The MVP for this game didn't go to Vladimir.
Although his early roams were crucial and his performance at the Rift Herald fight was very eye-catching, the one who truly carried the game in the early and mid stages was JackeyLove, whose Kalista output was completely maxed out this match.
On top of that, Lin Fan had already taken four MVPs in a row.
With an MVP that could reasonably go either to mid or bot, the officials naturally had to consider traffic and exposure.
At the very least, the effect was excellent.
The screams from the crowd—especially the group of young women—were incredibly loud, and from their voices alone, one could feel their excitement.
In preparation for the upcoming interview segment, they were fully ready.
Phones came out one after another, cameras rolling, uploads going straight to the super topic the moment filming finished.
Esports competitions were never short on star-chasing fans.
Of course, there were also many people who focused more on analyzing the game—observing the flow of the match, identifying flaws in their supported teams, and studying the traits and performances of individual players.
Lin Fan in particular drew enormous attention.
After all, he had replaced Knight as TES's starting mid laner.
Combined with the fact that he didn't train regularly, the spotlight on him was naturally intense.
And after watching closely, people really did notice a lot.
In both games, the tempo spread outward from mid lane.
Compared to the relatively weaker early-game Vladimir, the rhythm wasn't as obvious—but it was still there.
Of course, that also had a lot to do with Gori being a "lane-locked spirit" in mid.
He picked Ahri and yet couldn't move at all, which left many people utterly baffled.
Still, the first-person perspective of this match was on JackeyLove.
What exactly happened during the game would need post-match review to fully understand.
But the fact that Vladimir could maintain his own development while still roaming to side lanes definitely said something.
At this point in the season, TES had played nine matches.
This was their first clean 2–0 victory without going to overtime.
Back in the lounge, Luo Sheng took a deep breath.
Judging from how the games played out, this starting roster change had been the right call.
Lin Fan had not failed his trust.
Across both games, he had completely suppressed his lane opponent.
Knight, meanwhile, had been carefully observing Luo Sheng's expression.
From the slight upward curve of the coach's lips, he felt that his bench might be getting warmer and warmer.
At his current level, against a mid laner like Gori, he could've played just as freely.
What he hadn't expected was that Lin Fan had been thinking along these lines all along.
No wonder he hadn't reacted at all during the previous meeting when blame was shifted onto him as support—he'd probably already decided to return to mid lane back then.
It just so happened that Knight's own form had declined rapidly due to some personal issues, giving Lin Fan the perfect opportunity.
But yesterday, Knight had already taken care of everything.
From here on out, he would fully commit to training.
As long as he got another chance on stage, he would take the position back.
After calming down, Knight also had to admit that Lin Fan's recent performances were outrageous.
But he still hadn't given up.
He believed that if he were in that position, he could've played the same way.
And Lin Fan's champion pool clearly lacked mainstream mid laners.
On top of that, with no training, he was destined not to last long.
At most three more matches.
Sooner or later, other teams would identify his weaknesses and target him easily.
When that happened, Knight could justifiably reclaim the mid lane role.
Just then, Knight's phone suddenly vibrated.
He took it out, and his brows immediately furrowed.
"What does this mean? Isn't it already over? Why are they still pestering me?"
…
Standing up from his gaming chair, Lin Fan stretched lazily.
The pace of the entire match had been in his hands.
Although the process looked somewhat difficult, everything was under control, with no real pressure.
In the end, it still came down to the opponent simply not being strong enough.
If he remembered correctly, FPX would send Gori packing in the Summer Split.
The expensive Korean mid–jungle experiment would officially fail.
Thinking about it carefully, it made sense.
What level was Clid as a jungler?
This was a player who had been involved in SKT's internal jungle wars.
And what level was Gori as a mid laner?
They weren't even in the same tier.
FPX had simply been wishful thinking.
Mid laners who could bring their own system were still far too rare.
Relying on a single ADC—no matter how strong—was ultimately not enough.
And nowadays, trying to win purely through ADC was extremely difficult.
TES itself was the best example.
The post-match handshake had little conversation.
At the end of the day, they just weren't familiar with each other.
"Damn, Rise of Kingdoms Bro's performance today… it honestly feels a bit outrageous."
"Honestly, MVP could've gone to him too. But JackeyLove hasn't gotten an MVP in ages—might as well take care of his fans. Otherwise, what if angry fans storm the streamer?"
"As long as we win, that's what matters. Could it be that Rise of Kingdoms Bro is on a main-character arc now? Called up in a crisis, saves TES, charges all the way to Worlds, and wins the championship?"
TL: XD
"Bro, you dare think that far? But if it really happened, it'd be pretty awesome."
"With Rise of Kingdoms Bro's current performance, Knight might soon vanish from existence."
"Classic fraud—picking up kills in winning games, disappearing in losing ones. Whether he's there or not doesn't even matter."
As the chat continued to argue noisily, TES had already returned to the lounge.
Seated in his chair, Luo Sheng enthusiastically poured Lin Fan a cup of water.
"Well played. Let's discuss something—interested in doing some extra practice tonight?"
"Tonight might not work… I already scheduled blade practice with Dai Laoliu and the others. We'll see later."
The smile on Luo Sheng's face gradually froze.
"Bro Fan played two games today, he's tired. Practicing blades to relax a bit is reasonable," JackeyLove said with a grin, stepping in to smooth things over.
"You know he's tired from playing, then hurry up and go do the interview so we can head back to base."
"Alright, I'll be quick."
The moment JackeyLove opened the lounge door, staff were already waiting outside.
Today's interviewer was Xiaoyu, someone JackeyLove was very familiar with.
The two smiled as soon as they saw each other.
"Congratulations to TES on securing three consecutive wins. JackeyLove, as the MVP of Game Two, how did you feel about today's match?"
"It felt pretty good. I was in great form, but Rise of Kingdoms Bro's form was even hotter. Playing with a teammate like that is honestly very comfortable."
"When Vi showed up bot lane, I was actually about to piss myself. But once I heard Rise of Kingdoms Bro say he was nearby, I instantly felt confident and just went for it."
"With Rise of Kingdoms Bro around, the sense of security is completely maxed. That surprised me a bit, since he's a mid laner—but maybe it's because he used to play support."
"Something like that. Rise of Kingdoms Bro's in a hurry to go back and practice his blade—heard he already made plans."
"Blade practice? What blade practice?" Xiaoyu looked completely confused.
But the livestream chat exploded.
"I'm crying—after such an intense battle, Rise of Kingdoms Bro still remembers his vow to practice blade skills!"
TL: If you want to read ahead by at least ten chapters, patreon.com/EdibleMapleSyrup