Chapter 158: One to One

Clearly, he hadn't made many mistakes, yet he felt as though he had stepped into a quagmire, with every single step restricted.

As a top-tier player, even the slightest nuance was perceptible to him.

Suddenly, Xiao Jiu recalled the legends surrounding Jiang Zheng.

He was exceptionally busy with training on ordinary days, leaving no time to watch live streams; the moment training ended, he would collapse onto his bed, desperate for sleep.

It was precisely this high-intensity training regime that earned them their championships. No achievement came easily; it required thousands upon thousands of times more effort.

Although he had never watched Jiang Zheng's live stream, he possessed some understanding of this formidable gaming streamer. He had heard certain professional players remark that when playing against this streamer, one must never drag out the match. Once the match dragged on, the one who lost would, in all probability, be oneself.

Could it be that he was going to lose this match?

He had just secured a kill and was currently holding the advantage.

Could an advantage really be reversed now?

Xiao Jiu refused to believe it. Caught up in Jiang Zheng's rhythm, he was already finding the match somewhat agonizing. Stirred by these inner thoughts, he directly charged forward to engage Jiang Zheng in mortal combat.

Kinetically seizing the moment when Xiao Jiu grew impatient, Jiang Zheng launched an offensive against him.

In the ensuing exchange between the two, Xiao Jiu surrendered a kill.

Presently, the kill score stood at one to one.

Upon being eliminated, Jiang Zheng hurried to push the tower, but his opponent had also kept his wits about him, clearing the minion wave before initiating the reckless charge.

Having just clashed with Xiao Jiu, Jiang Zheng's health was already somewhat depleted. Now, lacking minion cover, Jiang Zheng had no way to push the tower.

After weighing his options, Jiang Zheng ultimately decided to recall and replenish his health, abandoning this opportunity to push the tower.

Having given up that kill, Xiao Jiu quickly regained his composure; he realized that he had acted rather impulsively just moments ago.

Yet looking back, that state of affairs was indeed excruciatingly stifling. No matter what tactics he employed, it felt as though everything remained firmly within his opponent's control.

This opponent was terrifying!

A chill crept into Xiao Jiu's heart. He had battled countless professional players both domestically and internationally, yet he had never encountered an adversary as dreadful as the one today.

After Jiang Zheng whittled Xiao Jiu's tier-one tower down to half health, Xiao Jiu rushed back to the lane.

Jiang Zheng abandoned the thought of pushing the tower; diving under the tower made him far too vulnerable to being killed. Thus, neither player dared to dive the tower for a forced kill, choosing instead to play it as safe and cautious as possible.

Before long, after clearing the minion wave, Xiao Jiu lunged straight toward Jiang Zheng.

Jiang Zheng instantly adopted a defensive posture. He looked forward to fighting Xiao Jiu; if Xiao Jiu refused to fight, it would be difficult to secure a kill against him, making the match frustrating.

However, to Jiang Zheng's utter astonishment, Xiao Jiu had no intention of engaging him head-on whatsoever. Instead, he dashed directly toward the tier-one tower.

Jiang Zheng muttered that things looked ominous, but it was already a step too late. By the time he gave chase, his opponent had already entered the tower range.

Xiao Jiu intended to whittle away that final sliver of tower health with his own life—a massive gamble. After all, according to the tournament rules, securing three kills or destroying the tier-one tower constituted a victory.

Even if he surrendered a kill, it would all be worthwhile if it meant winning the match.

Jiang Zheng's tower had only a shred of health remaining, and now Xiao Jiu had gone all-out to push it. Lacking minion support, he nevertheless managed to bring the tower down.

Jiang Zheng had tried his utmost to stop him, but alas, his tower lacked sufficient durability. If it could have stalled for merely two more seconds, the tower would never have fallen.

Unfortunately, there were no ifs in this world.

With Jiang Zheng's tier-one tower destroyed, this game was judged as his defeat.

The series against Xiao Jiu was far from over; it was a best-of-three, and only a single game had been lost so far.

The two players adjusted their respective states of mind.

Following Jiang Zheng's loss, some pessimistic comments inevitably surfaced within his live stream chat.

Yet far more viewers were spamming: "Step aside! The streamer is about to flex."

Meanwhile, in the club's streaming room, the audience's emotions were charged with excitement.

"Xiao Jiu, congratulations on taking the first game. Just secure one more, and we've won the whole thing," a teammate remarked.

Hearing this, Xiao Jiu wore a solemn expression, showing no hint of a smile.

"Winning might not happen!" Xiao Jiu said in a deep voice.

These words startled his teammates, who hurriedly inquired, "What's going on? Why do you think we can't win?"

Xiao Jiu recounted the sensations he had just experienced. At that moment, a teammate comforted him, saying, "Xiao Jiu, don't overthink it. Perhaps you were just too tense. In the next game, try a different mindset, or perhaps a different playstyle."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jiu nodded.

The second game commenced swiftly. The two players re-entered the match, selected their respective heroes, and plunged into combat.

In this round, Xiao Jiu's playstyle and approach had completely shifted.

Possessing multiple playstyles and strategies was an essential professional trait for any pro player.

The reason was simple: relying on only a single playstyle and mindset made one exceedingly vulnerable to being targeted. One had to remember that the enemies they faced were exceptionally formidable, making it effortless to specifically counter a single strategy.

As a member of a championship-winning roster, Xiao Jiu commanded a vast repertoire of playstyles and approaches, many of which were drastically contrasting.

Yet, shifting his playstyle proved entirely futile. Jiang Zheng was not countering his playstyle; he was countering his operational habits.

That was a detail exceedingly difficult to alter.

Consequently, despite altering his strategy, Xiao Jiu found himself mired in the exact same predicament as the previous game.

Every single one of his movements felt as though it had been anticipated in advance—an intensely agonizing sensation.

The first kill erupted swiftly. Every exchange followed the exact same pattern, and Xiao Jiu's mental state began to be affected.

Amidst a lapse in judgment, the first kill was conceded.

Jiang Zheng temporarily seized the advantage!

Plunged into a disadvantageous position, Xiao Jiu felt his mentality begin to fracture. Although he continued to struggle in defense and refused to throw the game outright, he could not stem the tide of decline.

After surrendering the first stumble, Xiao Jiu rubbed his face hard and forced himself to continue.

Before long, Jiang Zheng secured three kills, claiming victory in the second game.

Throughout this match, Jiang Zheng presented a spectacle akin to absolute suppression. The situation was entirely one-sided, almost as if Xiao Jiu were intentionally throwing the match.

In reality, anyone with understanding knew that such a team would never throw a match or engage in match-fixing.

They had no reason to do so.

Nevertheless, quite a few people felt it lacked the spectacle of the previous game.

Having lost another round, Xiao Jiu's complexion grew increasingly unsightly.

Through yet another validation, he understood that there was simply no way for him to win against Jiang Zheng here.

The moment he entered into a lane matchup with Jiang Zheng, he would invariably fall into his rhythm.

Once trapped in Jiang Zheng's rhythm, no matter what actions he took, the opponent seemed to know beforehand, formulating counter-measures ahead of time.

Under such conditions, Xiao Jiu believed victory was beyond his reach.

If he couldn't do it, then in all probability, no one else could either.

The final two kills were gathered quite effortlessly by Jiang Zheng.

Xiao Jiu chose not to deliberately evade; instead, he chose to fight Jiang Zheng uprightly and honorably. If he was going to fall, he would fall standing tall.

After this game concluded, a heavy silence hung within the club.

Xiao Jiu had actually lost, and he had lost so cleanly and decisively, virtually being crushed.

For such a scenario to actually transpire felt almost unbelievable.

Xiao Jiu was a world-class top-tier player; at this level of mastery, virtually no one's technical skill should exhibit a crushing disparity.

Yet the reality lay right before their eyes, and believe it they must.