Chapter 939: Ruler of Esports 53

The NSDD coach knew exactly what kind of backlash this strategy would bring.

The “Sacrifice Stream” had always been controversial—players hated it, audiences mocked it—but none of that mattered right now.

For victory, everything was justified.

To avoid giving themselves away too early, NSDD deliberately picked Athena last. At the same time, they banned Da Qiao, who could teleport teammates, and Milady, who could summon her own minions—both direct counters to their strategy.

But the moment TG saw Athena, Tang Wan immediately understood.

“Tong Tong, be careful. They’re going to use Athena to cut the waves,” she said.

Fan Tong reacted instantly. “Coach, I’ll switch to support. I’ll take Liu Chan and assist. Let Wan Wan play the marksman.”

Liu Chan could stun both heroes and towers—even without minions, he could help push structures. Combined with Tang Wan’s strong Yu Ji, this gave them a solid answer to the strategy.

After a brief pause, the coach nodded. “Alright.”

The lineup was set.

As expected, NSDD executed their plan perfectly.

Right from the start, Athena deliberately fed a death, then flew straight to the TG base. She positioned herself in the narrow safe zone between the two high-ground towers and the crystal, waiting for the next wave.

The moment the minions spawned, she rushed forward and cleared all three lanes.

Just like that, TG lost their wave.

No minions meant no pushing.

But TG remained calm.

This was only the early stage.

Yes, Athena would gain gold quickly by clearing three waves—but her teammates would fall behind severely without lane resources. As long as TG punished the rest of NSDD hard enough and funneled resources into their carry, Athena alone wouldn’t be able to turn the game.

In the end, it would come down to execution.

Meanwhile, NSDD adjusted their core pick.

This time, Lin Haiyang chose Ying Zheng, a mage with massive range and oppressive teamfight damage from the backline.

In response, TG locked in Xiao Qiao.

After clearing a wave mid, Fan Tong called out, “Xiao Qiao, rotate down.”

“On my way!” Ari replied immediately.

He pushed the wave and quickly moved toward the bottom lane, slipping into the grass undetected.

The enemy fighter, who had been cautiously hugging the tower, stepped out for just a moment—

That was all it took.

Xiao Qiao’s second skill landed perfectly, knocking him into the air.

Her first skill followed instantly.

At the same time, Liu Chan accelerated forward, stunning the target the moment he landed.

Tang Wan’s Yu Ji dashed in with her second skill, unleashed her ultimate, and followed up with a precise first skill shot.

The enemy fighter’s health plummeted—

But he still wasn’t dead.

Then, just as he tried to retreat, Xiao Qiao’s cooldown came back up.

Another fan swept through the air.

Kill secured.

“Nice!” Ari couldn’t help shouting. “Captain, Wan Wan, I’m heading back mid!”

“Got it,” Fan Tong replied, already helping Tang Wan secure the river monster.

Ten seconds later, the enemy fighter respawned.

By now, Xiao Qiao had reached level four and unlocked her ultimate, while the enemy fighter—starved due to Athena’s wave-clearing—was still below level four.

He became even more cautious, barely stepping out from under his tower.

But what he didn’t expect—

Was that Xiao Qiao had already repositioned, hiding once again in the grass near the river monster.

Three seconds passed.

“Captain, now!” Ari called.

“Coming!”