In the quarterfinals, KG was up against an opponent like Fate. No matter how much confidence the players and fans had in KG, they didn't dare to make any rash judgments before the actual match began.
You could say that KG had Tian Tian, the world's number one top laner.
But in Fate, who was also their opponent, the mid lane had a Yonkō (Four Emperors).
Tian Tian could indeed suppress Fate's top laner in the top lane, but similarly, KG's mid laner, Demon Ghost, was up against Moon, making it even more difficult for him to gain any advantage in the lane.
When the two teams fought against each other, the odds of winning were fifty-fifty.
That was why even Number Three, who usually didn't bother about such trivial details, took the initiative to call Tian Tian over tonight for the first time ever, and specially gave him such a special treatment.
As the saying goes, sharpening a spear at the last moment is not fast, but it's still bright.
With Number Three, who was on par with Europe's J and North America's Bullet in terms of strength and status, and was only second to the three at the top of the pyramid, personally giving him pointers, even if it was just one night of special training, it would definitely benefit Tian Tian a lot.
But —
For Number Three, tonight's special training was far more than what he hoped to achieve.
"Look further ahead."
"The training I'm giving you tonight isn't just to increase your chances of winning against Fate tomorrow."
"As a professional top laner, after you've reached a certain level, you need to be clear about the path you should take next."
"Of course, you're doing quite well in this area."
"During this period of time, I can see that you've been trying to step out of your comfort zone. You're trying to come into contact with and challenge other playstyles and operating styles. In this regard, you're almost like Ah Xing."
"But it's not enough."
"Ah Xing has already gone further and faster than you. He's only a thin layer of window paper away from that realm."
"As for you … you're not even half a step away."
Number Three's voice spread in the hotel room unhurriedly. He looked up at Tian Tian and asked, "Do you know what your problem is?"
Tian Tian nodded seriously.
"I'm too steady."
No.3's mouth twitched. "Don't flatter yourself. To put it bluntly, you've been too cowardly for so many years, and you've gotten used to it. Sometimes, your individual ability is clearly enough to crush your opponent, but the effect is only sixty to seventy percent. You're forcing yourself to drag a situation where you can single-handedly kill your opponent in the early stages to the middle and late stages, where you can slowly fight as a team —"
"Waste of time."
After summarizing the conclusion bluntly, Number Three changed the topic.
"You really have to learn from that little guy from the Minx Squad — what's his name again? You're The-Sword, right? Bullet and I have talked about him in private. Both of us think highly of him. "
"This year, Minx's luck is a little bad. They were placed in the death group, and they lack experience. Otherwise, if they were given more time to adapt and learn from their mistakes, they would definitely go far in this year's finals."
"That's not to say that The-Sword is better than you."
"To be honest, the two of you are probably at the same level right now, but his advantage is that he knows how to maximize the effect of his strong individual skills. You can only hit seventy percent of what you can do, but his The-Sword can unleash one hundred and twenty percent of its power. Look, how much difference is there?"
Tian Tian lowered his head in shame. "Senior, I'm too stupid …"
No.3 shook his head.
"No, you're not stupid at all."
"Your real problem is that you lack the heart to win."
…
"Back in Season S1, when there were only five players, you were the softest among all of them. But at that time, because you had Maple and the other guys to help you, you only needed to play to a standard level."
"But not now."
No.3's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Tian Tian in front of him. His gaze gradually became bright and sharp.
"Now, you're the core of your team."
"When the others can't do more, you must take the initiative to stand up."
"If you want to win, if you want to lead the team to win —"
"You must fight for it."
"You have to fight for it!"
At this point, No. 3 sighed a little. "Based on your personality, the top laner position shouldn't be suitable for you —" He then changed the topic and looked at Tian Tian with a heavier tone. "But since you've chosen this position, you should play everything you need to play in this position!"
"It's the same problem in the past."
"You'll only be able to unleash your full strength when you're forced to a certain point."
"It was the same in last year's finals."
"But you have to be clear about one thing. Not everyone will push you forward from behind. Most of the time, you have to force out your own ability. Otherwise, your height will forever be limited to this."
"Don't forget —"
"Although you're sitting on the throne of the so-called world's number one top lane, whether it's The-Sword from Minx, that Wolf from SSK, or that shameless J who'll personally play next year, they'll all be your strongest opponents."
"That's why."
"I'm not telling you all this for the sake of tomorrow's quarterfinals."
"Rather, if you're not prepared, you'll be completely submerged and eliminated in the new season next year."
"To put it bluntly —"
"At the end of the day, you're still my disciple."
"Back then, apart from No.1, Li Daozai, and that damned crow, I was invincible in the field I stood on. Even that old bastard J had to be beaten by me by half an inch —"
"Then, as my disciple, you should at least not be worse than me."
The last few sentences seemed to be just an understatement.
But every single word carried a heavy weight, and it was like a drum that shook one's eardrums.
The expression on Tian Tian's face kept changing.
Until the end.
He took a deep breath and subconsciously clenched his fists. He looked at Number Three with a determined and bright gaze.
"Senior, I understand."
No.3's mouth twitched. "Oh? It's useless to just talk. Show me what you've learned — "
And so, the match began.
The first match was against Raven from Hero.
The second match was also against Swordmistress from Hero.
The third match was a head-on fight between the two swordmistresses.
There weren't any fancy tricks involved. It was just a fierce attack with extreme control. The tapping sounds of the keyboard and mouse were crisp and rapid. It was so fast that even Lin Feng, who was the only spectator, couldn't help but feel a little dazzled.
The more Tian Tian played, the redder his face became, and the more focused his eyes became. A faint flame began to burn in the depths of his pupils.
But No.3's voice kept coming.
"Not enough."
"Not enough."
"What are you retreating for? Come, continue!"
"Again! — — "
*****
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