Chapter 44: The Great Canyon Culinary Showdown! (4/7)

"My goodness? What is happening?" The three commentators at the desk, having witnessed the Malphite steal the blue buff with their own eyes, nearly had their eyeballs pop out.

"No... how did he dare to do that? This isn't even about game sense anymore; this is pure luck, isn't it? Seeing who is more cursed, right?" Jiede’s expression was fascinating.

"Is there a possibility—and I’m just saying, if—that this was all calculated by Shaqima?" Rita countered.

Jiede and Miller fell into deep thought.

Not even with their toes could they imagine this being calculated. But if the ID was Shaqima...

"It might actually be possible... though I have no idea how he arrived at that result." Miller and Jiede exchanged bewildered glances.

Even these two seasoned commentators, with their vast experience in major tournaments, couldn’t explain why this play—which seemed like something out of a low-elo match—actually worked. But surely, no one would rely purely on luck in such a high-stakes match, right?

That couldn't be it, could it? Shaqima must have had something planned, right?

He really just came over to leech some experience.

Rookie, meanwhile, understood perfectly, his finger hovering over the W key.

Twisted Fate’s passive triggered: Loaded Dice.

He had only intended to test the aura effect; if it didn't work, he could still run, losing nothing more than the time it took to clear the red buff.

"Witchcraft, is it? I’ve roamed the Iron ranks for thousands of games, and I’ve always fought in the open," Cheng Xian hummed a little tune, hopping along as he controlled Malphite back to his own jungle to swiftly finish the red buff.

"Okay, okay! I’m coming, I’m coming!" Rookie was quick-handed. Just as the card was about to turn into a Gold Card...

It was the same spot, the same vision.

"Oh my god! Rookie has made a fatal error! He locked in a Blue Card! The worst one! No stun! No slow!" Jiede shouted.

It vanished.

Oh? Heard someone is too lucky? Cheng Xian’s gaze locked onto Doinb. Feel the death stare of the God of Misfortune!

"What kind of play is this... it’s so absurd..." Rita muttered under her breath.

Combined with Smite, the speed was significantly boosted. The commentators had been tracking the Malphite’s movements, and seeing him head straight for mid lane after clearing three camps, they spoke up.

Even more bewildered was the opposing mid-laner, Doinb’s Sylas.

This was the first time he had ever drawn such a useful debuff!

"It all depends on whether Doinb realizes it. If he senses the danger and retreats now, there's still time... Doinb is going in! He’s charging at Twisted Fate! This is bad!"

Ambush? Counter-gank? Those were underhanded tactics, not exactly heroic—but goodness, this Sylas was actually walking up to feed.

"Wow! This is so extreme! We all know that the Level 1 trinket ward only lasts 60 seconds. Shaqima precisely timed the disappearance of the ward, slipped into the river, and crouched in the right-side brush of mid lane! From the feed the director just cut to, we can see that FPX was completely unaware!" Jiede exclaimed, "Could this also be part of your calculations, Shaqima?!"

Rolling wheels! Every minion last-hit would randomly roll for extra gold, from 1 to 6.

"Return! Cage!"

Immediately after, Rookie saw the extra rewards popping up from the minion corpses.

"I’m super, this luck is too good!" While controlling Malphite and scurrying along with his black little feet, Cheng Xian was secretly ecstatic. "Or rather, the opponent is just too cursed. Getting killed by a Comet with one hit point left—this debuff is overpowered!"

A Level 1 Malphite clears the jungle slowly, but once he hits Level 2 and puts a point in his W, he becomes tankier, and every basic attack deals bonus damage.

The ward in the river pixel brush, which had clearly seen the Malphite stealing the blue buff, vanished the moment he stepped into the river. And what Doinb didn't know was...

"My heavens! Doinb has also made a mistake at this crucial moment! He clearly panicked when he saw the Malphite gank! Rookie’s card selection put enough pressure on him! He wanted to Flash, but he Flashed the wrong way, my Coin Brother! Sylas bumped straight into Malphite’s arms! How is someone already feeding when the game has barely started?!"

Twisted Fate’s mistake wasn't fatal, but Sylas’s point-blank "centimeter Flash" had effectively paved a bloody path to hell for himself.

...

"Wait a minute... is Malphite going to gank? But FPX set up vision in the river brush at the start; won't he be spotted again if he walks over?"

Meanwhile, in the game.

+1
+1
+1
...

After all, if he had to rely on his own game sense to outplay the opponent, Tian would have turned his jungle into a wreck within minutes.

He tapped the W key, precisely locking in a Red Card!

"Stun him and we can kill!"

"Brothers... I’m really not trying to pass the buck, but this Malphite seems to be cursed..."

*Clang!* He killed the red buff and strolled toward the F6 camp.

Cheng Xian didn't know anything about jungle paths; he just buried his head and farmed.

With reduced movement speed and reduced attack speed, the fierce-looking Sylas felt as if he were shackled, unable to move.

"Let me take a look!"

Of course, if Cheng Xian had heard that, he would have scoffed.

The card, flashing with brilliant blue light, flew straight toward the point-blank Sylas.

Rookie, with his seasoned experience, precisely controlled the health of all six minions to be low.

*Earthquake!*

He pressed W!

"This precise timing of the ward expiration is absolutely incredible! FPX is having a bit of bad luck this game. Their blue buff was stolen at the start, and the defensive ward the support placed in the river was dodged by Shaqima with seconds to spare. Doinb is in big trouble now!" Miller followed up.

Under the pummeling of the two, the Level 2 Sylas, who had no Flash, was like a young girl deceived by a bad boy—after a symbolic struggle, he surrendered his precious First Blood.

Now things were comfortable; the bicycle had turned into a supermodel.

He came with an aura of misfortune, bringing bad luck wherever he went.

"Damn it, how did I miss every single minion in this wave... That shouldn't be happening. I clearly used my Q when the minions were low..."

"Chicken Brother, I’m here to help you gank!" Cheng Xian swaggered into the river.

Doinb, seeing the dark force emerging from the river, felt his monkey-like body tremble in fear.

"Chicken Brother, hold him! I’m here!" Cheng Xian shouted, bursting out from the right-side brush of mid lane!

"It’s hellish. I didn't get a single minion in this wave..."

Cheng Xian swore to the heavens.

At this moment, Malphite had finished both buffs and F6, and his experience bar was just a sliver away from Level 3.

Meanwhile, in the mid lane.

He tossed the card into the minion wave.

The red vortex storm swept through, harvesting all the low-health minions.

Staring at the gray screen, Doinb remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"Brothers, this is the fourth update. There will definitely be seven chapters; they’re just a bit late. Good food is worth waiting for, right? When will you cast your votes? Anyway, I won’t go to sleep today until I’ve written seven chapters. Love you guys, heart emojis."