without taking even a single scratch!

Could this be—

Lin Jiang’s true strength ?!

But it didn’t end there. Lin Jiang activated the second cast of his W, returning to his starting position. By sheer precision—or foresight—the enemy jungler was right there. Lin Jiang boxed him in and hunted him down without mercy.

Double Kill!

It was crucial to note that LeBlanc’s W mark only lasted four seconds. To pull this off, Lin Jiang had to execute the entire sequence—initiate, chain, kill, reposition, re-engage—all within that tight window.

The crowd was absolutely floored.

Fans had seen Lin Jiang play countless utility mid laners, but when he unleased his mechanical showcase, it was honestly more thrilling than watching Alike himself.

The commentator nearly lost it. “My god, did River calculate every landing point in advance? At what point did he even start planning this?!”

In the replay, everyone could clearly see that Lin Jiang had trapped the enemy jungler’s position—and only then began his entire combo sequence.

Lin Jiang had it all planned out from the start.

What followed was seamless—every input smooth and natural, like it was just muscle memory. Like breathing.

Keep in mind, Lin Jiang was a veteran player with four years of professional experience. So how was it possible for his mechanics to outshine even the younger players and rookies?

Having just pulled off an otherworldly play, Lin Jiang remained as calm as if he’d simply gone downstairs to grab a drink. “I’ll push the top wave for you. Don’t get greedy. Recall immediately after clearing it.”

Song Zhixu’s pupils trembled.

He had witnessed the entire play unfold—every one of Lin Jiang’s moves etched in his mind.

Never before had the gap between them felt so vast. Lin Jiang stood at the pinnacle, while he remained at the foot of the mountain.

Between them lay an impossible chasm—one that couldn’t be crossed.

Was he…

… even qualified to be Lin Jiang’s teammate?

Thump, thump—his heart pounded wildly in his chest.

He thought of how Lin Jiang never missed a day of solo practice with him; thought about the coffee Lin Jiang brewed every morning; thought about Lin Jiang’s hands as he sat on the floor helping them change equipment…

What excuse did he have not to give his all?

Song Zhixu poured in everything he had, focused only on playing better—and then even better…

By the end of the match, Lin Jiang secured 12 kills and 7 assists, with a terrifying 95% team fight participation rate, leaving the enemy no chance to resist, ending the game in just 30 minutes.

Shen Ju’s Lucian created several iconic moments, and Zhou Wen initiated several flawless team fights.

Even Song Zhixu felt like he’d unlocked some secret inner power—completely shutting down the enemy’s Renekton, not letting him engage even once.

It truly lived up to the barrage—

[OT Team, everyone come sit down for dinner.]

[Except the jungler, though.]

[The jungler really needs to kowtow to Lin Jiang.]

[If not for Lin Jiang’s performance, A’Deng would’ve been flamed to oblivion.]

After the game, A Jue’s slump was obvious to everyone watching. He started doubting himself—was he really never going to beat Lin Jiang?

The jungler tried to cheer him up. “It’s fine. Lin Jiang’s LeBlanc is just on another level. Losing to him is normal.”

The commentators watching from the stage couldn’t help but sweat for Lin Jiang. “I have a feeling river won’t get his LeBlanc again for the rest of the tournament.”

The co-commentator chimed in, “What makes you say that?”

“Because it’s just too much of a bug! This isn’t something any ordinary player can pull off. river’s LeBlanc has reached a god-like level!”

The barrage erupted again with overlapping opinions—

[The moment I saw Lin Jiang picked LeBlanc, I knew it was a win.]

[FOU are absolute idiots for letting Lin Jiang have LeBlanc.]

[Who said earlier that Lin Jiang couldn’t carry OT? Isn’t this a textbook carry?]

[Since joining OT, Lin Jiang’s been crushing it. Beating FOU? That makes OT a solid mid-tier team at least.]

[Or maybe… FOU just got worse?]

[A’Jue has always had a Lin Jiang phobia, what’s there to brag about? No matter which team Lin Jiang joins, A’Jue can’t beat him.]

[Let’s just say Lin Jiang still holds the record for the mid laner with the highest win-rate. Haters are fuming.]

[Lin Jiang’s LeBlanc is just ridiculous.]

Just how overpowered was Lin Jiang’s LeBlanc?

So OP that even his own teammate, Song Zhixu, blurted out, “Captain, how are you this cracked?!”

Lin Jiang raised an eyebrow.

“Insulting the captain. 200 yuan fine.”

Song Zhixu hurriedly backtracked, “Ah, no! I was complimenting you, Captain! Captain, Captain, I’m broke. If you fine me 200, I’ll have nothing to eat…”

“Perfect. Maybe it’ll teach you a lesson so next time you won’t let a Renekton push your Ornn under tower.”

“Noooo, Captain, I was wrong, I swear…“

Lin Jiang might’ve looked mild-mannered on the surface, but when it came to putting people in their place, he never held back.

He packed up his gear and led the way out. They were almost at the team bus, and Song Zhixu was still following behind, whining endlessly.

Shen Ju, thoroughly annoyed, kicked him. “Can you shut the hell up? You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Song Zhixu gave a small pout—

—but zipped it instantly.

As they were about to leave, OT’s team bus happened to stop right beside KUG’s. The entire KUG team was already seated, ready to depart.

Then, out of nowhere, Alike rolled down his window, chin tilted slightly at Lin Jiang. “Lin Jiang. Hop in. We need to talk.”

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