CH 54

The WPL Spring Season opening ceremony officially began.

This time, the organizers invited several well-known DJs to liven up the atmosphere on the field.

Because it is a domestic competition, the schedule is relatively tight. The opening ceremony is relatively simple compared to large international events.

It’s nothing more than bringing out the twelve teams from the First League to make a collective appearance.

However, the audience is still looking forward to the rare scene of all twelve teams parading together.

Therefore, even though many players complained that coming to the venue for the opening ceremony might be a hassle for just walking around, the official did not cancel this item.

The DJs invited by the organizers are popular figures who are active in various music programs and platforms.

The DJ mixed the music released by WOC over the years, turning it into a background music that is both exciting and dynamic.

The three commentators are also in position.

As commentators for the opening ceremony and debut match, these three not only have to commentate on the game but also need to liven up the atmosphere during the team parade.

“Alright, dear audience, the music is playing, and our opening ceremony is about to begin,” Uncle Yuan said.

Ruby: “According to tradition, each team will appear in order based on the points ranking from the previous season.”

Lack: “The fans at the venue have already started getting excited. It seems that after a break, everyone is really looking forward to the start of the new season.”

Uncle Yuan: “Speaking of which, this officially arranged parade event wouldn’t be an opportunity for each team to advertise, would it?”

Ruby pretending not to know: “What advertising, Uncle Yuan?”

“Just for the team uniforms! As we all know, the sale of team peripherals is a considerable source of income for major teams.”

Lack: “Hahaha, Uncle Yuan’s speculation might be quite accurate!”

The commentators continued bantering.

At this moment, the music changed, and it was time for the first team to take the stage.

The host below the stage announced with a deep voice, “Next, let’s welcome each team for this season!”

“Let’s welcome BBG!”

The five members of BBG appeared on the stage in their new season uniforms, then awkwardly and cautiously approached each other before finally managing to walk to the front of the stage in a somewhat orderly manner.

It seemed like after a break, the players were a bit uncomfortable appearing in the spotlight and in front of the audience. Their eyes darted around, and after quickly bowing, they prepared to move to their designated positions.

On the four-sided stage of the Storm Esports Arena, each team’s flag was displayed in various positions.

The fifth player of BBG instinctively moved to the left.

“Hey hey hey, over here!” exclaimed BBG’s team captain while covering his face.

Even though they had rehearsed this, the player seemed to have a lapse in memory!

So, the young support hurriedly and nervously turned around, taking small steps to catch up with his own team.

The official live chat was very lively.

【Hahaha, the first team to enter is already getting confused?】

【BBG is setting a good example! I wonder how the other teams will perform】

【When is JW coming out? I want to see my sugar god】

【It’s still early for JW, the third-place team from last season, probably the third to last to come out】

【Luo Shen Luo Shen, I love you!】

However, except for BBG’s initial mishap, the following teams all smoothly and successfully stood in front of their respective flags.

But the expressions of these gaming enthusiasts were indeed a bit awkward. Almost all of them took quick steps to the front, bowed rapidly, and swiftly stood in front of their flags, as if afraid of exposing themselves in front of the camera for an extra minute.

With the development of the esports league, player earnings have started to show results. However, regardless of how clubs and the officials want to boost the industry economy by promoting star players, these young individuals accustomed to facing computers are rarely willing to actively showcase themselves in front of the camera.

The result of the preceding teams’ runway show was that soon it was the turn of last season’s top three teams.

“Who’s standing in the middle?” A staff member once again confirmed with the JW team before they went on stage.

“It has to be Sugar God, right in the center!” immediately said Hao Qianyi.

No one else objected.

Therefore, the sequence of JW’s five members from left to right was Wei Yabo, Hao Qianyi, Jiang Min, Yu Hao, and Wei Yafeng.

Jiang Min stood in the backstage darkness, took a few steps forward, stepped onto the stairs, and ascended to the stage.

The cheers from the audience, mixed with the music, echoed in harmony, and the spotlight focused on the stage, outlining a bright and glamorous world.

Stepping onto it, the new season truly began.

“Let’s go, Sugar Sugar,” Yu Hao’s voice brought Jiang Min back to his senses.

Jiang Min turned to look at Captain Yu, as well as his not-so-new new teammates.

After transferring to JW, the training results were pretty good.

Believe in teammates, believe in oneself, and with the new season comes a fresh start.

“Introducing, JW!” The host’s voice came, signaling JW’s time to take the stage.

The five of them walked onto the stage in unison.

The cheers from the audience instantly intensified.

Although JW’s WOC division had been established for a relatively short time, the achievements were quite good, garnering quite a few fans.

As the five of them walked to the front of the stage, bowed to the audience, and straightened up, Jiang Min caught a glimpse of CC’s team flag in the front left corner, realizing that You Guanyu was staring at him.

As usual, an unfriendly gaze.

Jiang Min only glanced once and no longer paid attention to the players from his old team.

He was no longer a member of CC; he should look forward.

After JW’s appearance, OVO, the second-place team from last season, and then AFK, the first-place team, took the stage.

After all twelve teams had made their appearance, the host briefly hyped up the atmosphere, and the opening ceremony was considered over.

The opening ceremony was just a small episode for today; what truly captured attention was the upcoming opening match.

As members from other teams gradually exited, JW and BBG entered the preparation room for their match.

The Storm Esports Arena is a large indoor venue, specifically invested in by S City for hosting esports events.

WPL matches have always drawn a full house, with so many spectators. In order to ensure that players are not disturbed during the game, each team has a soundproof glass booth.

However, even with the soundproof booth, it may not completely isolate the enthusiastic cheers from the audience. Therefore, players also wear double-layered headphones.

The outer layer is soundproof headphones, and the inner layer is the actual communication headset used for team communication.

As the players from JW and BBG, the participants in the opening match, adjusted their equipment in their respective booths, the focus was on their keyboards and mice.

Keyboards and mice are the weapons of professional players, and when entering the battlefield, they naturally bring their most comfortable and familiar set.

“Alright, we can see that the players and coaches of JW and BBG are already preparing in their respective booths. Let’s wait a bit, and the opening match of the Spring Season is about to begin,” said  Uncle Yuan from the commentator’s desk.

“This season, both JW and BBG have undergone changes. JW replaced their mid-laner, with Sugar God taking the place of the retired South. On the other hand, BBG has acquired a new position 1 player, Tofu,” Ruby commented, looking into the camera.

Lack: “Indeed, Sugar God needs no introduction, a top-tier mid-laner in WPL. As for Tofu, this player had a decent performance in last year’s international points stage.”

Ruby: “Personally, I’m really looking forward to seeing JW’s games. We all know that Sugar God has been with CC since the beginning of his career, and now, with this transfer to the entirely different style of JW, I believe everyone is curious about how he’ll perform this season.”

Lack teased: “I heard Ruby is a crazy fan of Sugar God, one of the representatives of Sugar Blowers, often confessing her love on Weibo from a distance?”

Ruby, a bit embarrassed, smiled: “What confessions? That’s just fan behavior, okay?”

Jiang Min, with both skill and good looks, has won the hearts of many female fans, including quite a few who are actually official staff members.

Ruby, as an official commentator, joined WPL only in the last couple of years.

She has publicly declared herself as a devoted fan of Sugar God more than once.

“Oh?” Uncle Yuan observed the situation in the match room, “I wonder if something has happened with JW. They seem to be hesitating and discussing something instead of taking their seats.”

Mainly it’s between Hao Qianyi and Yu Hao, with Jiang Min standing in the middle helplessly.

Hao Qianyi: “Captain, as the third position, I need Sugar God’s radiance to encourage me when we move together in the early game. So, I think I should sit next to Sugar God!”

Yu Hao: “No, you sit on the far end. I’ll sit with Sugar Sugar.”

“I can’t bear it if Sugar God doesn’t sit next to me!”

Jiang Min: “………”

According to convention, the mid laner sits in the middle of the five, with the 1st and 5th positions on either side, and the 3rd and 4th positions on the other side.

However, Hao Qianyi and Yu Hao, specifically regarding who sits next to the mid laner in the 3rd and 4th positions, had a disagreement.

“Players, please take your seats quickly; our match is about to start.” The referee couldn’t stand it anymore and reminded them.

“Don’t mess around; sit down quickly!” Coach Bai Yin was also speechless about these two childish players arguing before the match.

Finally, Jiang Min stepped in to resolve the issue: “How about I sit in the middle of you two? Yu Team sits in the C position, I’ll take the fourth seat, and Mouse the last one. Is that okay?”

He looked at the referee with an inquiring expression.

The referee nodded: “It doesn’t matter; you can adjust the seating order yourselves.”

Thus, the war between Mouse and Yu Team over seating arrangements came to an end.

On the BBG side, they had long been prepared.

On the commentary desk, the three commentators, along with the audience, noticed that JW’s players had sat down in an unconventional order.

“Is there any significance to JW’s seating arrangement? Isn’t the mid-laner usually in the middle?” Ruby expressed her confusion.

Both Uncle Yuan and Lack seemed unaware of the situation.

Lack said, “Maybe they are planning to focus on the captain, Honor, this player? So they let him sit in the C position?”

Uncle Yuan added, “How each team sits is up to the team’s freedom. Maybe they are accustomed to sitting like this during their regular training.”

JW was finally ready and signaled to the referee.

The referee communicated with the BBG’s opposing team in the battle room and then gave the command to start the match.

Both teams’ five players and coaches took their positions.

The WPL Spring Season opening match officially began.

————-

The first phase was the Ban-Pick (BP) process.

Compared to the previous season, this season underwent only minor adjustments and no major changes.

Therefore, each team’s BP style continued from the previous season, adapting to the current version.

Both sides first chose 4th and 5th positions as double supports. Regarding the decision for the 3rd position, they both opted for front-line heroes capable of resisting and initiating team fights.

For the last two picks, they both went for double carries (ADC and APC).

BBG had the first pick and chose the commonly used mid-lane Holy Knight.

The opposing mid-laner had been revealed, but JW Coach Bai Yin’s BP style was always cautious. He chose to leave the mid-lane pick as the last.

Therefore, in the second-to-last pick, JW chose the physical damage output hero, Demon Assassin, who comes with an armor reduction aura.

BBG’s 1st position went for the Velociraptor.

In the final pick, it was finally Jiang Min’s turn.

“Sugar God, what should we pick for this match?” Bai Yin respected the players’ opinions in terms of BP, so he wanted to hear Jiang Min’s thoughts first.

“The opposing team has the high-speed, quickly supporting 4th position Elf Archer and the 3rd position Dark Moon Knight. Our overall mobility is relatively poor. I think we can choose Chaos Angel to enhance my mid-lane support capabilities,” Jiang Min expressed his thoughts.

Chaos Angel, with the ultimate skill “Descent,” can target any hero on the map, take off from any location, and instantly arrive at the designated spot.

“I agree with Sugar Sugar’s view.” Before the coach could speak, Yu Hao blurted out first.

Knowing Yu Hao’s tendency to support Jiang Min, Coach Bai rolled his eyes internally.

This guy, no matter what Sugar God says, he’ll just cheer for it!

However, Bai Yin also genuinely approved of Jiang Min’s idea and locked in Chaos Angel as the 2nd mid-lane pick in the last selection.

BP concluded, and both coaches left the battle rooms, shaking hands amicably before leaving the stage.

On the commentary desk, the commentators briefly analyzed the BP.

Uncle Yuan: “In terms of mobility, BBG does indeed have better map rotation ability. However, JW chose Demon Assassin, a hero with a natural armor reduction aura. This should cause significant trouble for BBG’s 3rd position Dark Moon Knight, who relies mainly on armor for defense.”

Lack: “Sugar God’s pick of Chaos Angel enhances the support capability in the mid-lane. From previous matches, Sugar God’s personal damage calculations for Chaos Angel have been very accurate. Let’s look forward to how Sugar God’s Chaos Angel will perform today.”

Ruby: “Alright, we can see that the director has switched to the game screen. So, the first match of the WPL Spring Season, the opening battle between BBG and JW, has officially begun.”

The match started.

Both teams’ players first gathered together, forming a five-person group, and simultaneously entered the jungle area, attempting to probe each other.

At level one, Wei Yabo’s Demon Assassin activated the passive armor reduction aura. If they encountered each other head-on, BBG’s heroes within the aura range would likely suffer from weakened armor.

However, the early AOE ability of Dark Moon Knight is also not to be underestimated, so both sides were cautious.

The two teams encountered each other in the river.

Yu Hao’s Warden was the first to use the skill “Soul Imprisonment.”

This skill imprisons the hit hero, whether ally or enemy, for 3 seconds. During the imprisonment, the hero becomes immune to all damage.

Therefore, it is a skill to control a single enemy and, at the same time, a divine skill to save teammates.

The target of “Soul Imprisonment” was the opposing 1st position Velociraptor.

Seeing the 1st position being imprisoned, BBG wanted to encircle their own 1st position to protect him.

Getting the 1st position killed in the early game would be very damaging.

But JW had no intention of letting them succeed.

At level 3, the Centaur, charging forward, lifted two opponents, and the Demon Assassin and Chaos Angel seized the opportunity to engage, breaking up the enemy formation.

When Velociraptor woke up, surprisingly, there were no teammates around. He took quite a beating for no reason.

Fortunately, Velociraptor had the skill “Stomp,” which allowed him to jump a certain distance forward, escaping certain death.

However, his health was already very low.

At level 1, with no money and unable to purchase supplies, he could only consume a teleport scroll to return home and replenish.

Missing a primary damage dealer, BBG had to retreat.

At this point, the minions were about to arrive in the lanes, and JW gave up on actively pursuing further.

Overall, JW had the advantage in the level 1 engagement.

Entering the laning phase.

BBG’s second position was considerably behind Jiang Min in terms of skill, and he had been pressured by him since the early game.

Not only that, but Jiang Min also continuously applied curses, making it difficult for BBG’s second position to sustain his health, playing very uncomfortably.

“Bot lane missing, possibly going mid. Be careful, Sugar God,” Wei Yafeng reported.

In this match, JW was on the blue side, and BBG was on the red side.

Bot lane was the confrontation between the twin brothers, positions 1 and 5, against positions 3 and 4 on the opposite side.

There was indeed a noticeable gap between BBG and JW. The matchup between positions 3 and 4 and the Gold-Silver Bread Brothers was being dominated.

Therefore, they might be planning to shift their focus and pressure the mid lane.

Because Chaos Angel is a hero that relies heavily on items, with no ultimate and no mobility in the early game, it is relatively easy to kill.

Upon receiving information from teammates, Jiang Min naturally became more cautious.

The Elf Archer’s “Piercing Arrow” came first from the dark vision. The opponents thought Jiang Min hadn’t noticed that they would flank mid from the river below.

However, everything was seen by Jiang Min.

The reason was that he had quite competent teammates.

When Yu Hao and Wei Yafeng were roaming in the early game, they had already placed important wards in crucial positions.

It must be admitted that Little Fish and Silver Bun were skilled at warding, often placing them in unexpected locations that were not easily cleared by the opponents but provided ample vision.

Jiang Min detected the movements of the opponents, slightly retreated toward his team’s turret, but he remained calm. He saw that Yu Hao from the top lane was already heading their way.

Since Qian Yi alone could hold the top lane, as soon as Yu Hao noticed the opponents attempting to collapse mid, he immediately came to help the mid lane.

A Paladin’s stun hammer was dodged by Jiang Min.

In response, Jiang Min applied a curse debuff to the Paladin.

The Elf Archer and the opposing Position 3, the Darkmoon Knight, appeared in the mid lane.

The Chaos Angel’s basic attacks had a splash effect, hitting all surrounding targets when attacking any enemy.

Without hesitation, Jiang Min, as soon as the opposing Position 3 and 4 appeared in the mid lane, first cursed the squishy and low-health Elf Archer. Then, using positioning and the support of the turret, he delayed time, applying a curse to the Darkmoon Knight as soon as the skill cooldowns were complete.

At this point, all three members of BBG, who came to surround the mid lane, were cursed.

Their Position 5, the Light Sacrificer, did have the skill “Holy Light Dispersion,” which could dispel curses. However, he was currently restricted by Qian Yi in the top lane and couldn’t leave.

BBG’s three members had already arrived in the mid lane and didn’t want to return empty-handed. Therefore, they prepared to bravely push the turret and kill the Chaos Angel.

The result was a spectacular display of movement by the Chaos Angel around the defensive turret. Despite losing some health from basic attacks, he managed to dodge all targeted skills.

The cheers of the audience echoed in the Storm Esports Arena, expressing admiration and approval for Jiang Min.

Uncle Yuan: “Sugar God’s positioning is impeccable; in the league, he should be among the top.”

Ruby: “There’s data showing that Sugar God has the lowest probability of getting hit by skills among all mid-laners in the WPL league.”

Lack: “There’s such statistics? Ruby, are you making this up?”

Uncle Yuan, Ruby, and Lack had teamed up for commentary many times, often teasing each other.

Ruby: “No, this is officially released data!”

Uncle Yuan: “Alright, in the footage, we can see that Yu Team’s Jailor is approaching the mid lane, and JW is about to engage in a 2v3!”

The Jailor approaching the mid lane signaled Jiang Min to retreat.

Yu Hao: “Sugar, fall back a bit; let the turret hit them! They can’t handle it early game.”

Jiang Min: “Okay. I think we can kill these three.”

Jiang Min couldn’t handle a 1v3 because his items were not fully formed yet. However, in the process of delaying time, he deliberately kept an eye on the opponent’s status, ensuring that those three were always under the “Curse” debuff.

Yu Hao: “Good! If you say we can kill, we can kill!”

Jiang Min: “Wait a moment, I’ll calculate the timing.”

Yu Hao naturally knew that when Jiang Min said ‘timing,’ he meant the duration of the curse. He had to ensure that he could detonate it when the curse stacked to ten layers, causing maximum damage.

“Alright, waiting for your signal.”

Yu Hao supported the mid lane, avoiding the opponent’s known ward locations. He believed that even if the top lane reported MISSING, the three members of BBG probably didn’t know where he would come from.

He crouched in the trees beside the mid lane, waiting for Jiang Min’s signal.

“Now!”

As soon as Jiang Min’s voice fell, the Jailor charged out, immediately lifting the three members of BBG with his ultimate and, relying on the melee weapon’s splash damage shield, delivered a series of powerful blows.

BBG didn’t back down either; the Paladin smashed down the Holy Hammer, causing area-of-effect damage on the ground.

But just before that, Jiang Min had reached level 6 by last-hitting a minion.

At level 6, he had his ultimate.

Before the area-of-effect damage caused by the Holy Hammer could take effect, the Chaos Angel had already activated 【Descent】, taking flight.

The landing spot was right in the center of the three BBG members.

Although the skill range was displayed before their eyes, they were already too late to dodge.

The Chaos Angel descended from the sky, briefly stunning the three in place.

The Jailor stood in front, ensuring that after the BBG trio revived, they wouldn’t directly harm the Chaos Angel behind.

However, before the BBG trio could make a move, the time had come.

【Curse】 detonated.

Instantly, all three fell to the ground.

Under the combined effects of early-game turret attacks, the Chaos Angel’s curse, and the Jailor’s swings, their health had reached the lethal threshold for the 【Curse】 debuff.

In Uncle Yuan’s analysis, he praised, “As expected, Sugar God’s calculations for the 【Curse】 are incredibly precise. He can control the detonation time very well.”

Lack added, “It’s not just about timing; you also need to calculate the damage. If Uncle Yuan hadn’t supported this wave, relying solely on the Chaos Angel might not have resulted in a triple kill. At least, the Darkmoon Knight’s health wouldn’t have reached the point of being detonated by the 【Curse】 before being consumed by Uncle Yuan.”

Ruby chimed in, “Yu Team’s support came just in time. You can feel that JW’s team communication should be very good.”

However, in reality…

After helping in the mid lane, Qian Yi was killed by the opposing 1st and 5th positions due to being too reckless.

Yu Hao, abandoning his gentle attitude towards Jiang Min, immediately criticized, “You idiot!”

—–

Author’s Note: Hahaha, famous double standards~

Mouse: I’m having a hard time QAQ

By the way, there’s been a sudden imagination about a female referee and a professional player recently. I’ll leave it in the column for now, haha.

Today is also a double chapter. Thank you all for your support, mwah!

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ️”