Smack!
Knight leaned back too hard, tipping his chair over and crashing straight onto the floor.
Rage surged to his head, and for a moment he couldn't even catch his breath.
But the fall forced the foul air out of his chest.
He flailed with both hands and feet, struggling up from the chair.
Even so, his head throbbed and his vision swam.
He'd been through too much today.
First, the club docked him two months of salary.
Then he watched Lin Fan—who got along with everyone so well—refuse to train at the club, spending all day on all kinds of random nonsense.
And the coaches and manager didn't even care…
They even gave Lin Fan the best treatment, building all tactics around Brother Infinite Borders.
It wasn't fair!
That was why he'd thought of soloing Lin Fan on stream—to humiliate him in front of all his fans.
But… not only did he fail, he even got solo-killed.
He couldn't accept it.
How could someone who didn't train and just played random games all day solo-kill his Sylas?
"Knight, are you okay?"
Seeing Tian run over to help him up, Knight slapped Tian's hand away.
"Heh. You're here to laugh at me too, aren't you?"
"You started throwing my games during matches. When I'm mid, you never come to help me. The moment Lin Fan gets on stage, you sprint mid nonstop. Junglers are just looking for someone to be their dog, right? Found a new master, and now you're giving me attitude?"
Knight ranted in his head like crazy.
He was furious, but he didn't dare actually say it out loud in the club.
Starting drama in the club was serious, and Lin Fan was streaming on top of that.
Every move was being recorded. If people started talking about it, Knight would become a rat crossing the street—everyone would shout at him.
At that point, no team in the entire league might even want him…
The impact would be enormous, and he knew it.
Anger made him less rational, but he still knew what he could and couldn't do.
After getting up, he silently set the chair upright, sat down, and his face turned pitch-black.
Seeing Knight react so strongly, Tian rubbed his nose and went back to his own seat.
"Knight, why'd you fall like that? You got solo-killed and you're reacting this hard?" Mark laughed.
But when he saw the look Knight shot him, he realized something and immediately shut his mouth.
A lot had happened these past two days—Knight skipped training and got docked two months' salary.
He couldn't joke around like before.
Damn, this mouth of his—asking for it.
Everyone knew what Knight meant when he shouted for a solo earlier.
He wanted to prove himself.
Now that he got solo-killed, wasn't he even more depressed?
Mark hurried back to JackeyLove.
With the big bro's protection, he felt a lot safer.
* * *
Meanwhile, Lin Fan's chat exploded.
"I'm dying. He asked for a solo and got taught a brutal lesson by Brother Infinite Borders."
"What strength does Knight even have? If he did, he wouldn't have gotten stomped by Rookie twice. Two matches, heartbreaking stats—1–17…"
"LMAO. Can't even beat Rookie and he comes to solo Brother Infinite Borders? Out of his mind?"
"So tragic. He lost and then ate a huge fall. Just the sound alone—must've hurt like hell."
"I'm telling you, Knight is probably depressed as hell right now. He can't vent, so he's definitely going to spiral."
"Link it all together and it's immersive: started and got taught, got docked two months' salary, then got solo-killed in front of everyone."
"Hahahaha I can't—this is killing me."
"Sometimes you've got to know your place. The stupidest thing TES did this year was renewing Knight for 45 million."
"If that 45 million was used as a Worlds title bonus, or if Brother Infinite Borders trained every day until Worlds and then got rewarded with that money… TES might actually have a story this year."
"LMAO. Guo Hao is 'trying his best' every year, but that 45 million renewal was just dumb."
…
"Still going?" Lin Fan hadn't expected Knight to react so violently after losing one game—he literally took a huge spill.
Man's paying early New Year respects or what?
Hearing Lin Fan, Knight took a deep breath.
"Keep going. Didn't expect Fan-ge's Zed to be that good. I was careless."
"It's not that. I've played that champ the least. That was also my first Zed game of the year—just testing the feel. It was okay, I guess."
The veins on Knight's forehead throbbed as he tugged at his collar.
First Zed game and you can crush me?
Heh…
"LMAO, so satisfying. I hereby crown Brother Infinite Borders the language master. That exchange was a fatality."
"Maybe Brother Infinite Borders wasn't even lying. Did you see him play games in the last two months? He never picked Zed in pro play either. It's pretty believable."
"Brother Infinite Borders doesn't do little mind games. That's why what he said is the true fatality."
"You think Knight can win a game?"
"Dream on. Exaggeration aside, Brother Infinite Borders could play with both hands tied and Knight still couldn't win!"
As everyone argued, they started the second solo.
"Brother Infinite Borders, teach Knight a lesson—show him what a top-tier player is, and what a nobody is!"
"Today, beat him until his brain goes numb!"
"LeBlanc, LeBlanc."
"Knight's champ pool is just those few. Pick LeBlanc and stomp him."
This round, Lin Fan thought for a moment and picked Twisted Fate.
He took Press the Attack, and his starting item was Doran's Blade.
This game: AD Twisted Fate.
With Press the Attack, the early-game boost for a weak laner was huge.
Three autos dealt an extra forty damage, then increased subsequent damage by eight percent for six seconds.
In early trades, you weren't afraid of anyone…
This time Knight picked LeBlanc.
The moment he saw Twisted Fate, his face flushed—just picking this champ instantly tilted him by eighty percent.
This champ was famous for weak laning.
He got lucky and solo-killed me once last round, and he thinks he's invincible now?
He met him and stomped forward without a second word, trying to force a trade.
But Lin Fan wasn't afraid at all.
LeBlanc level one wasn't actually that strong, but this is how she played—hit level two, take E, and look for a kill.
That's how you play against AP Twisted Fate.
But Lin Fan was AD Twisted Fate.
Auto once, then pick a card—Gold Card stun, then another auto to trigger the exposed state.
LeBlanc also procced Electrocute.
But early Electrocute wasn't even in the same league as Press the Attack.
And their skill damage was roughly similar—Doran's Blade Twisted Fate just chased LeBlanc down with autos.
Two more hits, and LeBlanc had already lost three bars of HP.
Twisted Fate only lost two—damage gap was obvious.
Knight hurriedly Distortion'd back.
Lin Fan didn't rush, keeping Twisted Fate behind the wave.
"Their damage is this high?"
Knight steadied his mindset quickly.
No problem. Later on, I'll delete him anyway.
Lin Fan calmly began controlling the wave.
Mainly because LeBlanc's stomp had changed minion HP—if he didn't touch it, the enemy wave would naturally push.
That let him freeze near his turret: safe to retreat, ready to attack, and he could play it slow.
Like when Fizz autoed a minion once and Dopa said the game was over.
Knight didn't think that far at all—he wanted to end the game fast.
After all, last round he got solo-killed at the level three-to-four timing. If he wanted to prove himself, it had to be quick and ruthless!
When the wave froze outside mid turret, every step up meant getting poked by Twisted Fate. He immediately realized something was wrong.
The pressure spiked instantly.
But it also looked like an opportunity.
On the second wave, he could force a combo with E to lower Twisted Fate's HP.
Once that thought formed, Knight started fishing for an opening from the backline.
Lin Fan just last-hit steadily.
While holding the freeze, he also tried to control the speed the minions died.
At this pace, the moment LeBlanc hit level two, she would definitely make a move.
Even with a health advantage, level one into level two would still lose.
Watching the seventh minion about to die…
Knight autoed, then Distortion'd in.
Hit level two and instantly took E!
He threw it straight at Twisted Fate.
Lin Fan stayed calm. He also autoed a minion, and leveled E as well.
He pressed W. Cards spun above his head.
Then an auto—then he locked Gold Card, stunning LeBlanc in place and canceling out her E snare timing.
The exposed state procced again.
This time was different—Lin Fan had no intention of backing off. He played extremely aggressively.
He kept chasing and autoing.
Then Ignite, then another auto.
When the card touched LeBlanc, her passive triggered—Mirror Image.
Knight frowned. He hadn't expected that his proactive engage would turn into this situation.
But no rush.
He held Control and started moving the clone.
Lin Fan had already determined the one walking upward was the real body, but he still played it safe and clicked once.
The Electrocute bar under the lower LeBlanc was dark.
Real one.
He ignored the LeBlanc walking backward entirely.
Two more autos, and Knight's heart started to panic.
He realized he'd been identified.
No hesitation—Flash to create distance.
As long as he got away, once Distortion came back up, he could escape.
But Lin Fan flashed after him and tagged him again to proc the passive.
Thump!
HP hit the floor.
Distortion came off cooldown. Knight immediately pressed W.
But at that moment, with attack speed, Twisted Fate's hand lifted again—a card flew out.
First blood.
Solo kill!
"…!"
Knight was so angry he felt like he could crush the mouse.
He scanned his desktop, wanting to find a bottle of water to cool down.
But he hadn't gone to the water bar at all before starting.
"Hahahaha, LeBlanc got solo-killed by Twisted Fate. I'm dead."
"Knight is really at this level? Brother Infinite Borders' Twisted Fate is insane."
"LeBlanc got solo-killed by Twisted Fate at level two? Knight's best role is the bench."
"How does a sub fight a starter? He's going to get pressed to death."
"The gap is huge. TES keeps thinking and thinking and keeps losing—Brother Infinite Borders' value might not even be a quarter of Knight's."
"Keep going like this and he'll have everything, while someone else ends up with nothing."
"How did Brother Infinite Borders identify the real one? One click and he knew—so fast."
At that moment, Lin Fan picked up the mineral water on the desk and saw there were two bottles.
After all, he'd asked JackeyLove to bring two earlier.
"Knight, want some water? I still have a bottle."
"No…" Knight had actually planned to go get one, but the moment Lin Fan asked, he refused without thinking.
Then he licked his cracked lips.
He hadn't drunk water all day. And getting solo-killed as LeBlanc by Twisted Fate only made him more miserable.
So he kept licking… as if that could ease his thirst.
"Alright." Lin Fan placed the bottle at the left corner of the desk.
Then he asked, "Still want to go?"
"Yeah…"
Knight refused to believe he couldn't win even one game.
Lin Fan's "slaughtering" on stage was entirely because his teammates helped him.
A player who didn't train was just getting carried—every game was a 2v1 mid, Tian did nothing but force ganks mid.
If he got that kind of support too, he'd definitely look even better than this guy!
These two losses…
It was purely because his form was bad.
Next game, his form would be maxed. He would get everything back.
Making Knight admit Lin Fan was stronger was more painful than death.
So in the next game, he pulled out Syndra—he'd solo-kill him with Syndra.
He'd crush him with his best champion!
But he didn't expect Lin Fan to pick Syndra too…
Knight straightened up immediately.
I'm also a pro player famous for Syndra…
But he walked up and missed two abilities, while Lin Fan hit him with Q-A-Q-A, taking full level-one damage.
That was when he understood this wasn't going to be easy.
Around four minutes in, Lin Fan Flash-EQ'd, shoved him back, picked up a sphere, slammed it down, then Ignite plus an auto to finish—perfect damage, a full one-combo kill.
Knight's screen went black again.
"…!"
"Still going?"
"Yeah!!!"
It had to be that he hadn't played Syndra much lately—no longer had that old feel.
Meanwhile, this guy had already used her several times in matches.
But Syndra getting solo-killed by Syndra… Knight felt hollow.
The script was completely different from what he'd imagined.
Wasn't he supposed to stomp the other side?
He was just a thief of victory… but now?
Sylas got solo-killed by Zed.
LeBlanc got solo-killed by Twisted Fate.
Syndra got solo-killed by Syndra…
Game four.
Lin Fan pulled out LeBlanc.
This time Knight didn't even last two minutes.
As soon as LeBlanc hit level two, she jumped in, Ignited, dumped the full combo, then chased with two autos for the solo kill.
At this moment, Luo Sheng—who had heard the news—also arrived in the training room.
He stood behind them, observing while recording notes.
"Didn't expect Knight could still be used like this. Now we can see Brother Infinite Borders' champion pool…"
"Ahem… Coach, isn't Fan-ge being a bit too harsh?" JackeyLove asked quietly.
"Not at all. It's just simple sparring and exchange."
That's what he said, but Knight's flushed face, the big beads of sweat on his head, and his trembling lips made it clear this was not "simple sparring."
This was a one-sided beatdown.
Seven games in, and not a single one reached level six.
Knight was beaten so badly he couldn't tell east from west. His brain felt like mush.
"Knight's laning still needs more practice. His laning is just too bad," Luo Sheng said.
Knight's eyes went vacant. His jaw trembled.
Luo Sheng's words were a fatality!
TL: If you want to read ahead by at least ten chapters, patreon.com/EdibleMapleSyrup